IMST Information Systems & Technology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of information system is primarily designed to support structured, repetitive transactions at the operational level of an organization?
- Decision Support System
- Transaction Processing System (Correct answer)
- Executive Information System
- Expert System
Correct answer: Transaction Processing System
Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) handle the day-to-day routine transactions that keep a business running, such as payroll, order entry, and inventory updates.
Question 2: In information systems, what does the term 'data warehouse' primarily refer to?
- A physical server room for data storage
- A subject-oriented, integrated repository designed for reporting and analysis (Correct answer)
- A real-time transactional database
- A backup system for disaster recovery
Correct answer: A subject-oriented, integrated repository designed for reporting and analysis
A data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, and non-volatile collection of data designed to support management decision-making.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system?
- To manage customer relationships only
- To integrate core business processes across departments into a single unified system (Correct answer)
- To provide internet connectivity across the enterprise
- To replace all legacy databases with a new schema
Correct answer: To integrate core business processes across departments into a single unified system
ERP systems integrate business functions such as finance, HR, supply chain, and manufacturing into one unified platform to streamline operations.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a Management Information System (MIS)?
- A system that processes raw transactions in real time
- A system that provides managers with structured reports to support routine decision-making (Correct answer)
- A system used exclusively by executives for strategic planning
- A network monitoring and security tool
Correct answer: A system that provides managers with structured reports to support routine decision-making
MIS generates structured, periodic reports from TPS data to help middle managers monitor performance and make routine operational decisions.
Question 5: What does 'system integration' mean in the context of information management?
- Installing new hardware in a data center
- Connecting disparate systems so they can share data and function cohesively (Correct answer)
- Migrating all data to a cloud provider
- Decommissioning outdated legacy applications
Correct answer: Connecting disparate systems so they can share data and function cohesively
System integration is the process of linking different IT systems, services, and software to work as a coordinated, unified infrastructure.
Question 6: Which technology layer in an information system is responsible for storing and retrieving structured data?
- Presentation layer
- Application layer
- Data layer (Correct answer)
- Network layer
Correct answer: Data layer
The data layer (also called the data tier or persistence layer) manages database storage, retrieval, and management of structured organizational data.
