Part I

IT in the Organization
This part includes the first three chapters of the text.  Its basic objective is to provide a both a strong foundation for understanding what is meant by information technology and the business side of managing it.  Each chapter introduces new concepts, terms, and terminology and uses practical examples to illustrate them.

Part I explains information technology in the context of organizations and their use of it.  It focuses on business pressures and the strategies used to counter them, especially through the use of Web-based strategic information systems.  It contains three chapters:

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the emerging digital economy, the pressures in the business environment, and the critical response activities that organizations take to counter the pressures.  Information systems are viewed as systems that support the critical response activities of organizations, such as increasing productivity, increasing speed, and improving customer service.  A foundation for understanding what is meant by “information technology” is established, and new innovations are discussed.

Chapter 2 is dedicated to the various species of information systems.  The major categories of systems are those intended to support the functional areas, business transaction processing, and various groups of people and their tasks.  The chapter also outlines the architecture and infrastructure of information technology, including the Internet, intranets, and extranets.  Finally, the chapter deals with the relationship between the information system department and end users.

Part II

The Web Revolution
Part II of this text includes Chapters 4, 5, and 6, which presents the concepts of  network computing, electronic commerce, many of the recent innovations in computing The impacts of these technologies are examined and applications of the technologies are described.  Each chapter within the part offers substantial explanations, practical examples, and definitions of new terms and terminology. 

Here is a summary of concepts presented within the chapters discussed in this part:

 ·    Chapter 4 covers the Internet, including the major concepts of discovery, communication and collaboration as well as an introduction to distance learning, telecommunications and ethical and management issues.

 ·   Chapter 5 explores electronic commerce, the applications that make up electronic commerce, the varieties of electronic commerce (business to consumer, business to business, business to employee, business to government), payment systems, and ethical issues as well as failures. 

Part III

Organizational Applications
This part includes three chapters from the text- Chapters 7, 8, and 9, which present various ways of using the information technology, starting from the transaction processing to intelligence-based processing for organizational purposes.  Similar to other parts of this text book, a number of new terms and terminology, a well planned set of practical examples, and practical issues and concerns faced by managers today are introduced.

Here is a summary of the concepts presented within the chapters discussed in this part:

 ·            Chapter 7 describes the facts and issues related to transaction processing systems, innovative systems, and functional systems in an organization.  It also discusses how IT supports the customer relationship management as well as how the various systems are integrated in an organization.

·           Chapter 8 provides an introduction to supply chain management, including defining  the supply chain and its activities, value chains, problems and solutions, computerized systems of supply chain management (ERP, MRP, MRPII, and SCM), and order fulfillment.

Part IV

Managerial and Decision Support Systems
This part includes three chapters from the text‑ Chapters 10, 11, and 12 which present various ways of using information technology to support knowledge management and decision making.  Similar to other parts of this text book, a number of new terms and terminology, a well planned set of practical examples, and practical issues and concerns faced by managers today are introduced. Here is a summary of the concepts presented within the chapters discussed in this part:

 Chapter 10 presents the reader with an understanding of knowledge management, including the roles of management and IT in the capture, distribution, and use of knowledge.  This chapter will give the student an excellent understanding of why knowledge management is important to all sized businesses, explaining both the benefits and the drawbacks.

 Chapter 11 focuses on the use of data within the organization including data collection and storage, data processing for outputs as reports and graphics, and complex data processing using data mining with data extracted from data marts and warehouses.  Current topics such as data presentation using systems such as geographic information systems, visual simulations, and virtual reality are discussed.  Finally, marketing databases and the role of the Web in data management are discussed.

Chapter 12 introduces intelligent support systems including artificial intelligence, decision support systems, group decision support systems, expert systems, and topics of great current interest such as neural computing and voice understanding.  Intelligent agents, introduced earlier, are covered in greater detail.  The use of Web‑based intelligent systems and tools to support creativity conclude the chapter.

Part V

Implementing and Managing IT 
This part includes Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16.  Earlier parts have presented concepts related to the various ways of using the information technology, with emphasis on the ways that information systems enhance productivity, profitability, quality, customer service, creativity, decision making, and so on. This final part explores the issues involved with developing and managing such information systems.  Since information systems are basically enablers, they must be planned for, justified, constructed, operated, and maintained. They also require protection from various disasters. This part includes a well-planned set of practical examples and the issues and concerns that managers face today as they deal with information systems. 

Here is a summary of concepts presented by the chapters in this part: 

·            Chapter 13 deals with several issues which are related to the economics of IT.  It explains the “productivity paradox,” chargeback, and outsourcing.

·            Chapter 14 provides an overview of the major approaches to implementing IT- from the traditional system development life cycle to prototyping, rapid application development, and finally, an object-oriented approach.

·            Chapter 15 deals with information resource management (IRM) and security. Methods of protecting an organization’s information systems are dealt with including assessing vulnerability and the role of the CIO in managing the information systems function.