Using The Laws of Information to Improve Information Systems: Exercises

 

I. Application of Law of Conservation of Information

Alice’s Restaurant Dish Inventory: Keeping Track

 

Alice’s Restaurant has an inventory of dishes.  At any moment in time, only a fraction of all the dishes that Alice has purchased are actually available to set tables.  The rest is stored in the back room.  She physically moves the dishes between the two areas and, when she sees that there is a need for more, she orders them from the supplier(s).  To prevent theft, Alice has the dishes physically counted each Sunday morning.  Each class of dish is described by the dish type, the amount out front, the amount in the back room, the names of the suppliers, the date and amount last ordered and the date counted.  This information is stored in an inventory book, which is kept on a desk in the back room. Alice has Betty, her assistant, do the counting twice to make sure.  This takes a long time and Alice knows that the numbers are wrong most of the time.

 

  1. Create a DFD showing the important processes, data flows, data stores, and external actors.
  2. Make a suggestion using the law of conservation of information to improve the inventory maintenance.

 

II. Application of Law of Utilization of Information

Alice’s Restaurant Dish Inventory: Reordering

 

Alice makes her decision about reordering dishes based on the count and also on her judgment of appearance.  Each Sunday morning, she goes through the inventory book, counts the dishes and fills out an order form which has the dish type, the number required and the name of the supplier, using the information from the inventory book.  When the order is placed by Betty on Monday morning, the inventory book us updated with the appropriate date. This is just too much work, say’s Alice.

 

  1. Create a DFD showing the important processes, data flows, data stores, and external actors.
  2. Make a suggestion using the law of utilization of information to improve the dish ordering system.

 

III. Application of Law of Logical Data Flow

Alice’s Restaurant Dish Inventory: Receiving

 

When ordered dishes arrive, Alice’s assistant receives them, counts the received dishes and updates the dish inventory, putting all the new dishes in the back room.  Alice is pretty sure that this system isn’t working.

 

  1. Create a DFD showing the important processes, data flows, data stores, and external actors.
  2. Make a suggestion using the law of logical data flow to improve the dish tracking system

 

IV. Application of Law of Data Integrity

Alice’s Restaurant Dish Inventory: Fudging

 

Alice wonders about her method of keeping track of the dishes. The inventory book never seems accurate.  Once a year, she has her assistant simply change the inventory numbers in the inventory book to reflect the actual dishes on hand, in front and in the back room.  But, Alice wonders, is this a good idea?

 

  1. Create a DFD showing the important processes, data flows, data stores, and external actors.
  2. Make a suggestion using the law of data integrity to improve the dish tracking system

 

V. Putting It All Together

Alice’s Restaurant Dish Inventory: Improvement

 

Using your four suggestions and any other source of knowledge you have about keeping track of inventory model (i.e., draw a DFD for) an improved Dish Inventory System for Alice’s Restaurant. 

 

  1. What are Alice’s (dish inventory) goals?
  2. What processes correspond to each goal?
  3. Who are the external actors with respect to Alice’s dish inventory system
  4. What data stores contain information that the inventory system saves?
  5. What sub-processes comprise each process?
  6. What are the data relationships (data flows) among these subprocesses?
  7. How do the laws of conservation and utilization of information, the law of logical data flow and the law of data integrity “inform” or guide your design of the improved system?
  8. What role does your knowledge of inventory in business play in making suggestions for improvement?
  9. What role does your knowledge about information technology play in making suggestions for improvement?
  10. How much do you think Alice is going to be willing to pay you for your advice and how do you know this?

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