INFOSYS 110
Digital Systems
Semester Two 2023
i Instructions:
You must answer ALL parts of ALL questions in this exam , based on information given in the Exam Case.
Type your answers into the answer area(s ) of each question. If an answer template is provided, copy and paste it into the answer area and structure your answer accordingly.
You may refer to any paper-based and/or digital resources during the exam and be sure to follow the Academic Integrity declaration.
Manage your time well, and do not forget to submit your exam at the end.
Exam Case - Sea Forest
Seaweed can change the world – that’s what Sea Forest founder and CEO Sam Elsom believes . In fact, after running a successful clothing label for a number of years , Sam packed it all in to grow seaweed, which is the main operation at Sea Forest.
Why is Sea Forest growing seaweed?
The seaweed cultivated by Sea Forest is called Asparagopsis . It is a red seaweed native to Australian Coastal waters . Sea Forest is the first to cultivate this seaweed at a commercial scale through both marine and land-based aquaculture.
The main incentive for growing Asparagopsis is its effectiveness in reducing the production of methane (a greenhouse gas) in ruminant livestock , including cattle and sheep. It is claimed by Sea Forest that “animals whose diets contain 0.2% Sea Forest’s [Asparagopsis] supplement will have methane reductions up to 98%” , according to a recent scientific publication” . This could drastically impact the effects of climate change.
What is Sea Forest’s Current Focus?
In the early days , Sam focused on perfecting his product. However, the business is now starting its “ rapid growth” phase. Because of this , Sam is focusing on three things:
1. Growing as much Asparagopsis as possible,
2. Developing a network of farmers that will pay to use its supplement product, and
3. Growing awareness of the benefits of Sea Forest’s Asparagopsis supplement amongst major meat purchasers including supermarkets and restaurants , so that they may preferentially purchase product that has been fed Sea Forest Asparagopsis supplements .
What does Sea Forest Need?
To do this , Sam knows that he needs Business Intelligence on every aspect of his business , from the growth rates of Asparagopsis in different environments , to the preferences of potential primary and secondary customers , including livestock farms and the customers who purchase from those farms .
1 The three objectives in the current focus of Sea Forest, as stated in the exam case, were based on Business Intelligence that informs the company about what their potential customers (livestock farm operators , restaurants , and consumers) want.
Such Business Intelligence were obtained by careful analysis of various data collected from Sea Forest’s business transactions and market research efforts .
a. In one sentence, based on the context of the exam case, suggest what Sea Forest’s Business Intelligence may have informed them about what its potential customers want, which results in Sea Forest’s current operations . (Hint: For example, LUSH operates in their current mode because their Business Intelligence suggest that their potential customers are “committed to ethical buying and are obsessed with the purity of handmade items ”.) (2 marks)
b. For the Business Intelligence suggested in your answer to part a, suggest TWO transactions where Sea Forest may have obtained the relevant data to generate such information. Also state what relevant data were obtained in EACH transaction. (8 marks)
c . For EACH of the two transactions suggested in your answer to part b, suggest a relevant specific TPS that can be used to process the transaction or capture the relevant data. Describe how such data is captured with a specific made-up example. (5 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
a.
Sea Forest's Likely Business Intelligence:
b.
Transaction 1:
Relevant Data:
Transaction 2:
Relevant Data:
c.
TPS 1:
Description:
TPS 2:
Description:
2 As SeaForest’s network for farmer customers grows , the company sets up a relational database to replace the existing spreadsheet record of the farmer’s information and the sales transactions . This change allows Sea Forest to address the emerging issues about their “Quality of Data” as the amount of data grows .
In class , you were introduced to 6 dimensions of the Quality of Data:
a. Suggest TWO such potential Quality of Data dimensions that are likely to be violated by using a spreadsheet to manage a large amount of transactional data. Justify your suggestions with a brief explanation and a specific example. Note that your suggestions must be related to the nature of spreadsheets for this specific purpose. (9 marks)
b. For each of the two violations given in your answer to part a, explain how the use of a relational database instead of a spreadsheet can avoid such violations . Support each explanation with a specific example of relational database design (eg. How the data is organised to minimise the specific violation). Note that your answer must be about how relational databases may address the short-comings of spreadsheets for managing large amounts of data, rather than the properties of relational databases that are not related to such short-comings . (6 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
a.
Dimension 1:
Justification:
Example:
Dimension 2:
Justification:
Example:
b.
Explanation for Dimension 1:
Specific Example:
Explanation for Dimension 2:
Specific Example:
3 To further improve its supplement product, Sea Forest intends to partner with some of its expert customers to further develop the growing and processing of their Asparagopsis .
In class , we have covered three forms of collaborations and four types of collaboration systems .
a. Which form of collaboration covered in class is such partnership? Explain your answer. (2 marks)
b. Recommend the most suitable type of Collaboration system covered in this course to facilitate such form of collaboration. Explain the reason for your recommendation. Further justify your recommendation with an explanation about why the other three types are not suitable. (8 marks)
c . A junior staff at Sea Forest suggested that an Enterprise System (such as the one described in the Red Sneaker example covered in class) is good for facilitating such collaboration. Given the three potential risks of Enterprise Systems covered in this course, discuss why this is not a good suggestion. (5 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
a.
Form. of Collaboration:
Explanation:
b.
Most suitable type of system:
Explanation:
Less suitable type 1:
Explanation:
Less suitable type 2:
Explanation:
Less suitable type 3:
Explanation:
c.
Discussion about risk 1:
Discussion about risk 2:
Discussion about risk 3:
4 In order to incentivise large meat purchasers and end users to purchase SeaForest’s supplements , Sam is developing a transparent way for all participants in the supply chain to see the methane reductions they’re supporting. By providing QR codes for farmers and packers to include in their documentation and packing, everyone can trace back to the methane reduction impacts of the meat they’re purchasing. They’ll also be able to see a live tracker of the overall methane reduction that SeaForest has made.
Provide four ways that SeaForest can use this information to increase their sales . (8 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
Sales increase 1:
Sales increase 2:
Sales increase 3:
Sales increase 4:
5 Sam has decided to take this idea one step further by allowing end user customers to keep track of the amount of methane they have saved over time by recording their purchasing history. Users will be able to create an account by entering their name and location. The system will then be able to show live leaderboards of methane savings in each location.
a. Provide two security issues and one ethical issue which could result from the information provided in this question. (3 marks)
b. For each of these issues provide one action that Sam can take to mitigate the risk. ( 12 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
a.
Security consideration 1:
Security consideration 2:
Ethical consideration:
b.
Mitigation 1:
Mitigation 2:
Mitigation 3:
6 Sam has decided to implement the live tracking analysis of methane reduction and has hired a technology consulting team to implement the systems needed to create this . In order to go live, the consulting team will need to create a system that tracks the number of livestock that are being given SeaForest supplements , the amount of methane reduced through their lifespan, and the breakdown of that methane reduction when the animal is prepared into it’s various cuts . It will also need to be able to allow for end users to create their accounts and track their own methane reduction scores .
Sam has worked out a budget for this project and hopes to have it completed within six months to align with their planned marketing campaign.
The technology consultants have found it more difficult than expected to create a system that tracks the meat all the way to the end user, and have communicated that the project will take longer than expected.
a. Explain what impact this will have on each aspect of the project management triangle. (5 marks)
b. Outline one action Sam should take as a result, and describe the impact that this action will have on the project management triangle. (5 marks)
c . Justify why this is the appropriate action to take. (5 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
a.
Scope:
Cost:
Time:
b.
Action that Sam could take in response:
Result of the action on the project management triangle:
c.
Justification of choice in action in (b):
7 Nine months after going live with the project, Sam has been contacted by an eco-terrorism organisation explaining that they have been able to breach SeaForest’s systems and obtain a list of all of the farmers that use their products as well as the amount of methane they’ve reduced. They have threatened to use that information to target other farmers who do not use SeaForest supplements with targetted protests and disruptions .
Provide a critical analysis of the four risk management responses available to Sam along with a recommendation.
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
Mitigate:
Accept:
Transfer:
Avoid:
Recommendation:
8 Sam is looking to increase efficiencies in the process of growing Asparagopsis . One of the things that results in higher costs is the fact that SeaForest needs to employ people to regularly check on the Asparagopsis to understand water temperature, mineral content and growth rates .
a. Provide a recommendation for how Sam could use the Internet of Things to make this process more efficient. (5 marks)
b. Explain which category this solution belongs to belongs to. (2 marks)
Copy and paste the following answer template onto the answer field. Fill in your answer accordingly.
a.
Recommendation of how IOT can be used to make this process more efficient:
b.
Category of IOT: