Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) | Last updated: 24 October 2022 1  

BISM7202 Information Systems for Management  
Semester 2, 2022  
Sample Exam  

Weighting This assessment is weighted at 50% of your total mark for this course.  
Permitted materials This is a closed-book exam. Only non-marked dictionary is permitted.  
Instructions  
Answer all questions.  

The exam in total contains 100 points (but 50% of total course marks): It  
includes two parts:  
Part I: twelve Excel MCQs. 1 point per MCQ, a total of 12 MCQs, 12 points,  
equivalent to 6 marks.  
Part II: four problem-solving mini-cases (each with sub-questions)  
addressing each 'teaching block' of the course. A total of 88 points,  
equivalent to 44 marks.  

Word Limit: As a practical matter you must restrict your answers to each  
individual sub-question to approximately 300-500 words. Aim to be concise  
and clear in your answers. There is no minimum requirement.  





Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) | Last updated: 24 October 2022 2  

Part I: Excel  
(12 MCQs, Total of 6 Marks)  
You need to circle the best answer for each question.  

(1) A$1 is an example of:  
A An absolute reference  
B A mixed reference  
C A relative reference  
D A column reference  
E An external reference  

(2) The reference of the cell in the 27th column and on the 42nd row is:  
A AA42  
B A27:A42  
C AA27:AA42  
D $A$42  
E Z27:Z42  
(3)  
…  
(12)  


Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) | Last updated: 24 October 2022 3  

Part II: Four Cases on Information Systems Management  
(4 Cases, 11 Short Answer Questions, Total of 88 points equivalent to 44 Marks)  

Case A: Amazon  
Digital and Shared Economy  
(TOTAL: 16 POINTS)  


Read the following problem-solving mini-case for Amazon and answer the questions at the end.  

Amazon is known for its disruption of well-established industries through technological innovation and mass  
scale. It is the world's largest online marketplace, AI assistant provider, live-streaming platform and cloud  
computing platform as measured by revenue and market capitalization. Amazon is the largest Internet  
company by revenue in the world. It is the second-largest private employer in the United States and one of  
the world's most valuable companies. As of 2020, Amazon has the highest global brand valuation.  

Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform owned and operated by Amazon that enables third-party  
sellers to sell new or used products on a fixed-price online marketplace alongside Amazon's regular  
offerings. Using Amazon Marketplace, third-party sellers gain access to Amazon's customer base, and  
Amazon expands the offerings on its site without having to invest in additional inventory.  

In December 2016, Amazon introduced Amazon Go, which is a 1,800 square foot grocery store in Seattle,  
Washington (USA) with the most advanced shopping technology so customers can shop and then walk out  
with their products without waiting in lines or checking out. Shoppers use the Amazon Go app and the store  
is enabled with their “Just Walk Out” shopping experience, which leverages multiple technologies such as  
computer vision, sensor fusion and machine learning. The virtual shopping cart tracks items and when  
leaving the store, the shopper’s Amazon account will be charged.  

Answer all the following THREE (2) questions.  

1) Describe the key concepts of the digital marketplace and their impact on the digital marketplace. In  
doing so, consider how digital markets are different to real-world ‘bricks and mortar’ markets  
(6 points) and how digital goods are different to physical goods (4 points).  
(10 points)  

2) List and Briefly discuss THREE (3) types of innovation at Amazon.  
(6 points)  



Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) | Last updated: 24 October 2022 4  

Case B: Sheparton Canned Produce Company (SCP)  
Business Process Management  
(TOTAL: 24 POINTS)  


Read the following problem-solving mini-case for Shepparton Canned Produce Company (SCP) and answer  
the questions at the end.  

Jonno Markopoulos is the manager of a fruit canning factory in Shepparton, Victoria, called the Shepparton  
Canned Produce company (SCP). At SCP, local fruits such as peaches, apricots, plums and cherries are  
canned and exported overseas.  

Fruit growers use the internet to submit their invoices for delivered goods online, and this information is  
maintained in spreadsheets that are printed and faxed to SCP, where Jonno’s sister-in-law, Xiaoqi  
Markopolous, enters the information into MYOB.  

The factory is very labour-intensive and it requires highly skilled workers to can these fruits. It is slow work  
as much of the equipment is old.  

The goods produced have to meet stringent quality guidelines before they can be exported to other countries  
such as New Zealand, Indonesia, and Singapore. The international market for these commodity goods is  
also very competitive, and any breach of the quality guidelines is likely to cause significant harm to SCP’s  
future prospects.  

With Australia’s high wages – as well as the quality standards that apply - Jonno knows that the factory has  
to be both efficient and effective to be successful. He knows that the canning factory is particularly  
dependent upon technology for its success, and is looking to you for some inspiration as to how he can  
improve how the factory does things.  

Answer all of the following THREE (3) questions:  

1) In Lean management, there are seven types of waste that may be addressed to improve a company’s  
business processes. List possible FOUR (4) types of waste that SCP may have in the current business  
process, and provide a brief discussion for each type of waste that you identify.  
(8 points)  

2) Explain the three quality management approaches for process improvements discussed in seminars and  
in your readings to Jonno. In your explanation, be careful to define each approach (3 points) and  
compare and contrast each approach with the other two approaches (6 points). In your view, which  
approach is most suited to SCP’s circumstances? Give reasons for your answer (3 points).  
(12 points)  

3) Jonno has highlighted that efficiency and effectiveness are both critical. However, you are concerned  
that such terms are often used incorrectly. Write an email to Jonno that clearly explains the meaning of  
efficiency (2 points) and effectiveness (2 points) with examples of each. In this email, discuss which  
one, if any, is more important than the other in the context of SCP (1 point).  
(4 points)  



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Case C: Queensland Government Vaccination Program  
Information Systems Development  
(TOTAL: 24 POINTS)  


Read the following problem-solving mini-case for the Queensland Government vaccination program and  
answer the questions at the end.  

Since 2020, the whole world has been significantly impacted due to the impacts of COVID. One of the  
strategies being introduced by governments worldwide is to aim to vaccinate a large percentage of their  
population against COVID. The Australian government has adopted this approach. State governments are  
responsible for coordinating their citizens' vaccinations.  

The Queensland Government has opened multiple state-run mass vaccination clinics such as the one  
located at the Exhibition Centre. The Queensland Government has introduced an online booking system  
which patients can use to make a booking when they are trying to receive their first of two vaccinations. As  
this is the first time all patients use use the system and make a booking, they must also register as a patient.  
Patients also have the option to make a second booking before they receive their first vaccination.  

Answer all of the following THREE (3) questions:  

1) In seminars, we discussed several information system development methods. Provide a high-level  
overview of waterfall and agile IS development methodologies (6 points). In your view, which  
software development methodology is superior (2 points)? Provide reasons justifying your view  
(2 points).  
(10 points)  

2) Provide a definition for both User Stories and a Use Case. Develop ONE(1) User Story and ONE (1)  
Use Cases from the mini-case (2 points). Discussion the relationship between User Stories and User  
Case (3 points).  
(5 points)  

3) In your answer booklet, draw an appropriate USE CASE DIAGRAM reflecting the above statement.  
(9 points)  



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Case D: Mattress Review  
Business Analytics  
(TOTAL: 24 POINTS)  


Read the following problem-solving mini-case for Mattress Review and answer the questions at the end.  

Trond Nyland, Founder & CEO, Mattress Review set out to build strong SEO (Search engine optimization)  
for his website by getting lots of links from quality websites using traditional SEO techniques like guest  
posting and blogger outreach.  

Nyland took a> 
quality websites give out lots of backlinks. We figured these websites would be most likely to link to us and  
specifically focused on targeting them,” Nyland said.  

His team focused 80% of its effort on these high-potential websites. After two months, they'd gotten about  
170 links from the high-potential websites and just eight from all the other websites. That represents a more  
than 400% improvement in efficiency by targeting websites that, statistically, give out lots of links. “Long live  
data!” Nyland said.  

The team was able to garner a Domain Rating of 51 in about four to five months using this targeted  
approach.  

Answer all of the following THREE (3) questions:  

1) List and briefly discuss THREE (3) types of business analytics.  
(6 points)  

2) In this mini-case, the marketers turned information into insight. In your view, is the use of Ahrefs data  
to inform the guest posting and blogger outreach strategy an application of Big Data (4 points)?  
What’s the ethics of SEO optimisation in your opinion (5 points). Discuss why/why not.  
(9 points)  

3) In your judgement, which of the data analytics as discussed in seminars did Nyland take in this  
case? Justify your answer in the context of this case.  
(9 points)