Systems Theory: Practice for Assignment 1 - This is a good practice for Assignment 1. A good earnest effort on this exercise is likely to help later. - The instructor will post Assignment 1 in Canvas later. You will have a few days lead time to submit the assignment on Canvas. - The questions in Assignment 1 will be in scantron format (e.g., multiple-choice, true/false), and will be related to the content provided in this document. - Review the business scenario relating to Assignment 1 and answer these questions on a separate paper. Save a copy of these questions and answers for later reference. Questions: 1. Identify all the human actors mentioned in the scenario. Is each of these human actors an 'element' (as per the definition of element used in this class)? Why or why not? 2. Are any of the following an element? Justify your answer. a. Manual b. Box c. Complaint form d. Car under repair (assume these are not self-driving cars) e. Al Maintenance Software (AIM) 3. a. Write out the definition of the term "feedback" that the instructor discussed in this chapter. b. Refer to paragraph 7 of the scenario. Is there an example of a feedback in this paragraph? Justify your answer based on the definition of the term "feedback". 4. Provide an example of a deterministic process as it relates to the Assignment 1 scenario. Ensure that for your example, you identify an initial state, the behavior of the elements involved in the process, and the related question/output for the process. Explain why your example is a deterministic process. 5. Provide an example of a stochastic process as it relates to the Assignment 1 scenario. Ensure that for your example, you identify the initial state, the behavior of the elements involved in the process, and the related question/output for the process. Then, explain why your example is a stochastic process. 6. Provide an example of an element that is a black box as it relates to the Assignment 1 scenario. Identify the actor in the scenario for whom the element is a black box. State any valid assumptions. Business Scenario: Predictive Maintenance of Rental Vehicles using Al Adapted from the scenario in Information Systems Analysis \& Design by Ned Kock The business process example starts with a customer filing an online complaint regarding problems with a car that they rented in the past. The customer uses a Web-based system called Online Maintenance Complaint Program (OMCP) and submits a complaint form (online). Each morning, the Assistant Manager prints a hard copy of the complaint forms received the previous business day. (S)he then places that complaint form in a box for later processing, together with other complaint forms. (Paragraph 1) Each day at 11 a.m., the Assistant Manager of the rental company reviews every complaint form printed that morning, using a manual containing several rules for reviewing complaints. Those rules had been devised so that certain complaints could be filtered out (e.g., complaints not related to car maintenance problems) before they progressed any further in the business process. (Paragraph 2) The Assistant Manager meets with the Manager every day at 2 p.m., and hand delivers each reviewed complaint form to the Manager and informs the Manager about any complaints that need additional review by the Manager. The rental company's Manager reviews the complaint form only if the Assistant Manager recommends such a review. This additional review is completed by the Manager by end of the next business day and the Manager's reviews are shared with the Assistant Manager. (Paragraph 3) The rental company's Manager meets with the Maintenance Manager every day at 3 p.m. and hand-delivers each reviewed complaint form. The Maintenance Manager is the main point of contact in the company's maintenance department, which is the organizational unit that processes reviewed customer complaints. The Maintenance Manager does not review the complaint forms. (Paragraph 4) The Maintenance Manager then, upon receipt of a reviewed complaint form, places the form in a box for processing by the Complaint Data Entry Team (CDET). The CDET staff inputs the data into a software system called the Al Maintenance Software (AIM). (Paragraph 5) The AIM costs the rental company approximately $150,000. It incorporates artificial intelligence algorithms that operate on predictive maintenance rules. The algorithms allow the AIM to create a schedule of predictive maintenance activities (called 'jobs'). Completing these jobs reduces maintenance costs to a minimum while also reducing the likelihood of future car problems occurring while the cars are with the customers of the car rental company. Each 'job' has a 'pending' status when the ' job ' is yet to be completed. The algorithm rules of AIM are dynamically and automatically updated based on: (a) each new complaint processed through the system and (b) details about completed predictive maintenance activities. Since the algorithm rules of AIM are dynamically and automatically updated, even if the same complaint is input into AIM on two different days, the order and number of 'jobs' generated by AIM can vary from day to today. (Paragraph 6) As mentioned earlier in paragraph 5, the CDET staff inputs data from the complaint form into AIM. Then, AIM generates the schedule of predictive maintenance "jobs. The CDET staff then logs into the AIM and prints the jobs as a set of pages (one page per job). These jobs are organized according to the order of execution prescribed by AIM. The CDET staff receives/collects the printouts of the predictive maintenance jobs. (Paragraph 7) The CDET then places those pages in a box. The box is located at the entrance of the workshop used by the mechanics in the maintenance department. (Paragraph 8) A team of mechanics then processes each predictive maintenance job generated by AIM. Upon completion of each job, a mechanic who worked on the job accesses the AIM software using their login ID and password. The mechanic then enters details about each completed job in the AIM. These details include the name of the mechanic who completed the job and the time of job completion. (Paragraph 9) The AIM then automatically changes the status of the 'job' from 'pending' to 'completed' and keeps track of when the job was completed by which mechanic. At the end of each week, the AIM generates a report of predictive maintenance jobs that were completed. (Paragraph 10) Systems Theory: Practice for Assignment 1 - This is a good practice for Assignment 1. A good earnest effort on this exercise is likely to help later. - The instructor will post Assignment 1 in Canvas later. You will have a few days lead time to submit the assignment on Canvas. - The questions in Assignment 1 will be in scantron format (e.g., multiple-choice, true/false), and will be related to the content provided in this document. - Review the business scenario relating to Assignment 1 and answer these questions on a separate paper. Save a copy of these questions and answers for later reference. Questions: 1. Identify all the human actors mentioned in the scenario. Is each of these human actors an 'element' (as per the definition of element used in this class)? Why or why not? 2. Are any of the following an element? Justify your answer. a. Manual b. Box c. Complaint form d. Car under repair (assume these are not self-driving cars) e. Al Maintenance Software (AIM) 3. a. Write out the definition of the term "feedback" that the instructor discussed in this chapter. b. Refer to paragraph 7 of the scenario. Is there an example of a feedback in this paragraph? Justify your answer based on the definition of the term "feedback". 4. Provide an example of a deterministic process as it relates to the Assignment 1 scenario. Ensure that for your example, you identify an initial state, the behavior of the elements involved in the process, and the related question/output for the process. Explain why your example is a deterministic process. 5. Provide an example of a stochastic process as it relates to the Assignment 1 scenario. Ensure that for your example, you identify the initial state, the behavior of the elements involved in the process, and the related question/output for the process. Then, explain why your example is a stochastic process. 6. Provide an example of an element that is a black box as it relates to the Assignment 1 scenario. Identify the actor in the scenario for whom the element is a black box. State any valid assumptions. Business Scenario: Predictive Maintenance of Rental Vehicles using Al Adapted from the scenario in Information Systems Analysis \& Design by Ned Kock The business process example starts with a customer filing an online complaint regarding problems with a car that they rented in the past. The customer uses a Web-based system called Online Maintenance Complaint Program (OMCP) and submits a complaint form (online). Each morning, the Assistant Manager prints a hard copy of the complaint forms received the previous business day. (S)he then places that complaint form in a box for later processing, together with other complaint forms. (Paragraph 1) Each day at 11 a.m., the Assistant Manager of the rental company reviews every complaint form printed that morning, using a manual containing several rules for reviewing complaints. Those rules had been devised so that certain complaints could be filtered out (e.g., complaints not related to car maintenance problems) before they progressed any further in the business process. (Paragraph 2) The Assistant Manager meets with the Manager every day at 2 p.m., and hand delivers each reviewed complaint form to the Manager and informs the Manager about any complaints that need additional review by the Manager. The rental company's Manager reviews the complaint form only if the Assistant Manager recommends such a review. This additional review is completed by the Manager by end of the next business day and the Manager's reviews are shared with the Assistant Manager. (Paragraph 3) The rental company's Manager meets with the Maintenance Manager every day at 3 p.m. and hand-delivers each reviewed complaint form. The Maintenance Manager is the main point of contact in the company's maintenance department, which is the organizational unit that processes reviewed customer complaints. The Maintenance Manager does not review the complaint forms. (Paragraph 4) The Maintenance Manager then, upon receipt of a reviewed complaint form, places the form in a box for processing by the Complaint Data Entry Team (CDET). The CDET staff inputs the data into a software system called the Al Maintenance Software (AIM). (Paragraph 5) The AIM costs the rental company approximately $150,000. It incorporates artificial intelligence algorithms that operate on predictive maintenance rules. The algorithms allow the AIM to create a schedule of predictive maintenance activities (called 'jobs'). Completing these jobs reduces maintenance costs to a minimum while also reducing the likelihood of future car problems occurring while the cars are with the customers of the car rental company. Each 'job' has a 'pending' status when the ' job ' is yet to be completed. The algorithm rules of AIM are dynamically and automatically updated based on: (a) each new complaint processed through the system and (b) details about completed predictive maintenance activities. Since the algorithm rules of AIM are dynamically and automatically updated, even if the same complaint is input into AIM on two different days, the order and number of 'jobs' generated by AIM can vary from day to today. (Paragraph 6) As mentioned earlier in paragraph 5, the CDET staff inputs data from the complaint form into AIM. Then, AIM generates the schedule of predictive maintenance "jobs. The CDET staff then logs into the AIM and prints the jobs as a set of pages (one page per job). These jobs are organized according to the order of execution prescribed by AIM. The CDET staff receives/collects the printouts of the predictive maintenance jobs. (Paragraph 7) The CDET then places those pages in a box. The box is located at the entrance of the workshop used by the mechanics in the maintenance department. (Paragraph 8) A team of mechanics then processes each predictive maintenance job generated by AIM. Upon completion of each job, a mechanic who worked on the job accesses the AIM software using their login ID and password. The mechanic then enters details about each completed job in the AIM. These details include the name of the mechanic who completed the job and the time of job completion. (Paragraph 9) The AIM then automatically changes the status of the 'job' from 'pending' to 'completed' and keeps track of when the job was completed by which mechanic. At the end of each week, the AIM generates a report of predictive maintenance jobs that were completed. (Paragraph 10)