SHLF AI-Enhanced Metacognitive Diary: Guidelines & 2+2 Rule

SHLF Systemic Hybrid Learning Framework (Purple People Forge) Guided Questions: Reference Examples This resource is part of the SHLF Toolkit – Purple People Forge: Open Educational Resources for MIS (v1.0) Disclaimer This document is an integral component of the AI-Enhanced Metacognitive Diary (SHLF Toolkit) and shares the same DOI. The questions in this document are provided as reference examples. They are not intended to be used “as is” in every course. Lecturers are expected to adapt, combine or replace them according to: i) the teaching materials actually used, ii) their own teaching style, iii) the specific learning objectives and assessment strategy of the course. The examples can be freely modified, expanded or simplified so that they remain aligned with the syllabus and with the level of the students. Gianpiero Mattei Department of Innovative Technologies (SUPSI-DTI) Version 1.0 | AY 2025-2026 2 Guided Questions: Reference Examples (v1.0) │ SHLF Toolkit - Purple People Forge | © 2025 Gianpiero Mattei│DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17808054 Guided questions Chapter 1: Fundamentals and Introduction to the Strategic/Organizational Role of Information Systems Section A – Context Introduction 1. Describe how the concept of a “VUCA world” influences a firm’s strategic choices. Provide two concrete examples. 2. Choose two of the 13 McKinsey 2025 technology megatrends and explain, with examples, how they can transform supply chains or business models. 3. In what ways do information systems and IT technologies act as a lever for change? 4. Which IT innovations are currently having the greatest impact? 5. What is Agentic AI, and why is it likely to be important in the future? 6. What is a “business process”? 7. What is the role of information in the “consumer-driven value networks ecosystem”? Section B – Introduction to Information Systems and Their Evolution 1. How are data, information, knowledge and wisdom connected? 2. What is an information system (IS)? 3. How are information systems linked to firms and their organisational structures? 4. Compare the characteristics of DSS, Business Intelligence and Big Data Analytics, providing one real case for each. 5. What is the purpose of Simon’s Decision-Making Process model? Why did we recall it? 6. In the context of Business Analytics, what are the differences between descriptive, predictive and prescriptive approaches? 7. Which families or types of information systems exist? 8. With reference to Anthony’s model, explain how decision levels (strategic, managerial, operational) are related to ESS, MIS, DSS and TPS, using practical examples. 9. How has the role of information systems evolved from the 1950s to today? Section C – IT Megatrends 1. Which IT megatrends will influence the evolution of corporate information systems? 2. Why are social media important for companies? 3. Explain the concept of Digital Density. 4. Define the concept of the Internet of Things. 5. Describe the IaaS, PaaS and SaaS models, giving examples of companies that use them. Indicate pros and cons in terms of security and sustainability. 6. What are the main service models and deployment models used in cloud computing? 7. What are the main challenges for cloud computing and distributed information systems? 8. What are Big Data, and why are they important for companies? 9. Define Cloud Computing and its Edge, Fog and Compute Continuum variants. 10. Compare Assisted, Augmented and Autonomous AI. 11. Still referring to AI types, compare Assisted, Augmented and Autonomous AI in terms of the ethical and organisational challenges they pose. Section D – Information System / IT Strategy 1. What is a business strategy, and why is it fundamental for a firm? 2. What are the main strategic frameworks used to define an effective business strategy? Section E – Technology Management, Business Model, Blockchain 1. How can the performance of a new or existing technology be evaluated? 2. How can a business model be analysed and modelled? 3. What is a value proposition, and how can it be analysed? 4. What is Blockchain, and how does it work? 5. On which systems and technologies is Blockchain based? 6. Which application example helps to understand the principles of how Blockchain works? 7. What is a Distributed Ledger, and what is it used for? 3 Guided Questions: Reference Examples (v1.0) │ SHLF Toolkit - Purple People Forge | © 2025 Gianpiero Mattei│DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17808054 Chapter 2: Enterprise Systems Part A – Introduction to Enterprise Systems 1. What is an Enterprise System? 2. How can the modules of an Enterprise System be structured? Part B – Introduction to Enterprise Models (Enterprise Architecture) 1. What is process segmentation? What are its objectives? 2. With reference to a manufacturing company (e.g. an e-bike producer), give examples of: i) primary processes, ii) support processes, iii) managerial processes. 3. How can a typical decision-making process be modelled? How does the decision-making process work when referred to an operational process? 4. What is an IT Governance Framework? Part C – Reference Models for Segmentation 1. Explain the difference between vertical and horizontal modules. 2. Explain the structure of the application portfolio. 3. When assessing the functional coverage of the software used in a company, indicate which reference model is appropriate in the following cases: a) a medium-sized bank b) a company that produces and sells heating boilers with 150 employees c) a foundry producing components for the aerospace industry with 350 employees d) an electricity distribution company with 80 000 customers and 120 employees e) a transport logistics company working with 80 carriers. 4. Explain the structure of Nolan’s application portfolio model. 5. Define the information-management process (using the information-processing levels of primary processes) with reference to the processing of an investment contract by a financial advisor at the client’s premises. Part D – Current Scenario of Application Portfolio Digitalisation 1. Identify the main vertical Enterprise Systems offered to manufacturing companies and indicate their purpose and process coverage. 2. In selecting an operational support software solution, besides functional coverage, which other important factors must be considered? 3. What is meant by EAI (Enterprise Application Integration)? 4. What are the main differences between ERP and MES systems? 5. What is a PLM system? 6. For ERP, MES, SCADA and PLC, indicate the type of decision support they provide and their typical time horizon. 7. What is meant by Industrial IoT Platforms? 8. How are IoT Platforms related to traditional software systems such as MRP, ERP and MES? 9. Who are the main players in the Industrial IoT Platform and MES markets? Part E – Methodology for Analysing Operational IS Requirements 1. How can the map of functional requirements be customised for a company that wants to assess the coverage of its management software? 2. How can the coverage provided by a module of an Enterprise System be quantified? 3. When selecting an operational management solution, besides functional coverage, which additional factors should be taken into account? 4 Guided Questions: Reference Examples (v1.0) │ SHLF Toolkit - Purple People Forge | © 2025 Gianpiero Mattei│DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17808054. Chapter 3 – Process Engineering and BPM 1. Innovation can be applied at different levels: business model, product-service and process. Provide some examples. 2. What is a business process? Who is the process owner? 3. Why is the role of the customer important during process analysis? 4. What is the relationship between business processes and digital transformation? 5. Why do we model processes? 6. List some examples where process modelling is used. 7. What do we analyse through a process model? 8. Give an example of decomposition and specialisation of a process in a manufacturing company. 9. What characteristics should a good process model have? 10. From which perspectives can a business process be analysed? 11. What is the ICOM concept? Why is it useful? 12. Considering the definition of a process, what does the CRASO method analyse? 13. If you wanted to use a table to define a process, what structure should that table have? 14. Explain how to provide a multidimensional process analysis that includes activities, information systems used, departments, throughput times and issues. 15. When and why is it appropriate to use the IDEF0 method? 16. When is it appropriate to use BPMN? 17. Why did we distinguish between effectiveness and efficiency? 18. What do we need to know before defining a set of KPIs for a process? 19. What are Critical Success Factors (CSFs)? What is their relationship with KPIs? 20. Explain the ‘Higo’ concept. 21. How is an indicator defined? 22. Explain the steps required to define a correct set of process KPIs. 23. How can the robustness of an indicator be assessed? 24. What are the possible stages of Business Process Management (BPM)? 25. What is the relationship between BPM and Business Process Reengineering (BPR)? 26. What is process mining? 27. Explain the most common approaches used in process mining applications. 28. Give an example of where process mining could be applied in a manufacturing company. 29. Which categories of software are available for enterprise and process modelling? 30. Give one example of software for each of the following categories: I) process modelling II) low-code / no-code development III) BPMS IV) process mining V) RPA VI) simulation VII) systems modelling. Chapter 4: Information Systems at the Core of Digitalisation: ERP, SCM, CRM 1. What are the main functional coverage areas of ERP systems? 2. Describe in detail the evolution of management software from the 1980s onwards, including the main stages of MRP, MRP II and ERP, and current trends towards Composable ERP, highlighting the benefits brought by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. 3. Compare the optimisation opportunities offered by MRP, ERP and SCM, considering their respective evolutions and how these technologies are integrated today to improve business competitiveness. 4. Indicate the three fundamental characteristics of ERP systems and analyse how each of them impacts the improvement of business performance and decision-making processes. 5 Guided Questions: Reference Examples (v1.0) │ SHLF Toolkit - Purple People Forge | © 2025 Gianpiero Mattei│DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17808054 5. What is meant by Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)? 6. Describe some of the impacts of ERP systems in a small or medium-sized enterprise that moves from several independent applications to an integrated system. Where possible, refer to real situations and personal experience. 7. What are currently the most widespread approaches to ERP implementation, and what are the trends for the future? 8. What are “Advanced Planning Systems”? 9. Considering processing architectures (e.g. two-tier or three-tier), in which configurations can ERP systems be structured? 10. What are the main functionalities supported by an SCM system? 11. What is meant by “Supply Chain Execution”, and which business processes are involved? 12. Define the concept of Postmodern ERP, describe how it differs from traditional ERP systems, and indicate the main advantages in terms of agility and integration with other enterprise technologies. 13. Explain how ERP systems of the future – the “4th Era of ERP” – are expected to be characterised. 14. What are the main types of costs generated by an ERP implementation project? 15. What is meant by ERP solutions: on premise, hosted and cloud? 16. What are the main advantages of adopting a cloud-based ERP architecture compared with onpremise solutions? 17. In what ways are artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) transforming modern ERP systems? 18. What new challenges and opportunities arise from the integration of ERP systems and the Internet of Things (IoT)? 19. What is meant by an ERP system integrated with Blockchain, and which benefits can it bring to supply chain management? 20. How can prescriptive analytics integrated into ERP systems help companies make smarter operational decisions? 21. In which types of companies is CRM most relevant, and why? Provide examples of specific sectors in which CRM has been crucial for improving customer relationship management. 22. Provide a concise definition of CRM. 23. Represent the customer life cycle for a company that produces and sells e-bikes and mention two potential applications of the CRM concept. 24. What is Customer Lifetime Value, and how can CRM systems help maximise this value? 25. Explain the components of CRM: strategic, analytical and operational. 26. What is the relationship between CRM and artificial intelligence? 27. Mention two benefits brought to CRM by the use of artificial intelligence. 28. In what ways do modern CRM systems use artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience? 29. How do modern CRM systems support predictive analysis of customer behaviour, and how can this be used to improve marketing strategies? 30. Explain the concept of integration between ERP, SCM and CRM, and how this integration can optimise business operations and customer satisfaction. 6 Guided Questions: Reference Examples (v1.0) │ SHLF Toolkit - Purple People Forge | © 2025 Gianpiero Mattei│DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17808054 How to Cite AI-Enhanced Metacognitive Diary: Guidelines & 2+2 Rule This document is an integral part of the resource AI-Enhanced Metacognitive Diary, available on Zenodo. • APA 7: Mattei, G. (2025). AI-Enhanced Metacognitive Diary: Guidelines & 2+2 Rule (Version 1.0). SUPSI. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17808054 • IEEE: G. Mattei, "AI-Enhanced Metacognitive Diary: Guidelines & 2+2 Rule, Version 1.0," SUPSI, 2025, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17808054. SHLF Toolkit – Purple People Forge: Open Educational Resources for MIS This resource is part of the SHLF Toolkit - Purple People Forge: Open Educational Resources for MIS (v1.0), available as an Open Educational Resource on Zenodo: • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17801180 • License: CC BY-NC 4.0 International. Author & Contact Gianpiero Mattei (SUPSI-DTI) [email protected] ORCID: 0000-0002-7713-2592 (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7713-2592) Affiliation: SUPSI – Department of Innovative Technologies (SUPSI-DTI)