Introduction to Information, Systems and Information Systems
What are Information Systems?
An information system is a set of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures that work together to produce information
- a system
- provides information
- needed by managers
- to support activities
- in achieving business objectives
What are Management Information Systems?
A management information system (MIS) is an information system used for decision-making, and for the coordination, control, analysis, and visualization of information in an organization.
“The study of the management information systems involves people, processes and technology in an organizational context” , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_information_system
Data and Information
Data – raw facts, not random
Information – data processed for a purpose
- Knowledge – Posses information, experience
- Explicit – Know-what, can be stored e.g. manuals / handbooks
- Tacit – Know-how, skills, more possessed by human
- Wisdom – Posses knowledge, have ability to use it, transferable skills, apply on new circumstances
Understanding Information
- transform data using a process
- data in a meaningful context
- response to an information need
- reduce uncertainty to improve decisions
Information Value
Consider cost of getting the information
Tangible value
- Financial value
Intangible value
- Can’t always calculate value
- Improved decision
- Example : Savings implementing a new system
Formal and Informal Information
Formal Information
Reports, specific purpose
Advantages
- Consistent, same format, structured
- Accurate, relevant, comprehensive, use templates
Disadvantages
- Inflexible, limited, can overlook information
- Ignores opinions, important context
Informal Information
Can be important, conversational
Upside
- Flexible, freedom, more details
- Liked by some clients – builds relationships
Downside
- Can lack accuracy & relevance, slow & inefficient
- Restricted (can’t deal with large volumes of data)
- Can be ignored, highly selective
Good Information
- Accurate correct and verifiable
- Complete yet concise
- Cost effective affordable, beneficial
- Current up-to-date, relevant
- Accessible easy to use
also
- user-friendly / targeted
- reliable (from a reliable source)
- timely
Information Quality
Right information, in the right form, at the right time, given to the right person
Time
- Available when needed
- Up-to-date, reflects current circumstances
- Indicates if / when changes are likely to happen
- Covers the correct period
Context
- No errors
- Relevant to need
- Complete
- Only relevant, concise, (images are good!)
- Appropriate to information need
- Focused or general
Form
- Clear, understandable
- Detail matches need
- All information / summary
- Ordered, correctly structured e.g. report / summary
- Correct form
- Printed, graphic, video
- Confidence of source
- Trust
- Reliable
- Appropriateness
- How stored & formatted
- Availability
- Accessibility (e.g. metadata)
What is a System?
a collection of interrelated components
that work together towards a collective goal
- receive inputs and transform these into outputs
- often multiple goals
- profit
- improving product quality
business system
requires control, monitoring and feedback
- system must be ‘adaptive’ (not static)
- deal with problems,
- check it’s fulfilling the goal,
- identify improvements
system components
- input – data, knowledge, raw materials, machinery
- transformation – data into information
- output – information, products and services
- feedback mechanism – measure performance, customer feedback
- control mechanism – check system working, corrections (for required output)
feedback
- positive feedback – rapid growth of sales – positive but still needs action
- negative feedback – deal with the difference in desired output and actual output, correct issues
delays unwanted – overcorrection – action can result in non-immediate change
types of system
adaptive system
- adjusts to environment change
- monitor and regulate its own performance
hard & soft systems
- hard system is governed by fixed rules and procedures
- e.g. production line
- soft system more unpredictable environment
- e.g. involves people
Information Systems Components
- Hardware devices, data into information
- Software programs
- Databases data storage and access
- Networks connections & communications
- People e.g. users
- Procedures set of instructions,
- how to combine the above = desired output
People
- users of an information system and
- those who develop, maintain and operate the system.
- include managers, data entry clerks and technical support staff
Hardware
- all types of machines, not just computer hardware
- e.g. telephones, fax machines, switchboards
- media used by these machines,
- such as CDs, USB sticks, hard drives, memory cards or paper
Software
- computer programs
- procedures used by people
- instruction manuals and company policies.
Communications
- transfer data
- networks and the hardware and software needed to support them
Data resources
- organization data
- computer databases, paper files, measurements taken by sensors on a production line
Development of Information Systems
- Old mainframe computer with magnetic tape storage
- Dumb terminals
- basic screen input interface
- letters to the typists
- Sage accounts
- computer courses e.g. dbase, spreadsheets
- windows & email
- ‘the paperless office’ (still with hardcopy files)
- WWW – academic
- home computing
- XML
- companies own webpage
- cloud computing
- smart phone + apps
- To compete – give customers what they want
- Easier for customer
- Offer web-based services
- e.g. convenient payment methods
But,
- You may never meet your customer
- Difficult to form a ‘relationship’
Solution?
- Web-based customer relationship management (CRM)
- Management information systems (MIS)
- Better use of information, IT and people, in company
The Internet
- The worldwide computer network,
- links thousands of smaller networks,
- links educational, commercial, military entities, and individuals,
- originally developed to share only text and numeric data
The World Wide Web
- The multimedia part of the internet
- An interconnected system of servers that support specially formatted documents in multimedia form
- Includes text, still images, moving images, sound
- Responsible for the growth and popularity of the internet
- e.g., Gmail, Facebook, EBay
The Information Age
value of people
- Specialized (knowledge) workers
- Specialized (HR, accounting, finance, etc.)
- Specialized information
- Profit / loss statements, , cash-flow, earnings
Information System Professionals
- good problem-solving skills
- effectively manage time and resources
- a clear vision of “the big picture” as well as the “small details”
- a desire to work closely with other people
- excellent communication skills
- ability to think strategically about technology
- a desire to take responsibility for developing and implementing their own ideas
- IT Consultant
- Web Developer
- Information Systems Manager
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Network Administrator
- Business Application Developer
- Systems Analyst
- Technical Support Specialist
- Business Analyst
- Systems Developer
The average starting salary of MIS graduates in 2019 was $119,862 (over 4 Million Baht),
source: https://ambitio.club/blog/ms-in-mis-salary-in-usa/