Introduction

Fast. Fair. Better. That's what customers can expect from Progressive Direct. Progressive do
Everything acknowledges the needs of busy customers who are cost-conscious and increasingly
savvy about auto insurance and good service. They are here for you 24/7, online and by phone.
Progressive Corp has spent years using information technology to raise the bar in car insurance.
In 1997 ,the company pioneered selling online and using digital cameras and Wireless net links
from their mobile claims adjusters to process accident claims .Since starting its Net initiatives,
Progressive’s revenues have jumped from $3.4 billion in 1996 to $9.5 billion in 2002.An average
increase of 20% annually, versus 5% for the overall auto-insurance industry. Analysts
expectrevenues to hit $11.8 billion by the end of 2003.

William D.Zollars, Yellow Corp’s, CEO, set tough standards for tech projects in 1997:They
couldn’t take longer than a year to implement, and had to have a 15% rate of return. Such
guiding principles employees in the company’s lab automate most of the trucker’s operations
quickly and profitably. For example two years ago , the $2.6 billion company installed software
that lets yellow change staffing on its loading docks daily based on predictions of labor demand.
Then the staff averages 90% workers per week, down from 100 before ,even the no.of shipments
has increased.

JetBlue Airways Corp., which only started operating in 2000,was the first airline to allow pilots
to carry laptops that automatically update flight manuals. And it was the first to have a virtual
call center, with 700 reservation agents working from home in Salt Lake city. Meantime 72% of
its tickets are booked through JetBlue’s own website, saving on agent commissions and other
travel sites fees. Add it all up, and in the second quarter, ended June 30,2003,JetBlue posted 19%
operating margins, versus Southwest Airlines Co’s 12%.Shares have surged 156% since the
company’s initial public offering in April 2002.

Information Technology:

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Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America
(ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of
computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer
hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert,
store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

Today, the term information has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and
technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of
duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and
information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data
management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well
as the management and administration of entire systems.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information
technology, or "infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any
technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate
information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted
that the use of computers and information are associated.

Management information system (MIS)

A management information system (MIS) is a subset of the overall internal controls of a

business covering the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures by
management accountants to solve business problems such as costing a product, service or a

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business-wide strategy. Management information systems are distinct from regular information
systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational
activities in the organization. Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of
information management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making,
e.g. Decision Support Systems, Expert systems, and Executive information systems.

It has been described as, "MIS 'lives' in the space that intersects technology and business. MIS
combines tech with business to get people the information they need to do their jobs
better/faster/smarter. Information is the lifeblood of all organizations - now more than ever. MIS
professionals work as systems analysts, project managers, systems administrators, etc.,
communicating directly with staff and management across the organization."

An 'MIS' is a planned system of the collecting, processing, storing and disseminating data in the
form of information needed to carry out the functions of management. In a way it is a
documented report of the activities those were planned and executed. According to Philip Kotler
"A marketing information system consists of people, equipment, and procedures to gather, sort,
analyze, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to marketing decision
makers."The terms MIS and information system are often confused. Information systems include
systems that are not intended for decision making. The area of study called MIS is sometimes
referred to, in a restrictive sense, as information technology management. That area of study
should not be confused with computer science. IT service management is a practitioner-focused
discipline. MIS has also some differences with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as ERP
incorporates elements that are not necessarily focused on decision support.

Use of Information Technology:

Information Technology and Communications Bureau (ITCOM)

➢ User support services
➢ Operations and technical services
➢ Applications technical support

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What strategies in the use of IT for competitive advantage
are being used by each company:

Lower Costs:

Use of IT to substantially reduce the cost of business process

Use of IT to lower the costs to customers or suppliers.

Differentiate:

Develop new IT features to differentiate products and services

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Use IT features to differentiate advantages of competitors.

Use IT features to focus products and services at selected market niches.

Innovate:

Create new products and services that include IT Components

Develop Unique new markets or market niches with the help of IT

Make radial Changes to business processes with IT that dramatically cut costs,
improve quality, efficiency, or customer service, or shorten time to market.

Promote Growth:

Use IT to manage regional and global business expansion

Use IT to diversify and integrate into other products and services.

Develop Alliances:

Use IT to create virtual organizations of business partners.

Develop interenterprise information systems linked by the internet and extranets

that support strategic business relationships with customers, suppliers,
subcontractors, and others.

Visit company and recommend strategies:

JetBlue Airways Corporation provides passenger air transportation services in the

United States. As of December 31, 2008, it operated approximately 600 daily flights
serving 52 destinations in 19 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin
America with a focus on Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles/Long Beach, New
York/JFK, or Orlando; and a fleet of 107 Airbus A320 aircraft and 35 EMBRAER 190
aircraft. The company, through its subsidiary LiveTV, LLC, also provides in-flight
entertainment systems, voice communication, and data connectivity services for
commercial aircraft and general aviation aircraft, including live in-seat satellite

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television, XM satellite radio service, wireless aircraft data communication service,
and cabin surveillance systems. JetBlue Airways Corporation was founded in 1998
and is based in Forest Hills, New York.

Differentiation

➢ Online Customer Design

➢ Customer Online Shipping Marketing

Innovation:

➢ Online discount in ticket

➢ Online package tracking and flight management
➢ Online full service customer systems
➢ Online Packaging tour

IMPORTANCE OF MIS:

➢ Management information system is an integrated set of component or entities that interact

to achieve a particulars function, objective or goal. Therefore it is a computer based
system that provides information for decisions making on planning, organizing and
controlling the operation of the sub-system of the firm and provides a synergistic
organization in the process.

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 ➢ The component of an information system includes. a hardware which is used for
input/output process and storage of data, software used to process data and also to
instruct the hand-ware component, data bases which is the location in the system where
all the organization data will be automated.
➢ There are various driving factors of management information system for example:-
Technological revolutions in all sectors make modern managers to need to have access to
large amount of selective information for the complex tasks and decisions.The lifespan of
most product has continued getting shorter and shorter and therefore the challenge to the
manager is to design product that will take a longer shelf life and in order to do this, the
manager must be able to keep abreast of the factors that influences the organization.
➢ There are huge amount of information available to today’s manager and this had
therefore meant that managers are increasingly relying on management information
system to access the exploding information. Management information services helps
manager to access relevant, accurate, up-to-date information which is the more sure way
of making accurate decisions.
➢ The management information services are capable of taking advantage of the
computational ability of the company like processing, storage capacity among others.
Based on this relevancy, management information system should be installed and
upgraded in various organizations since today’s managers need them to access
information for managerial decision making and also management functions.

WORDS IN MIS:

Applet:

A small limited purpose application program, or small independent module of a larger

application program.

Bus:
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A set of conducting paths for movement of data and instructions that interconnects the various
components of the CPU.

Cybernetic system:

A system that uses feedback and control components to achieve a self-regulating capability.

Entropy:

The tendency of a system to lose a relatively stable state of equilibrium.

Mass storage:

Secondary storage device with extra-large capacities such as magnetic tape or optical disk.

Packet:

A group of data and control information in a specific format that is transmitted as an entity.

Queue:

A waiting line formed by items in a system waiting for service.

Schema:

An overall conceptual or logical view of the relationship between the data in a database.

Trackball:

A roller ball device set in a case used to move the cursor on a computer’s display screen.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Principles of Information Systems: A Managerial Approach, R.M.Stair & G.Reynolds,

Delma Learning,2007

Management Information Systems, James O’ Brein & George M.Marakas, 12th Edition
,McGrawhill,2007

Management Information System, Kenneth C Laudon,Jane P.Laudon,10th Edition

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www.Wikipedia.com

www.yrcw.com

www.jetblue.com

www.progressive.com

www.wikipedia.com

www.google.com