@Information system CS, SE, IS, IT, & Customer Venn Diagram where functionality spans left and

design spans right stemming from discovery.An information system (IS) - or application landscape[1] - is any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management[2] In a very broad sense,

the term information system is interaction between people, algorithmic processes, data and technology. In this sense, the term is used to refer not only to the information and communication technology (ICT) an organization uses, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes.[3]

Some make a clear distinction between information systems, and computer systems ICT, and business processes. Information systems are distinct from information technology in that an information system is typically seen as having an ICT component. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes.[4]

Alter argues for an information system as a special type of work system. A work system is a system in which humans and/or machines perform work using resources to produce specific products and/or services for customers. An information system is a work system whose activities are devoted to processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information.[5]

As such, information systems interrelate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other. An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of

social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action.

Information systems are the primary focus of study for the information systems discipline and for organisational informatics.[6]

[edit] ComponentsIt consists of computers, instructions, stored facts, people and procedures.

ISs can be categorized in four parts:

1.Management Information System (MIS).

2.Decision Support System (DSS). 3.Executive Information System (EIS4). 4.Transaction Processing System (TPS).

@ dss Decision support systemFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Decision Support System) Example of a Decision Support System for John Day Reservoir.A decision support system (DSS) is a computerbased information system that supports business or organizational decisionmaking activities. DSSs serve the management, operations, and planning levels of an organization and help to make decisions, which may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance.

DSSs include knowledge-based systems. A properly designed DSS is an interactive software-based system intended to help decision makers compile useful information from a combination of raw data, documents, personal knowledge, or business models to identify and solve problems and make decisions.

Typical information that a decision support application might gather and present are:

inventories of information assets (including legacy and relational data sources, cubes, data warehouses, and data marts),

comparative sales figures between one period and the next, projected revenue figures based on product sales assumptions.

[edit] HistoryAccording to Keen (1978),[1] the concept of decision support has evolved from two main areas of research: The theoretical studies of organizational decision making done at the Carnegie Institute of Technology during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the technical work on interactive computer systems, mainly carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1960s. It is considered that the concept of DSS became an area of research of its own in the middle of the 1970s, before gaining in intensity during the 1980s. In the

middle and late 1980s, executive information systems (EIS), group decision support systems (GDSS), and organizational decision support systems (ODSS) evolved from the single user and model-oriented DSS.

According to Sol (1987)[2] the definition and scope of DSS has been migrating over the years. In the 1970s DSS was described as "a computer based system to aid decision making". Late 1970s the DSS movement started focusing on "interactive computer-based systems which help decision-makers utilize data bases and models to solve ill-structured problems". In the 1980s DSS should provide systems "using suitable and available technology to improve effectiveness of managerial and professional activities", and end 1980s

DSS faced a new challenge towards the design of intelligent workstations.[2]

In 1987 Texas Instruments completed development of the Gate Assignment Display System (GADS) for United Airlines. This decision support system is credited with significantly reducing travel delays by aiding the management of ground operations at various airports, beginning with O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and Stapleton Airport in Denver Colorado.[3][4]

Beginning in about 1990, data warehousing and on-line analytical processing (OLAP) began broadening the realm of DSS. As the turn of the millennium approached, new Web-based analytical applications were introduced.

The advent of better and better reporting technologies has seen DSS start to emerge as a critical component of management design. Examples of this can be seen in the intense amount of discussion of DSS in the education environment.

DSS also have a weak connection to the user interface paradigm of hypertext. Both the University of Vermont PROMIS system (for medical decision making) and the Carnegie Mellon ZOG/KMS system (for military and business decision making) were decision support systems which also were major breakthroughs in user interface research. Furthermore, although hypertext researchers have generally

been concerned with information overload, certain researchers, notably Douglas Engelbart, have been focused on decision makers in particular

[edit] TaxonomiesAs with the definition, there is no universally-accepted taxonomy of DSS either. Different authors propose different classifications. Using the relationship with the user as the criterion, Haettenschwiler[5] differentiates passive, active, and cooperative DSS. A passive DSS is a system that aids the process of decision making, but that cannot bring out explicit decision suggestions or solutions. An active DSS can bring out such decision suggestions or solutions. A cooperative DSS allows the decision maker (or its advisor) to modify, complete, or refine the decision

suggestions provided by the system, before sending them back to the system for validation. The system again improves, completes, and refines the suggestions of the decision maker and sends them back to him for validation. The whole process then starts again, until a consolidated solution is generated.

Another taxonomy for DSS has been created by Daniel Power. Using the mode of assistance as the criterion, Power differentiates communicationdriven DSS, data-driven DSS, documentdriven DSS, knowledge-driven DSS, and model-driven DSS.[6]

A communication-driven DSS supports more than one person working on a

shared task; examples include integrated tools like Microsoft's NetMeeting or Groove[7] A data-driven DSS or data-oriented DSS emphasizes access to and manipulation of a time series of internal company data and, sometimes, external data. A document-driven DSS manages, retrieves, and manipulates unstructured information in a variety of electronic formats. A knowledge-driven DSS provides specialized problem-solving expertise stored as facts, rules, procedures, or in similar structures.[6] A model-driven DSS emphasizes access to and manipulation of a statistical, financial, optimization, or simulation model. Model-driven DSS use data and parameters provided by users to assist

decision makers in analyzing a situation; they are not necessarily data-intensive. Dicodess is an example of an open source model-driven DSS generator.[8] Using scope as the criterion, Power[9] differentiates enterprise-wide DSS and desktop DSS. An enterprise-wide DSS is linked to large data warehouses and serves many managers in the company. A desktop, single-user DSS is a small system that runs on an individual manager's PC.

[edit] Components Design of a Drought Mitigation Decision Support System.Three fundamental components of a DSS architecture are:[5][6][10][11][12]

1.the database (or knowledge base), 2.the model (i.e., the decision context and user criteria), and 3.the user interface. The users themselves are also important components of the architecture.[5][12]

[edit] Development FrameworksDSS systems are not entirely different from other systems and require a structured approach. Such a framework includes people, technology, and the development approach.[10]

DSS technology levels (of hardware and software) may include:

1.The actual application that will be used by the user. This is the part of the application that allows the decision maker to make decisions in a particular problem area. The user can act upon that particular problem. 2.Generator contains Hardware/software environment that allows people to easily develop specific DSS applications. This level makes use of case tools or systems such as Crystal, AIMMS, and iThink. 3.Tools include lower level hardware/software. DSS generators including special languages, function libraries and linking modules An iterative developmental approach allows for the DSS to be changed and redesigned at various intervals. Once the system is designed, it will need to be

tested and revised for the desired outcome.

[edit] ClassificationThere are several ways to classify DSS applications. Not every DSS fits neatly into one of the categories, but may be a mix of two or more architectures.

Holsapple and Whinston[13] classify DSS into the following six frameworks: Textoriented DSS, Database-oriented DSS, Spreadsheet-oriented DSS, Solveroriented DSS, Rule-oriented DSS, and Compound DSS.

A compound DSS is the most popular classification for a DSS. It is a hybrid system that includes two or more of the

five basic structures described by Holsapple and Whinston.[13]

The support given by DSS can be separated into three distinct, interrelated categories [14]: Personal Support, Group Support, and Organizational Support.

DSS components may be classified as:

1.Inputs: Factors, numbers, and characteristics to analyze 2.User Knowledge and Expertise: Inputs requiring manual analysis by the user 3.Outputs: Transformed data from which DSS "decisions" are generated

4.Decisions: Results generated by the DSS based on user criteria DSSs which perform selected cognitive decision-making functions and are based on artificial intelligence or intelligent agents technologies are called Intelligent Decision Support Systems (IDSS).[citation needed]

The nascent field of Decision engineering treats the decision itself as an engineered object, and applies engineering principles such as Design and Quality assurance to an explicit representation of the elements that make up a decision.

[edit] ApplicationsAs mentioned above, there are theoretical possibilities of

building such systems in any knowledge domain.

One example is the clinical decision support system for medical diagnosis. Other examples include a bank loan officer verifying the credit of a loan applicant or an engineering firm that has bids on several projects and wants to know if they can be competitive with their costs.

DSS is extensively used in business and management. Executive dashboard and other business performance software allow faster decision making, identification of negative trends, and better allocation of business resources.

A growing area of DSS application, concepts, principles, and techniques is in agricultural production, marketing for sustainable development. For example, the DSSAT4 package,[15][16] developed through financial support of USAID during the 80's and 90's, has allowed rapid assessment of several agricultural production systems around the world to facilitate decision-making at the farm and policy levels. There are, however, many constraints to the successful adoption on DSS in agriculture.[17]

DSS are also prevalent in forest management where the long planning time frame demands specific requirements. All aspects of Forest management, from log transportation, harvest scheduling to sustainability and ecosystem protection have been

addressed by modern DSSs. A comprehensive list and discussion of all available systems in forest management is being compiled under the COST action Forsys

A specific example concerns the Canadian National Railway system, which tests its equipment on a regular basis using a decision support system. A problem faced by any railroad is wornout or defective rails, which can result in hundreds of derailments per year. Under a DSS, CN managed to decrease the incidence of derailments at the same time other companies were experiencing an increase.

[edit] Benefits1.Improves personal efficiency

2.Speed up the process of decision making 3.Increases organizational control 4.Encourages exploration and discovery on the part of the decision maker 5.Speeds up problem solving in an organization 6.Facilitates interpersonal communication 7.Promotes learning or training 8.Generates new evidence in support of a decision 9.Creates a competitive advantage over competition 10.Reveals new approaches to thinking about the problem space 11.Helps

Scholarship applications are invited for Wiki Conference India being held from 18-20 November, 2011 in Mumbai. Apply here. Last date for application is August 15, 2011. @ mis -

A management information system (MIS) is a system that provides information needed to manage organizations effectively.[1] Management information systems involve three primary resources: technology, information, and people. It's important to recognize that while all three resources are key components when studying management information systems, the most important resource is people[according to whom?]. Management information systems are regarded as a subset of the overall

internal controls procedures in a business, which cover the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures used by management accountants to solve business problems such as costing a product, service or a 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.[2] 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.[2]

Contents [hide]

[edit] OverviewInitially in businesses and other organizations, internal reporting was made manually and only periodically, as a by-product of the accounting system and with some additional statistic(s), and gave limited and delayed information on management performance. Previously, data had to be separated individually by the people as per the requirement and necessity of the organization. Later, data was distinguished from information, and so instead of the collection of mass of data, important and to the point data that is needed by the organization was stored.

Earlier, business computers were mostly used for relatively simple operations such as tracking sales or payroll data,

often without much detail. Over time, these applications became more complex and began to store increasing amount of information while also interlinking with previously separate information systems. As more and more data was stored and linked man began to analyze this information into further detail, creating entire management reports from the raw, stored data. The term "MIS" arose to describe these kinds of applications, which were developed to provide managers with information about sales, inventories, and other data that would help in managing the enterprise. Today, the term is used broadly in a number of contexts and includes (but is not limited to): decision support systems, resource and people management applications, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise

Performance Management (EPM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), project management and database retrieval applications.

"The five eras are general-purpose mainframe and minicomputer computing, personal computers, client/server networks, enterprise computing, and cloud computing."(Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 11th Edition. Prentice Hall/CourseSmart, 12/30/2008. p. 164). The first era was ruled by IBM and their mainframe computers, these computers would often take up whole rooms and require teams to run them, IBM supplied the hardware and the software. As technology advanced these computers were able to handle greater capacities

and therefore reduce their cost. By 1965 microprocessors began to take the market away from mainframe computers. This technology allowed small desktop computers to do the same work that it previously would have taken a room full of computers. This also decentralized computing power from large data centers to smaller offices. In the late 1970s minicomputer technology gave way to personal computers, now for a relatively low cost anyone could have a computer in their own home. This allowed for businesses to give their employees access to computing power that 10 years before would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. This proliferation of computers also helped create a need to connect these computers together on a network giving birth to the internet. As technology has

increased and cheapened the need to share information across a large company had also grown, this gave way to the client/server era. With this era computers on a common network were able to access shared information on a server. This allows for large amounts of data to be accessed by thousands and even millions of people simultaneously. The latest evolution of Information Systems is cloud computing a recent development, cloud computing lets users access data stored on a server, where they can not only see the data but also edit, save, download or upload. This along with high speed networks has led to a much more mobile view of MIS. In cloud computing the manager does not have to be at a desk to see what their employees are working on but instead

can be on a laptop, tablet pc, or even smartphone.

An 'MIS' is a planned system of the collection, processing, storage and dissemination of data in the form of information needed to carry out the management functions. In a way, it is a documented report of the activities that 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."[3]

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 ERP which incorporates elements that are not necessarily focused on decision support.

The successful MIS must support a business's Five Year Plan or its equivalent. It must provide for reports based upon performance analysis in areas critical to that plan, with feedback loops that allow for titivation of every aspect of the business, including recruitment and training regimens. In effect, MIS must not only indicate how

things are going, but why they are not going as well as planned where that is the case. These reports would include performance relative to cost centers and projects that drive profit or loss, and do so in such a way that identifies individual accountability, and in virtual real-time.

Anytime a business is looking at implementing a new business system it is very important to use a system development method such as System Development Life Cycle. The life cycle includes Analysis, Requirements, Design, Development, Testing and Implementation.

[edit] Types of Information Management SystemsThere are many types of

information management systems in the market that provide a wide range of benefits for companies.

Transaction processing systems (TPS) collect and record the routine transactions of an organization. Examples of such systems are sales order entry, hotel reservations, payroll, employee record keeping, and shipping. Management information systems (MIS) produce fixed, regularly scheduled reports based on data extracted and summarized from the firms underlying transaction processing systems (TPS) to middle and operational level managers to provide answers to structured and semi-structured decision problems. Decision-support systems (DSS) are computer program applications used by

middle management to compile information from a wide range of sources to solve problems and make decisions. Executive support systems (ESS) is a reporting tool that provides quick access to summarized reports coming from all company levels and departments such as accounting, human resources and operations. [edit] Advantages of Information Management SystemsThe following are some of the benefits that can be attained for different types of information management systems.[4] (1)The company is able to highlight their strength and weaknesses due to the presence of revenue reports, employee performance records etc. The identification of these aspects can help the company to improve their business processes and operations. (2) The

availability of the customer data and feedback can help the company to align their business processes according to the needs of the customers. The effective management of customer data can help the company to perform direct marketing and promotion activities. (3)Information is considered to be an important asset for any company in the modern competitive world. The consumer buying trends and behaviors can be predicted by the analysis of sales and revenue reports from each operating region of the company.

[edit] Enterprise ApplicationsEnterprise systems, also known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems provide an organization with integrated software modules and a unified database which enable efficient planning, managing, and

controlling of all core business processes across multiple locations. Modules of ERP systems may include finance, accounting, marketing, human resources, production, inventory management and distribution. Supply Chain Management (SCM) systems enable more efficient management of the supply chain by integrating the links in a supply chain. This may include suppliers, manufacturer, wholesalers, retailers and final customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems help businesses manage relationships with potential and current customers and business partners across marketing, sales, and service. Knowledge Management System (KMS) helps organizations facilitate the

collection, recording, organization, retrieval, and dissemination of knowledge. This may include documents, accounting records, and unrecorded procedures, practices and skills. Developing Information Systems

"The actions that are taken to create an information system that solves an organizational problem are called system development (Laudon&Laudon, 2010)". These include system analysis, system design, programming, testing, conversion, production and finally maintenance. These actions usually take place in that specified order but some may need to repeat or be accomplished concurrently.

System analysis is accomplished on the problem the company is facing and is trying to solve with the information system. Whoever accomplishes this step will identify the problem areas and outlines a solution through achievable objectives. This analysis will include a feasibility study, which determines the solutions feasibility based on money, time and technology. Essentially the feasibility study determines whether this solution is a good investment. This process also lays out what the information requirement will be for the new system.

System design shows how the system will fulfill the requirements and objectives laid out in the system analysis phase. The designer will address all the managerial,

organizational and technological components the system will address and need. It is important to note that user information requirements drive the building effort. The user of the system must be involved in the design process to ensure the system meets the users need and operations.

Programming entails taking the design stage and translating that into software code. This is usually out sourced to another company to write the required software or companys buy existing software that meets the systems needs. The key is to make sure the software is user friendly and compatible with current systems.

Testing can take on many different forms but is essential to the successful implementation of the new system. You can conduct unit testing, which tests each program in the system separately or system testing which tests the system as a whole. Either way there should also be acceptance testing, which provides a certification that the system is ready to use. Also, regardless of the test a comprehensive test plan should be developed that identifies what is to be tested and what the expected outcome should be.

Conversion is the process of changing or converting the old system into the new. This can be done in four ways:

Parallel strategy Both old and new systems are run together until the new one functions correctly (this is the safest approach since you do not lose the old system until the new one is bug free).

Direct cutover The new system replaces the old at an appointed time.

Pilot study Introducing the new system to a small portion of the operation to see how it fares. If good then the new system expands to the rest of the company.

Phased approach New system is introduced in stages.

Anyway you implement the conversion you must document the good and bad during the process to identify benchmarks and fix problems. Conversion also includes the training of all personnel that are required to use the system to perform their job.Various Advantages of Information Management Systems When information systems are designed to provide information needed for effective decision making by managers, they are called management information systems. MIS is a formal system for providing management with accurate and timely information necessary for decision making. system provides information on the past, present and project future and on relevant events inside and outside the organization . It may be defined as a

planned and integrated system for gathering relevant data, converting it in to right information and supplying the same to the concerned executives. The main purpose of MIS is to provide the right information to the right people at the right time.

The Concept of management information systems originated in the 1960s and become the byword of almost all attempts to relate computer technology and systems to data processing in business . During the early 1960s , it became evident that the computer was being applied to the solution of business problem in a piecemeal fashion, focusing almost entirely on the computerization of clerical and record keeping tasks. The concepts of management information systems was developed to

counteract such in efficient development and in effective use of the computer. The MIS concepts is vital to efficient and effective computer use in business of two major reasons:

It serves as a systems framework for organizing business computer applications. Business applications of computers should be viewed as interrelated and integrated computer based information systems and not as independent data processing job .

In emphasizes the management orientation of electronics information processing in business . The primary goal of computer based information systems should be the processing of data generated by business operations.

A management information system is an integrated man machine systems that provides information to support the planning and control function of manager in an organization .

The out put of an MIS is information that sub serves managerial functions. When a system provides information to persons who are not managers, then it will not be considered as part of an MIS . For .example , an organization often process a lot of data which it is required by law to furnish to various government regulatory agencies. Such a system, while it may have interfaces with an MIS, would not be a part of it, Instances of such systems are salary disclosures and excise duty statements. By the

same token to sophisticated computer aided design system for engineering purposes would also not be a part of an MIS.

Generally, MIS deals with information that is systematically and routinely collected in accordance with a welldefined set of rules. Thus, and MIS is a part of the formal information network in an organization. Information that has major managerial planning significance is sometimes collected at golf courses. Such information is not part of MIS, how ever, one- shot market research data collected to gauge the potential of a new product does not come with in the scope of an MIS by our definition because although such information may be very systematically collected it is not collected on a regular basis.

Normally, the information provided by an MIS helps the managers to make planning and control decisions. Now, we will see, what is planning and control. Every organization in order to function must perform, certain operations. For Example, a car manufacturer has to perform certain manufacturing activities, a wholesaler has o provide water to its area of jurisdiction. All these are operations that need to be done. Besides, these operations, an organization must make plans for them. In other words it must decide on how many and what type of cars to make next month or what commissions to offer retailers or what pumping stations to install in the next five years.

Also an organization must control the operations in the light of the plans and targets developed in the planning process. The car manufacturer must know if manufacturing operations are in line with the targets and if not, he must make decisions to correct the deviation or revise his plans. Similarly the wholesaler will want to know the impacts that his commissions have had on sales and make decisions to correct adverse trends. The municipal corporation will need to control the tendering process and contractors who will execute the pumping station plans.

Generally, MIS is concerned with planning and control. Often there are elaborate systems for information that assists operations. For example, the car manufacturer will have a system for

providing information to the workers on the shop floor about the job that needs to be done on a particular batch of material. There may be route sheets, which accompany the rate materials and components in their movement through various machines. This system per se provides only information to support operation. It has no managerial decisionmaking significance. It I not part of an MIS. If, however, the system does provided information on productivity, machine utilization or rejection rates, then we would say that the system is part of an MIS.

Generally MIS has all the ingredients that are employed in providing information support to manager to making planning and control decisions. Managers often use historical data on an

organizations activities as well as current status data make planning and control decisions. Such data comes from a data base which is contained in files maintained by the organization . This data base is an essential component of an MIS. Manual procedures that are used to collect and process information and computer hardware are obvious ingredients of an MIS . These also form part of the MIS. In summary , when we say that an MIS is an integrated man machine systems that provided information to supports the planning and control function of managers in an origination . It does the following function .

- sub serves managerial function

- collects stores , evaluates information systematically and routinely - supports planning and control decisions - Includes files , hardware , software , software and operations research models.

Effective management information systems are needed by all business organization because of the increased complexity and rate of change of todays business environment . For Example, Marketing manager need information about sales performance and trends, financial manger returns, production managers needs information analyzing resources requirement and worker productivity and personnel manager require information concerning employee compensation and professional

development. Thus, effective management information systems must be developed to provide modern managers with the specific marketing , financial, production and personnel information products they required to support their decision making responsibilities .

An MIS provides the following advantages.

1. It Facilitates planning : MIS improves the quality of plants by providing relevant information for sound decision making . Due to increase in the size and complexity of organizations, managers have lost personal contact with the scene of operations.

2. In Minimizes information overload : MIS change the larger amount of data in to summarized form and there by avoids the confusion which may arise when managers are flooded with detailed facts.

3. MIS Encourages Decentralization : Decentralization of authority is possibly when there is a system for monitoring operations at lower levels. MIS is successfully used for measuring performance and making necessary change in the organizational plans and procedures.

4. It brings Co ordination : MIS facilities integration of specialized activities by keeping each department aware of the

problem and requirements of other departments. It connects all decision centers in the organization .

5. It makes control easier : MIS serves as a link between managerial planning and control. It improves the ability of management to evaluate and improve performance . The used computers has increased the data processing and storage capabilities and reduced the cost .

6. MIS assembles, process , stores , Retrieves , evaluates and Disseminates the information .

Production is when the new system is officially the system of record for the operation and maintenance is just that. Maintain the system as it performs the function it was intended to meet

Mis importance

Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Business & Finance > Insurance >What is the importance of MIS? Answer: Improve

The overall purpose of MIS is to provide profitability and related information to help managers and staff understand business performance and plan its future direction.

IMPORTANCE OF MIS:

1. MIS is always management oriented and keeps in view every level of management and gets the desired information. 2. Integrated - refers to how diff components(sub systems) are actually tied up together. eg: diff departments of organization linked together. 3. Useful for planning - as every organization makes log-term and shortterm plans with the help of information

like sales & production, capital investments, stocks etc management can easily plan.. 4. Effective MIS helps the management to know deviations of actual performance from pre-set targets and control things. 5. its important for increasing efficiency. 6.MIS provides updated results of various departments to management. 7.MIS is highly computerized so it provides accurate results. 8.MIS adds to the intelligence, alertness, awareness of managers by providing them information in the form of progress and review reports of an ongoing activity. 9.Helps managers in decision- making.