Introduction to Project Management Information

Systems
Chapter 1

Maryam S.Kom, M.Eng

 What is Information?

Four different definitions

Knowledge derived from data

Data presented in a meaningful

context

Data processed by summing,

ordering, averaging, grouping,
comparing, or other similar
operations

A difference that makes a difference

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 Examples of Information Systems
Raw Data
1. Jeff Parks earns $10.00 per
hour.
2. George Hanes get 83 in his
mid-exam of BUS304
3. Gary spent $200 in Bestbuy
on Dec 15, 2006
4. Dallas Mavericks has won 36 4. Dallas Mavericks is now
games and lost 9 games in
the new season
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Information
1. Jeff Parks earns less than
the average hourly wage of
his department
2. The average score of
BUS304 is 77
3. The total sale of Bestbuy is
$708,000 on Dec 15, 2006
ranked #1 team in NBA
western conference
 Information is Subjective

Information in one person’s context is just a data

point in another person’s context

Context changes occur in information systems

when the output of one system feeds a second
system

Information conveys meaning, which contains the

information providers’ point of view. (Information
manipulation)

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 Characteristics of Good Information

describe the five characteristics of good information

Accurate

Good information shall be accurate. However, there are

a lot information that’s inaccurate. Be careful!
Example: managers & financial analysts may
manipulate earnings to mislead investors

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 Characteristics of Good Information

Accurate

Timely

Good information shall be delivered to the right person at

the right time in order to make the right decision.
Example: many companies keep outdated customer
contact information, which is a waste of time and money.

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 Characteristics of Good Information

Accurate

Timely

Relevant

Information is subjective. Good information shall be

relevant to the reader which helps make good decision.
Example: a list of customer activities is relevant to the
marketing department but not that relevant to the CEO.

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 Characteristics of Good Information

Accurate

Timely

Relevant

Just Sufficient

Users shall have all the available information in order to

make the right decision. However, too much
information will reduce efficiency.
Example: use the credit score instead of the whole
transaction history to evaluate a person’s probability to
default.

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 Characteristics of Good Information

Accurate

Timely

Relevant

Just Sufficient

Worth Its Cost

In a business world, think cost-effectively:
What is the value of information? How
much does it cost to produce that
information?
Example: why not keep track of all the
consumers’ activity?

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 Characteristics of Good Information

Just Sufficient

Worth its Money

Accurate

Relevant

Timely

-- Good information shall be SMART!

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 Understanding the Five-Components

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 The most important component

Your mind and thinking are the most important component

If you don’t know what to do with your information system’s

information, you are wasting time and money.

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 Definition of PMIS

The Development and Use of Information Systems that Achieve

Business Goals and Objectives

Three Key Elements:

Components of an Info Sys

Development and use of the IS

Achieving business goals and objectives

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  Project Management Information System (PMIS)
help plan, execute and close project management
goals.
 During the planning process, project managers
use PMIS for budget framework such as
estimating costs, is also used to create a specific
schedule and define the scope baseline
 the project management team collects
information into one database. The PMIS is used
to compare the baseline with the actual
accomplishment of each activity, manage
materials, collect financial data, and keep a
record for reporting purposes.
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  During the close of the project, the Project
Management Information System is used to
review the goals to check if the tasks were
accomplished. Then, it is used to create a final
report of the project close.

 To conclude, the project management information

system (PMIS) is used to plan schedules, budget
and execute work to be accomplished in project
management.

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 PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM -
IMPORTANCE

 monitoring and control system

 support for decision making.
 processed information
 planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.
 Many PMISs additionally perform assorted
analyses
 control of changes to system configuration and
project plans as well.

=> With an effective PMIS the project manager

does not have to wait for days or comb through
reams of data to identify problems and determine
project status.

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 ELEMENTS OF A TYPICAL PMIS
 A typical PMIS software system has:
 Scheduling abilities
 Resource tracking and leveling
 Budgeting control
 Reporting functionality
 Quality control charts, PERT charts, Gantt charts, and
other charting features
 Calculations for the critical path, EVM, target dates
based on the project schedule, and more

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 BENEFITS OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 The benefits of computer PMISs over manual
systems are speed, capacity, efficiency, economy,
accuracy, and ability to handle complexity.
 The major benefit is speed. Once data have been
collected and entered, practically any
manipulation can be done more rapidly by
computers.
 To create or revise printed plans, schedules, and
budgets takes days or weeks with a manual
system, but seconds or minutes with computers.
 This is especially true of Internet and intranet
project management systems.
 Computer-based PMISs store large amounts of
information that is easily accessed, prioritized,
and summarized

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  computer-based PMISs are much better at
handling and integrating complex data
relationships.
 Large projects with thousands of work tasks,
hundreds of organizations, and tens of thousands
of workers cannot be managed efficiently without
computers.
 For managing large projects, a computer-based
PMIS is a virtual necessity, but even in small
projects it simply makes the work easier to
manage.
 Simpler PMISs have limited capability, but they
usually are good at what they can do, and they
can be of tremendous benefit. Also, once
mastered, it is easy to upgrade to more
sophisticated systems.
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 I. Information Systems

Definitions:

System: A group of components that interact to achieve

some purpose

Information System ( give the definition by yourself)

Example:

non computer-based IS: a schedule sheet posted outside the

classroom telling us the classroom reservation information

computer-based IS: WebCT, Online course registration

system, online banking system, etc.
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 EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS

Microsoft Project (MS Project)

Project Scheduler
Welcom
Trakker
Primavera

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 II. Development and Use of Info. Sys

You need to take an active role in every stage of the

information system’s development

It doesn’t matter if you are a programmer, database designer,

or only a user, you must be active in:
Specifying the systems requirements

Helping to manage the development project

Using the information system

System System System System

Analysis Design Implementation Maintenance

22 System Development Cycle

 III. Achieving Business Goals and Objectives

Businesses themselves do not “do” anything

Information Systems exist to help people in business to

achieve goals and objectives of business.

Case 1: Land’s End (Success)

-- Describe the critical role IT plays in supporting Land’s End

business operation

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 Case of Land’s End

Questions:

1. List some of the critical operations that are supported by IT/IS

2. Explain the system philosophy “keep day-to-day operation

running smoothly.”

3. Give an example how IT/IS help Land’s End collect critical

customer information.

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 Career Path of MIS Major

CIO / IS Director
Information Center Manager
App. Dev. Manager
Project Manager
Operations Manager
System Manager
Programming Manager
Business Analyst
Systems Analyst
Systems Programmer
Emerging Technologies Manager
Network Manager
Database Admin.
Auditing or Computer Security
Manager
Webmaster
Web Designer
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 Full Time Employment Statistics by Major:
(2006 undergraduate National wide)
Major Avg Standard Dev % of Reports

Accounting $40,670 $7,655 2%

ERB $48,870 $6,640 3%

Finance $48,530 $7,756 50%

Honors + BBA $50,050 $7,365 15%

International $45,920 $9,584 3%

Business
Management $42,460 $11,662 4%

Marketing $39,510 $8,772 13%

MIS $52,010 $5,815 11%

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 Summary

Definition of MIS:
Management information systems is the development and
use of information systems that help business achieve their
goals and objectives.
What is an information system:
a group of components that interact to produce information.
The five components of an information system
hardware,
software,
data,
procedures, and
people.
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 Summary (Cont)

Explain why you are the most important

component

Use the five-component framework to analyze an

Information System

Four definitions of Information

Why Information is subjective?

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