MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

Management Information System



Management Information System

Introduction

According to McLeod and Schell (2001, 48), in current academic thinking, the term "management information systems" is still defined in two ways - firstly MIS is defined as: 'the study and operation of information systems in business and management' and secondly, it is defined as a more specific category of information system serving management-level functions as mentioned in the introduction. For the purpose of this study, the definition of management information system (MIS) is defined according to the second definition but is restricted to SMEs management. Therefore, MIS, in this study, is defined as "a system using formalized procedures to provide SMEs' management at all levels in all functions with appropriate information from both internal and external sources, to enable them to timely and effectively plan, direct and control the activities for that they are responsible (Lucey, 2005, 48).

Discussion

There are two main functions of a MIS: 1) the provision of information for the purpose of daily management. 2) the provision of information to aid problem solving. The term problem needs to be clarified in that it is not necessarily something that is going wrong. There is no doubt that all levels of management in SMEs should respond quickly to harmful influences, seeking to prevent or minimize damage. However, they also need to be responsive to things that are going better than expected. Strong performance needs to be identified in order that possibilities may be transferred as "best practice" into other organizational domains, or that resources may be increased to prevent a decline in performance. Therefore, McLeod and Schell (2001, 45)

An MIS need not be wholly computer-based. However, with the development of computer and information technologies, it is inevitable that the information derived from the high volume of data in basic operational processes will be computerized and network-based. Accordingly, an initiative, simply but widely applied MIS model is presented in Figure 1. This model uses types of software that produce information - report writing and mathematical modeling. Therefore, the MIS provides information to users (managers) in the form of reports and outputs from simulations by mathematical models. The report and model output can be provided in a written, tabular or graphic form. When the MIS is in place and functioning as intended, it can help problem solvers (managers) identify and understand problems (McLeod & Schell, 2001, 47)

Customer relationship management (CRM)

CRM is anew phenomena that come out from the Internet and web technology to facilitate the implementation of CRM. It focuses on internet- or web-based interaction between customer and service provider. There are two approaches for CRM, business approach and technology approach. CRM within businesses has increased dramatically over the last few years, and will continue to do so in the future.

Decision Support System (DSS)

Just as a management information system (MIS) is the tool of accounting, a decision support system (DSS) is the primary computer tool for manufacturing. It's not a new buzzword, it's a ...