INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Information Systems



Information Systems

Introduction

The trainee manager role in the company is of an IT manager. To support the business process and communication, I have chosen MIS as a decision making tool which will improvise the coordination between various departments thus resulting in more efficient decision making in the organization.

MIS provides several benefits to the business organization: the means of effective and efficient coordination between Departments; quick and reliable referencing; access to relevant data and documents; use of less labor; improvement in organizational and departmental techniques; management of day-to-day activities (as accounts, stock control, payroll, etc.); day-to-day assistance in a Department and closer contact with the rest of the world. MIS provides a valuable time-saving benefit to the workforce. Employees do not have to collect data manually for filing and analysis. Instead, that information can be entered quickly and easily into a computer program (Gigch, 1991, pp. 20).

As the amount of raw data grows too large for employees to analyze, business analysts can build programs to access the data and information in response to queries by management. With faster access to needed information, managers can make better decisions about procedures, future directions, and developments by competitors, and make them more quickly. We are living in a time of great change and working in an Information Age (Vallee, 1986, pp. 22). Managers have to assimilate masses of data, convert that data into information, form conclusions about that information and make decisions leading to the achievement of business objectives. For an organization, information is as important resource as money, machinery and manpower. It is essential for the survival of the enterprise (Thyer, 2000, pp. 51).

Type of System

Management Information System (M.I.S.) is basically concerned with processing data into information. Data collection involves the use of Information Technology (IT) comprising: computers and telecommunications networks (EMail, Voice Mail, Internet, telephone, etc.) (Schoech, 2000, pp. 37). Computers are important for more quantitative, than qualitative, data collection, storage and retrieval; Special features are speed and accuracy, and storage of large amount of data. Telecommunications provide the means for one-way or two-way communication and for the transmission of messages.

A combination of IT is used: telephone, computer, processor, printer, etc. A lot of time and money are saved and the security of data and messages is ensured. A management information system (MIS) enables businesses to provide answers to managers in search of knowledge. MIS does this by combining raw data about the organization's operations (contained in its basic information technology systems) with information gathered from employees in expert systems that reflect the organization's procedures (Schoech, 1999, pp. 55).

Before the widespread use of computers, many organizations found difficulties in gathering, storing, organizing and distributing large amounts of data and information. Developments in computer technology made possible for managers to select the information they require, in the form best suited for their needs and in time they want. This information must be current and in many cases is needed by many people at the same time (Sauber, 1983, ...