Introduction to Information Systems

Introduction to Information Systems

Class 1

Data vs. Information

• The eternal question• Data

– “Streams of raw fact representing events occurring in organizations or their environments before they have been organized and arranged into a form suitable for human interpretation”

• Information– “Data that have been shaped into a form

that is meaningful and useful”

Data Vs. Information392: Chocolate Chip Cookies342: Coffee Powder341: Red Curry Paste392: Chocolate Chip Cookies391: Keebler Fudge Sticks……

Region: RedmondStore: QFC Store 32

Item# Description Units Sold

392 Choc Chip Ck 2397

YTD Sales

$6972.78

Data

Information

Information? What’s the big deal?

• Globalization• Transformation of Industrial

Economies• The Changing Organization

Emergence of Global Economy

• Management and control in a global marketplace

• Competition in global markets• Global workgroups• Global delivery systems

From Industrial to Post-Industrial Societies

• Knowledge- and information-based economies

• Productivity• New products and services• Time-based competition• Shorter product life-cycle• Turbulent operating environment

Transformation of the Organization

• Flattening• Decentralization• Flexibility• Location independence• Low transaction and coordination costs• Empowerment• Collaborative work and team activities

So, what is an Information System,

anyway?

What is a System?

A System

A System

InputInput

A System

InputInput ProcessProcess

A System

InputInput OutputOutputProcessProcess

A System

InputInput OutputOutputProcessProcess

feedbacfeedbackk

A System

InputInput OutputOutputProcessProcess

feedbacfeedbackk

CustomersCompetitors

Suppliers Government

What is an Information System?

• a set of interrelated components that– collect (or retrieve)– process– store– distribute

information in order to support– decision making– coordination and control

Approaches to Information Systems

InformationSystems

Management Science

Computer ScienceOperations Research

Psychology

Economics

Sociology

Behavioral Approaches

Technical Approaches

Information Systems and the Organization

• Flattening organizations• Separating work from location• Reorganizing workflows• Increased flexibility• Changing management process• Redefining organizational

boundaries

Information Architecture

• Levels within a firm• Functional Areas• Types of Systems• Foundation of technology

Levels within an Organization

• Operational• Knowledge• Management• Strategic

Functional Areas

• Finance• Accounting• Production• Marketing• Human Resources• Public Relations

Organ

izatio

n str

uctu

re strategic

management

knowledge

operoper

Finance Marketing Production Personnel Acctg

Organ

izatio

n str

uctu

re strategic

management

knowledge

operoper

Finance Marketing Production Personnel Acctg

Hardware SoftwareData and StorageNetworks

strategic

management

knowledge

operoper

Finance Marketing Production Personnel Acctg

Hardware SoftwareData and StorageNetworks

InformationArchitecture

IT Infrastructure

Challenges Facing Managers

• The Strategic Business Challenge• The Globalization Challenge• The Architecture and Infrastructure

Challenge• The Investment Challenge• The Responsibility and Control

Challenge

Ten Minute Break

strategic

management

knowledge

operoper

Finance Marketing Production Personnel Acctg

Senior management

Middlemanagement

Knowledgeand data workers

Operationalmanagers

Kind of Kind of ISIS

GroupGroupServedServed

Functional AreaFunctional Area

Level of the System

• Operational-level systems– Keep track of elementary activities and

transactions• Sales, receipts, payroll, etc.

– Purpose is to answer routine questions and track flow of transactions

• Knowledge-level systems– Integrate new knowledge into the

business – Control flow of paperwork

Level of the System• Management-level systems

– Keep track of monitoring, controlling decision making, and administrative work of middle management

• Periodic reports

– Some may be used for non-routine decisions• What-if analysis

– Typically draws information from operational systems

• Strategic-level systems– Assist senior management in making long-term

decisions– Typically non-routine, unstructured decision making

activities

Types of Information Systems

• Executive Support Systems (ESS)• Management Information Systems

(MIS)• Decision Support Systems (DSS)• Knowledge Work Systems (KWS)• Office Automation Systems (OAS)• Transaction Processing Systems

(TPS)

Types of Systems• Transaction Processing Systems

– serves operational needs– performs/records daily and routine

transactions– span boundary of organization and

environment– major supplier of information to other IS– examples

•airline reservation system•payroll system•plant scheduling

Types of Systems (contd.)

• Knowledge Work Systems– KWs are those whose job involves

creating new information and knowledge (doctors, scientists, engineers, etc.)

– Use specialized systems such as workstations

• Office Automation Systems– used to process information– eg. document management, scheduling,

communication

Types of Systems (contd.)

• Management Information Systems– serves activities of planning, controlling

and decision-making at the management level

– usually take form of performance reports (such as exception or summary reports)

– limited analytical ability– often (mistakenly) equated with IS

Types of Systems (contd.)

• Decision Support Systems– focussed on a specific type of problem– more analytical ability than an MIS– more interactive– eg: lease or buy in face of volatile interest

rates• Executive Support Systems

– used by senior management– used for unstructured problems– heavy graphics base

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &OAS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &OAS

TPS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &OAS

TPS

MISDSS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &OAS

TPS

MISDSS

ESS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &KWS &OASOAS

TPSTPS

MISMISDSSDSS

ESSESS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &KWS &OASOAS

TPSTPS

MISMISDSSDSS

ESSESS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &KWS &OASOAS

TPSTPS

MISMISDSSDSS

ESSESS

Information System Integration

Management Level

Strategic Level

Operational LevelKnowledgeLevel

Management Level

KWS &KWS &OASOAS

TPSTPS

MISMISDSSDSS

ESSESS

Next Class

• Topic: IT Infrastructure• Weekly Technology Report• Research the Atanasoff

Controversy Remember to complete a biosketch by Wednesday

• Do readings • Be ready to debate the Carr article