1

Managing Information Systems

2

Information Systems

• Information Systems are becoming the foundation of business models and processes

• They allow for the distribution of knowledge

3

IT and IS

• What is Information Technology?– Any form of technology used by people to

handle information.

• What are Information Systems?– Integrated components processing, storing and

disseminating information in an organisation.– Interdisciplinary study of systems that provide

information to users in organisations.Pyle, I.C. & Illingworth, V. (Eds) (1996). Oxford Dictionary of Computing, 4 th Edition. Oxford / New York: Oxford University Press

4

Information and Data

• Information– Clusters of facts meaningful and useful to

human beings in processes such as making decisions

• Data– Streams of raw facts representing events such

as business transactions – meaningless without structure

5

Experiences of IT and IS

• Examples of IT– Hardware (PC, UNIX server)– Software (e-mail, Internet, Windows, Word)– Consumer devices (mobiles, train times)

• Examples of IS– File systems, databases, e-mail servers / clients– e-commerce– SAP, student records

6

Management Information Systems

• MIS– The study of information systems focusing on

their use in business and management.

• Approaches– Technical– Behavioural– Sociotechnical

7

Approaches to IS

SOCIOLOGYSOCIOLOGY

POLITICAL POLITICAL SCIENCESCIENCE

PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY

COMPUTER COMPUTER

SCIENCESCIENCEOPERATIONS OPERATIONS

RESEARCHRESEARCH

MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

SCIENCESCIENCE

TECHNICAL APPROACHESTECHNICAL APPROACHES

MISMIS

BEHAVIORAL APPROACHESBEHAVIORAL APPROACHES

SOCIOTECHNICALSOCIOTECHNICAL

8

Why is IS Important?

• For an organisation to survive and prosper– More locations (networking, Internet)– New products and services– Improve jobs and work flows:

• Efficiency

• Cost

• Ethical and social issues

9

Why is IS Important?

• Worldwide changes:– Global economy– Knowledge- or information-based society– Business enterprise– Digital firm

10

Global Economy

• Growing percentage of economy relies upon import and export

• Need to operate globally

• IS can provide global trading infrastructure

11

Information Economy

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1997

YEAR

% SERVICE

% WHITE COLLAR

% BLUE COLLAR

% FARMING

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Changes to Society

• Change of employment profiles:– Less farming– Less ‘blue collar’ – manufacturing– Increased service– Increased ‘white collar’ – office-based

• USA: 55% of work force are in knowledge- or information-based activities

• Shift of manufacture to low-wage countries

13

Business Enterprise

• Change from hierarchical organisations

• Now flat, decentralised

• Relies on instant information

• Flexibility with customer focus, with increasing importance

14

Digital Firm

• An organisation where:– Nearly all relationships with customers,

suppliers and employees is digital– Business processes accomplished through

digital networks

• Flexible

• Dependent upon on IT

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Course Objectives

• Provide an understanding of– IS and underlying IT– Impact on organisations of IS– Implementation and management of IS– IS and global organisations

• Provide awareness of IS in your role as a professional

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Course Content

• Information Systems in an Organisation

• Information Systems, Organisations, Management and Strategy

• Enhancing Management Decision Making

• Managing Data and Information

• Redesigning the Organisation with Information Systems and Managing Change

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Course Content

• Electronic Commerce and the Internet

• Information Systems Security and Control

• Managing International Information Systems

• Managing Assets

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Tutorials

• Three case studies over semester– Information systems, organisations and

decision support– Changing organisations– International organisations and the Internet

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Assessment

• One piece of individual course-work– 40% of module– Case study report– Set in week 1– Due beginning week 12 (Monday by 5:00pm)

• Exam– 60% of module

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Text Book• Haag, Cummings, McCubbrey (2004). Management

Information Systems for the Information Age, 4th Edition. McGraw Hill.

• Turban, McLean, Wetherbe (1999). Information Technology for Management, 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons. Inc.

• Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P. (2002). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 7th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall International, Inc.

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TopicsTopic

Introduction 1

Information Systems in an Organisation 2, 11.1

Information Systems, Organisations, Management and Strategy 3

Enhancing Management Decision Making 13

Managing Data and Information 7, 12

Redesigning the Organisation with Information Systems and Managing Change

10, 11.2/3

Electronic Commerce and the Internet 4, 8, 9

Information Systems Security and Control 14

Managing International Information Systems 16

Managing Assets 5, 6

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Case Study

Planning a New Internet Business