Types of Business Information

An information system (IS) refers to a collection of multiple pieces of equipment involved in the dissemination of information. Or in other words we can say an information system is A combination of hardware, software, infrastructure and trained personnel organized to facilitate planning, control, coordination, and decision making in an organization.Business Information Systems (BIS) contains within it not just the technology that drives business. It also relates to the processes, data and the people that use these technologies, processes and data every day. Today, BIS is involved in almost every aspect of doing business and it is about using IT in useful and effective ways to improve how business operate. Studying BIS gives students the opportunity to understand how businesses operate and benefit from using new technologies. Learning how to implement, use, and manage various types of information systems equips students with the advantage of knowing how to creatively solve business problems by employing current technologies in new and innovative ways. That being said, we should keep a couple of things in mind when we think of BIS:Small businesses must be concerned with producing quality goods or services and also with turning mountains of data into actionable information. To contain costs and achieve a competitive advantage, many small-business leaders consider information systems as they formulate corporate, tactical and operational strategies. To best leverage data as a company asset, the business must adopt an information strategy, which may require the implementation of a variety of business information systems that process business transactions and empower business leaders to make more informed and faster decisions.

Transaction Processing SystemA small business processes transactions that result from day-to-day business operations, such as the creation of paychecks and purchase orders, using a transaction processing system, or TPS. The TPS, unlike a batch system, requires that users interact with the system in real time to direct the system to collect, store, retrieve and modify data. A user enters transaction data by means of a terminal, and the system immediately stores the data in a database and produces any required output. For example, a small-business owner may direct a bank system to debit a savings account for $500 and credit the company's checking account for $500. Because of constant system updates, a user can access current TPS data, such as an account balance, at any point.

Management Information SystemSmall-business managers and owners rely on an industry-specific management information system, or MIS, to get current and historical operational performance data, such as sales and inventories data. Periodically, the MIS can create prescheduled reports, which company management can use in strategic, tactical and operational planning and operations. For example, an MIS report may be a pie chart that illustrates product sales volume by territory or a graph that illustrates the percentage increase or decrease in a product's sales over time. Small-business managers and owners also rely on the MIS to conduct “what-if” ad hoc analyses. For example, a manager might use the system to determine the potential effect on shipping schedules if monthly sales doubled.

Decision Support SystemA decision-support system, or DSS, allows small-business managers and owners to use predefined or ad hoc reports to support operations planning and problem-resolution decisions. With DSS, users find answers to specific questions as a means to evaluate the possible impact of a decision before it is implemented. The answers to queries may take the form of a data summary report, such as a product revenue by quarter sales report. To conduct an analysis, business owners and managers use an interface -- a dashboard -- to select a particular graphic representation of a key performance indicator that measures the progress toward meeting a specific goal. For example, a manufacturing dashboard might display a graphic representing the number of products manufactured on a particular line.

Executive Support SystemThe executive support system, or ESS, contains predefined reports that help small-business owners and managers identify long-term trends in support of strategic planning and nonroutine decision making. System users click on any icon displayed on the ESS screen and enter report criteria to view individual predefined reports and graphs, which are based on companywide and functional department data, such as sales, scheduling and cost accounting. The ESS reports brief the business manager or owner on an issue, such as market trends and buyer preferences.The ESS system also offers analysis tools used to predict outcomes, assess performance and calculate statistics based on existing data.

Design of Information System

The areas that need to be considered in the design process are listed below:

1. Outputs 2. Inputs 3. File Design4. Hardware5. Software 

Outputs: Some of the outputs for a system for a nursery might be:

a) Details of the children looked after within the nursery.

NameSmith, TonyJackson, JakeTimms, TonyFogett, Carol

Address12 Fields Rd9 Man Gdns87 Colly Row9 Shaw St

Telephone No.0543 34455450563 95457520543 86536530563 9657564

Membership No.001342001234001789001455

b) Address labels for parents of the children. 

Mrs Jackson9 Man GdnsTodthopeTD3 5TT

Mr Timms87 Colly RowTodthopeTD3 8DE

Mrs Fogett9 Shaw StreetTodthopeTD3 3HG

Mr Smith12 Fields RoadTodthopeTD3 7HJ

Inputs:To work out the inputs required for a system several questions need to be addressed:

1. What data needs to be entered into the computer system?2. How much data needs to be input, and how often?3. Where does the data come from?4. How will the data be entered into the system? 

File Design:How many files are needed and what will their structure be? A nursery membership file might have the following structure:

Hardware:This section covers the types of computers and printers thought suitable for the system being analysed.If the system needs to be on a network, details would be specified here. 

Software:A decision will have to be made as to what software to use.

The most common software packages are databases, spreadsheets and word processing packages.

Strategic Issues of Computer Aided Decision Making

Before you purchase a management information system, you have to be aware of common problems so you can avoid them. Management information systems are powerful tools that can help you make valid decisions and discover trends in the data your company generates. If you specifically address the most common issues when you look for a program that satisfies your needs, you can obtain a system that helps you improve the performance of your company.

GoalsBefore you can discuss what kind of system you want with potential suppliers, you have to decide what you want the system to do. Some management information systems only track fundamental company data and display it on screen and in reports. Others have trend-analysis capabilities and can run scenarios to help you with decisions. A common problem is purchasing a system that lacks features you need. Another is that it produces results that are not relevant to your operations. You can avoid these pitfalls by setting clear goals and making sure the purchased system can meet them.

MaintenanceA key problem for management information systems is the provision of the raw data input and the maintenance of up-to-date information. Your company already generates data on sales, revenue, expenses, payments and other fundamental business information. Marketing departments often have additional databases. The right management information system for your company can use this data in either its current form or import it from a standard format. In this way, the data in the system is always the same data as the company working level is using and generating. If the management information system requires extra processing, the data will be less current and less valuable.

UseUsability is a major problem for management information systems. A powerful system perfect for the data of your company is wasted if your employees don't use it. Management information systems fail because their user interface is too complicated, it's too hard to get useful results or the results are not in a useful form when the system generates them. Before selecting your system, you have to check for these issues. The reports have to be easy to understand and relevant for your company. Users have to be able to generate the reports they want with a minimum of training and with little effort.

ChangesAn important management information system characteristic is the ability to adapt to changes in your company. The available information may change, the reports you want may vary and often the personnel using the system changes. The system you put in place has to allow for revisions in the inputs and outputs, either easily enough through your own IT staff, or at agreed rates by the supplier. There has to be a simple method of adding and deleting user accounts that you can handle internally, because old, active accounts can be a security problem.

What is Email (Electronic Mail) Introduction

Email is a shorthand term which means: electronic mail. Email is similar to a regular postal letter; containing an address, routing information and content. Email uses a range of protocol's - like IMAP, POP3, SMTP - to route messages from mail servers to users. Email - as a technology - predates the Internet, and was first implemented in ARPANET (1972).

Email, as a term, can also be written as: e-mail. To send and receive email messages a user requires an email address. The majority of Internet Service Provider provide a free email account to customers; likewise, there are a plethora of companies who provide freewebmail accounts, such as: Gmail and Yahoo!. Email client programs (like Outlook Express) can be used to access an email account.

Email has proved to be one of the Internet's most popular services; while it has been commended for improving global communications, it has also be criticised for it's security: spam, and viruses and malware being spread through email attachments.

History

The history of email predates the modern day Internet: Email was created for the ARPANET computer network in the 1970's. It is generally believed that email grew out of the Mail Box Protocol, and Ray Tomlinson is created as it's inventor (1972). ARPANET was a forerunner to the modern day Internet; ARPANET used a similar network architecture to the Internet, therefore, email made a seamless transition to the Internet.

While email was created for ARPANET in the early 1970's, digital messaging is far order. In 1966, MIT developed the CTSS computer system, and this computer system featured a messaging system similar to Email. However, CTSS was not the only computer system that featured one-to-one messaging in the 1960's.

Email was immediately popular with ARPANET users, and many Internet pioneers had a 'hand' in it's development: such as Jon Postel, Larry Roberts and John Vittal. Intially, email was used by academic researchers and the military. Only by the 1980's did ordinary people begin to use email, and by the 1990's - when commercial networks controlled the backbone of the Internet - it had become the Internet's most popular service.

As stated, email grew out of the Mail Box Protocol: early email systems were highly reliant on the FTP protocol, and only at a late date were standalone protocols developed for email, such as: IMAP, X400, POP, SMTP, and UUCP. The most important protocol that was development for email was SMTP; SMTP was invented in the early 1980's and is still in use today (2015). POP was another important email protocol that was developed in the early 1980's, and IMAP was an email protocol developed in the mid 1980's by Mark Crispin. Some email protocols became obsolete: such as Jon Postel's Mail Transfer Protocol (MTP). Present day, most email systems rely on either: SMTP, POP or IMAP.

The key features of an email message have remained the same, comprising: a header and a body. The format of a email address has also remained the same: Ray Tomlinson being the inventor of using the @ symbol in 1972.

Anatomy of an Email message

The format of email messages is broken into two sections: 1) a header, 2) message body.

The header of an email message is more complex, and contains the information needed to encode and route the email message. The header can include multiple fields, but four popular fields are:: From:; To:; Cc:; and Subject:. The two fields which an email message must include are the From: and Date: fields.

The From: and To: fields are somewhat self explanatory (email address of the sender and receiver); the Cc: field is used to send a message to multiple additional addresses (Bcc: field hides the addresses from other recipients); the Subject: field is used to describe what is included in the body of the message.

Originally email messages were only plain text, and some mail servers will only support plain text email messages. However, if the content type of the email (included in the header) supports MIME: then the body of the email message can be encoded with HTML elements. Therefore, the body section of an email message can include plain text and HTML content.

Anatomy of an Email address

An e-mail address can be broken down into three section, coloured below:

editor@internet-guide.co.uk

The first section is the username (editor) which refers to the recipient's account name at a mail service; also referred to as the 'local' part of an email address. Secondly there is the @ sign - which is included in every email address - and means 'at' and connects the local part of the email address to the hostname of the email address.

Then comes the hostname (internet-guide), which can also be called the domain name. This refers to the mail server address: usually having an individual IP address. The hostname of an email address can include a range of top-level domain names (TLD). For example, 'co.uk', is for commercial sites based in the United Kingdom.

When sending email messages, it is essential to spell the email address correctly; just as with a normal postal letter. If the email address is entered incorrectly, then it will not be sent to the correct person. If you send an email to an address which does not exist: then the message will be returned with an "Address Unknown" error.

Email: Webmail Accounts

Webmail, as the name would suggest, is an email service that is accessed through the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web was launched as an Internet service in 1991, whereas email was invented in the early 1970's. Therefore, webmail is a relatively new development for email; before webmail, most users accessed email through a standalone email client application, like Eudora. Webmail uses the same email protocols as earlier email clients, the only difference is the way in which the email account is accessed.

There are a plethora of free email accounts available from webmail providers, such as:hotmail. While early webmail services were criticised for a lack of protection versus emailbombs, spam and flooding, modern webmail services provide protection against these abuses. Professional webmail services provide additional features, alongside the obvious features, such as: attachments, blind carbon copy options, e-cards, encryption anddecryption. Every type of webmail account should be able to receive e-zines andnewsletters.

The drawback with free webmail accounts is that the user cannot pick a unique domain name: instead they are stuck with domain name of the service provider: such as yahoo.com. However, user can pick an individual 'username' to suit their purposes. If a user wants an email address with a unique domain name - they can access the inbox with a client program - then they will have to purchase that domain name and host it with a company that provides support for email protocols.

Internet Access devices

To access the internet, you not only need an internet connection, but you also need a device to access the internet on. The range of devices to connect to the internet on is increasing all the time.We used to access the internet on desktop or laptop computers. Now, you might carry a smartphone or a tablet, or even use the internet on a smart TV.Desktop and laptop computersDesktop computers—also called personal computers or PCs—are designed to sit on a desk, hence the 'desk' in their name.Laptops, on the other hand, are designed to be more mobile. And since they have an internal battery, you can use them when you're out and not near a powerpoint.And although 'lap' is in their name, you should be careful putting them on your lap or on soft materials as some laptops can overheat really quickly if their air vents are blocked.Desktop computers have a keyboard and a screen, both of which plug into the hard drive. You'll also plug in an external mouse so you can move things around on your computer's screen.Laptops also have a screen and a keyboard, but they're built-in. Most laptops also have a touchpad, which you can use just like a mouse, or you can one plug in if you prefer.Tablets and smartphonesTablets and smartphones can look like they're just a screen until you turn them on.Tablet computers have touch screens instead of a mouse, so if you want to select something, you use your fingertip. And if you want to type something, you activate a touchscreen keyboard and type that way.Tablets are smaller and lighter than a standard laptop.Smartphones are even smaller than tablets. They'll usually have all the features of tablets but also let you do the usual mobile phone things like make phone calls and take photos.Both smartphones and tablets come with a range of software for using the internet and for using internet-based services, but it's not always the same software as you might have on a desktop or laptop computer. This means that there are some things you can't do on a tablet or smartphone that you might be used to doing on a computer.Also, the small screens can sometimes be a problem, particularly if you need to read a lot of text on the screen.Smart TVs and other internet devicesThere are many other types of devices that can be connected to the internet.'Smart' household appliances, like smart TVs, can give you access to online content on a large screen. You can also do a lot of things that you would usually use a computer for, like making video calls.And if you love books, there are even e-book readers. With an e-book reader, you can connect to the internet to buy e-books or get free downloads and read them wherever you are. You can usually read

other internet content, too—like other people's reviews of the book you're reading, or online newspapers and magazines.Even some game consoles can connect to the internet so you can play against other players from anywhere in the world.And in the future, who knows what other devices we'll use to access the internet from wherever we are.

What is the World Wide Web?

Essentially, the World Wide Web (WWW) is made up of a lot of interconnected computers (via phone lines, cables, or satellites). Some of these computers are designed to serve out webpages. These computers are called web servers, which are usually running 24/7. Other computers, like the one you are using to read this text, are called clients. Client computers make requests to server computers, like asking for a web page and its associated graphics. The server computer responds by feeding (or serving) the web page data back to the client.

The Internet is often confused with the World Wide Web. The Internet consists of a wide range of technologies including email, file data transfer, protocols (communications infrastructure) as well as the Web. The World Wide Web is just one component of the Internet.

Web BrowsersWeb browsers are computer programs that are installed on client computers to request web page files from server computers. It's the program you're using to access this website and read this text. Once a request is made via the browser (by clicking a link or entering a web address in the “address bar”), the web server sever sends the requested data back to the browser. The browser then interprets the data and displays it on the screen.

Popular web browsers include Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer. Each of these browsers differ somewhat in terms of features, but their purpose is the same. They're all meant to request and present web pages to the user.

"Mobile browsers" are web browsers designed for use on a mobile devices like PDAs and cell phones.

WebsiteA website is made up of a collection of files sitting on a web server. These files usually include:

Image and/or video files

Text files that tell the web browser how to layout the page and what text to include

Script files (small programs) that add functionality or effects to the webpage

Website HostingThe files that make up your website have to be put somewhere that people can access. This somewhere is a computer running web server software.  The server takes incoming user requests and returns your website files to their browser. Web hosts are companies that rent space on their servers for you to store your website files on. The web host takes care of the necessary computer hardware, software and connections.

Website AddressLets say you have a website, how can people reach it? One answer is, by entering your website address (or “URL” in nerd-speak) into your browser's address bar. A website has to have a unique address so that it can be found. Just as real world home addresses are unique to avoid confusion, website addresses have to be unique also.

How do you get a unique address? By registering a domain name. Examples of domain names are “ibm.com” and “wikipedia.org”. Our domain name is “helpsme.com”. The helpsme.com domain name is mapped to the server that stores the files that makes up this website.

An organization named ICANN coordinates these domain names across the world. This is necessary so that when you type an address into your browser, you reach the website you were looking for.

ConclusionThe main ideas to understand are that:

The World Wide Web is nothing more than a large number of interconnected client and server computers

Websites are accessed by client computers via the web browser

Each website has a unique addresse determined by its domain name

Website files are stored on server computers that wait for requests from client computers

Information can be defined as meaningfully interpreted data. If we give you a number 1-212-290-4700, it does not make any sense on its own. It is just a raw data. However if we say Tel: +1-212-290-4700, it starts making sense. It becomes a telephone number. If I gather some more data and record it meaningfully like:

Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floorNew York, NY 10118-3299 USATel: +1-212-290-4700Fax: +1-212-736-1300

It becomes a very useful information - the address of New York office of Human Rights Watch, a non-profit, non-governmental human rights organization.So, from a system analyst's point of view, information is a sequence of symbols that can be construed to a useful message.An Information System is a system that gathers data and disseminates information with the sole purpose of providing information to its users.The main object of an information system is to provide information to its users. Information systems vary according to the type of users who use the system.A Management Information System is an information system that evaluates, analyzes, and processes an organization's data to produce meaningful and useful information based on which the management can take right decisions to ensure future growth of the organization.

Information DefinitionAccording to Wikipedia:"Information can be recorded as signs, or transmitted as signals. Information is any kind of event that affects the state of a dynamic system that can interpret the information.

Conceptually, information is the message (utterance or expression) being conveyed. Therefore, in a general sense, information is "Knowledge communicated or received, concerning a particular fact or circumstance". Information cannot be predicted and resolves uncertainty."

Information Vs DataData can be described as unprocessed facts and figures. Plain collected data as raw facts cannot help in decision-making. However, data is the raw material that is organized, structured, and interpreted to create useful information systems.Data is defined as 'groups of non-random symbols in the form of text, images, voice representing quantities, action and objects'.Information is interpreted data; created from organized, structured, and processed data in a particular context.According to Davis and Olson:"Information is a data that has been processed into a form that is meaningful to recipient and is of real or perceived value in the current or the prospective action or decision of recipient."

Information, Knowledge and Business IntelligenceProfessor Ray R. Larson of the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley, provides an Information Hierarchy, which is:

Data - The raw material of information. Information - Data organized and presented by someone. Knowledge - Information read, heard, or seen, and understood. Wisdom - Distilled and integrated knowledge and understanding.

Scott Andrews' explains Information Continuum as follows: Data - A Fact or a piece of information, or a series thereof. Information - Knowledge discerned from data. Business Intelligence - Information Management pertaining to an organization's policy or decision-making,

particularly when tied to strategic or operational objectives.

Information/Data Collection TechniquesThe most popular data collection techniques include:

Surveys: A questionnaires is prepared to collect the data from the field. Secondary data sources or archival data: Data is collected through old records, magazines, company website etc. Objective measures or tests: An experimental test is conducted on the subject and the data is collected. Interviews: Data is collected by the system analyst by following a rigid procedure and collecting the answers to a set

of pre-conceived questions through personal interviews.

CONCEPT, ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF MISCONCEPTThe MIS is an idea which is associated with man, machine, marketing and methods for collecting information’s from the internal and external source and processing this information for the purpose of facilitating the process of decision-making of the business.MIS is not new, only the computerization is new , before computers MIS techniques existed to supply managers with the information that would permit them to plan and control business operations. The computer has added on more dimensions such as speed, accuracy and increased volume of data that permit the consideration of more alternatives in decision-making process. The scope and purpose of MIS is better understood if each part of them is defined individually, thus1. MANAGEMENT: Management has been define in process or activities that describe what managers do in the operation for their organization plan, organize, initiate and control operations. They plan by setting strategies and goals and selecting the best course of action to achieve the goals. They organize the necessary tasks for the operational plan, set these tasks up into homogenous groups and assign authority delegation; they control the performance standards and avoiding deviation from standard.The decision-making is a fundamental prerequisite of each of the foregoing process, the job of MIS is facilitating decisions necessary for planning, organizing and controlling the work and functions of the business so that specified goals of business are achieved.2. INFORMATION: Data must be distinguished from information and the distinction is clear and important for present purpose. Data are facts and figures that are not currently being used in a decision-making process and usually are taken from the historical records that are recorded and filled without immediate intent to retrieve for decision-making.Information consists of data that have been retrieved, processed or otherwise used for information or interference purpose, argument or as a basis forecasting or decision-making regarding any business unit. Information is knowledge that one derives from facts for effective functioning of systems placed in the right context with the purpose of reducing uncertainty regarding the alternative courses of action as they are based on description and measurement of attributes of various entities associated with the enterprise.3. SYSTEM: The system can be described as a set of elements joined together for a common objective. A subsystem is a part of a larger system with which one is concerned. All systems for our purpose the organization is the system and the parts (divisions, departments, functions, unit etc) are the subsystem.The system concept of MIS is, therefore one of optimizing the output of the organization by connecting the operating subsystems through the medium of information exchange.The Management information system (MIS) is a concept of the last two decade or two. It has been understood and described in a number of ways. It is also known as the Information System, the Information and Decision System, the computer based Decision System.Information is the life blood of an organization, particularly in the case of system approach management. The MIS or Information system can be define as the knowledge communicated by others or obtained from investigation or study. It is a system providing needed information to each manager at the right time in the right form and relevant one which aids understanding and stimulates the action. MIS is an organized method of providing past, present and projection information relating to internal operations and externals intelligence. It supports the planning, control and operational functions of an organization by furnishing uniform information in proper time frame to help the process of decision-making.Management Information System is generally defined as an integrated user-machine system for providing information to support operations, management and decision-making functions in an organization. The system utilizes computer hardware and software, manual procedure, models for analysis. Information is viewed as a resource much like land, labor and capital. It must be obtained processed, stored, manipulated and analyzed, distributed etc. An organization with a well-defined information system will generally have a competitive advantage over organization with poor MIS and no MIS.The MIS has more than one definition, some of which are given below: I. The MIS is defined as a system which provides information support for decision-making in the organization. II. The MIS is defined as an integrated system of man and machine for providing the information to support the operations, the management and the decision-making function in the organization. III. The MIS is defined as a system based on the database of the organization evolved for the purpose of providing information to the people in the organization. IV. The MIS is defined as a computer-based information system. Though there are a number of definitions all of them converge on a single point, i.e. the MIS is a system that support the decision-making function of the organization. The difference lies in defining the elements of MIS. However, in

today’s world, the MIS is a computerized business processing system generating information for the people in the organization to meet the information needs for decision-making to achieve the corporate objective of the organization.MIS is a computer-based system that provides flexible and speedy access to accurate data. The organizational information system which in general relates to the planning, operation and control of an enterprise are the most important among them. MIS refers primarily to such an organizational system which is generally large, sophisticated, structured and dynamically evolving and of immense commercial values. A large number of programmers and system analysts are employed by many organizations to build a variety of MIS. Thus, the education of programmers and system analysts as well as general manager, the subject of MIS, has occupied a key position.Thus, MIS is a set of computer-based system and procedures implemented to help managers in their routine job of decision-making and planning, expansion and development.The objective of MIS is to provide information for a decision support process of management. It should help in such a way that the business goals are achieved in the most efficient manner. Since the decision-making is not restricted to a particular level, the MIS is expected to support all the levels of the management in conducting the business operations. Unless the MIS becomes a management aid, it is not useful to the organization.Modern management system relies on MIS, the complexity of business management and competitive nature of business requires handling of business operations with skill and foresight to advert the crisis. The management process is executed through a variety of decisions taken at each step of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating and controlling. If the management is able to spell out the decision required to be taken, then the MIS is designed suitably. The actual MIS process relates to:A. CollectionB. OrganizationC. DistributionD. Storage of wide informationE. Managerial control and analysis of dataHence MIS focuses on: i. Organization-wide information ii. Decision-making process iii. Managerial control and analysis iv. Computer-based systemCONCLUSION: Management Information Systems is sets of inter-related procedures using information system infrastructure in a business enterprise to generate and disseminate the desired information. Such systems are designed to support decision-making by the people associated with the enterprise in the process of attainment of its objectives. The MIS gets data and other resources of IT infrastructure as inputs from the environment and process them to satisfy the information needs of different entities associated with the business enterprise. There are subsystems of control over the use of IT resources and feedback system offers useful clues for increasing the benefits of information system to business. The MIS are subsystem of business system and by themselves serve the function of feedback and control in business system.

Problems in Implementing MIS

This change can cause problems in the implementation process, as there may be resistance to this change from employees. Moreover, the implementation of MIS involves migration of an information system from a controlled environment of design and development to a 'real' environment of an organization. Sometimes, information systems that work fine in a controlled environment fail to deliver in the 'real' environment. This may require some tailoring and customization of the system. The management should ensure that such minor glitches should not be used as an excuse by rumourmongers to malign the new system.

Management should have a mature view that such problems are not expected in the implementation process, ensuring such technical issue remains a technical issue only and are not blown up into an organizational issue. A strong message from the top management favouring the new system thwarts such attempts at maligning the new system and hence is advocated. However, in spite of the best efforts some factors cause problems in the implementation process. The major factors that determine the degree of resistance that organizations face in implementing MIS are,

1. The degree of MIS driven change in departmental boundaries-any major change that changes the functioning of departments drastically is likely to be challenged or resisted by the department functionaries as it changes their way of working. This resistance should be anticipated at the design

stage. Typically, if a BPR exercise is conducted along with the requirement analysis of the system then such exercises result in recommendations of change in business processes which result in changes in the organization structure or functioning of departments. Thus, the fact that such a change is on its way is known to the management well in advance. Hence, they should prepare the workforce for it.

2. Lack of organization culture supporting MIS-some organizations does not have a culture of information based decision-making. Implementation of MIS is such organizations are always a challenge, as the employees have to be trained to appreciate the importance of information. They become so used to judgment based decision-making that such training has very little impact. In some cases, it has been noted that even after implementation of MIS the organization culture has not changed and that managers continue to resist changes brought on by installation of MIS.

3. The degree of employee involvement in the MIS creation-this is a major issue in implementation of MIS. If employee participation is good then resistance to MIS is less.

4. The degree of employee involvement in the implementation of change along with MIS is a major issue. If the management uses a participatory approach towards MIS implementation then resistance to MIS is less.

The degree of MIS driven change in the informal system-if MIS changes the informal communication system completely then resistance is more. This informal communication channel is a source of power for some individuals. They resent their loss of power due to emergence of MIS as the sole authority for communication

Before you purchase a management information system, you have to be aware of common problems so you can avoid them. Management information systems are powerful tools that can help you make valid decisions and discover trends in the data your company generates. If you specifically address the most common issues when you look for a program that satisfies your needs, you can obtain a system that helps you improve the performance of your company.

GoalsBefore you can discuss what kind of system you want with potential suppliers, you have to decide what you want the system to do. Some management information systems only track fundamental company data and display it on screen and in reports. Others have trend-analysis capabilities and can run scenarios to help you with decisions. A common problem is purchasing a system that lacks features you need. Another is that it produces results that are not relevant to your operations. You can avoid these pitfalls by setting clear goals and making sure the purchased system can meet them.

MaintenanceA key problem for management information systems is the provision of the raw data input and the maintenance of up-to-date information. Your company already generates data on sales, revenue, expenses, payments and other fundamental business information. Marketing departments often have additional databases. The right management information system for your company can use this data in either its current form or import it from a standard format. In this way, the data in the system is always the same data as the company working level is using and generating. If the management information system requires extra processing, the data will be less current and less valuable.

UseUsability is a major problem for management information systems. A powerful system perfect for the data of your company is wasted if your employees don't use it. Management information systems fail because their user interface is too complicated, it's too hard to get useful results or the results are not in a useful form when the system generates them. Before selecting your system, you have to check for these issues. The reports have to be easy to understand and relevant for your company. Users have to be able to generate the reports they want with a minimum of training and with little effort.

ChangesAn important management information system characteristic is the ability to adapt to changes in your company. The available information may change, the reports you want may vary and often the personnel using the system changes. The system you put in place has to allow for revisions in the inputs and

outputs, either easily enough through your own IT staff, or at agreed rates by the supplier. There has to be a simple method of adding and deleting user accounts that you can handle internally, because old, active accounts can be a security problem.

Ecommerce (e-commerce) or electronic commerce, a subset of ebusiness, is the purchasing, selling, and exchanging of goods and services over computer networks (such as the Internet) through which transactions or terms of sale are performed electronically. Contrary to popular belief, ecommerce is not just on the Web. In fact, ecommerce was alive and well in business to business transactions before the Web back in the 70s via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) through VANs (Value-Added Networks). Ecommerce can be broken into four main categories: B2B, B2C, C2B, and C2C. B2B (Business-to-Business)Companies doing business with each other such as manufacturers selling to distributors and wholesalers selling to retailers. Pricing is based on quantity of order and is often negotiable. B2C (Business-to-Consumer)Businesses selling to the general public typically through catalogs utilizing shopping cart software. By dollar volume, B2B takes the prize, however B2C is really what the average Joe has in mind with regards to ecommerce as a whole.Having a hard time finding a book? Need to purchase a custom, high-end computer system? How about a first class, all-inclusive trip to a tropical island? With the advent ecommerce, all three things can be purchased literally in minutes without human interaction. Oh how far we've come! C2B (Consumer-to-Business)A consumer posts his project with a set budget online and within hours companies review the consumer's requirements and bid on the project. The consumer reviews the bids and selects the company that will complete the project. Elance empowers consumers around the world by providing the meeting ground and platform for such transactions. C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)There are many sites offering free classifieds, auctions, and forums where individuals can buy and sell thanks to online payment systems like PayPal where people can send and receive money online with ease. eBay's auction service is a great example of where person-to-person transactions take place everyday since 1995.Advantages and Disadvantages of E-CommerceWe have a lot faster internet connectivity now, and we also get much more powerful tools on websites. It makes increase on the numbers of e-commerce fans. You may want to learn on the advantages and disadvantages so you can earn more benefits from there.The Advantages1. Cost EffectiveThe entire financial transactions will eventually become electronic, so sooner conversion is going to be lower on cost. It makes every transaction through e-commerce payment a lot cheaper.2. Higher MarginE-commerce also enables us to move better with higher margin for more business safety. Higher margin also means business with more control as well as flexibility. You can also save time from the e-commerce.3. Better ProductivityProductivity here means productivity for both companies and customers. People like to find answers online because it is faster and cheaper, and it costs a lot cheaper expense as well for the company.4. Quick ComparisonE-commerce also enables you to compare price among several providers. In the end, it leads you to smart shopping. People can save more money while they shop.5. Economy BenefitE-commerce allows us to make transaction without any needs on stores, infrastructure investment, and other common things we find. Companies only need well built website and customer service.The Disadvantages1. SecurityCustomers need to be confident and trust the provider of payment method. Sometimes, we can be tricked. Examine on integrity and reputation of the web stores before you decide to buy.2. Scalability of SystemA company definitely needs a well developed website to support numbers of customers at a time. If your web destination is not well enough, you better forget it.3. Integrity on Data and SystemCustomers need secure access all the time. In addition to it, protection to data is also essential. Unless the transaction can provide it, we should refuse for e-commerce.4. Products PeoplePeople who prefer and focus on product will not buy online. They will want to feel, try, and sit on their new couch and bed.5. Customer Service and Relation ProblemThey sometimes forget how essential to build loyal relationship with customers. Without loyalty from customers, they will not survive the business.The disadvantages are not impossible to avoid. If we have enough management on risks, we may really get a lot more advantages from e-commerce. The advantages are surely teasing, and we will enjoy such easy transaction these days. Enjoy more your internet browsing and enjoy more your e-commerce activities!

What is EDI?Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents between companies. EDI replaces the faxing and mailing of paper documents.EDI documents use specific computer record formats that are based on widely accepted standards. However, each company will use the flexibility allowed by the standards in a unique way that fits their business needs.Used in a variety of industries, over 160,000 companies have made the switch to EDI to improve their efficiencies. Many of these companies require all of their partners to also use EDI.How Does EDI Work?There are 3 steps to sending EDI documents – Prepare the documents, Translate the documents into EDI format, Transmit the EDI documents to your partner.Step 1: Prepare the documents to be sentThe first step is to collect and organize the data. For example, instead of printing a purchase order, your system creates an electronic file with the necessary information to build an EDI document. The sources of data and the methods available to generate the electronic documents can include:

Human data entry via screens Exporting PC-based data from spreadsheets or databases Reformatted electronic reports into data files Enhancing existing applications to automatically create output files that are ready for translation

into an EDI standard Purchasing application software that has built-in interfaces for EDI files

Step 2: Translate the documents into EDI formatThe next step is to feed your electronic data through translator software to convert your internal data format into the EDI standard format using the appropriate segments and data elements. You can purchase EDI translation software that you manage and maintain on your premises. This requires specialized mapping expertise in order to define how your internal data is to be mapped (i.e. correlated) to the EDI data. Translation software is available to suit just about any computing environment and budget, from large systems that handle thousands of transactions daily to PC-based software that need only process a few hundred transactions per week.Alternatively, you can use the translation services of an EDI service provider. In that case, you send your data to the provider, who handles translation to and from the EDI format on your behalf.Step 3: Connect and Transmit your EDI documents to your business partnerOnce your business documents are translated to the appropriate EDI format they are ready to be transmitted to your business partner. You must decide how you will connect to each of your partners to perform that transmission. There are several ways, the most common of which include 1) to connect directly using AS2 or another secure internet protocol, 2) connect to an EDI Network provider (also referred to as a VAN provider) using your preferred communications protocol and rely on the network provider to connect to your business partners using whatever communications protocol your partners prefer, or 3) a combination of both, depending on the particular partner and the volume of transactions you expect to exchange. To learn more about the various options, click here.

Advantages of EDI

EDI provides cost savings by reducing paper and eliminating paper processing.

Time savings and eliminating repetition are other benefits from the reduction in paper processing.

Documents can be transferred more quickly and processing errors can be decreased allowing business to

be done more efficiently.

More efficient processing will likely lead to improved customer service which will ultimately expand the

customer base.

Disadvantages of EDI

Contrasted to XML, which is not strictly standardized, many consider EDI to have too many standards.

There are various standards bodies who have developed 'standard document formats' for EDI which can

cause problems with cross compatibility.

These standards bodies also push standards revisions annually which could cause problems if you have a

more recent version of a document than a business partner.

EDI systems are extremely expensive making it difficult for small businesses to implement.

Many large organizations will only work with others who utilize EDI. This may limit the business small

companies are able to do with such organizations and limit trading partners.