Information Systems

Zahhar Kirillov, MSczahhar.kirillov@eek.ee

Welcome to the course!

● Your name?● Backgrounf in IS:

– Role (user, developer, tester, customer)

– Examples of IS you have used/seen?

● Expectations

Course aims

● Understand the definition, purpose and an abstract model of an IS;

● Get overwiev of different types of IS and their application areas, along with typical examples of IS (both opensource and commercial)

● Intriduce basics of system analysis with relevant methodologies, tools and techniques.

How we do it?

● Lectures (face-to-face and distant, over Google Hangouts) and teamwork

● Final exam, consists of– Hometask (40%)

– Cross-evaluation (20%)

– Moodle test (40%)

Additional reading

● Management Information Systems. (Kenneth C. Laudon, Jane P. Laudon)

● The Road Ahead (Bill Gates)

Let's start!

The purpose of IS● Main purpose: to help manager make

“right” decition in “right” time● In addition:

– Store and process data (data banks)

– “Flatten” organizational structure

– Simplify business processes

– Save on time, money and workforce

– Increase customer satisfaction ratio

Components of IS

● Data (or, information)● Technology (hatrware&software) to

manage data (gather, store, process, analyse, transmit, report)

● People (roles, competences, knowledge)● Regulations (rules, business processes)

anout applying technologies to data

IS defitition● IS is a collection of hardware, software,

data, people and procedures that work together to produce quality information.

● IS does not mean “piece of software” and can exist even without computers!

– Examples, please!

Key definitions (1/3)

● Data: classified facts about everything in the world.

– Format (number, text, image, voice)

– Medium (paper, file, film)

– Operations (cut-copy-paste, clone, delete)

Key definitions (2/3)

● Information: data with its semantics (meaning to recipient)

– Decreses level of uncertainity

– Extremely subjective (90-60-90 problem)

– Has great value (compared to raw data)

Big data problem

● Twitter messages: 400M per day● YouTube videos: 100h per minute● Facebook likes: 30 000 per second● E-mails: 1M per minute

Who and how can find potential problems? Where to store it? Etc...

IS value

● Why IS costs 99999999999€?– Value of IS is proportional to a level of

complexity of decisions, that can be made based on processed data;

– One-time investment compared to the amount of money that can be saved, or earned, with help of IS

Before and After IS (1/2)

Figure 1-9

Before and After IS (2/2)

Figure 1-10

Digital firm

● Operates business continuously in a global workplace

● Adapts business strategies to meet market demands

● Creates business value from technology investments

● Drives efficiency improvements in customer relationship management, inventory and supply chain, sales, etc.

Figure 1-11

Computer-based IS evolution● 1950/60 – basic processes automation ● 1960/70 – enterprise resource planning● 1980/90 – analytics and expert advisory● 2000/10 – ubiquitous information systems

(social-integrated complex web-based enterprise-wide information systems 8-)

IS abstract model

Computer-based IS model

IS requirements

● Organization with its stakeholders, aimes, questions to be answered (who and which decision wants to make)?

● Data sources, permanent dat flow● Well-described business processes

(rules, limitations, standards)● Relevant technology ● Team with a strong leader (CIO)

Components of acomputer-based information system

Hardware

● Input-output devices ● Data storage● Power, cooling, ventilation● Telecommunications and networking● Processing units● Infrastructure objects (buildings, etc)

Software

● Operating systems● Security assets (antivirus, VPN, firewall,

IDS/IPS, identification)● Monitoring● Data backup ● Office applications

Peopleware

● Stakeholders, investors● Product owner● System architect, business analyst● Software developers, designers, testers● Technical writer, system administrator ● Customer support specialists● Customers, partners, users, etc

IS technology priorities

● Cloud computing● Virtualization● Mobile technologies● Business intelligence● Big data, warehousing and data mining● Unified communications● Security management and risk mitigation● Web and social integration

IS classification

(a) by interaction level

● Replaces people vs assists people– Examples, please

● Real-time vs batch-processing– Examples, please

(b) by management level● Operational

– monitor and automate the day-to-day’s elementary activities and transactions, support workers with required knowledge

● Management– support the monitoring, controlling,

decision-making, and administrative activities of middle managers

● Strategic– support long-range planning activities of

senior management

(c) by purpose

● Executive Support Systems (ESS)● Management Information Systems (MIS)● Decision Support Systems (DSS)● Knowledge Work Systems (KWS)● Office Automation Systems (OAS)● Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

(c) by functional area

● Accounting/finance● Manufacturing (operations, production,

supply chain management)● Sales & marketing ● Human resources● Customer relationships● Enterprise resource planning