Introduction to Management Information Systems Chapter 1 MIS and You

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Introduction to Management Information
SystemsChapter 1 MIS and You

• HTM 304
• Spring 06

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Definition of MIS

• The Development and Use of Information Systems
  that Achieve Business Goals and Objectives

• Three Key Elements
• Components of an Info Sys
• Development and use of the IS
• Achieving business goals and objectives

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I. Information Systems

• Definitions
• System A group of components that interact to
  achieve some purpose
• Information System (? give the definition by
  yourself)
• Example
• non computer-based IS a schedule sheet posted
  outside the classroom telling us the classroom
  reservation information
• computer-based IS WebCT, Online course
  registration system, online banking system, etc.

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What is Information?

• Four different definitions
• Knowledge derived from data
• Data presented in a meaningful context
• Data processed by summing, ordering, averaging,
  grouping, comparing, or other similar operations
• A difference that makes a difference

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Examples of Information Systems
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Information is Subjective

• Information in one persons context is just a
  data point in another persons context
• Context changes occur in information systems when
  the output of one system feeds a second system
• Information conveys meaning, which contains the
  information providers point of view.
  (Information manipulation)

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Characteristics of Good Information

• Read p.11-13, describe the five characteristics
  of good information
• Accurate

Good information shall be accurate. However,
there are a lot information thats inaccurate. Be
careful! Example managers financial analysts
may manipulate earnings to mislead investors
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Characteristics of Good Information

• Read p.11-13, describe the five characteristics
  of good information
• Accurate
• Timely

Good information shall be delivered to the right
person at the right time in order to make the
right decision. Example many companies keep
outdated customer contact information, which is a
waste of time and money.
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Characteristics of Good Information

• Read p.11-13, describe the five characteristics
  of good information
• Accurate
• Timely
• Relevant

Information is subjective. Good information shall
be relevant to the reader which helps make good
decision. Example a list of customer activities
is relevant to the marketing department but not
that relevant to the CEO.
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Characteristics of Good Information

• Read p.11-13, describe the five characteristics
  of good information
• Accurate
• Timely
• Relevant
• Just Sufficient

Users shall have all the available information in
order to make the right decision. However, too
much information will reduce efficiency. Example
use the credit score instead of the whole
transaction history to evaluate a persons
probability to default.
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Characteristics of Good Information

• Read p.11-13, describe the five characteristics
  of good information
• Accurate
• Timely
• Relevant
• Just Sufficient
• Worth Its Cost

In a business world, think cost-effectively What
is the value of information? How much does it
cost to produce that information? Example why
not keep track of all the consumers activity?
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Characteristics of Good Information

• Read p.11-13, describe the five characteristics
  of good information
• Just Sufficient
• Worth its Money
• Accurate
• Relevant
• Timely
• -- Good information shall be SMART!

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Understanding the Five-Components
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The most important component
You!

• Your mind and thinking are the most important
  component
• If you dont know what to do with your
  information systems information, you are wasting
  time and money.
• You may not always like the aid of information
  systems. (Case Study 1-1 Page 20, answer question
  2.)

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II. Development and Use of Info. Sys

• You need to take an active role in every stage of
  the information systems development
• It doesnt matter if you are a programmer,
  database designer, or only a user, you must be
  active in
• Specifying the systems requirements
• Helping to manage the development project
• Using the information system

System Analysis
System Design
System Implementation
System Maintenance
System Development Cycle
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III. Achieving Business Goals and Objectives

• Businesses themselves do not do anything
• Information Systems exist to help people in
  business to achieve goals and objectives of
  business.
• Case 1 Lands End (Success)
• -- Describe the critical role IT plays in
  supporting Lands End business operation
• Case 2 IRS (Failure)
• -- Identify the main reasons the BSM project
  failed

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Case of Lands End

• Questions
• List some of the high tech youve seen from the
  video
• List some of the critical operations that are
  supported by IT/IS
• Explain the system philosophy keep day-to-day
  operation running smoothly.
• Give an example how IT/IS help Lands End collect
  critical customer information.

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Extra Knowledge TAM model

• Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
• Fred Davis, 1989, MIS Quarterly
• Why is the word perceived critical in the two
  factors?
• Its all about the users feelings

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Understanding New Information Systems

• Use the five-component framework to learn about
  new systems.

• Focus questions on
• Organization impact (people)
• System administration Procedures to create or
  modify
• Databases and other data to create
• Programs to license
• Hardware needs

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Exercise

• Describe the five components of a cashers
  check-out system

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Career Path of MIS Major

• CIO / IS Director
• Information Center Manager
• App. Dev. Manager
• Project Manager
• Operations Manager
• System Manager
• Programming Manager
• Business Analyst
• Systems Analyst
• Systems Programmer
• Emerging Technologies Manager
• Network Manager
• Database Admin.
• Auditing or Computer Security Manager
• Webmaster
• Web Designer

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HTM 304 supports the MIS curriculum
In every part of MIS courses, you should think
about how it contributes to help the
organizations information flow -- How to
provide the right information to the right person
at the right time?
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• Full Time Employment Statistics by Major    
• (2006 undergraduate National wide)

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What is in this semester

• Management Information System
• The management of a group of components the
  produces information and to achieve the business
  objective and goals
• Discussing the components (technical)
• Chapter 3 hardware and software
• Chapter 4 Database ? HTM 425
• Chapter 5 Networking ? HTM 426, 430
• How to put the computer-related components
  together to automate the business processes
  (technical managerial)
• Chapter 6 System Development ? HTM 425
• How to use the IS to achieve strategic goals?
  (managerial)
• Chapter 2 IS for competitive advantage
• Chapter 7, 8, 9 Intra- and inter-
  organizational IS
• Chapter 10 11 IS Security Management, IS as
  a career

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Summary

• Definition of MIS
• Management information systems is the development
  and use of information systems that help business
  achieve their goals and objectives.
• What is an information system
• a group of components that interact to produce
  information.
• The five components of an information system
• hardware,
• software,
• data,
• procedures, and
• people.

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Summary (Cont)

• Explain why you are the most important component
• Use the five-component framework to analyze an
  Information System
• Four definitions of Information
• Why Information is subjective?

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Suggested Topic of this Week Blog

• Read the chapter (including the security guide,
  the ethics guide, the opposite forces guide, and
  the problem solving guide) and talk about MIS
  and You
• Your understanding of MIS, examples of MIS
• Your use of MIS (career, school, daily life, etc)
• How do you think you are connected to MIS?
• How do you think the course MIS can benefit you?
• Watch the video by Steve Cooper, CIO of the
  red-cross and discuss how to value information?