Irene ARINAITWE (BSSE YR 1)

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Foundations of information systems

• Irene ARINAITWE (BSSE YR 1)
• iarinaitwe_at_cit.mak.ac.ugKomugisha Lillian(JINJA
  CAMPUS) komugisha.lilian_at_gmail.com
• 0701613773Serugunda henry mukalazi(BITE YR 1)
• hserugunda_at_cit.mak.ac.ug
• 0703878772/0782693180

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Course aims

• The course aims to provide students with
  knowledge so as to understand the integration of
  business and technology resources to facilitate
  effective and efficient realization of an
  organizations mission and objectives.

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Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of this course, you
  should be able to
• Appreciate the role of information technology and
  information systems function in modern
  organizations.
• Understand the factors influencing information
  systems engineering.
• Gain an understanding of how to manage and grow
  information systems in organizations.

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SCHEDULE
Week Topics Time
Week 1 Introduction to the IS Course Guide Topic 1 Fundamental Concepts of IS. 3 hours
Week 2 Information Technology component of IS Topic 2 IS Hardware and Software Topic 3 Networks, Telecommunication and the Internet. 3 hours
Week 3 4 Topic 4 Database Systems Business Intelligence Test 1-weekend (provisional) 2 hours
Week 5 The Application of IS in business Topic 5 Organizations information systems Topic 6 Functional Information Systems. ERP Systems. 6 hours
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SCHEDULE contd
Week Topics Time
Week 6 7 Topic 7Strategic Role of Information Systems. Decision Making Model Applying competitive strategy 3 hours
Week 8 IS Acquisition Development Topic 8 Hardware and software procurement. Topic 9 System development life cycle(SDLC) 3 hours
Week 9 11 Management of IS Topic 10 project management Topic 11Managing Controlling Information Systems Topic 12 Information system Security Topic 13 computer Audit 9 hours
Week 12 14 Topic 14 Ethical, Societal, Global Issues in IS Preparations for final exams
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Assessment

• Assessment for the unit consists of 2 individual,
  closed book tests and 1 Group assignment with a
  total weighting of 40 and an examination with a
  weighting of 60.
• Assessment Policy
• To pass this unit you must achieve a mark of at
  least 50

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Text Books

• Foundations of Information Systems, McGraw Hill.
• ByVladimir Zwass (1997)
• Information Systems The state of the field,Wiley
  by Kalle Lyytinen (2006)
• Fundamentals of Information Systems By Ralph M.
  Stair, George Reynolds, George W. Reynolds
• Business Information Systems Analysis, Design
  and Practice by Graham Curtis, 1995.
• Business Information Systems Technology,
  Development and Management for the E-Business by
• Paul Bocij, Dave Chaffey, Andrew Greasley, Simon
  Hickie

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Chapter 1

• Fundamental Concepts of IS

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Learning Objectives

• By the end of this lecture, students should
• understand different Information Systems
  Concepts and Definitions.
• Understand the types of Information Systems.
• Understand the different Examples of Information
  Systems.
• Describe how information resources are managed
  and identify the roles of the information systems
  department and the end users.
• Identify the problems IS managers face while
  managing information

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Data, Information, and Systems

• Data vs. Information
• Data
• Streams of raw facts representing events
  occurring in organization and such events have
  not been put in a form that can be understood by
  human beings e.g. marks, names likenumbers,
  dates, names, addresses
• Information
• Data that have meaning within a context
• Raw data or data that have been manipulated

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Data, Information, and Systems

• Data vs. Information
• Knowledge ability to put information to
  productive use.
• Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or
  something, that can include facts, descriptions,
  information, and/or skills acquired through
  experience or education. It can refer to both the
  theoretical or practical understanding of a
  subject.

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Data, Information, and Systems

• Describe the characteristics that will be present
  in information of high quality.

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Data, Information, and Systems

• System
• inter-related components that work together to
  achieve a common goal. E.g
• An Information System
• Can be defined technically as a set of
  inter-related components that collect(or
  retrieve), process, store and distribute
  information to support decision making and
  control in an organization.

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Examples of Information Systems

• Automated Teller Machines- ATM
• Airline Reservation System
• The support website for a product
• Online bill pay at a bank

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Basic Components of Information Systems
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Basic Components of Information Systems

• Hardware
• is a physical device/ components (such as a
  processor, monitor, keyboard or printer) of a
  computer system
• Tangible parts of a computer.
• Software
• is a program or collection of programs that
  enable hardware to process data into information.
  E.g. Operating systems, programming software,
  utility software
• Database
• is a collection of logically related data.

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Basic Components of Information Systems
(Continued)

• Network
• is a connecting system (wire line or wireless)
  that permits different computers to share
  resources.
• Procedures
• are the set of instructions about how to combine
  the above components in order to process
  information and generate the desired output.
• People
• are those individuals who use the hardware and
  software, interface with it, or use its output.

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Activities of an Information system

• The activities of an Information system can help
  produce information that organizations can rely
  on to
• make decisions,
• control operations,
• analyze problems
• and create new products or services.

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Activities of an Information system

• Input-captures /collects raw data from with in
  the organization or from its external environment
• Processing-Converts this raw data/input into a
  more meaningful form
• Output-Transfers the processed information to the
  people who will use it or to the activities for
  which it will be used
• Feedback-Output that is returned to appropriate
  members of the organization to help them evaluate
  or correct the input stage

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Activities of an Information system
Environment

• Block diagram of an information system

Suppliers
Customers
Organization
Information System
feedback
Regulatory agencies
stockholders
competetors
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Activities of an Information system
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System characteristics 1

• 1 The components of a system work towards a
  collective goal. This is known as the systems
  objective. The objective of a system is normally
  very specific and can often be expressed in a
  single sentence. As an example, the objective of
  a car might be expressed simply as to transport
  people and goods to a specified location.
• System objective All components of a system
  should be related to one another by a common
  objective.

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System characteristics 2.

• 2. Systems do not operate in complete isolation.
• They are contained within an environment that
  contains other systems and external agencies.
• The scope of a system is defined by its
  boundary. Everything outside of the boundary is
  part of the systems environment, everything
  within the boundary forms part of the system
  itself.
• The boundary also marks the interface between
  a system and its environment. The interface
  describes exchanges between a system and the
  environment or other systems.
• Environment The surroundings of a system, beyond
  its boundary.
• Boundary The interface between a system and its
  environment.
• Interface Defines exchanges between a system and
  its environment, or other systems.

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System characteristics 3

• 3 Systems can be complex and can be made up of
  other, smaller systems. These are known as
  subsystems. Systems composed of one or more
  subsystems are sometimes referred to as
  suprasystems.
• The objective of a subsystem is to support the
  larger objective of the suprasystem. For an
  organization, the subsystems such as marketing
  and finance would lie within the systems
  boundary, while the following elements would lie
  outside as part of the business environment
• Customers, sales channel/distributors, suppliers,
  competitors, partners, government and
  legislation, the economy.

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System characteristics 3

• An organization will interact with all these
  elements that are beyond the system boundary in
  the environment. We refer to this as an open
  system. Most information systems will fall into
  this category since they will accept input and
  will react to it. Totally closed systems which do
  not interact with their environment are unusual.
• Subsystem Large systems can be composed of one
  or more smaller systems known as subsystems.
• Suprasystem A larger system made up of one or
  more smaller systems (subsystems).

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System characteristics 4

• 4 Subsystems in an information system interact
  by exchanging information. This is known as the
  interface between systems. For information
  systems and business systems, having clearly
  defined interfaces is important to an efficient
  organization.
• For example, sales orders must be passed from the
  sales subsystem to the finance subsystem and the
  distribution subsystem in a clear, repeatable
  way. If this does not happen,
  orders may be lost or delayed and customer
  service will decline.

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System characteristics 5

• 5 The linkage or coupling between subsystems
  varies. The degree of coupling defines how
  closely linked different subsystems are. It is a
  fundamental principle of systems theory and BIS
  design that subsystems should be loosely coupled.
• Systems or subsystems that are highly dependent
  on one another are known as
• close-coupled systems. In such cases, the
  outputs of one system are the direct inputs of
  another.

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Systems characteristics 6

• 6 Systems are hierarchical. Systems are made up
  of subsystems that may themselves be made up of
  other subsystems. From this, one should realize
  that the parts of a system are dependent on one
  another in some way. This interdependence means
  that a change to one part of a system leads to or
  results from changes to one or more other parts.
• Interdependence Interdependence means that a
  change to one part of a system leads to or
  results from changes to one or more other parts.

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Types of Information Systems

• Information Systems that support specific
  functional areas and operations include
• Functional Area Information System
• Transaction Processing System (TPS)
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System
• Inter-organizational Information System
• Electronic Commerce Systems.

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Types of Information Systems

• Functional area information systems or
  departmental information systems
• Function Support the activities within specific
  functional areas. The functional areas are HR,
  Manufacturing Production, Sales Marketing,
  Finance Accounting
• Example System for processing payroll.
• Transaction processing system (TPS)
• Function Process transaction data from business
  events.
• Example A supermarket checkout point-of-sale
  terminal.

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Types of Information Systems

• Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP)
• Function Integrate all functional areas of the
  organization to look like one.
• Example Oracle, SAP - Systems Applications and
  Products,

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Types of Information Systems

• Inter-organizational information systems (IOS)
• are information systems that connect two or more
  organizations and support inter-organizational
  operations such as supply chain management.
• Function Manage flows of products, services and
  information among organizations.
• Example A Supermarket Retail Link System
  connecting suppliers to it. E.g. suppliers to
  Game Stores being connected to it.

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Types of Information Systems

• Supply chain describes the flow of materials,
  information, money and services from raw material
  suppliers through factories and warehouses to the
  end customers.

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Types of Information Systems (Continued)

• Electronic Commerce Systems
• Systems that support the buying and selling of
  goods and services online
• Example www.dell.com,ebay.com etc

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Managing Information Resources (Continued)

• The Role of the IS Department
• The ISD is responsible for corporate-level and
  shared resources and for using IT to solve end
  users business problems.
• End users are responsible for their own computing
  resources and departmental resources.
• ISD and end users work together as partners to
  manage the IT resources.

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Managing Information Resources (Continued)

• The Role of the IS Department
• ISD has changed from a purely technical support
  role to a more managerial and strategic one.
• Director of ISD has changed from a technical
  manager to a senior executive called the chief
  information officer (CIO).

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Traditional Major IS Functions

• Managing systems development and systems project
  management.
• Managing computer operations, including the
  computer center.
• Staffing, training and developing IS skills.
• Provide technical services.
• Infrastructure planning, development and control.

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IS Functions

• Initiating and designing specific strategic IS.
• Incorporating the Internet and e-commerce into
  the business.
• Managing system integration including the
  Internet, intranets and extranets.
• Educating the non-IS managers about IT
• Educating the IS staff about the business

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IS Functions (Continued)

• Supporting end user computing.
• Partnering with the executives.
• Managing outsourcing.
• Proactively using business and technical
  knowledge to seed innovative ideas about IT.
• Creating business alliances with vendors and IS
  departments in other organizations.

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Global Challenges in Information Systems

• Cultural challenges
• Language challenges
• Time and distance challenges
• Infrastructure challenges
• Currency challenges
• Product and service challenges
• Technology transfer issues
• State, regional, and national laws
• Trade agreements

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Managerial Challenges in Information Systems

• The IS Investment challenge
• How can organizations obtain business value from
  there is?
• The strategic business challenge
• What complementary assets are needed to use IT
  efficiently?
• The globalization challenge
• How can firms understand the business systems
  requirements of a global economic environment?

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Questions..

• Distinguish clearly between an information
  system and a system
• Explain why information systems are so important
  today and how they are transforming Companies or
  organizations
• Describe the five components of an information
  system.