Information Systems Concepts

An Introduction to Information Systems (IS)

• Used across professions to advertising, communicate and analyze sales trends
• Used by Managers to make decisions

What is a System?

• A system is a set of elements or components that interact to accomplish goals
• A system consist of four component:
  • Input: the activity of gathering and capturing data
  • Processing: converting or transforming data into useful outputs
  • Output: production of useful information, often in the form of documents and reports
  • Feedback: output that is used to make changes to input or processing activities

What is Information?

• A collection of facts

Characteristics of Valuable Information:

• Accessible: Easily accessible by authorized users
• Accurate: Information that is error free
• Complete: Contains all the important information
• Economical: Cost versus benefit is worthy
• Flexible: Information is useful in different areas
• Relevant: Contains Information that is important to decision makers
• Reliable: Contains information you can depend on
• Secure: Safe from authorized users
• Simple: Not complex or difficult to understand
• Timely: Delivered when needed
• Verifiable: Check to verify if correct
• An Information system is a set of interrelated components that collect, manipulate, store and disseminate information and provides a feedback mechanism to meet an objective

Computer-based Information Systems

• A Computer-based Information System (CBIS) has hardware, software, database, telecommunications, people, and procedures
• Configured to collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information
• Components of a CBIS:
  • Hardware - any machinery that assists in the input, processing, storage, and output activities of an information system (e.g. Keyboard, mouse, Monitor etc.)
  • Software - the computer programs that govern the operation of the computer (e.g. Microsoft Windows)
  • Database: an organised collection of electronic information
  • Telecommunications: electronic transmission of signals for communications; to enable
  • Networks: computers and equipment connected in a building or around the world to enable electronic communications
  • Internet: the world's largest computer network, consisting of thousands of interconnected networks which freely exchange information
  • Cloud Computing: a computing environment where software and storage are provided as an internet service and are accessed via Web browsers
  • Intranet: an internal company network built using internet and World Wide Web standards and products for people within an organisation to exchange information
  • Extranet: networks based on web technologies that allows selected outsiders, such as suppliers or business partners to access authorised resources of a company's intranet
  • People: users of the system
  • Procedures: strategies, policies, methods for using a CBIS

Business Information Systems

• Transaction Processing Systems (TPS): Organized collections of people, procedures, software, databases and devices, used to record completed business transactions
  • A transaction is a business related exchange, such as payments
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Integrated programs capable of managing a company's vital business operations for an entire multisite
• It checks what's available in finished product inventory to meet demands
• Management Information Systems (MISS): Organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices providing routine information to managers and decision-makers
• Decision Support System (DSS): Organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases
• Used to support problem specific decision making

Knowledge Management (KM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), etc

• Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a computer system to mimic human intelligence
• Major elements of Artificial Intelligence:
  • Robotics, Vision Systems, Learning Systems, Neural Networks, Expert Systems
• Expert System gives computers the ability to make suggestions and act like an expert
• Virtual Reality simulates a real or imagined environment that can be visually experienced

Systems Development

• A process of creating/modifying existing business systems
• An Overview of Systems Development:
  • Systems investigation: understand the problem
  • Systems analysis: determine what must be done to solve the problem
  • Systems design: plan the solution
  • Systems implementation: build/buy solution and replace the old system
  • Systems maintenance and review: evaluate new systems
• Global Challenges in Information Systems
• Businesses obtain products/services from around the world
• Opportunities introduce obstacles
• Examples: cultural challenges, language challenges, etc

An Introduction to Organisations

• An organisation is a formal collection of people, resources that accomplish a set of goals
• An organization has an in-out system
• Value Chain: activities where an organisation transforms input into outputs to increase the input's value

Organisational Structures

• Organisational structure refers to organizational subunits and how they relate
• Examples: Traditional Organisational structure, Project Organizational Structure etc
• Traditional Organisational structure: resembles a managerial pyramid where decision-making and authority descends down
• Also called hierarchical structure
• Flat organizational structure lowers the number of management levels, empowering employees

Organisational Change

• Reactions are necessary for profit/non-profit organizations to implement and handle change
• Internal or external aspects cause change
• Can be sustaining (improves organizations operations) or Disruptive (harms the organization's performance)
• Strategies are used to contain costs like Outsourcing, on-demand Computing, and Downsizing

Reengineering and Continuous Improvement

• Reengineering, also known as “Process redesign” or “Business Process Reengineering (BPR)", is the radical redesign of processes, structures, etc to achieve breakthrough business results
• Continuous Improvement is to constantly seek ways to improve business processed and add value to products/services

User Satisfaction and Technology Acceptance

• Reengineering and continuous improvement determines actual use of an IS by technology diffusion/infusion
• The Applications Portfolio
• A scheme for classifying IS according to the contribution they make to an organization
• Four types of systems:
  • Support (Support Application): make work more convenient but are non-essential
  • Operational: are essential; organisation couldn't conduct business without
  • Strategic: confers competitive advantage to the organization
  • Future Strategic: fully developed systems that become Strategic applications

Success Factors for Successfully Implemented Information Systems

• Senior management must be committed to the development
• End-users of a system should be involved as early and often as possible
• Take time to determine system specifications which should then be clearly understood

Competitive Advantage

• It's is the ability of an organisation to outperform its industry
• Factors organisations seek to gain a competitive Advantages:
  • Cost Leadership: deliver the lowest possible cost for products and services
  • Differentiation: deliver different products and services
  • Niche Strategy: deliver to only a small market
  • Innovation: come up with new methods/ideas to provide service to the market

Evaluating Information Systems

• Uses methods such as the following to evaluate information systems after implementation:
  • Productivity: measure of output achieved divided by input required Productivity = (Output / Input) * 100%
  • Return on Investment (ROI): measures value that investigates profits/benefits generated as a % of investment in IS tech
  • Total Cost of Ownership
  • Risk

Computer Systems

• People involved in organizations must understand current & future business requirements to make informed purchasing choices
• Hardware components:
  • Central Processing Unit (CPU): part of a computer with three associated members: arithmetic/logic unit, control unit, and register areas
  • Arithmetic/Logic Unit: CPU part that performs mathematical calculations/logical comparisons
  • Control Unit: CPU part that accesses program instructions,decodes them, and controls the flow of data to the ALU, registers.
  • Register: a high-speed CPU storage area for temporarily storing small units of program instructions/data

Processing and Memory Devices

• CPU and memory are housed together in the system unit
• All other system components (monitor, keyboard, etc) link directly/indirectly to the system unit housing

Processing Characteristics and Functions

• Organisations efficiently and quickly use different measures to gauge processing speed such as time to complete machine cycle, clock speed, etc
  • Machine cycle is the time a computer executes an instruction
  • Clock Speed: series of pulses produced at a rate that affects machine cycle time

Memory Characteristics and Functions

• Main memory is close to the CPU, providing it with work storage
• Rapidly delivers data and instructions to the CPU
• Types of Memory: RAM, ROM, Cache

Multiprocessing

• Simultaneous execution of instructions
• Coprocessor: speeds processing by executing instructions while the CPU works o another
• Multicore microprocessor: combine processors and improves processing capacity
• Parallel Computing

Secondary Storage

• Devices that store data, instruction, and information permanently
• Storage can probably be a mixture of secondary storage option
  • Access Methods Sequential access is a retrieval method in which data must be accessed in the order in which it was stored
    • Devices to access secondary storage data sequentially are called sequential access storage devices (SASDs) Direct access – a retrieval method in which data can be retrieved without the need to real and discard other data.
    • Devices for direct access are called direct access storage devices (DASDS)

Secondary Storage Devices

• Secondary data storage is not directly accessible by the CPU
• Instead, computers transfer data using intermediate areas in primary storage
• Common secondary storage devices: Magnetic, Optical, Solid State
• Magnetic Secondary Storage Devices Magnetic tape: medium for storing data
  • Magnetic disc: stores bits represented by magnetized areas Redundant: generates data from existing data, allowing drive fails Optical
• Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) a form of disc data cannot be modified Digital Video Disc (DVD) a medium used to store software, video games,etc.
• Solid State: Store memory chips rather than magnetic/optical media

Input & output Devices

• Enterprise Storage Options Store Businesses need to store large amount of data
• They are categorized into three storage forms
  • Attached is directly connected to a single computer.
  • Network (NAS) have its own network address (includes software to manage storage access)
  • Storage area network (SAN) provides connection between data storage/computers, integration and devices
• Input/Output devices are a gateway to computer Data and entry devices come in many forms including; personal input devices, speech recognition, digital cameras, and scanning devices
• Output Devices:
  • Used by computer to provide output to decision makers to solve a problem Forms: Display Monitors, Printers and plotters, Digital audio player, and E-Book readers

Computer Systems Types

• Portable Computers small to carry easily.
  • Common types: handheld computers, smartphones, laptop computers.
• Nonportable Single-user Computers includes the following: Thin Clients, Desktop computers, Nettop Computers, Workstations
• Multiple-User Computer Systems
  • servers by employs running internet applications - Mainframe computers - Used hundreds of concurrent users to machine through over network - Super computers- Fast processing speed

An Overview of Software

• In business can make a difference between profit and loses to bankruptcy
• Computer programs: Sequence that controls to instructions for the computer
• Documentation: Text that describes programs function computer software
• Two types of systems software- systems and application.

System Software

• Set of programs that Coordinates the activities and functions of the hardware and programmes Systems supports the application program problem solving - capability Operating systems OS Is set of computer programs and acts an interface and applications
• The set of programs make up the OS

Provides degree of hardware independence

• Manage Processor tasks Managing files
• The heart of an OS
• Committing hardware Functions also applications must preform

Get input from the keyboard or another input

• retrieve store data on disc Each that requires a data set instruction - interface is the OS
• Operating system is using a data application The first interface mainframe used on computer systems referred
• Graphical User Interfaces GUI display pictures and users Software applications are designed to on

the OS By OS API

• OS Control system using available memory - RAM current operating system is Personal, Work Group to Enterprise

Utility Program

• Computer systems sort data before transmitter
• Come installed on computers some PC Utility

Security Utilities and Fire Compression

• Service mainstream
• Middle ware with system Communicate and external data
• Developed with types to company to require different ways of System

Application Software

• Composes problems to help users solved programs Primarily its function
• Important types proprietary and off the self - software

Proprietary - designed for software

Off the shelf software needs across the business

• Use app service a Company
• Data system run to use facilities
• Software on we is this application is called a server as a search

Word processing

• Spreadsheet data applications mobile application includes the software
• Sport Productivity Utilities

Work group is Support and teamwork software

Enterprise on the other hand or purchased - off the shelf Software

• Key boards and Rules of construction made by humans communicate Each program uses language Symbols - commands that special

Software Issues and Trends

• Software Box affect and performing Software issues and trends.
  • Effects in computer program they keep for preforming as preformed

Data Management and Data Modelling

• At most centres every information system is database The rows in to table collect to get with all of data about one pecifies - entity record in table Each come are the specified items or data set to get stored

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Database

• Explain about the - use of corporates data Reduced Data and more efficient use of systems storage space

Improved Data integrity

• easy modification The DBMS coordinates Updates and date models to user program to know wear the program is physically Better to Access Date and more uniform to base access means application to use data and information

Disadvantages

Complexity Difficult to recover from a failure more Is DBMA CAN Be Difficult more expensive

• Database Management system

Group of programs used interface of data process

Capabilities and data base system there

• Schemas or designs the DMS the a database definition
• Reduce Duplication

Assisst Program develpmenteration

Easier to have make ification Storing all data - Retrieving data DBSM is interface of one programs Two or more system or attempting problem use the same problem

Important of Data and Generating Reports

• Manipulating date report to management on some report of - By example
• Key term to the report

data Base Administrator

Plan Desgin to secure on maintain Dbase Data Mining Linking data bases and internet is increditality useful each is made to use to dynamo create to

• Use E- comers

big data operation that stored data and websites

• data Ware houses database with many resources across industries Data minigs

Business intelligence right information in useful manor

This quiz covers information systems concepts like continuous improvement, technology diffusion, application types, management support, requirement engineering, green computing, software components, computer types, and spheres of influence.