Information Technology and Systems

Information Technology vs. Information

• Information technology involves the hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment for creating, storing, transmitting, and processing data.
• Information systems are coordinated components, including technology, people, and processes, to collect, process, store, and distribute data.
• These support decision-making and control within an organization.

Introduction

• The modern world is hyper-connected, with technology causing rapid and constant change.
• Dealing with information is a common thread among these technologies.
• Information is data that has been processed, organized, or structured to provide meaning and context.
• It supports decision-making, problem-solving, and knowledge creation.
• Information supports better decision-making, reduces uncertainty and risk, and creates value and competitive advantages.

Information and Emerging Technologies

• Emerging technologies are how information drives modern innovation
• The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of sensors in physical objects that gathers information.
• 5th generation cellular network (5G) offers faster data transmission and wider coverage.
• Communicates information quickly and effectively.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) approximates human cognitive abilities to perform tasks mimicking human intelligence.
• Virtual Reality (VR) immerses users in a fully artificial digital environment.
• Augmented Reality (AR) overlays virtual objects on the real world.
• Mixed Reality (MR) overlays and anchors virtual objects to the real world.

Importance of Information in Technology

• Information is central to IoT, 5G, and AI, which gather, transmit, and process it.
• Understanding data flow helps understand how technologies transform industries and daily life.
• The ability to handle information will define the impact of evolving technologies on society.
• Focus on how information systems manage data to drive value.

Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom (DIKW)

• Deep understanding emerges through data, information based on context, knowledge applied to decision-making, and wisdom.
• Wisdom is knowledge used ethically.
• Data consists of raw facts without context.
• Information is processed data with context.
• Knowledge is information applied to decision-making.
• Connectedness is the linking of data that gives things meaning.
• Usefulness dictates that info becomes valuable through interpretation and application.

Information Literacy

• The ability to efficiently determine what information is needed, access, evaluate, use, and manage information ethically is key.
• Overload is a challenge of limited to unlimited access to information.
• Being able to find information and assess it's reliability is key.
• Consequences of good information skills make informed decisions whereas poor info makes you vulnerable.

Three Main Uses of Information in Businesses

• Communication involves exchanging data and coordinating actions between individuals.
• Process Support utilizes data to execute and streamline business activities.
• Decision-Making informs choices.

Business Processes

• A set of coordinated activities leading to a specific goal or outcome.
• Information is used at every stage to ensure processes are completed correctly and efficiently.
• Information itself can be a product, as when companies sell data gathered from their operations.
• Ethical implications should involve privacy concerns.

Session 2

• Accurate information fuels the data economy.
• The DIKW hierarchy shows the need for more data is created by greater knowledge.
• Info literacy is identifying, distinguishing, and finding reliable information.
• Businesses use information for communication, process support, and decision-making.
• Actions rely on online systems, creating data used for informed decisions.
• Information systems are vital for success in business and management.
• Knowledge and implementation are key.

Essential Information Systems in Business

• Global supply chain management uses Information Systems (IS) to manage international logistics and track shipments.
• Trade compliance systems ensure adherence to international trade regulations.
• Global market analytics uses IS to understand consumer behavior.
• Digital platforms facilitate cross-border communication.
• Geopolitical risk analysis leverages IS to analyze data on political and economic trends.
• Foreign Strategies utilize data analytics for simulate scenarios and plan strategies for diplomatic relations.
• Information systems are ingrained in business, helping to drive success.
• Understanding systems gives a competitive edge.
• Information systems are becoming more central, needing adaptation.

System Definitions

• A system is a set of interacting components working to achieve a common goal.
• Key elements include components, their interrelation, and the goal they serve to achieve.
• Input leads to process produces output
• System boundary separates the system from its environment.
• Open systems interact with their environment, whereas closed do not.
• Subsystems are parts of a larger system.

Transaction Process System (TPS)

• Speed and reliability in metro machines.
• Decision Support System (DSS) analytical tools.
• Netflix does what-if analysis.
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrates core business processes in real-time.
• Learning Management System (LMS) manages all learning.
• Information systems involve technology, data, people, and processes for collecting, storing, and communicating data.
• People use the information.
• Data consists of raw facts, hardware is the physical device and software are instructions.

Key Information System Elements

• Communication media facilitate communication.
• Procedures guide system use.
• People are users and maintainers.
• Systems manage data in business.
• Complexity causes more data, requiring IS to manage it.

Key IS System Support

• Data gathering collects data through simultaneous transactions.
• Storage organizes data for quick retrieval.
• Data manipulation performs data operations.
• Information retrieval and output provides information in needed various formats.
• Business rules define a business's control aspects and behaviors.
• IS facilitates organizational change through process improvements, automation, control, information flow.
• New organizational forms, like virtual collaborations.
• IS flattens organization structure with communication from all levels.
• Common IS are classified by impact.

Information Systems Session 3

• Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) manage core business processes across an organization
• Ensures data consistency and improves decision-making.
• Facilitates communication and information flow.
• EIS streamlines processes across various business functions like finance, HR, supply chain, customer relations, and manufacturing.
• Streaming services and food delivery services utilize EIS for content recommendations and logistics management.
• IS are critical in connecting functions, providing a unified strategic focus.
• Enterprise serves the organization and supports multiple functions.
• Hierarchical perspective guides the design of systems to reflect organizational levels for specific needs.

Functional Perspectives

• Systems are developed to meet the needs of specific functional areas like HR and marketing.
• Customized to department needs and enhancing efficiency.
• Process perspective supports tasks regardless of organizational levels
• Focuses on improving cross-org efficiency
• Integration Issues can cause redundancy and lack of communication
• Business integration unifies business processes that were previously separate
• System focuses on the technological side, ensuring communication (ERP).
• Designed to facilitate integration, ensuring all parts of the organization work efficiently.

What Is ERP

• Manages production and procurement
• Tracks customer interaction.
• Optimizes the streamlining of the digital brands.
• It helps improve organizational processes.

Business Process Database

• ERP integrates business processes and data, reducing data redundancy and improving communication.
• It provides accurate, faster information and is adaptable to organizational needs.
• ERP implementation advantages include improved inventory management, operational efficiency, relationships, and decisions.
• Disadvantages include high costs, complexity, resistance to change, technology dependence, and ongoing maintenance

What is Supply Chain Management?

• Supply Chain Management (SCM) manages the flow of goods, services, and data to reduce costs and improve quality.
• The main elements include suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and customers, in upstream, internal, and downstream segments.
• Second tier supplies are the furthest upstream and first distributors are downstream.

Supply Chain Info

• Information lags in flow create inefficiencies.
• Capacity must meet information.
• Delivery dates need updates.
• Timely flow is needed for stock.
• Payment terms must be clearly set.
• Upstream: movement from customer toward suppliers.
• Downstream: movement from suppliers to customers.
• The digital product supply chain includes content creation, licensing, storage, and user access.

Managing the Players

• Upstream players impact cost and quality, downstream impact warehousing and costs and satisfaction.
• Tech in SCM allows Communication, better collaboration in real time, better tracking, reduced costs by AI and Blockchain techniques
• Example: IOT is real time monitoring

CRM Definition

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) manages interactions with customers to understand their needs, attract and keep customers.
• CRM helps find the most profitable products.
• CRM components include operational for interacting, collaborative to integrate, and analytical for information analysis.
• CMI shifts control, and gathers data and allows customers to track preferences.
• Benefits are personalized targeted data, and enhanced customer data.
• Robotics are automating tasks; it increased warehouse efficiency and safety, plus cost reduction.
• Downside there's potential jobs.

Data

• Raw, unprocessed facts which can be transformed into information through analysis.
• Structured data is organized and easily searchable, whereas unstructured is unorganized.
• Decision-making can increase efficiency, and improve customer relations

Data is Used For

• Data can be quantitative and qualitative.
• Businesses collect data directly or indirectly for analytics.
• Managing includes big data and quality as well as governance.
• Used for collection, integration and the presentation of business' data.
• Transforms data

The Goal of AI

• Supports better decision-making.
• Components include data warehousing, data mining, and reporting.
• Inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data to discover useful and support.

Data Reporting Methods

• Descriptive analysis happens.
• Diagnosis is why something did or did not.
• A prediction is what will happen.
• Prescriptions is how to make something happen.

BI vs AI

• Reporting and descriptive focused while data focuses on the data of future trends.
• Data warehouse supports decision-making through data cleaning.
• Data must be extracted from its source and transformed, then loaded in.

Database Techniques

• Data mining uncovers trends.
• Association detects relationships.
• Sequence recognizes one affects the other.
• Classification groups, clustering, and forecasting.
• Common business apps are customer segmentation and regression.
• Images make data more accurate.
• Design and the purpose of the process is key.

Decision Making

• Selecting the best course of action.
• Key for gaining a competitive edge.
• Can be strategic, tactic, or operational.

Decision Making Process

• Identify the issue that needs addressing and then collect as much information as possible.
• Identify the alternatives that can be used to solve the problem.
• Weigh the pros and cons of each situation, then choose the alternative and implement it.
• Evaluate and access the situation, adjust as needed.
• The role of info systems is collect data, process and distribute it, and databases store information.

SWOT Analysis

• Strategic planning technique used to assess an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
• Helps identify internal capabilities and external factors.
• Valuable tool for making decisions, setting and strategic decisions.
• Porter's five forces: strategic tool used to analyze competitive intensity.

SWOT Five Forces

• Understand that influence profitability is key.
• Identify the number of buyers and suppliers for product control.
• Identify new entrants and substitutable in competition.
• Evaluate the existing industry.

Knowledge Management

• From decision-making to data management is key.
• The process allows values from assets using capturing, documenting, generates.
• Managing includes creating and sharing value.
• Effective allows improve and increased access, effective processes.
• Explicit knowledge are easier to share, tacit more intuitive.
• Knowledge creation, retrieval, storage, and transfer.
• Consumers benefit from knowledge and media access.
• Storage is efficient and search tools are stored.
• Excel is the most used spreadsheet system to store and analysis.

Database Designs

• Excel is used versus databasing because one focuses on speed, the other efficiency.
• Spreadsheets allow data analyzation.
• Databases allow data to be managed electronically with DBMS.
• Efficient for data that needs retrieval.
• Spreadsheets handle small amounts whereas databases require SQL systems.

Excel vs Databases Main Points

• Excel can lead duplication and spreadsheet errors.
• Excel is easier to use than complex databases.
• Databases are efficient for long-term storage.
• Each serve different purposes.
• Databases easier for organized and quick storage
• Imagine having the ability of a library.

DBMS

• DBMS supports user and is a database.
• It helps to manipulate, query, and allow for updates.
• The benefit is handling data volume, and data integrity access.
• Uses as a bridge structure for creating user files, data ensuring the connection works.
• Database must be efficient and manageable.
• Relational databases stores the data in a structured database.
• Each field allows data without duplicating.

Databases are Defined By

• Store data in tables of rows and columns as identified by primary and customers by customer ID.
• Database diagram is a visual map, like ERDs.
• Focuses on entities or tables, and key relationship details.
• They must provide data for the implementation.
• Charts are often displayed to showcase data sets.

Online Usage

• Databases are useful external up to late information.
• Big: refers amount of data can grow tradition.
• Measured in data that often required new tools efficiently
• Volume from sources and at structured different structured diagrams structure diagrams chart.
• Stores internal and related data, as well as relations and charts.
• Scalability is basic protection, growth and secured through multiple users.

Explore information technology involving hardware, software, and telecommunications. Learn about information systems as coordinated components supporting decision-making. Understand how information drives innovation in emerging technologies and provides competitive advantages.