Management Information Systems (MIS)

What is MIS

• Management Information System (MIS) involves people, processes, and technology working together in order to meet business goals.
• In retail, an MIS tracks sales, inventory, customer data, and employee schedules
• MIS helps managers make informed and better decisions in business
• MIS strategically improves efficiency, productivity, and decision-making

Why is MIS Important?

• Marketing managers use an MIS data to target the right audience and the right products using past sales, demographics, and campaign effectiveness
• Good MIS offers accurate, up-to-date information for businesses to quickly adapt to market changes.
• Online ordering systems streamline processes, reducing manual effort, errors, and speeding up operations.
• MIS automates invoicing and other repetitive tasks, allowing strategic allocation of employees

Competitive Advantage

• Understanding customer preferences through data helps personalize marketing and offer tailored products or services
• MIS enables businesses to analyze market trends, identify opportunities, and create innovative products.

Enhanced Communication

• MIS facilitates internal communication through a central platform for data sharing, project collaboration, and decision facilitate decision-making.
• Communication can be facilitated through email, intranets, and instant messaging apps for organization-wide connectivity

Components of an MIS: Hardware

• Hardware refers physical equipment used in an MIS
• Computers are used for data processing, analysis, and storage.
• Servers store and manage data and applications with high processing power
• Network devices encompass routers, switches, and cables enabling computer and server connections
• Peripherals are printers, scanners, and other input/output devices.
• Selection of hardware depends on specific organizations needs and size

Components of an MIS: Software

• controls and manages the hardware like Windows or macOS managing basic functions.
• Database Management Systems software is used to create, manage, and access databases like MySQL, Oracle
• Application Software are programs designed for specific tasks like word processing or customer relationship management (CRM).
• Software is essential for processing data, automating tasks, and generating reports.

MIS Data

• Refers to raw material utilized by an MIS
• Structured data is organized in predefined formats, such as customer names, addresses, and purchase history.
• Unstructured data lacks a predefined format, including emails, social media posts, and images.
• Data is used for collection, storage, and processing, which results in useful information.

MIS People

• The most important compenent of any MIS
• End users are employees who use the system to do their jobs
• IT specialists are who develop, maintain, and give support to the systems in the MIS
• Managers utilize systems in order to make informed decisions and monitor performance.
• Effective training and support of people is required for efficient usage of MIS

MIS Processes

• Processes refer to the rules and procedures implemented to govern how the system operates
• Data entry procedures are implemented to specify how data is collected and entered.
• Reporting procedures define how reports are generated and distributed
• Security procedures dictates how data is protected from unauthorized access.
• Clearly defined processes enhance efficient and reliable MIS operations.

Types of MIS: Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

• Systems for day-to-day functioning of a business where accuracy and speed are paramount,
• For example a supermarket checkout system is a TPS as it happens millions of times daily worldwide with tracking of sales, updating inventory and calculating the total bill
• Banks use TPS for money transfers, paying bills, and depositing checks with updates of balances and ensures accurate allocation of funds
• Hotel reservation systems are TPS through online bookings to confirm the reservation, updates availabilities, and processes payments
• Companies use TPS for payroll by calculating employee salaries, deducting taxes, and generating paychecks, including tracking employee hours and benefits.

Types of MIS: Management Reporting Systems (MRS)

• Systems to turn it into summarized reports where managers can use them to monitor performance, identify trends, and make decisions.
• A sales manager receives a monthly sales performance report showing total sales revenue, product category, sales region sales, and individual salesperson to identify sales trends and top performers
• A warehouse manager receives an inventory turnover report to show how quickly different products are sold and replaced to prevent stockouts, and optimize inventory levels
• Finance managers get budget vs. actual reports comparing the company's actual expenses to its budgeted expenses to identify inefficiencies, spending and corrective action
• Marketing managers get customer demographics report to show the age, location, and characteristics of customer base to market effectively

Types of MIS: Decision Support Systems (DSS)

• Provides tools and techniques to help managers analyze data, model scenarios, and make complex decisions
• Banks use DSS to evaluate loan applications to analyze risk of default and to recommend if to approve them
• Manufacturing companies use DSS to determine the optimal production schedule that takes into account customer demand, resources, and production costs to create a schedule
• Marketing managers use DSS to analyze the effectiveness and impact of different advertising channels, pricing strategies, that allocated marketing budget
• Real estate investors use DSS for potential investments to analyze property value, rental income, and operating expenses that assess risk.

Types of MIS: Executive Information Systems (EIS)

• Provides executives access to high-level and summarized information on organizational performance, uses dashboards and visualizations to present KPIs.
• CEOs use EIS dashboards to monitor metrics and overview performance to quickly identify areas that need attention.
• The VP of Sales uses EIS to track sales performance across different regions to identify trends and opportunities for growth.
• CFOs use EIS to monitor financial statements, ratios, and trends
• Heads of customer service use EIS to track customer satisfaction trends and identify areas for service improvement.

Data vs User-Specific Information

• Raw data is collected daily which is later turned into useful information
• Social media platforms use data to personalize users feeds

What is data?

• Data Includes raw, unprocessed facts, figures, or symbols without inherent meaning.
• Examples of data include lists of sales transactions, patient data, and number of social media likes.

What is information?

• Information is processed data with meaning, context, and utility for decision-making.
• Examples of information include, sales report showing top 10 best-selling products or trend reports on popular topics.
• Information answers questions and provides insights.

Data vs Information: Transformation Process

• Raw Data: Daily sales receipts with individual items and prices.
• Processing: POS system calculates total sales, categorizes items, and generates daily/weekly reports.
• Information: Owner gets report on most popular dishes, peak hours, and overall revenue.

Key Differences Between Data and Information

• Data consists of raw facts and figures, while information comprises processed data with meaning.
• Data takes the form of numbers, text, symbols, or images, while information is presented as summaries, reports, or insights.
• Data carries no inherent meaning, whereas information is meaningful and useful for decisions.
• Data requires processing to become useful, while information is directly ready for use.

Types of Data

• Structured Data: Organized in a fixed format like spreadsheets or databases, used for student records.
• Unstructured Data: Lacks a fixed format like emails, social media posts and videos, used in customers reviews
• Big Data: Characterized by large volumes and high generation speeds, used from data from Facebook and Google.

Characteristics of Quality Information

• Accurate: A financial report with incorrect numbers will lead to wrong investment decisions
• Relevant: A marketing report on children's toys should not be used at a place selling industrial machinery
• Timeliness: Stock market information that is delayed is useless for a day trader
• Completeness: A customer address lacking a zip code makes shipping difficult
• Concise: A 100-page report is less useful than an executive summary
• Consistent: If sales number differ between 2 reports, it causes confusion

Business Cases

• Marketing: Companies use customer purchase data to personalize advertising.
• HR: Companies use employee data to track performance and identify training needs.
• Finance: Financial institutions use market data to make investment decisions.
• A coffee shop uses data on customer preferences for better sales by offering Discounts for the morning, and social media campaign for iced drinks

Software Development Life Cycle

• Structured framework defining the stages to develop software while it systematically ensures quality, efficiency, and predictability
• Improves Quality Efficient planning and execution can reduce costs
• Enhances teamwork to improve productivity
• Better Communication
• Risk Mitigation

General Phases of SDLC

• Outline and define project scope including objectives, and software
• Identify stakeholders and their requirements
• Conduct feasibility studies
• Create project plan
• Understanding requirements through analysis and specifications
• Gather detailed requirements from stakeholders (interviews, surveys, workshops)
• Analyze and document requirements using techniques like use cases, user stories, and UML diagrams Ensure requirements are clear, concise, and testable
• Design system architecture
• Choose appropriate technologies and programming languages
• Develop detailed design documents
• Implementation/Coding
• Conduct code reviews and ensure code quality
• Use version control systems to track changes and collaborate effectively
• Testing of software
• Conduct various testing
• Identify and fix defects Ensure the software meets the defined requirements
• Deployment
• Plan and execute the deployment process
• Provide documentation and support to users
• Maintenance
• Address any issues that arise after deployment
• Make enhancements and improvements to the software over time

Software Development Life Cycle Models

• Waterfall Model*
• Linear, sequential model where each phase must be completed before the next begins
• Simple to understand and manage
• Easy to understand phases Inflexible, difficult to accommodate changes, not suitable for complex projects
• Suited for small, well-defined projects with minimal changes
• Agile Models*
• Iterative and incremental approaches that emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and rapid feedback
• Adaptable to change
• Customer-focused, promotes teamwork Requires strong communication and collaboration, can be challenging to manage large teams
• Suited for projects with changing requirements and a need for frequent adjustments
• Spiral Model*
• Risk-driven approach that combines elements of the waterfall and iterative models
• Good for managing risk
• Suitable for complex projects
• Can be complex and expensive Suited for large, complex projects with high risk

SDLC: Waterfall Model

• Linear-sequential life cycle model Design

The next phase is started only after the defined set of goals are achieved for previous phase is signed off, so the name "Waterfall Model". In this model, phases do not overlap.

SDLC: Agile Model

• Agile methods break the product into small incremental builds. These builds are provided in iterations. Every iteration involves cross functional teams working simultaneously on various areas like planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, unit testing, and acceptance testing

SDLC: Spiral Model

• Unlike Waterfall model, the Spiral Model repeats phases in cycles where each cycle allows for continuous refinement of the product. This considers feedback, risk analysis, and changes in project scope. Key Phases: Planning - define the project’s objectives, scope, and constraints, e.g., setting clear goals, budget, and resource limitations. Testing - identify potential risks—technical, financial, or operational , e.g., identifying high-risk areas and prototyping risky components. Engineering - development and engineering is iterative, e.g., building components based on objectives. Evaluation - team assesses progress, e.g., gathering feedback, reviewing progress in terms of functionality, budget, and timeline.

Ethical Obligations of Software Engineers

• Software impacts every aspect of modern life which means misused software has far-reaching and harmful consequences IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics encompasses for eight guiding principles: Public, Client and Employer, Product, Judgement, Management, Profession, Colleagues, and Self.

Principles Underpinning Ethical Conduct

Public Interest - creates systems that benefit society and minimize harm Integrity - honest and transparency in all claims Competence - SE's should only accept task they are qualified to perform and continuously strive to improve their skills Professional Responsibility -ethical principles and mistakes Professional Responsibility - adhering to ethical principles and taking responsibility Confidentiality - protecting sensitive information belonging to clients and users Fairness - avoiding bias and discrimination is software design and development Due Care - working to avoid eros and unintended consequences

Ethical Obligations to Clients

Honest and realistic assessments of project costs and timelines is desired

• strive to clients need is strived to met
• Protecting confidential information, and safeguard intellectual property.

Avoiding conflicts of interest is desired.

• Deliver quality software is desired.

Ethical Obligations to Users

• User safety can be addressed through safegaurds.
• Data privacy can be addressed to have safety with security in the systems Transparency is desired to make sure users know their data use Accessibility can be addressed by designing software that is accessible to users with disabilities
• Usability with the design of having software that is easy to use and understand
• Truthful Information is desired by avoidinmg misleading users with false or deceptive information

Ethical Obligations to the Public

• Societal impact has to be considered to ensure the software benefits society
• Environmental impact has to be factored in
• Transparency and accountability and transparency on systems Actively work to prevent software from used for harmful purposes.
• Whistleblowing needs to be employed when unethical practices is seen and reported

IT Infrastructure

• Hardware: including servers, storage devices, networking hardware and end user devices.
• Software resources like OS, large scale software solutions
• Networking and Communication between LANs, WANs ,Internet and Cloud Networking
• Security and compliance through the use of various systems against cyber breaches:

Cloud computing

• A model to deliver resources using the internet on pay-as-you-go basis for reduced IT costs in the organization Characteristics: self-access, Broad network access, Shared among customers, scalable, measured service

Cloud Computing: Cloud Service Models

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources over the internet.
• Virtual machines like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines, Google Compute Engine can be accessed.
• Eliminates the need for physical infrastructure and is highly scalable.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers a cloud-based environment with tools and frameworks for application development.
• Examples include Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure App Services, AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
• Developers can focus on coding, which reduces software development time
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers software application over the internet on a subscription basis.
• Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, and Salesforce CRM can be accessed
• Available from any device with automatic updates and security patches.

Cloud Computing: Cloud Deployment Models

• Public Cloud: Cloud services are offered to multiple customers over the internet.
• Private Cloud: Cloud infrastructure is dedicated to a single organization for greater control and security.
• Premise Cloud solutions include OpenStack or VMware Private Cloud for secure solutions
• Hybrid Cloud: Combines public and private cloud solutions for organizations to balance security and scalability.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

• Cost Reduction: Removes the need for expensive physical infrastructure.
• Scalability: Provides adjustability resources based on demand.
• Improved Accessibility: Services can be accessed remotely.

Risks of challenges and cloud computing

Data security and privacy which requires compliance with national regulations (e.g., Data Privacy Act of 2012). A dependence on internet connectivity.

Emerging technologies in IT Infrastructure

• AI and Machine Learning: Provides automation of decision-making, improving efficiency and powered chatbots.
• IoT: Connects physical devices to the internet for data collection like smart city initiatives for traffic management
• Blockchain: Ensures secure and transparent record-keeping.
• Edge Computing: Moves data processing closer to the data source, reducing latency and in real-time monitoring.
• 5G and High-Speed Networking: Enables faster data transmission and IoT support.
• Serverless Computing: Eliminates the need for managing servers; applications run on an as-needed.