Topic 1

• A system is a group of interrelated components that function together to achieve a desired result.
• An information system is an arrangement of people, data, processes, and infromation technology that interact to collect, process, store, and provice as output the information needed to support an organization.
• Information technology is a contemporary term that describes the combination of computer technology (hardware and software) with telecommunications technology (data, image, and voice networks).
• A transaction processing system (TPS) is an information system that captures and processes data about business transactions.
• A management information system (MIS) is an information system that provides for management-oriented reporting based on transaction processing and operations of the organization.
• A decision support system (DSS) is an information system that either helps to identify decision making opportunities or provides information to help make decisions.
• An expert system is an information system that captures the expertise of workers and then simulates that expertise to the benefit of non-experts.
• A communications and collaboration system is an information system that enables more effective communications between workers, partners, customers, and suppliers to enhance their ability to collaborate.
• An office automation system is an information system that supports the wide range of business office activities that provide for improved work flow between workers.
• A stakeholder is any person who has an interest in an existing or proposed information system. Stakeholders can be technical or nontechnical workers. They may also include both internal and external workers.
• Information workers are those workers whose jobs involve the creation, collection, processing, distribution, and use of information.
• Knowledge workers are a subset of information workers whose responsibilities are based on a specialized body of knowledge.
• System owners – an information system’s sponsor and executive advocate, usually responsible for funding the project of developing, operating, and maintaining the information system.
•   System users – a “customer” who will use or is affected by an information system on a regular basis – capturing, validating, entering, responding to, storing, and exchanging data and information.
• Internal System Users

  • Clerical and service workers
  • Technical and professional staff
  • Supervisors, middle managers, and executive managers
• External System Users

  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Partners
  • Employees
  • Remote Users
  • Mobile Users
• Remote users - users who are not physically located on the premises but who still requires access to information systems.
• Mobile users - users whose location is constantly changing but who requires access to information systems from any location
• System designer – a technical specialist who translates system users’ business requirements and constraints into technical solution. She or he designs the computer databases, inputs, outputs, screens, networks, and software that will meet the system users’ requirements.
• System builders – a technical specialist who constructs information systems and components based on the design specifications generated by the system designers.
•   Systems analyst – a specialist who studies the problems and needs of an organization to determine how people, data, processes, and information technology can best accomplish improvements for the business.
• •A programmer/analyst (or analyst/programmer) includes the responsibilities of both the computer programmer and the systems analyst.
• A business analyst focuses on only the non-technical aspects of systems analysis and design.
• Problems, either real or anticipated, that require corrective action
• Opportunities to improve a situation despite the absence of complaints
• Directives to change a situation regardless of whether anyone has complained about the current situation
• External Service Provider (ESP) – a systems analyst, system designer, or system builder who sells his or her expertise and experience to other businesses to help those businesses purchase, develop, or integrate their information systems solutions; may be affiliated with a consulting or services organization.
• Project Manager – an experienced professional who accepts responsibility for planning, monitoring, and controlling projects with respect to schedule, budget, deliverables, customer satisfaction, technical standards, and system quality.
• E-Commerce – the buying and selling of goods and services by using the Internet.
• E-Business – the use of the Internet to conduct and support day-to-day business activities.
• Types of e-commerce and e-business

  • Marketing of corporate image, products, and services
  • Business-to-consumer (B2C)
  • Business-to-business (B2B)
• Data – raw facts about people, places, events, and things that are of importance in an organization.
• Information – data that has been processed or reorganized into a more meaningful form for someone.
• Knowledge – data and information that is further refined based on the facts, truths, beliefs, judgments, experiences, and expertise of the recipient.
• Knowledge Asset Management

  • Recognizes that data, information, and knowledge are critical business resources
  • Asks: “How can the organization manage and share knowledge for competitive advantage?”
  • Strives to integrate the data and information that can create and preserve knowledge
• Business Processes – Tasks that respond to business events (e.g., an order). Business processes are the work, procedures, and rules required to complete the business tasks, independent of any information technology used to automate or support them.
• Continuous process improvement (CPI) – The continuous monitoring of business processes to effect small but measurable improvements in cost reduction and value added.
• Total quality management (TQM) – a comprehensive approach to facilitating quality improvements and management within a business.
• Business process redesign (BPR) is the study, analysis, and redesign of fundamental business processes to reduce costs and/or improve value added to the business.
• Object technology – a software technology that defines a system in terms of objects that consolidate data and behavior (into objects).