Chapter 1 System Concepts. What is a System? Set of inter-related components with a clearly defined...
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Transcript of Chapter 1 System Concepts. What is a System? Set of inter-related components with a clearly defined...
Chapter 1
System Concepts
What is a System?
Set of inter-related components with a clearly defined boundary
Working together to achieve objectives
Simple Example
Heating System Objective: Control the temperature inside
a building Components:
Furnace Thermostat Building
General Components
Every system has some form of Input, and Output
Processing is often required to transform the input to output
Systems have some point of Control Systems often provide Feedback
Simple Example
Heating System Input: Fuel Source, Desired Temperature,
Actual Temperature Processing: If Actual Temp. < Desired
then burn fuel to produce heat Output: Heat or no heat (depending on
Input)
Simple Example
Q: In a heating system, what could trigger the furnace to turn on?
Q: In a heating system, what could trigger the furnace to turn off?
Feedback
Feedback is data about the performance of a system.
Example: Data about sales performance is feedback to a sales manager
In a heating system, feedback would be the change +/- of the actual temperature.
Control
Control involves monitoring and evaluating the feedback to determine whether the system is achieving its goals.
Heating System Example: Goal: keep the building at 65 degrees Feedback: Temp falls to 62. Control: Turn on or turn up the furnace.
Control & Feedback
A thermostat is a control unit of a heating system. Makes control decisions based on feedback.
Good systems have self-monitoring control built into them (Cybernetic).
Imagine trying to regulate the temperature in a room without a thermostat.
Important Terminology
Cybernetic System Sub-system Open System Adaptive System System Parameter System Variable
Business Systems
An Information System helps process Input into Output but it is also the backbone for directing feedback to Management
(Control)
Information System Components
These are the 5 components of an IS
These are IS Activities
In some sense providing Feedback
is the primary objective of all these
components and activities
IS Resources and Products
IS Activities
Data vs. Information
Data raw facts no context just numbers and text
Information data with context processed data value-added to data
summarized organized analyzed
Data vs. Information
Data: 51006 Information:
5/10/06 The date of you final exam. $51,006 The average starting salary of an
accounting major. 51006 Zip code of Battle Creek Indiana.
Data vs. Information
Data 6.34 6.45 6.39 6.62 6.57 6.64 6.71 6.82 7.12 7.06
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INC.
$5.80
$6.00
$6.20
$6.40
$6.60
$6.80
$7.00
$7.20
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Last 10 Days
Sto
ck P
rice
Information
Lufthansa Case pp 23
Questions: What type of Information System is
described? (TSP, PCS, ECS, MIS, DSS, EIS?)
What are the components: People, Hardware, Software, Networks, Data?
Luftansa Case
Q: Are Lufthansa’s challenges similar to those being experienced by other businesses? Provide a mobile workforce Distribute training activities during non-
productive periods Redefine processes to take advantage of
new mobile technologies
Luftansa Case
Q: Lufthansa was taking a risk with their decision to deploy notebook computers to their pilots. What steps did they take to manage that risk? Ensured that technical specs for the equipment were
acceptable to both pilots and the union. Increase user buy-in by providing alternatives to
cumbersome tasks (such as carrying manuals and technical documents around)
Standardization to reduce support and upgrade costs Structured the process in phases; obtain feedback
before mass implementation