Features and Functions of information systems

Features of information systems

• Setup to manage and support the day-to-day running of an organisation and its management.

• There are many key elements that can affect the systems that have been put in place.

• The elements are;– Data– People – Hardware – Software– telecommunications

Data

• An information system is – Only as good as the data inputted– Poor data will lead to poor results being outputted– Incomplete or inaccurate information means outputted information will be

incomplete or inaccurate – There fore the system becomes useless

• For the outputted data to be accurate or complete the source data needs to be of good quality.

• Data is generated by all parts of an organisation• Data can also be received from outside the organisation

– Such as sales orders

People

• People are involved in the capture, processing and the inputting of data in a organisation.

• People can affect the quality of information and the information system because if the inputted data is captured in the wrong format or inputted incorrectly it can make the information become useless. This means that the system is only as good as the expert it has been collected from

• Motivation is one of the best ways to get people who capture and input the data to work efficently

Hardware

• The hardware• Should be flexible enough to cope with stress and strain

put on it throughout the whole organisation.• Should be able to store data in large volumes.

• In large organisations the MIS is normally run on a server so that the whole organisation can use it, however in smaller companies the system is normally run on a stand alone system in the finance directors office.

Software

• Software should• Be able to handle data quickly and efficiently, and that it can be easily

searched though when needed.

• The simplest MIS can be built using run of the mill software.

• Most MIS’s use specialised software • The cheaper the MIS = the less features it has.• The more expensive the MIS = the more features it will

have.• The hardware and software need to work well together.

Telecommunications

• Communicate data and knowledge between different information systems

• Telecommunication tools such as email, phone and intranet, are essential to the successful running of a organisation.

• Information output is required in multiple places, telecommunications are the best way to communicate quickly and efficiently between different locations.

Functions of information systems

• An information has four functions– Input– Storage– Processing – Output

Input

• Inputting information in to a information system has two parts;– Detailed data – stored and processed and forms

the basis for the rest of the system.– User – tells the system what sort of analysis they

want from the system.

Storage

• The data should be stored efficiently with the highest level detail available.

• The IT department should take regular back ups of the system and the stored data regularly, this should be kept in a different location in case of disaster

Processing

• The processing of data is where the information is turned into knowledge.

Output

• Outputted information can be displayed in many forms.

• The main two forms are : – Graphical ( e.g. Charts, graphs)– Textual ( e.g. Reports, numbers)

Control and feedback loops

• Result of outputted information from a system– If the information outputted is wrong feedback

would be sent back to the people who inputted the data into the system, so that it can be inputted correctly.