COMPUTER BASED MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

Unit 2
People Characteristics of People Organization Information System Personnel System Models System Development Life Cycle

Zeshan Ahmer

PEOPLE

People
People are the most important part of any organization

and thus of any MIS. An MIS often succeeds or fails on the basis of people involved
A number of human characteristics can have an impact

on the design and performance of information systems

PEOPLE CHARACTERISTICS

Some of the characteristics of people that effect Information Systems:

Physiological Factors

Ergonomics
Workers Skills and Abilities User Interfaces Memory Processes Learning Psychological Factors

Physiological Factors
MIS jobs are physically demanding, e.g. a person used to

work on input of data can suffer from eyestrain, headaches, neck and back problems due to long sitting against display terminals
Workers physical workspace can also poorly designed or

the lighting factor may disturb the people

Ergonomics
The field that studies computer workspaces and their

effects on users is known as ergonomics

Ergonomics

attempts to overcome the problems associated with poorly designed computer workspaces that causes unnecessary physical and mental stress

Workers Skills and Abilities

Organizational Behavior researchers have recognized

that many on the job behaviors are affected by the skills and abilities that worker posses
An employees capability to perform job tasks determines

the skills and abilities

Physical Abilities Mental Abilities

User Interfaces
Many of the interfaces for workers who enter Transaction

Processing Data are typically designed for the lowest capability workers
At McDonalds or KFC, the terminals have special

keyboards to facilitate fast and accurate data entry, e.g. if a customer buys a burger, the clerk have to only press the key that has a picture of the item the customer ordered, the key with picture of burger

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Memory Processes
People differ in both their ability to memorize and in

speed which they recall the facts that are saved to memory
Short Term Memory Long Term Memory External Memory

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A human information processing model

Memory
Receptors (Eye, Ear, Nose) Environment Effectors (Physical, Spoken, Written) Short Term Memory (Brain)

Processor (Brain)
Long Term Memory (Brain)

External Memory (Notes and Reference Materials)

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Learning
How people learn is an important consideration when

building or upgrading computer systems

Training of new technologies is costly

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Psychological Factors
A large number of psychological factors contribute to the success or failure of an Information Systems:
Perception (2 different people see same thing in different ways)
Attitudes (Expression of feelings about people, objects, events etc) Risk Taking Tendencies (Risk Seeker, Risk Avoider)

Willingness to Change

ORGANIZATION

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Organization
Relatively long term, output producing entity that consists

of more people, has one or more goals and conducts itself to achieve these goals
A formal collection of people and other resources

established to accomplish a set of goals General Motors, National Wildlife Foundation, Shaukat Khanam, Nestle, Interwood

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Stable, formal structure

Takes resources from environment Processes them Produces outputs Rights and obligations

Delicately balanced
Conflict resolution

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Division of labor Hierarchy Explicit rules & procedures

Standard operating procedures

Politics Culture

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Profit / Non Profit Organizations

Public / Private Centralized / deCentralized

INFORMATION SYSTEM PERSONNEL

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Information System Specialists:

IT Infrastructure:
Hardware Software Networks

CIO Managers System Analysts Programmers Network Specialists Database Administrator Clerical

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CIO

Telecommunications

Data Administration

Data Processing Director

Manager of systems design

System analysts

Manager of programming

Computer operations manager

Computer operators Data entry operators

Manager of information center

Consultants Trainers Technicians

Manager of office automation

System programmers Application programmers

Staff

SYSTEM MODELS

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System Environment
All system functions within some sort of environment. The

environment is the collection of elements. The elements surround the system and often interact with it
Systems are normally delimited by a BOUNDARY, which

separates them from environment. Anything within the boundary is the part of the system and anything outside is the part of the environment

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Environment
System

Boundary

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Icons in the figure represents

system elements. The Arrows indicate the relationship among these elements

In some cases, the elements themselves may represent

entire systems, called as Sub Systems

An organization may be sub divided into many functional

areas, such as marketing, finance, research, development etc. Each of the functional areas can be viewed as the subsystems of the larger organizational system

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Model is a representation of real world element or a

group of elements and relationships among them

For Example, a drawing of human skeleton is a graphical model of the bone structures of human

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Types of Models
Mathematical Models

Physical Models

Graphical Models

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Mathematical Models
A

Mathematical Model is used relationship, in mathematical terms

to

express

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Physical Models
A

Physical Model is usually a three-dimensional representation that can be held or touched

In automobiles design, physical models of cars are helpful

to see that if a certain design will work

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Graphical Models
Graphical Models generally use symbols as icons,

boxes and lines to represent real world elements and the relationship between them, for example, Data Flow Diagrams, Entity Relationship Diagrams, Flow Charts etc

GRAPHICAL MODELS

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Data Flow Diagrams

Data Flow Diagrams focus on the data flowing in and

out of the system and the processing of the data

Data Flow Diagram contains four symbols:
A rectangle with rounded corners

A square with two shaded edges

An arrow An open-ended rectangle

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Basic Symbols of a DFD

A PROCESS means that some action or group of actions take place

An ENTITY is a person, group, department, or any system that either receives or originated data A DATA FLOW shows that information is being passed from or to a process A DATA STORE shows the Interaction with a database

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Advantages of Data Flow Approach

Freedom from committing to the technical implementation

of the system too early

Further understanding of the interrelatedness of system

and sub systems

Communicating

current system knowledge to users through graphical model

data and processes have been defined

Analysis of proposed system to determine if necessary

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Levels of DFD
Context Level DFD Zero Level DFD

One Level DFD

..

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Context Level Data Flow Diagram contains

three symbols:
A rectangle with rounded corners A square with two shaded edges An arrow

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Basic Symbols of a CL-DFD

Process Name A PROCESS means that some action or group of action stake place

Entity Name

An ENTITY is a person, group, department, or any system that either receives or originated data

Information Passed

A DATA FLOW shows that information is being passed from or to a process

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CL-DFD of an Airline Reservation System

Preferences and Available Flights

Passenger
Travel Confirmation

Travel Agent

Travel Confirmation

Airline Reservation System

Chosen Flight
Ticketing Information

Passenger Reservation

Airline

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Symbols of a Sub Level-DFDs

Process Name A PROCESS means that some action or group of action stake place An ENTITY is a person, group, department, or any system that either receives or originated data A DATA FLOW shows that information is being passed from or to a Process or Data Store A DATA STORE shows that data is being stored in database table or retrieved from database table

Entity Name

Information Passed

D1 Table1

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ERD
Graphical representation of database design is called

Entity Relationship Diagram

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Flow Charts
A chart that shows the sequence of actions to be held in a

process is called Flow Chart

Flow Chart is a Graphical representation of a process It is having top to down flow One starting point, one closing point

Conditions are used for decision making

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE

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Systems Development Life Cycle

The SDLC is a phased approach to analysis and design

of systems
Analysts disagree on how many phases there are exactly

in the SDLC but generally divide the cycle in seven phases

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Seven Phases of SDLC

Identifying

Problems,

Opportunities

and

Objectives Determining Information Requirements Analyzing System Needs Designing the Recommended System Developing and Documenting Software Testing and Maintaining the System Implementing and Evaluating the System

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1 - Identifying Problems, Opportunities and Objectives

2 - Determining Information Requirements

3 - Analyzing System Needs

7 - Implementing and Evaluating the System

4 - Designing the Recommended System 6 - Testing and Maintaining the System 5 - Developing and Documenting Software

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1- Identifying Problems, Opportunities and Objectives

The analyst is concerned with identifying problems, opportunities

and objectives
The first phase requires that the analyst look at what is occurring in

the business, together with the organization people, the analyst pinpoint the problems
Identifying objectives First the analyst must discover what the business is trying to do, then

the analyst will be able to see if some aspects of information systems applications can help the business reach its objectives

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People
Users Analysts

Systems Managers coordinating the project

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Activities
Interviewing user management Summarizing the knowledge obtained Estimating the scope of project Documenting the results

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Output
Feasibility report containing a problem definition and objectives summary

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2- Determining Information Requirements

Tools used to define information requirements in business

are sampling and investigating hard data, interviewing, questionnaires, observing decision makers behavior and office environment
In

this phase, analyst tries to understand information user needs to perform their jobs

what

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People :
Analysts Users Typically operation managers and workers

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Activities System Analyst needs to know the details of current

system functions of the business under study:

WHO the people who are involved WHAT the business activity WHERE the environment in which the work takes place WHEN the timing HOW how the current procedures are performed

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Output Analyst understands

how the business functions have complete information on the

people goals data procedures involved

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3- Analyzing System Needs

People
System Analysts

Activities
Special tools and techniques help the analysts make

requirements definitions
One such tool is the use of data flow diagram to chart

the input, processes and output of the businesss functions graphically

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Output
System Analyst prepares a system proposal that summarizes what

have been found, provides analysis and makes recommendations. If one of the recommendations are acceptable to the management, the analyst proceeds along with the course

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4- Designing the Recommended System

People
System Analysts

The system analyst uses the information collected earlier

to accomplish the logical design of the information system. The analyst design the accurate data entry processes

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Activities and Output

Produce specifications for programmers
Design Data Flow Diagrams Entity Relationship Diagrams

Design output screens (either on screen or on paper)

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5- Developing and Documenting Software

People :
Analysts Programmers

Users

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Activities
Analyst work with programmers to develop software that

is needed
Tools used are structure charts, flow charts and pseudo

code
The

analyst use one or more of the tools to communicate with programmer what needs to be programmed

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Analyst work with users to develop effective documentation for

software, including procedure manuals

Programmers have a key role in this phase as they design, code

and remove errors

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Output
Analyst

develops effective documentation

develops training manuals

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6- Testing and Maintaining the System

Before the information system can be used, it must be

tested. It is much less costly to catch problems before the system is signed over to users
Some of testing is done by programmers alone and some

of it by systems analysts in conjunction with programmers

Maintenance of the system begins in this phase

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7- Implementing and Evaluating the System

Analysts helps implements the information system
Training of users to handle the system

MIS
Final Project

FINAL PROJECT TASKS UNIT 2

Visit Organization Chosen for Group Project Meeting with Contact Person in Presence of All Group Members Ask Questions to Understand Business Processes Completely

Analyze Business Processes, Discuss with Group Members

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FINAL PROJECT TASKS UNIT 2

Using MS Word Start Project Documentation; Introduction, Details of Visits to Organization & Interviews Conducted, Details of Exiting Business Processes & On paper Design DFDs, Context, Zero, One and next level DFDs of organization Design Flow Charts of Selected Business Processes Design Entity Relationship Diagram of Organization Design Output Screens Forms