1.

Introduction to MIS: Concept of MIS, role of MIS, objectives of MIS,

emergence of MIS, MIS and computers Impact of MIS, systems approach to MIS
Advantages, and disadvantages of computer based MIS-
2. Information : Classification of information, levels of information, Ievels of
information, Methods of data and Information collection value of Information,
3. System Analysis and Desigan Introduction, System Analysis for existing system,
system analysis for new requirements,MIS and system or systems analysis, cost
benefit analysis.
4. Development of MIS : Determining the Information requirements Development
of MIS Implementation of MIS, Factors responsible for development of MIS,
Evaluation of MIS.
5. Information system for decision making Decision- making and MIS, decision
making concepts organisational decision-making, MIS and decision making
concepts. MIS as technique for programme decisions,Decision support
system.MIS and role of DSS.
6. Data base Management systems: Data base Management systems: Data base
concepts, data base models data base design, RDEMS MIS and RDEMS,
Introduction of oracle, Data Access.
7. Network : Introduction, topology, LAN and WAN, Data communication.
8. MIS in operations MIS for Finance, MIS for Marketingm MIS for production,
MIS for Human resource Management, MIS for marketing.
9. & 10. Laboratory :
-Network Usage
-MIS and client server
-Data Processing/Transaction processing
MIS or Management Information System is a computer based system used by most organizations
worldwide for transforming data into useful information for better decision making. It helps
management make better plans and carefully organize business operations.

Management information system is used for generating reports including inventory status
reports, financial statements, performance reports etc. These reports are essential for
analyzing different aspects of business. These reports also help to answer 'what-if' questions
like what would be the effect on cash flows of a company if the credit term is changed for its
customers etc.
MIS reports also support decision making and it helps to integrate the decision maker and the
quantitative model being used. These automated systems allow managers to make decisions for
smooth & successful operation of businesses. The systems includes computer resources, people,
and procedures used in the modern business enterprise.

Definition: Management Information Systems (MIS) is the term given to the discipline
focused on the integration of computer systems with the aims and objectives on an
organisation.

The development and management of information technology tools assists executives

and the general workforce in performing any tasks related to the processing of
information. MIS and business systems are especially useful in the collation of business
data and the production of reports to be used as tools for decision making.
Applications of MIS
With computers being as ubiquitous as they are today, there's hardly any large business
that does not rely extensively on their IT systems.

However, there are several specific fields in which MIS has become invaluable.

* Strategy Support

While computers cannot create business strategies by themselves they can assist
management in understanding the effects of their strategies, and help enable effective
decision-making.

MIS systems can be used to transform data into information useful for decision making.
Computers can provide financial statements and performance reports to assist in the
planning, monitoring and implementation of strategy.

MIS systems provide a valuable function in that they can collate into coherent reports
unmanageable volumes of data that would otherwise be broadly useless to decision
makers. By studying these reports decision-makers can identify patterns and trends that
would have remained unseen if the raw data were consulted manually.

MIS systems can also use these raw data to run simulations – hypothetical scenarios that
answer a range of ‘what if’ questions regarding alterations in strategy. For instance, MIS
systems can provide predictions about the effect on sales that an alteration in price would
have on a product. These Decision Support Systems (DSS) enable more informed
decision making within an enterprise than would be possible without MIS systems.

* Data Processing

Not only do MIS systems allow for the collation of

vast amounts of business data, but they also provide
a valuable time saving benefit to the workforce.
Where in the past business information had to be manually processed for filing and
analysis it can now be entered quickly and easily onto a computer by a data processor,
allowing for faster decision making and quicker reflexes for the enterprise as a whole.

Management by Objectives

While MIS systems are extremely useful in generating statistical reports and data
analysis they can also be of use as a Management by Objectives (MBO) tool.

MBO is a management process by which managers and subordinates agree upon a series
of objectives for the subordinate to attempt to achieve within a set time frame.
Objectives are set using the SMART ratio: that is, objectives should be Specific,
Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-Specific.

The aim of these objectives is to provide a set of key performance indicators by which an
enterprise can judge the performance of an employee or project. The success of any MBO
objective depends upon the continuous tracking of progress.

In tracking this performance it can be extremely useful to make use of an MIS system.
Since all SMART objectives are by definition measurable they can be tracked through the
generation of management reports to be analysed by decision-makers.

Benefits of MIS

The field of MIS can deliver a great many benefits to enterprises in every industry. Expert
organisations such as the Institute of MIS along with peer reviewed journals such as MIS
Quarterly continue to find and report new ways to use MIS to achieve business
objectives.

Core Competencies

Every market leading enterprise will have at least one core competency – that is, a
function they perform better than their competition. By building an exceptional
management information system into the enterprise it is possible to push out ahead of
the competition. MIS systems provide the tools necessary to gain a better understanding
of the market as well as a better understanding of the enterprise itself.

Enhance Supply Chain Management

Improved reporting of business processes leads inevitably to a more streamlined

production process. With better information on the production process comes the ability
to improve the management of the supply chain, including everything from the sourcing
of materials to the manufacturing and distribution of the finished product.

Quick Reflexes

As a corollary to improved supply chain management comes an improved ability to react

to changes in the market. Better MIS systems enable an enterprise to react more quickly
to their environment, enabling them to push out ahead of the competition and produce a
better service and a larger piece of the pie.

Further information about MIS can be found at the Bentley College Journal of MIS and the
US Treasury’s MIS handbook, and an example of an organisational MIS division can be
found at the Department of Social Services for the state of Connecticut.
Management Information Systems (MIS) can be used successfully to facilitate access to a wide
range of integrated data sets. They are consistent, modular and flexible tools for the systematic
acquisition, analysis and archiving of data and information from a variety of sources. When socio-
economic data are also included, MIS can become even more powerful tools for planning and
decision-making for agricultural and rural development in ACP countries. Quality control,
standardisation and regular updating are key issues to ensure the usefulness of MISManagement
Information Systems (MIS) can be used successfully to facilitate access to a wide range of
integrated data sets. They are consistent, modular and flexible tools for the systematic acquisition,
analysis and archiving of data and information from a variety of sources. When socio-economic data
are also included, MIS can become even more powerful tools for planning and decision-making for
agricultural and rural development in ACP countries. Quality control, standardisation and regular
updating are key issues to ensure the usefulness of MIS

The Indian Council for Agricultural Research, in referring to its Agricultural Research Information
System, stated that ?agricultural scientists can carry out research more effectively by having
systematic access to research information available in India as well as in other countries, better
project management of agricultural research, and modernization of the office tools?. Information is
the ?blood? of an organisation, country or region and its management is vital for effectiveness,
efficiency and economic and social stability. In many organizations, countries and regions, there
have been increasing calls for the development of integrated, national (geo-) information
infrastructure for management, resource planning and decision-making. ACP scientists who work in
the various disciplines generating scientific data on climate, water, soils, land etc need to pay more
attention to integrating the data sets to improve decision making at the policy and enterprise level
including farms to contribute to socio-economic development.

MIS - capabilities

The term 'information system' is a general term for a system that facilitates access to information;
however, a ' management information system' refers to integrated data sources and information
systems, which meet the particular needs and requirements of planning and decision-making. In an
ideal case, the major objectives of MIS are to:

1. reach an understanding of the relevant processes on the basis of the available historic
information. This element forms the basis for the development of models, required for
forecasting and simulation.
2. provide information on the current situation, especially for early warning purposes, for
instance related to issues impacting on food security, water resources or pest and disease
status.
3. forecast changes and impacts, either natural or man-made , as an element in
vulnerability assessments.
4. forecast the consequences of policy decisions and measures before they are
implemented in reality. This implies evaluating options for several given scenarios based on the
possible results and predicted consequences, and selecting the most acceptable alternative.
Existing environmental information systems in ACP countries consist of isolated data sets (soil type,
climate, land, water, forest and fisheries resources) and systems, aimed at management of specific
resources: water, land or forest; they hardly reach the second objective mentioned above. The third
and fourth objectives (forecasting changes and simulation) are currently almost only reached within
one discipline mainly in meteorology (weather and climate forecast) and to a certain extent in
oceanography. This is due to the fact that the ACP countries, in addition to operating within serious
financial and human constraints, must grapple with inter-institutional competition (individuality of
scientific disciplines and competition for resources), limited agreement on harmonized standards,
formats or quality assurance and legal constraints (lack of common data policy).
The following table provides an overview of different phases of data/information systems.

CATEGORY ELEMENTS USAGE

environmental information traditional knowledge oral transmission and exchange

systems

manuscript/printed documents in files and folders visual inspection and analysis

archives

isolated digital data databases, spreadsheets using computer-aided review and

archives different standards and formats synthesis

coordinated digital data databases and spreadsheets, using automatic review and synthesis
archives common standards and formats, user
interface

GIS (Geographic databases and data layers with integrated analysis

Information System) common (geographic) reference, user
interface

MIS (Management databases, models, user interface integrated analysis, extrapolation,

Information System) forecast, simulation

DSS (Decision Support databases, models, artificial integrated analysis, extrapolation,

System) intelligence, user interface forecast, simulation, weighted ?
advice?

MIS - characteristics

In view of the broad scope and wide variety of planning and decision-making tasks, MIS generally
generate a range of outputs or results. These can be in a textual (report) or graphical (curve,
graphic) form. A number of desired outputs can be generated automatically and periodically (daily,
weekly) and transmitted to the relevant users in a printed or digital form. These outputs generally
serve as a check on the situation and the developments in the field. A second group of outputs
could be generated only in the case where certain conditions are fulfilled (drought reports in case of
low precipitation levels) or when certain levels are being exceeded (contaminants in ground or
coastal water). A third group relates to specific, dedicated outputs, to assess the possible
consequences of certain measures or activities, for instance the construction of a hydroelectric dam.

MIS are precious and costly assets, and require detailed planning if their design,
implementation and operation are to be successful. The adequate introduction and performance of
MIS require that they build on already existing elements, and ensure consultation and coordination
with all stakeholders.

A key issue for the application of MIS is open distribution of information, providing each of the
actors with the same basic overview and synthesis. Manipulating the information provision by
selective information distribution causes an information imbalance between the partners, leading to
less than optimal decisions and when discovered is detrimental to mutual trust. Therefore a strong,
positive commitment from all involved is needed: active participation and accountability of
users and contributors of environmental information at all levels, including local actors. Under such
conditions, the benefits of the MIS by far outweigh the cost of acquiring and organising the
information, including the manpower required and the maintenance cost of the system.

MIS applications should meet criteria relating to:

 Timeliness
  Completeness
 Reliability
 Availability
 Accessibility
 Cost-effectiveness
MIS - content

Environmental conditions have major influences on agriculture and rural development, and
therefore regularly updated environmental data form an essential element of MIS:

1. soil type
2. land use and availability
3. maps, cadastre
4. climate
5. irrigation
6. weather
7. ecosystems
8. biodiversity
9. natural resources
10. land degradation, desertification
11. natural hazards
12. vegetation and crops
13. geology
To facilitate, planning and decision-making for agriculture and rural development, there may be
need to include related up-to-date socio-economic and legal informationon subjects such as:

1. population
2. industrial activities
3. product market
4. product transport facilities
5. product processing plants
6. laws and regulations
7. livestock and fish production
8. farm sizes
9. public health
10. controlled harvesting systems
11. traditional fish management practices
12. methods
13. urban planning
14. human health
15. technology
16. educational opportunities
17. infrastructure
18. fishponds
Access
At the internal level of institutes and organisations, mechanisms for access to environmental
information include:

 printed form (books, reports) or digital form (CD-ROM) through the library or
documentation centre
 through the local network and internal website
 through the local network and Internet
Although Internet access is improving and expanding worldwide, the pace of development in most
ACP countries is not as fast as had been anticipated. Within the ACP countries, Internet access is
available mainly in the capitals and some industrialised centres. Some universities and academic
centres have limited access to e-mail and websites.

The bottlenecks for Internet access are various:

 political: in some countries access to certain (groups of) websites is blocked,

 technical: slow telephone or data lines, unreliable connections, much interference,
 economical: access to Internet is too expensive.
While the Internet has become the preferred tool for distribution of rapidly changing and time-
sensitive environmental information and data, print and CD-ROM still are effective carriers of more
stable (reference, historical) information and data. In this way, the user is less dependent upon the
availability and continuity of an Internet connection. Therefore, in addition to a moderate use of the
Internet (where possible), the printed form and CD-ROMs will remain an important channel for
information distribution to and within the ACP countries in the years to come.

Websites are specific locations on the World Wide Web (WWW), specific computers managed by
specific people and organisations. Besides providing actual or historic environmental information to
the user, websites often use the technical functionality of the WWW to connect to other websites
and other sources of environmental information (links). In this way, the user can access a range of
related websites and sources. Websites often provide access to databases with numerical data
(climate, soil), textual data (descriptions, reports) and graphical data (graphs, images).
International organisations and agencies, such as the regional banks (ADB, AFDB, IADB), the
European Union, UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO, IOC, WMO and others maintain websites, which include
comprehensive databases on relevant topics, including environment.

A popular way to distribute information to a large group of experts in the same discipline via the
Internet is by mailing lists. These consist of a number of e-mail addresses where information can
be sent using just the name of the mailing list. Examples related to agriculture are: the European
Community?s Agriculture News Digest, and the Precision Agriculture Electronic Mailing List of Ohio
State University. Mailing lists are a very useful tool to keep abreast of what is going on in a certain
field, or to ask a question to a worldwide expert audience. This method is practical even with low-
end access to the Internet.

Many of the recurring questions and common problems in agricultural and rural development have
been grouped in databases under the name of FAQ: frequently asked questions. They cover
specific disciplines, sectors or geographic areas, and generally allow for searching their contents
with specific keywords. Examples are: the FAQ of the Rural Development Institute, India, and the
European Agriculture FAQ.

Much valuable environmental information residing in organisations and institutions never reaches
the Internet, either because the holders or originators do not care to make their information
available, do not wish to do so, or do not have the necessary means or resources.

Monitoring
The need for up-to-date information implies the need for continuous collection, analysis and
dissemination of environmental data on a regular, well standardised basis: monitoring. The
information collected should be relevant for all stakeholders: from the policy makers to the local
population, to ensure the relevance, quality and continuity of the process. It should be collected in
compatible formats, in minimal time and with minimal cost. Monitoring is also useful to detect
possible negative impact on the environment and existing agricultural systems, but for this purpose
baseline data should be available as a reference on the original situation.

It is difficult to foresee precisely what information (or combinations) will be the appropriate
information for decision-making in the future. Based upon experience, the data sets presented
in the previous paragraph are given as a first approach, but should be adapted to the specific
requirements of each situation. Implementation of all parameters depends highly upon the
capabilities and the situation in each country.

When little is known about the relevant environmental processes, an intensive initial assessment will
be required to study and understand these processes. On the basis of this understanding, models
can be developed that describe the processes and allow for forecasting and simulation. Such models
often can do with a limited monitoring, which then serves a different purpose: to regularly calibrate
and validate the model. In order to optimise the environmental data required, a sensitivity
analysis needs to be applied to the model, in order to determine the minimum allowable monitoring
(parameters, frequency, location) required for maintaining the desired accuracy of the model
output.

Implementation

As indicated previously, planning and decision-making in agriculture and rural development require
the integration of different types of information relating to different sectors and sub-sectors:
everything relates to everything! To adequately manage such an impressive variety of information,
to allow transversal consultations and interaction, and to ensure efficient, integrated access on a
continuous basis, a number of steps need to be taken at national and institutional level, such as:

 identification of all available environmental data holdings and monitoring activities,

through compilation and regular updating of institutional, national and regional metadata
inventories
 standardisation of data, information and tools ? environmental data and information from
different sources should be compatible and comparable, in order to be merged for larger
geographic coverage, or be compared to search for changes and trends; in a few cases,
international standards exist, in most cases they still need to be developed
 establishment of a legislative framework in the form of a data/information policy for
environmental data ? who has access to the information, and at what cost and conditions? This
issue has received increasing attention over the last few years, but there is still a lack of generic,
international procedures and guidelines
 ensuring the continuity of the ICT infrastructure ? this includes aspects like: regular
maintenance and upgrading of hardware and software, availability of spare parts, and the
presence of an Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) in case of power cuts; the main issue here is
the investment in trained staff, software and equipment
 maintenance of (digital) archives - how long should (digital) archives be maintained?
Which information is essential for the organisation or country? Who is responsible for their
maintenance? How often should backups be made and where should these be kept? The main
issue in this case is to make these decisions and allocate the required staff resources.
These steps form a necessary prerequisite for the adequate implementation and operational
performance of a Management Information System.

Quality

An important issue for users is the reliability of the data used for generating information products:
'garbage in' 'garbage out'. The quality of decisions depends on the quality of the underlying
information. In several ACP countries the current threats to the natural resource base stem from
poor and/or inadequate information, amongst other causes including lack of an enabling policy
environment. Information that is available on the Internet is not necessarily 100% accurate. How
then can the reliability of information obtained through information systems and the Internet be
judged where there is no control, no quality mark, and no verification of content? Often it is not
clear what procedure the provider applied to generate the information provided from basic ('raw')
data. In some cases, information may have a cultural, political or strategic bias, which is difficult to
detect.

In some cases it is known that the source can be trusted, but in other cases, not enough is known
and therefore the information must be used with great care. One way to better estimate the quality
is to compare information from different sources, if available. A user's own knowledge and
experience may in many cases be the only reliable tool.

Especially important for the providers of information, is the liability for mistakes in the
information generated. Who is responsible for the quality of the information provided to the users
through the Internet or otherwise? How far does this responsibility reach? What are the legal
procedures when information proves to be wrong and damage has resulted from its usage? Can an
information provider be sued for the damage done? What are the legal precedents in such cases?
Should this issue be a part of the institutional data policy?

ACP scientists have a very important role to play in developing and validating management
information systems based on reliable data sets if they are to enhance their contribution to the
socio-economic advancement of their countries. Lessons can be learned from experiences of more
developed countries and where appropriate modified or applied in the interest of the ACP region.
The need for the systematic integration of environmental and socio-economic data to improve policy
and decision-making in ACP countries cannot be ignored

1. Reach an understanding of the relevant processes on the basis of the available

historic information. This element forms the basis for the development of models,
required for forecasting and simulation.
2. Provide information on the current situation, especially for early warning
purposes, for instance related to issues impacting on food security, water
resources or pest and disease status.
3. Forecast changes and impacts, either natural or man-made , as an element in
vulnerability assessments.
4. Forecast the consequences of policy decisions and measures before they are
implemented in reality. This implies evaluating options for several given
scenarios based on the possible results and predicted consequences, and
selecting the most acceptable alternative.

.1 The Purpose and Scope of MIS Management Information Systems can be defined as
'The combination of human and computer based resources that results in the collection,
storage, retrieval, communication and use of data for the purpose of efficient
management of operations and for business planning'. Source: Kelly Management
Information Systems are primarily concerned with the delivery of information (both
internal and external) to organisational members from the shop floor workers to the
management. The purpose of MIS is to help the smooth running of the business by
providing information on the firms data (such as accounting figures) employees from
different levels will then evaluate this information so that decisions can be made to
ensure that the business remains competitive and successful. MIS have been created to
support the whole range of business's administration and regulatory activities and can be
seen in all parts of the world and in all types of...