Introduction to Business Information Systems

Lecture 1
Introduction to the Module and Diagnosis of Practical Skill Level

Text & References

Focus will be on topics rather than chapters of any text Many books are available in market
Bocij, P. Greasley, A. & Hickie, S., 2008, Business Information Systems, 4th Edition. FT Prentice Hall (ISBN: 9780273716624) International Telecommunication Union, The World in 2010: ICT Facts and Figures. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/material/FactsFigures2010.pdf International Telecommunication Union, Measuring the Information Society 2010. http://www.itu.int/ITUD/ict/publications/idi/2010/Material/MIS_2010_without_annex_4-e.pdf Not necessarily every thing is taught from the Text, Students need to broaden their view and consult as many additional references as possible (preferably available in the library and from the Internet)

Text & References

Further reading Chaffey, D. (2007) E-Business and E-Commerce Management, 3rd ED, FT Prentice-Hall. Turban, E., et al. (2008), Information Technology for Management, 6th ED, Wiley.

Specific Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:
How advances in technology have allowed the once seperate industries of computing and communication to converge allowing widespread adoption of digital technologies by both business and consumers The impact of regional, economic and political factors on the update of digital technologies by business and consumer within a given region The different structures of the Internet and WWW The adoption of IT technology for use as a business resource The difference between data, information and knowledge The interaction of businesses with their environment and the need for constant monitoring for problems and opportunities

Specific Learning Outcomes

The importance of high quality information for managerial decision making The role of IS in supporting decision-making through out the organisation The role of BIS within the organisation Generic system model and its value in problem solving The role of BIS in achieving competitive advantage Computer networks and their role within the business organisation and the impact on working practices E-commerce and its impact on businesses, consumers, and their relationship The various business, marketplace and revenue models for business adopting e-commerce.

Specific Learning Outcomes

Intellectual/Cognitive Skills:
Appreciate the global and local impact of information & communication technology (ICT). Understand and evaluate the various factors that relate to the business adoption of business information systems. Evaluate the scope of e-commerce as a straight business resource.

Practical Skills:
Ability to analyse, understand and propose solutions to information systems problems using appropriate principles and techniques. Ability to use software application packages to create artefacts relevant to business communications

Specific Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills:
Embedding the importance of self-study and reliance. This involves cultivating and developing a responsibility within each student to take cognisance for their own learning, initiative, effective time-management and self-discipline within the academic and professional environments Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing Ability to contribute in a team environment

What is Information Systems?

Information systems is an interface between people, organisation and technology, which brings all these together.

Business Information Systems (BIS)

A business information system is a group of interrelated components that work collectively to carry out input, processing, output, storage and control actions in order to convert data into information products that can be used to support forecasting, planning, control, coordination, decision making and operational activities in an organisation.

BIS
As modern society becomes increasingly information driven, the capability and maturity of an organisation to manage the quality of its information can mean the difference between success and failure (Al Hakim, 2007).

Resources that Supports BIS

People: People resources include the users of an information system and those who develop, maintain and operate the system Hardware: The term hardware resources refers to all types of machines, not just computer hardware Software: The term software resources does not only refer to computer programs and the media on which they are stored, but the term can also be used to describe the procedures used by people. Data: Data resources describe all of the data that an organisation has access to, regardless of its form.

IT & IS
Scope of the terms are different IT- Emphasis is on the technology IS It not only refers to the technology, but also incorporates how it is applied and managed to contibute to the business

Advantages of Computerised BIS

Speed: Computers can process millions of instructions each second, allowing them to complete a given task in a very short time Accuracy: The result of calculation carried out by a computer is likely to be completely accurate. In addition, errors that a human might make, such as typing error, can be reduced or eliminated entirely. Reliability: In many organisations, computer-based IS operate for twenty-four hours a day Programmability: The ability to modify the software that controls them provides a high degree of flexibility Repetitive tasks: Computer-based IS are suited to highly repititive tasks that might result in boredom or fatigue in people.

Disadvantages of Computerised BIS

Lack of Judgement: despite advances in AI techniques and expert systems, computer-based IS are considered incapable of solving problems using their own judgement Flexibility: computer-based IS are unable to react to unexpected situations and events. Reliability: lacks the creativity of human being. They are unable to think in the abstract and are therefore restricted in their ability to discover new ways of improving processes. Intuition: One might use inituition to gauge the emotional state of a person before deciding whether or not to give them a bad news. Qualitative information: Managers often make unstructured decisions based on the recommendation of others. Their confidence in the person they are dealing with often has a major influence on the decision itself.

Levels of Managerial Decision Making

Strategic

Tactical

Operational

 Strategic: Managers are largerly concerned with long-term organisational planning. Decisions are unstructured Tactical: Managers are largerly concerned with medium-term planning. They monitor the performance of the organisation, control budgets Operational: Managers deal with short-term planning and the day-to-day control of the organisations activities.

Levels of Managerial Decision Making

Examples of Decision Types

Operational (Structured)
How should we process a sales order? How much discount?

Tactical (Semi-structured)
How do we target our most profitable customer? What is the best pricing structure?

Strategic (Unstructured)
Which business area should the organisation be in? How should the organisation be structured? What should our distribution channles be?

Microsoft Office
An office suite of interrelated desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. Purpose: worker productivity and collaboration. Office suite: a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers: the components are generally distributed together; have a consistent user interface; can interact with each other, sometimes in ways that the operating system would not normally allow.

Microsoft Office
Typical Office Suite Components
Word processor: a computer application used for the production (composition, editing, formatting, and printing) of printable material. Spreadsheet: a computer application that simulates a paper, accounting worksheet.
Presentation program: a computer software package used to display information, normally in the form of a slide show. Database: an integrated collection of logically-related records or files consolidated into a common pool that provides data for one or more multiple uses.

Microsoft Office
Graphics suite: a software suite for graphics work that are distributed together. Email client: a computer program used to manage email - message management, composition, and reception

Personal information manager: a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer.
Notetaking program: a basic text editor that can be used to create simple documents

Practical: Exploring the Internet

Use the internet to identify the historical development of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) and produce a poster for peer review and discussion.