COMSATS INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND

TECHNOLOGY

Management Information System

Submitted To: Sir Omer Vikas

Submitted By: Muhammad Junaid Mughal

FA08-BBA-062

Date: 15th April 2010

 QUALITIES OF DATABASE
1. An ideal database will be able to track more than just members and their
money. Members are important, but it’s not the only kind of relationship that an
effective organization needs to track in a database, and development staff aren’t the
only people who need to use the database as an everyday part of their work.
Unfortunately, too many database products are too “development-centric.” Not only
in their features, but also in their pricing. Many commercial packages impose stiff
cost penalties for additional user licensees, and even some of the non-commercial
packages like ebase require steep File maker licensing costs to scale beyond a single
user.
2. An ideal database will be fast enough to keep open all the time for every
user. If people are going to use a database as an everyday tool to record data about
all of their key relationships, an ideal database must be fast to open and fast to use.
If it has a web interface, that interface must be extremely well engineered to
minimize roundtrips to the server.
3. An ideal database will expose different user interfaces to different types of
users. Too many databases assume that only one type of (expert) user will use them.
An ideal database will be usable by many different people in an organization, with
many different roles and needs. Program staff won’t have access to detailed
development reports, but will have an incredibly easy screen that they can use to
take notes on a phone call or meeting with a key activist. Unskilled users will find it
easy to perform basic tasks, and the full power/complexity of the program will be
hidden from their day-to-day view.
4. An ideal database will be usable by people in remote offices. Distributed
networks and decentralized organizations are the wave of the future. Too many
database applications are built with the client-server desktop software paradigm, and
assume that all users are in the same office. That’s not reality any more.
5. An ideal database will be open-source software. ’nuff said.
6. An ideal database will have a strong, well-supported community of
developers and consultants. Most open-source products aimed specifically at the
 nonprofit sector have had a hard time pulling together the resources and focus to
support a strong developer/consultant community. It takes substantial resources, and
a very different kind of talent than the kind of talent it takes to write great code.
7. An ideal database will not be a “hosted application.” A bold statement,
perhaps. But I really think the ASP business model makes it hard to focus on
supporting a developer/consultant community. It also makes it hard to focus on
making the code easy to install and run for anyone other than the developers. Which
slows down the adoption, which diminishes the community, etc?
8. An ideal database will integrate with other tools via open standards and a
well-documented API. Integrating a database with a group’s website, online
advocacy tools, email broadcasting tools, event registration tools, etc. is important.
The current “best of breed” tools tend to solve this problem by bundling all these
functions under one system, which of course makes them expensive and bloated.
Not to mention how hard it is for one shop to truly excel at all of these functions.
“Small pieces loosely joined” ideas suggest that it’s better to focus making tools that
play nicely with other tools via well documented, web-accessible APIs.
 
UPDATE: A few more great ideas culled from the comments below  
9. An ideal database will have excellent documentation and user support
resources. A corollary to point #7 above, it’s important to also note that an ideal
database must have excellent documentation, an active peer-to-peer user support
community, and a visible process for engaging the community in identifying both
“best practices” and future needs of the tool.
10. An ideal database allows you to put your data to use. There must be a return
on time spent doing data entry. An ideal database will have rich built-in reporting
capabilities, along with the ability to customize, configure, and build new reports,
and easy-to-use and sensible export functions to get your data out into other
applications in the forms you need.
11. An ideal database makes it easy to communicate. It should allow you to
efficiently generate consistent outbound communications in multiple media. This
 probably means a first-rate mail-merge system (whether built-in or a good, foolproof
interface to an external tool) and a way to effectively send email (again, either built-
in or external).
CHARACTERISTICS OF DATABASE:

There are a number of characteristics that distinguish the database approach with the file-
based approach. In this section, we describe in detail some of those important characteristics.

Self-Describing Nature of a Database System: Database System contains not only the
database itself but also the descriptions of data structure and constraints (meta-data). This
data is used by the DBMS software or database users if needed. This separation makes
database system totally different from traditional file-based system in which data definition is
a part of application programs

Insulation between Program and Data : In the filed base system, the structure of the data files
is defined in the application programs so if user want to change the structure of a file, all the
programs access to that files might need to be changed. On the other hand, in database
approach, data structure is stored in the system catalog not in the programs so such changes
might not occurs.

Support multiple views of data: A view is a subset of the database which is defined and
dedicated for particular users of the system. Multiple users in the system might have different
views of the system. Each view might contains only the interested data of an user or a group
of user.

Sharing of data and Multi-user system: A multi-user database system must allow multiple
users access the database at the same time. As the result, the multi-user DBMS must have
concurrency control strategies to ensure that several user try to access the same data item at
a time do so in the manner so that the data always be correct. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF DATA

The main characteristic of data is that (by definition), it is unprocessed, unorganized and
discrete  (in separate, unrelated chunks).

- data, like data, can be qualititative (opinion-based, subjective)

or quantitative (measurement-based, objective). The opinions of 1000 people about a
government policy would be qualitative. Rainfall measurements would be quantitative.

- data can be detailed or sampled. Detailed data would facts about every occurrence of
something (e.g. the weight of every packet of Twisties leaving the factory). Sampled data
would use typical measurements to represent the whole (e.g. weighing every 100th packet
of Twisties)
- data can come in various forms: textual (e.g. names, addresses), numeric (e.g. heights,
ages), graphical (e.g. pictures of faces), aural(e.g. Morse Code dots and
dashes), visual (e.g. the individual frames of a movie are data that are processed by the
brain into moving picture data when the frames are shown at 24 frames per second;
fingerprints).

QUALITIES OF DATA

Relevant

The data obtained and used should be needed for decision-making. it doesn't matter how
interesting it is. Businesses are often criticized for producing too much data simply
because their data systems can \"do it\". A good way of ensuring relevance is to closely
define the objectives of any data reports. Another way to improve relevance is to produce
data that focuses on \"exceptions\" - e.g. problems, high or low values, where limits have
been exceeded.

Up-to-date

Data needs to be timely if it is to be actioned. For example, the manager of a large retail
business needs daily data on how stores are performing, which products are selling well
(or not) so that immediate action can be taken. To improve the speed with which data is
produced, businesses usually need to look at upgrading or replacing their data systems.

Accurate

As far as possible, data should be free from errors (e.g. the figures add up; data is
allocated to the correct categories). The users of data should be informed whenever
assumptions or estimates have been used. Accurate data is usually a function of accurate
data collection. If data needs to be extremely accurate, then more time needs to be
allocated for it to be checked. However, businesses need to guard against trying to
produce \"perfect\" data - it is often more important for the data to be up-to-date than
perfect.

Meet the needs of the User

Users of data have different needs. The managing director doesn't have time to trawl
through thick printouts of each week's production or sales listings - he or she wants a
summary of the key facts. The quality control supervisor will want detailed data about
quality testing results rather than a brief one-line summary of how things are going. It is a
good idea to encourage users to help develop the style and format of data reporting that
they require.

Easy to use and understand

Data should be clearly presented (e.g. use summaries, charts) and not too long. It also
needs to be communicated using an appropriate medium (e.g. email, printed report,
presentation. Businesses should also consider developing \"templates\" which are used
consistently throughout the organization - so that users get used to seeing data in a similar
style.

Worth the cost

Often forgotten. Data costs money. Data is costly to collect, analyze and report. Data
takes time to read and assimilate. All users should question whether the data they
receive/have requested is worthwhile

Reliable

Data should come from authoritative sources. It is good practice to quote the source used
- whether it be internal or external sources. If estimates or assumptions have been
applied, these should be clearly stated and explained.

ROLE OF DATABASE IN INFORMATION SYSTEM

Management and organizations facing constantly changing problems, diverse managerial

styles, and ever present information needs offer a challenging context for developing
computer based information systems. MIS uses computer technology to provide information
and decision support to managers, helping them becomes more effective. Developments in the
young computer industry are changing corporate management style.

Computer technology, including DBMS's, is the motivating and enabling basis for the rapidly
expanding field of MIS. A management information system is an integrated, user machine
system for providing information to support operations, management, analysis, and decision
making functions in an organization. The system utilizes computer hardware and software,
manual procedures, models for analysis, planning, control and decision making and a data
base.

Managers at all levels use similar data. Operating managers require data which is timely,
precise, detailed, internal and historical. Upper level managers need data which is aggregated,
external as well as internal, future oriented as well as historical and covering a longer span
time. An effective MIS cannot be built without viable data management tools. Such tools were
not generally available previously. Moreover, most organizations did not effectively use DBMS
technology until two decades before. An important key to a successful MIS is the effective
management of an organization's data resources.

Role of the Database in an Organization:

An organization is traditionally viewed as a three level pyramid-operational activities at the

bottom, management planning and control activities in the middle and strategic planning and
policy making in top management. The corporate database contains data relating to the
organization, its operations, its plan and its environment.

State of Database Management In Organizations:

The needs of organizations and management are changeable, diverse and often ill-defined, yet
they must be met. Added to these are outside pressures from federal taxing authorities,
federal securities agencies and legislators making privacy laws. Both internal and external
forces demand that organizations exercise control over their data resources. 
Decisions and actions in the organization are based upon the image contained in the corporate
database. Managerial decisions direct the actions at the operational level and produce plans
and expectations which are formally captured and stored in the corporate database.
Transactions record actual results of organizational activities and environmental changes and
update the database to maintain a current image. 

People in the organization query the database for information to conduct the daily operations.
Middle management receives reports comparing actual results to previously recorded plans
and expectations. The corporate database provides data for modeling and forecasting which
support top management needs. The corporate database supports all levels of an organization
and is vital for operations, decision making and the management process.

While management seeks to control data resources, computer applications grow. When a
corporation achieves comprehensive support of its operations, for instance, computer
applications begin to penetrate into higher management levels. With comprehensive database
support of operations, an MIS can mature as a tool for planning, control and decision making.
Earlier, in the development of an MIS, an organization must appoint a DBA to manage its data
resources. 

While an organization's move toward the database approach can be hastened by the
acquisition of a DBMS, the latter is not necessary. Most commercially available DBMS's fall
substantially short of ideal capabilities, making their acquisition an interim measure - a move
to help the organization learn how to operate in a managed data environment. In seeking
DBMS capability, building one's own system is unrealistic except for large organizations with
special needs, such as a very large database or large volumes of known transactions requiring
rapid online response. 

Data is a vital resource in an organization and must be managed. The organizational database
is an essential component in a management information system. Of the four components of a
data processing system, attention to data has lagged behind the development of machines
and programming technology. Taking a database approach requires an organization to focus
on data as a valued resource. Data is separate from programs and application systems which
use it.

Benefits of Database Management

Database management systems are programs that are written to store, update, and retrieve
information from a database. There are many databases available in the market. The most
popular are the Oracle and SQL Server. The Oracle database is from the Oracle Corporation
and the SQL Server is from the Microsoft Corporation. There are freely available database like
MySQL. These are open source databases. Database Management Systems are available for
personal computers and for huge systems like mainframes. DB2 is a database from IBM for
Mainframe systems.