IMT308 Lecture Note 2024
IMT308 Lecture Note 2024
YOLA
Introduction
An MIS is a system that provides managers with the necessary information to make decisions
about an organization's operations. The MIS gathers data from various sources and processes
it to provide information tailored to the managers' and their staff's needs. While businesses
use different types of systems, they all share one common goal: to provide managers with the
information to make better decisions. In today's fast-paced business environment, having
access to accurate and timely information is critical for success. MIS allows, managers to
track performance indicators, identify trends, and make informed decisions about where to
allocate resources
In another words, MIS is the of information technology, people, and business process to
record, store, and process data to produce information that decision makers can use to make
day to day decisions. Furthermore, Management information system is seen as the
combination of information systems which generate information useful for managers in
planning and control. MIS is evolved from information system and management science.
A good MIS depends on the people who design, implement, and use it. If you're considering a
career in management information systems, learn about the major, the skills you need, and
the various job role. Some key skills you can expect to develop include analytical, critical
thinking, and problem-solving skills. You'll also need to be able to communicate effectively
with other MIS team members and others who use the system. Essential skills you'll need to
develop include:
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Demand for trained professionals: The market for management information systems
(MIS) professionals will likely grow, driven by trends with the internet of things
(IoT), data science practices, artificial intelligence, and other new and emerging
technologies.
Job satisfaction: MIS professionals often report high levels of job satisfaction. The
reason for such appeal includes challenging work, an opportunity to use creativity,
and a chance to make a significant impact for an organization.
The opportunity for creativity and innovation: As an MIS professional, you’ll likely
have the chance to be creative and innovative. You can develop new ways to use
information technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your
organization.
Information systems manager: Information systems managers are responsible for keeping
an organization’s information system technology running optimally. This includes ensuring
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that systems are secure, efficient, and effective. They typically oversee a team of information
system professionals and make sure users have high-quality support.
Web developer: Web developers create websites and web applications to access
management information systems. Having strong technical skills like programming may be
helpful to being a good web developer. Web developers typically have a clear understanding
of business processes to gather the functional and testing requirements for front-end systems.
MIS allow businesses to have access to accurate data and powerful analytical tools to identify
problems and opportunities quickly and make decisions accordingly. A management
information system should do the following:
Consequently, the following are some of the justifications for having an MIS system in an
organisation: Decision makers need information to make effective decisions, MIS make this
possible.
MIS systems facilitate communication within and outside the organisation – employees
within the organisation can easily access the required information for the day-to-day
operations. Facilitates such as Short Message Service (SMS) and email make it possible to
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communicate with customers and suppliers from within the MIS system that an organisation
is using.
Record keeping – MISs record all business transactions of an organisation and provide a
reference point for the transactions.
MIS is not new, only the computerisation is new, before computers MIS techniques existed to
supply managers with the information that would permit them to plan and control business
operations. The computer has added on more dimensions such speed, accuracy, and increased
volume of data that permit the consideration of more alternatives in decision-making process.
MIS is an integrated set of components or entities that interact to achieve a particular
function, objective or goal. Therefore, it is a computer-based system that provides
information for decisions making on planning, organising, and controlling the operation of
the sub-systems of the firm and provides a synergistic organisation in the process.
The components of an information system include: a hardware which is used for the
input/ouput process and storage of data, software used to process data and also to instruct the
hardware component, databases which is the location in the system where all the organisation
data will be automated and procedures which is a set of documents that explain the structure
of that management information system.
There are various driving factors of management information system for example;
Technological revolutions in all sectors make modern managers to need to have access to
large amount of selective information for the complex tasks and decisions.
Management: Management is the art of getting things done through and with the people in
formally organised groups.
Every business unit has some objectives of its own. These objectives can be achieved with
the coordinated efforts of several personnel. The works of a few persons are properly
coordinated to achieve the objectives through the process of management.
Management is a vital aspect of the economic life of man, which is an organised group
activity. It is considered as the indispensable institution in the modern social organisation
marked by scientific thought and technological innovations.
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A manager is thus someone who defines, plans, guides, helps, and assesses the work of
others. The following mentioned management functions will involve creative problem
solving.
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Information: Information is data that is processed and is presented in a form which assists
decision-making. It may contain an element of surprise, reduce uncertainty, or provoke a
manager to initiate an action. Data usually take the form of historical records. In contrast to
information, raw data may not be able to surprise us, may not be organised and may not add
anything to our knowledge.
Information could be classified based on the purpose for which it is utilised, into three main
categories:
System: the term system is the most loosely held term in management literature because of
its use in different context. However, a system can be defined as a set of elements which are
joined together to achieve a common objective or goal. The elements are interrelated and
interdependent. The set of elements for a system may be understood as input, process, and
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output. Also, a system has one or multiple inputs; these inputs are processed through a
transformation process to convert them into outputs.
Input
Process
Output
Collection
Organisation
Distribution
People – people who use the information system and they are divided into two types:
End-users – these are the people who an information system or the information it produces.
E.g. Accounts, Salespersons, Customers and Managers. And Information system specialist -
These are the people who develop and operate Information system. E.g. System Managers,
Programmers, Computer Operation.
Data – the data that the information system records. Data resources of an Information system
are typically organised into two parts: i) Database: Database holds processed and organised
data. ii) Knowledge Base: It holds knowledge in a variety of forms such as facts, rules, and
case examples.
Business procedures – procedures put in place on how to record, store and analyse data
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Software – these are programs used to handle the data. These include programs such as
spreadsheet, word processing programs, database software and so on.
Data Capturing: MIS capture data from various internal and external sources of
organization. Data capturing may be manual or through computer terminals.
Processing of Data: The captured data is processed to convert into required information.
Processing of data is done by such activities as calculating, sorting, classifying, and
summarising.
Storage of Information: MIS stores the processed or unprocessed data for future use. If any
information is not immediately required, it is saved as an organization record, for later use.
Retrieval of Information: MIS retrieves information from its stores as and when required by
various users.
Production
o Production planning control
o Engineering standards
o Quality control
o R & D etc.
Marketing
o Sales order
o Forecasting
o Sales analysis
o Billing
o Distribution
o Stock availability
o Sales quota control
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o Pricing
o Product promotion
Finance and accounting
o Financial planning
o Budgeting
o Cost accounting
o Asset accounting
o Accounts receivable
o Payroll
o Accounts payable, etc
Materials
o Machine control
o Production planning
o Facilities location
Personnel systems (HR)
o Employee recruitment
o Employee selection
o Employee development
o Employee transfers
o Employee retirements, etc.
The discipline of MIS is in its evolutionary stage. MIS is a concept, which is a matter of
degree rather than an absolute one. The classifications of IS are:
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It represents the automation of the fundamental, routine process uses to support business
operations. It also does not provide any information to the user for his/her decision
making. Previously, MIS was also known as transaction processing system. Prior to
computers, data processing was performed manually or with simple machines.
Management information system
MIS us an information system which process data and converts it into information. The
MIS uses TPS for its inputs. And the information generated by the information system
may be used for control of operations, strategic and long-range planning, short range
planning, management control and other managerial problem solving.
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Characteristics of MIS
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Every legitimate solution will have some adavatages which is benefits and some
disadvantages or costs. These advantages and disadvantages are identified when each
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alternative solution is evaluated. Thus, this process is typically called cost/benefit analysis.
For examples, increase in sales or profits, reducing operating costs or required investment.
Selecting the best solution: once all alternative solutions have been evaluated the process of
selecting the best solution can begin. Alternative solutions can be compared to each other
because they have been evaluated using the same criteria. It is possible that to decide to select
the best solution to the problem.
Post implementation review: the final step of the system approach recognised that an
implemented solution could fail to solve the problem for which it was developed. The results
of implementing a solution should be monitored and evaluated, which is called a post
implementation review process.
Global busines strategies: MNC is a firm that operates across products, markets, nations and
cultures. It consists of the parent company and a group of subsidiaries. They are
geographically dispersed and each one may have its own unique goals, policies and
procedures.
Multinational strategies: it was a type of “hands off” strategy in which the parent allowed the
subsidiaries to develop their own product and practise. The information flows are primarily
from the subsidiaries to the parent in the form of financial reports.
While MIS may solve some critical problems, but it is not a solution to all problems of an
organization.
It cannot meet the special demands of each person in the organisation.
MIS if designed in an improper manner does not serve the management and hence is of
little relevance.
The MIS is as good as its users - if the users do not know how to leverage the information
available from MIS then MIS is of little or no use.
The MIS is not good if the basic data is obsolete and outdated
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Computers
Computer: is an electric device that accepts data as an input process it and give information
as an output. It can be as simple as our Calculators. The computers can be a stand-alone or
networked.
When a computer is used on its own without any connection to other computers, it is said to
be being used in a stand-alone environment. If data needs to be passed to another department,
then it needs to be printed out on paper, or copied onto disk before being transferred by
person to the other person for entry into their computer system. Information flow occurs all
the time in organisations, so it makes sense to have a method that makes information
exchange easier and faster, such as by connecting the computers together by means of cables.
A group of computers connected in this way is called a computer network.
A standalone environment is where each computer is set up and used separately. Each
computer will need its own copy of the operating system and the applications software being
used. In addition, they will use an individual set of data and if data needs to be passed from
one computer to another then this will need to be performed manually.
Cheaper hardware and software - the wires, network cards and software needed to run a
network are expensive, so stand-alone machines provide a cheaper option.
Less IT knowledge needed - a greater degree of IT knowledge is needed to run a network
successfully and this may mean a network manager/administrator should be employed.
Fewer problems with viruses - virus infection will be less of a problem with stand-alone
machines unless data and programs are transferred from one computer to another.
Not as hardware dependent - less dependence on hardware. With some types of network,
if the file server can't be used because of a technical problem, then this affects the whole
network.
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Transfer of files between computers is sometimes necessary - users often work together
on a project which means they need to transfer data from one computer to another using
portable media such as CDs or flash drives. This is wasteful if CDs are used.
Hard to keep data up to date - if two people are working with the same set of data, then
care needs to be taken that two different versions are not produced, which can cause
confusion. With a network only the one set of data is produced, so there is no such
confusion.
Harder to install software - with stand-alone computers, software must be installed on
each computer, whereas with a network you only install software on one computer, so
time is saved during the installation.
Harder to update software - you must update the software on each computer with stand-
alone computers.
Backups need to be kept by each user - users of each computer must be relied up to take
their own backups of their data.
There are many advantages of networking computers and they far outweigh the
disadvantages; the advantages include the following:
Ability to share files - No need to make copies of files as all the files can be accessed by
all the computers on the network if needed.
Ability to share hardware resources - No need to have a printer for each computer as
any hardware device (e.g. printer, scanner, plotter, etc) can be shared.
Ability to share software - Software can be shared, meaning that everyone will be using
the same version. Maintaining software by keeping it up to date is made much easier.
Lower software costs - It is cheaper to buy one network version with a license for so
many users compared to buying individual copies for each computer. It also saves time as
only one copy needs to be installed on the server.
Improved security - It is easier for network managers to control access from computers to
the internet. It is much easier to make sure that any material from the internet is checked
with the latest virus checking software.
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The Internet can be defined as a network of computers using standard protocols for sharing
of data. It binds computers running on different platforms into a Web to access information
by using a standard client programme, such as Web Browsers like Internet Explorer, Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox, Netscape and so on. The use of accessing information through Web
Browsers has become so popular over the last few years that an increasing number of Web-
based software programmes are being developed throughout the world. Almost all the
software producers such as Microsoft, SUN etc. are now designing their services, which
could be easily accessed through Web Browsers. The popularity of Web Browsers has also
given birth to the development of Intranets and Extranets. The Intranets and Extranets use
Internet protocols and technology for sharing the data from one computer to another. The
users also need not to understand different commands for accessing different databases as
almost all of them could be accessed through a Web Browser.
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Another definition can be given as: Intranet is an organisation’s internal information system
that uses Internet tools, protocols, and technology. An Intranet could be something as simple
as a single HTML document made accessible on a Local Area Network with no access to the
Internet at large; or it could be as complex as one or more dedicated Web servers with
thousands of HTML documents linking together a worldwide network of corporate offices; or
it could be anything in between. An intranet differs from a conventional LAN in two ways: it
links more than one kind of networking technology using the Internet protocols, TCP/IP; and
it uses a firewall to keep the larger Internet out of your internal information resources. This
means Intranets take the same features that make a World Wide Web useful - minus
geographic and time barriers, integrating multiple information services into a single interface,
interactive multimedia application, etc. - and bring them into the office.
Typically, larger organisations allow users within their intranet to access the public Internet
through firewall servers that could screen messages in both directions so that company
security is maintained. When part of an intranet is made accessible to its staff (working in
branch offices), customers, partners, suppliers, or others outside the organisation, that part
becomes part of an extranet. A firewall is a computer or several computers that sit between
your network and the greater Internet. Using filtering and specialised routing, as well as rules
you decide upon, firewalls keep out people who don't have permission to access your
resources internally. You, on the other hand, can access all the resources of the general
Internet.
As intranet uses TCP/IP, HTTP, and other Internet protocols, it looks like a private version of
the Internet. With tunneling, companies can send private messages through the public
network, using the public network with special encryption/decryption and other security
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safeguards to connect one part of their intranet to another. In some ways, the word "intranet"
is a portmanteau word, which logically combines the concepts in "internal internet between
business sites." Going deeper, we see that an intranet uses not only the protocols for transport
but the tools for collaboration, information dissemination, and resource sharing that the
Internet offers. Internal Web servers, FTP archives, newsgroups, and other resources become
the way your employees get their work done.
Extranets may be used to allow inventory database searches, for example, or to transmit
information on the status of an order. They are being used by businesses of all types such as
banks, airlines, railways, large corporate offices having several branches etc. An Extranet is a
private network that uses the Internet protocol and the public telecommunication system to
securely share part of an organisation's information or operations with its branches (located
within the same city or outside), partners, users, customers, suppliers or contacts. An extranet
can be viewed as part of an organisation's intranet that is extended to users outside the
organisation. An extranet requires security and privacy.
Advantages of Intranet
An increasing number of organisations throughout the world are now using almost all the
facilities/ provisions of Internet technology for internal communication. Access to internal
document collections, document management system, chat, file transferring, e-messaging and
video-conferencing are the popular usage of Intranet. Almost all the internal information of
an organisation such as newsletters, telephone directories, calendars, policy manuals, current
personnel lists, etc. are being made available through Intranets. The Intranets are becoming
quite popular due to the following reasons:
The interface is easy to use; it also encompasses access to multimedia formats such as
text, video, sound and graphical images.
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A single interface to all formats of information using the Internet open standard
removes the requirement for an organisation's network to provide several dedicated
interfaces traditionally needed to interrogate proprietary systems such as databanks,
bibliographic information retrieval systems and management information systems.
Also, the user only needs to be familiar with one interface.
Compared to the cost of employing proprietary information systems, or group ware,
intranets are very inexpensive to set up. In addition, proprietary packages also use in-
house protocols, which often result in a dependency on the software distributor, and
update and utilities may only be acquired from the original vendor.
They provide improved access in a few respects:
o documents may be shared across all major networking platforms.
o information is accessible regardless of the user's location
o a workstation configured for use on an intranet is also ready for Internet use if
the necessary gateways are incorporated into the network.
o access and use of groups using the intranet may be monitored, making it
possible to assess the value of services and resources offered on the intranet
o user authentication systems can be incorporated into browsers, so that access
to information can be controlled.
Advantages of Extranet
An organisation can use provisions of the Intranet to create systems with an idea to build
them for improving employee productivity, sharing data, or updating human resources
information, for example. Then they would build other applications for use outside the
organisation - either products for their customers or products to let the company
communicate better with their vendors. So in addition to internal company networks, or
intranets, that are behind the firewall, companies are building external networks called
"extranets" that reach out to people who may physically work outside the firewall but who
are an important part of the business strategy, product-delivery system, or customer-support
apparatus. The organisations can use an extranet to:
Exchange large volumes of multimedia data using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
- Share office information, library, circulars, etc., at all the locations.
Collaborate with other organisations on joint development efforts - Jointly develop
and use training programmes with other organisations.
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The software packages can be sourced through internal development and external acquisition.
The internal development involves employing programmers and system analyst and setting
up an IT group within the organisation. While external acquisition as the name implies
involve external programmers and system analyst to develop the software, it is basically
classified into five: a) Proprietary Software b) Open Source Software (public domain) c)
Shareware d) Freeware e) Free Open Source Software (FOSS)
a) Proprietary Software
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code is almost always kept secret (source code is the version of the software as it is originally
written by a developer in a plain text, readable in plane or alphanumeric characters).
Sometimes these are called “closed code software” which means, the source code is not for
open access. Most software is covered by copyright which, along with contract law, patents,
and trade secrets, provides legal basis for its owner to establish exclusive rights.
Furthermore, the owner of proprietary software exercises certain exclusive rights over the
software. The owner can restrict use, inspection of source code, modification of source code,
and redistribution. Proprietary software may also have licensing terms that limit the usage of
that software to a specific set of hardware. Apple has such a licensing model for Mac OS X,
an operating system which is limited to Apple hardware, both by licensing and various design
decisions. Examples of proprietary software include Microsoft Windows, Adobe Flash
Player, PS3 OS, iTunes, Adobe Photoshop, Google Earth, Mac OS X, Oracle's version of
Java and some versions of UNIX.
The term "open source" refers to something that can be modified and shared because its
design is publicly accessible. Open source software is software whose source code is
available for modification or enhancement by anyone. Open source software is different. Its
authors make its source code available to others who would like to view that code, copy it,
learn from it, alter it, or share it. Libre Office and the GNU Image Manipulation Program are
examples of open source software. As they do with proprietary software, users must accept
the terms of a license when they use open source software—but the legal terms of open
source licenses differ dramatically from those of proprietary licenses.
Open source software licenses promote collaboration and sharing because they allow other
people to make modifications to source code and incorporate those changes into their own
projects. Some open source licenses ensure that anyone who alters and then shares a program
with others must also share that program's source code without charging a licensing fee for it.
c) Shareware is software
Generally downloaded from the Internet, which can be freely used and distributed. However,
it does require that if users would like to continue using it, they pay the developer a fee. This
is nearly always done by means of a credit card transfer across the Internet. When payment is
received, users get a serial number with which they can continue to use the software.
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Shareware is not a totally free software, but you usually get a certain days trial depending on
the software or the company. After you have passed those days the software expires and
works no more. If the user would like to continue using that software, they must pay a certain
fee to get the original product. Shareware is not free software, or even semi free.
d) Freeware
Freeware is software which can be freely copied and distributed. Usually there are certain
restrictions such as it may not be resold, or its source should be acknowledged. Examples of
freeware include PDF edit (Software that allows you to edit PDF files), YouTube
Downloader (Downloads & converts videos from YouTube), 3.GOM media player (Play
video files of multiple video formats).
We have discussed about different software ownership. The software developer has all the
rights to decide whether the source code needs to be shared or not. This decision makes the
change that the software is free or proprietary. The paradigm shift in the intellectual property
and knowledge management paves the roots for democratisation of knowledge. This results
in free and open movement and copy left movement (as against copy right). These basically
focus on the freedom of the user to access, modify, and redistribute the software. Therefore,
Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) is computer software that can be classified as both
free software and open-source software. That is, anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study,
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and change the software in any way, and the source code is openly shared so that people are
encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of the software.
This contrasts with proprietary software, where the software is under restrictive copyright and
the source code is usually hidden from the users. “Free software” means software that
respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the freedom to
run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. Thus, “free software” is a
matter of liberty, not price. A program is free software if the program's users have four
essential freedoms:
i. The freedom to run the program as you wish for any purpose.
ii. The freedom to study how the program works and change it so that it does your
computing as you wish. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
iii. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbour.
iv. The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. By doing
this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes.
Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
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Electronic-Business
Collaboration – the Web is a vast nexus, or network, of relationships among firms and
individuals. More or less formal collaborations are created or emerge on the Web to bring
together individuals engaged in knowledge work in a manner that limits the constraints of
space, time, national boundaries, and organisational affiliation.
Communication – as an interactive medium, the Web has given rise to a multiplicity of media
products. This universal medium has become a forum for self-expression (as in blogs) and
self-presentation. The rapidly growing M-Commerce enables connectivity in context, with
location-sensitive products and advertising. In communication domain, the Web also serves
as a distribution channel for digital products.
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Types of E-Commerce
There are many ways to classify electronic commerce transactions — one is by looking at the
nature of the participants. The three major electronic commerce categories are business-to-
consumer (B2C) e-commerce, business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, and consumer-to-
consumer (C2C) e-commerce.
Changes in the economics of information have created the conditions for entirely new
business models to appear, while destroying older business models. The following table
describes some of the most important Internet business models that have emerged. All, in one
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way or another, use the Internet to add extra value to existing products and services or to
provide the foundation for new products and services.
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everywhere: at home, at work, and elsewhere via desktop traditional boundaries and is removed
and mobile devices. Mobile devices extend service to local from a temporal and geographical
areas and merchants. location. “Marketplace” anytime, is
created; shopping can take place
anywhere. Customer convenience is
enhanced, and shopping costs are
reduced.
2. Global reach – The technology reaches across national Commerce is enabled across cultural and
boundaries, around the earth. national boundaries seamlessly and
without modification. The marketplace
includes, potentially, billions of
consumers and millions of businesses
worldwide.
3. Universal standards – There is one set of technology With one set of technical standards
standards, namely Internet standards. across globe, disparate computer systems
can easily communicate with each other.
4. Richness – Video, audio, and text messages are possible. Video, audio, and text marketing
messages are integrated into single
marketing message and consumer
experience.
5. Interactivity – The technology works through interaction Consumers are engaged in a dialog that
with the user. dynamically adjusts the experience to the
individual and makes the consumer a co-
participant I the process of delivering
goods to the market.
6. Information Density – The technology reduces information Information processing, storage, and
costs and raises quality. communication costs drop dramatically,
whereas currency, accuracy, and
timeliness improve greatly. Information
becomes plentiful, cheap, and more
accurate.
7. Personalisation/Customisation – The technology allows Personalisation of marketing messages
personalised messages to be delivered to individuals as well and customisation of products and
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Disadvantages
…for the customer …for the provider
Security risk: Higher logistics cost (goods have
Data theft (e.g. stealing account to be sent to the customer’s
or credit card numbers) location)
Identity theft (acting under our Anonymity of customers (how to
name or user identity) make targeted advertisements?)
Abuse (e.g. third person orders
goods with our identity, gets
them delivered and we have to
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An information system provides users with timely, accurate, and relevant information. The
information is stored in computer files. When files are properly arranged and maintained,
users can easily access and retrieve the information whenever needed. If the files are not
properly managed, they can lead to chaos in information processing. Even if the hardware
and software are excellent, the information system can be very inefficient because of poor file
management.
A computer system organises data in a hierarchy that starts with the bit. Bit represents 0 or 1
(i.e. binary digit). 8 bits are grouped to form a byte. Each byte represents one character,
number, or symbol. Bytes can be grouped to form a field. It can represent a person’s name or
age. Related fields can be grouped to form a record. Related fields can be student’s name,
course taken and the grade. Related records can be grouped to form a file. Related files can
be grouped to form a database.
Key field – Every record in a file should contain at least one field that uniquely identifies that
record so that the record can be retrieved, updated, or sorted. This identifier field is called a
key field or primary key.
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The data definition language – which is the formal language used by programmer to specify
the content and structure of the database.
The data manipulation language – which is used to manipulate the data in database. It
contains commands that permit end-users and programming specialists to extract data from
the database to satisfy information requests and develop applications.
The data dictionary – which is an automated or manual file that stores definitions of data
elements and data characteristics such as usage, physical representation, ownership and
security.
Advantages of a DBMS
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Database Models
A parent segment can have more than one child, but a child can only have one parent.
They can store large numbers of segments and process efficiently, but they can only
deliver information if a request follows the linkages of the hierarchy.
Advantages: They are good for high volume rapid response systems, such as airline
reservation systems.
The network model stores data logically in a structure that permits many-to-many
relationships.
Through extensive use of pointers, child segment can have more than one parent.
However, they are inflexible and very complex to maintain and program.
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The relational model overcomes many of the limitations of the previous models.
Data are organized into two-dimensional tables, each of which can be considered a
file.
The relational model can relate any piece of information in one file to any piece in
another file as long as the two tables share a common data element.
Access paths to data are not predefined, so that they can easily respond to ad-hoc
queries with less programming.
The main problem with RDBMS is poor processing efficiency. Response time can be
very slow if large number of accesses are required to select, join, and extract data
from tables.
Essentially, Ms Access is a Database Management System (DBMS) that stores and retrieves
information (often referred to as data), presents requested information and automates
repetitive tasks (such as maintaining account payable or a personnel system, and performing
inventory control and scheduling). With Access, you can create easy-to-use input forms,
display your information in any way you want and run powerful reports. Access also provides
a true relational database management system; it allows you to build a system consisting of
multiple tables that you stored in a single container.
Table is the first object in the database container; all the objects are linked or
interrelated together. To create table, make sure the table object is selected. There
three different ways of creating table which are: -
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IMT308 Lecture Note
Information gathering
System design
System construction/development
System implementation
The objective of this phase is to conduct a preliminary investigation where by objective of the
organisation should be ascertained, the nature and scope of the problem should also be taking
into consideration, and also to provide alternative solutions which could be in the following
format:
Information Gathering
Written Document
Interview
Questionnaires
Observation
Requirements Specification
This phase gives resources needed in designing the system. It should also give the cost and
benefit analysis of the system. The benefits may be both tangible and intangible. That is, cost
savings and worker satisfaction respectively.
System Design
In this phase, you will create a rough draft of the system (i.e. Preliminary design), make a
detail draft of the system, and finally write report about the system.
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IMT308 Lecture Note
System Construction/Development
In this phase, the system analyst should have to acquire the software to be used in
designing the system. The analyst may have to address what is called the “make – or –
buy” decision. That is, you have to decide whether to make new software that can
solves the problem or to buy existing software and customise it to suit what you want.
Once the software has been chosen, the hardware to run it must be acquired or
upgraded. It is possible you will not need to obtain any new hardware, and then you
must upgrade the existing hardware to coop with the system.
System Implementation
In this phase, a system analyst makes sure that the system not only becomes workable, but it
should become successful. In other to achieve that, the following should be observed:
Conversion: The analyst should make sure that he converts all the hardware, software,
and file or data to the new system. That can be achieved through the following
strategies:
Direct Approach
Parallel Approach
Phased Approach
Pilot Approach
The phase means not only keeping the machinery running but also updating and
upgrading the system to keep pace with new products, services, customers,
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IMT308 Lecture Note
government regulations, and other requirements. There are two tools used in this
phase which are:
Auditing: It means an independent review of an organisation’s information
system to see if all records and systems are working as required.
Evaluation: This is like auditing, but it is done internally. That is, the user of
the system will now assess and see whether the system is operating as required
and producing the desired results as expected.
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