17-1

17

Managing
Information
Systems and
Technology
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-2

Information and the Manager

 Data: raw facts such as the number of customers.
 Information: data arranged in a meaningful fashion. Good
information possesses these attributes:
 Information Quality: measures information accuracy and
reliability.
 Timeliness: information is needed when managerial action
is taken.
 Real Time Information: reflects the current condition.
 Completeness: manager has the information to act.
 Relevance: information matches the managers specific
needs at hand.
 Irrelevant information does not apply

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-3

Information Attributes
Figure 17.2

High
High
Quality
Quality

Relevant Useful
Useful Timely
Relevant Timely
Information
Information

Relatively
Relatively
Complete
Complete
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-4

Information Systems & Technology

 Information System: acquires, organizes, stores,
manipulates and transmits information.
 A Management Information System is the plan and
design of an Information System to provide managers
with information.
 Can be paper or computer-based.
 Information technology: is the means for acquiring,
organizing, storing, manipulating, and transmitting
information .
 Information technology power has increased rapidly.
 Information and Decisions: managing has to do with
making decisions.
 Good Information allows effective decision making.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-5

Using Information
 Information and control: control allows managers to
regulate the efficiency and effectiveness of the
organization.
 Effective control requires good information.
 Information technology in the form of computers allows
managers quick access to information.
 Information and Coordination: managers must
coordinate departmental actions to achieve goals.
 Information Systems provide information on suppliers,
production schedules, and orders to allow coordination.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-6

Information Technology Revolution

 Information Technology began with early computers.
 Computers are called hardware and use digital 1’s and
0’s to represent data.
 Modern computers use microprocessors such as the
Pentium to access information.
 Computer cost has dropped dramatically while the power
of computers has risen.
 Computers cost less and do more than ever before.
 Connecting one computer to another is also much easier
and cheaper.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-7

Price Performance Ratio of Computers

Figure 17.3

$400k

$300k
Cost per MIP
$200k

$100k

$3k
1980 1984 1988 1994

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-8

Computer Communications
 Wireless communications: connects managers and
computers together without wires.
 Cellular has grown rapidly to over 20 million users.
 Wireless modems connect one computer to another.
 Networks: share information between computers.
 Server Computer: powerful computer that relays
information to client computers.
 Servers and other computers are connected on a Local
Area Network or LAN
 Mainframe: large computers processing vast amounts
of information .
 Internet: a world wide network of computers.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-9

3 Tier Information System

Figure 17.4
Server
Server
Server
Server Mainframe
Mainframe
Hub
Hub

Wireless
Wireless
Link
Link Server
Server
Client Client
Client
Client
Laptop
Laptop
Client
Client Client
Client
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-10

Software Developments
 Operating system software: tells the computer how to run itself.
 Applications software: provide for functions such as word
processing, spreadsheets, and graphics.
 The new software provides far better access to information for
managers.
 Artificial Intelligence: behavior by a machine that can be called
intelligent.
 Computers evaluate problems & act on simple tasks.
 Speech Recognition: allow a computer to hear and act on
spoken commands.
 Powerful programs are still being developed.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-11

Types of Information Systems

 Transaction Processing Systems (TPS): designed to
handle large volumes of routine transactions.
 The first computer-based Information System.
 Billing, payroll, supplier payments are examples.
 Operations Information Systems (OIS): gathers
comprehensive data, organizes it and summarizes it in
a form valuable to managers.
 Can help managers with non-routine decisions such as
customer service and productivity.
 Provides sales, inventory & performance oriented data.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-12

Types of Information Systems

 Decision Support Systems (DSS): provides interactive
models to help managers make better decisions.
 Excellent for unusual, non-programmed decisions
 Analyzes investment potential, new product pricing.
 Often used by middle and upper managers.
 Executive Support System (ESS): sophisticated
version of a DSS to match top manager’s needs.
 Focus on user friendly features.
 Expert Systems: employees human knowledge
captured in a computer to solve problems usually
requiring human insight.
 Use Artificial Intelligence to recognize, formulate,
solve problems, and learn from experience.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-13

Types of Information Systems

Figure 17.5

Transaction Operations Decision Expert

Processing Information Support Systems
Systems System Systems

Programmed Non-Programmed
Decision Decision
Making Making

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-14

Information Systems Impacts

 Information Systems have provided managers with better
information, enabling better decision making.
 Effective Information Systems can be a source of
competitive advantage.
 Computer-based information systems are associated with
decentralization of managerial decision making.
 Flattening the Organization: information systems
reduce the need for the hierarchy to control the firm.
 Managers control and coordinate using the system, not
workers.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-15

Information Systems Impacts

 Horizontal Information Flows: Information networks
can bridge functional departments.
 Allow information to flow horizontally between
departments.
 Can lead to much higher productivity, quality, and
innovation.
 Virtual products: firms can use their information system
to custom tailor goods and services to each customer.
 Systems can allow this at no increase in cost.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-16
Information Systems Impact on
Figure 17.6
Organizational Hierarchy

Before After
Tall structure Flat structure both
primarily up and up-down and
down lateral
communication communication
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
 17-17

Barriers to Information Systems

 Technological factors: consistent standards for systems do
not exist.
 Makers of hardware use different standards.
 Makes it hard to share information between systems.
 Resistance by Individuals: many managers do not use the
system fully.
 Some managers are afraid of technology or do not
understand it.
 Political Resistance: the information system changes the
way information flows in the firm
 Some managers feel threatened by it.
 Managers may think they will be laid-off.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

 17-18

Limitations to Information Systems

 Loss of the human element: information systems cannot
present all kinds of information accurately.
 Thick information, which is rich in meaning and not
quantifiable, is best suited to human analysis.
 Example: employee evaluations need face-to-face
communication to convey all information.
 Difficult installations: Information systems can be hard
to develop.
 To avoid problems:
 list major organization goals.
 build support for the system with workers.
 create formal training programs.
 emphasize that face-to-face contact is important.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000