Lecture 1 - Introduction to the ISS Module

New beginning of a new module that focus on the Information Systems used in business environment that shapes up peoples life's in a way which enable them to do something even faster than a shooting star in night sky.

Learning and Application of Theory:

As depict by Rainer & Cegielski (2012) The main objective of Information system is to collect, process, stores, analyze and spread relevant information to stakeholders who are interested to achieve what they expected. Syed (2012) makes the point that fundamental process of Information systems occurs in 5 stages, that illustrated in Figure 1 which named as 5 C's of Information Systems.

Figure 1: 5 C's of Information Systems

Above mentioned 5 C's needs to operate continuously for an information system to exist. This continuation starts of with Capturing data and ends with Cradle or storing data for future use basically for decision making process. In each stage of 5 C method adapts unique tools and technologies to perform it functions as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Purpose and Technology in 5 C's

Those above are the 5 fundamental operation forces in an information systems and if any part missing in action from the whole unit wont address as an Information System.

Below Figure 2 shows the entire spectrum of  Information System process as indicated by Syed (2012).

Figure 2: Information System Process

As said by Tiwana (1999) Data is everywhere as in raw, facts and figures the common thing is that there is no any meaningfulness. Such meaning can be considered as information after converting them relevance to 3 Dimensions of Information as Time, Form and Content. In organizational context information been heavily used in day to day operations to take various decisions in all levels of organizational hierarchy.

Figure 3: Three Level Pyramid Model (Chris-kimble, 2012)

The Figure 3 illustrates different types of Information Systems that been used based on the type of decisions taken at different levels in the organization. Before developing an information system its essential to identify what the managers actual requirements as in What, When, How and How much. The main purpose of operation level is to Capture, Creating and Converting data by using Transaction processing systems which act as an aid for more structured problems in order to maximize the organizational overall efficiency. For Communicating and Storing purposes, Tactical level operational managers uses Management Information systems to generate information to improve organizational effectiveness of decision making for semi-structured problems. Since there is lack of information availability in the top of the hierarchy specially for Executive level managers they faces for summary of information that provided by below levels to make Strategic decisions for Unstructured problems. When moving up in the hierarchy the level of certainty become low due to the fact that less information that result in less knowledge. The Information System Strategy comes into action when deciding the type of information system that needed by the level of organization and its users to make the right decision in the right time and in right format.

After knowing right information that relevant to each decision level, Decision takers step into take decisions based on information in order to be knowledgeable in the area of context. After having a proper knowledge in the context it results experience (Wisdom) basically wide dimensions of data (fusion) that made up with mixed and merged different set of knowledge areas with to come with new concepts.

Application:

In apparel garment factory, most of the data were insert into the system by supervisors who closely deal with manufacturing department. The system then generates information by comparing many variables unique to the industry and output reports to middle mangers to take tactical decisions such as fasten/alter the production process and inform top managers to make strategic decisions basically to go head with available resources or by acquiring new resources to the company by giving the priority for the minimally impact to the business functions.  

Reality of the Lecture:

Information Systems is a subset of Information Technology that mostly used in business environment to benefits its stakeholders in most efficient ways. In the current context operating a business without any involvement of Information Systems makes the life hard and tend to make lot of loop holes and problem in decision making process. With the time most of the organizations will fade away from industry itself due to lack of adaptation in new industrial market trends and simply need to go ahead with the current technology available to make the business processors more efficient and effective as the end users expected.

5 C's of Information Systems act as a building blocks of all the operations happen inside an information system since it defines and categories whole fundamental process which results data to be repent in Time, Form and Content. Those information been used in all levels of Organizational hierarchy to over come issues that they face by making decisions to pioneer in the area of context to become experts. 

Implementing and Maintaining an information system involves huge on time capital or money due to that organizations need to identify the system scope in a way that does not affect to the other organizational activities. Information systems only helps people to gather required information up to certain accurate level the reaction to the situation solely dependent on peoples reply. Reliable Information System means the combination of Peoples Reactions and Technology Response.

References:

Rainer, R. K. & Cegielski, C. G. (2012). Introduction to Information Systems: Enabling and Transforming Business. [Online] New York: John Wiley & Sons. Available from: http://proquestcombo.safaribooksonline.com/book/-/9781118063347/chapter-1-introduction-to-information-systems/navpoint-15?query=%28%28what+is+INFORMATION+SYSTEMS%29%29#X2ludGVybmFsX0ZsYXNoUmVhZGVyP3htbGlkPTk3ODExMTgwNjMzNDclMkZuYXZQb2ludC0xNQ== . [Accessed: 31/10/2012]

Syed, R. (2012). 5 C's of Information Systems, [Lecture] Introduction to the ISS. Information Systems Strategy Module. Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology Sri Lanka, School of Computing, L5 CR1, 31st October.
 

Tiwana, A. (1999). The Knowledge Management Toolkit. [Online] New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Available from: http://proquestcombo.safaribooksonline.com/0130128538/ch10lev1sec3?query=%28%28what+is+Management+information+system%29%29&reader=html&imagepage=#snippet . [Accessed: 31/10/2012]

Chris-kimble (2012). Three Level Pyramid Model. [Online]. Available from: http://www.chris-kimble.com/Courses/World_Med_MBA/Three-Level-Pyramid-model.png [Accessed: 31st October 2012]