The Critical Role of Information Systems Essay

Also information systems assist with making decisions and business processes by formulating strategic plans and make decisions for the organisation longevity and prosperity. Additionally information systems add controls to employee processes, ensuring

Information systems interact with the organizations and influences the organization in many aspects of the whole organizational structure to the daily behavior. Information systems can enable strategies in four aspects including low-cost leadership, product differentiation, focus on market value and strengthen customer and supplier intimacy.

This article makes up Chapter 1 of the free, open access book titled, Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology, by John Gallaugher. Please ensure that you read the entire Chapter 1 of the book consisting of 3 parts (Part 1 Introduction; Part 2 Don’t Guess, Gather Data; and Part 3 Moving Forward).

Modern organizations use a variety of resources to fulfill their objectives regardless if the company is a multinational or small entity, they all have a set of resources they depend on to achieve their goals. Part of the resource relied on is Information, and this information needs to be managed to optimize its value to produce the best stakeholder value they can. In order to manage these resources, Information Management systems are put in place.

Information Management System (IMS) refers to a database that integrates financial and other information in organizations from different levels of management and produces regular reports. Starbucks is one of the firms that have implemented IMS. This paper describes IMS for Starbucks, its impact on competitive edge and how it helps to coordinate supply chain partners and to monitor inventory levels. The paper also explains why managing information is better than moving products.

The recent trend in the global business has been largely driven by the mechanism of the internet and more broadly the cyberspace. This has created a more elaborate platform for all business activities to be coordinated through an information system protocols. The information system is the management of the information data base of an organization or an institution. Information is assumed to be a significant asset, organisations strive to gather, retain and protect their valuable intellectual property to place them in a prominent business platform over their competitors.

Information system is a combination of hardware, software, infrastructure as well trained personnel who organized and facilitate planning, control, coordination and decision making within an organization. Information systems are also able to implement a vital integrated set of components for collecting, storing, and processing data. With this, it provided organizations with the necessary information, knowledge, and digital products needed. Information system bring the meaning of business applications that manage their operations, compete in the market place, manage accounts and human resources. This system have a vast variety of components that are crucial for a enterprise, business to function at his highest level, IT software is responsible that all system are reliable and up to date.

This paper will discuss how an information system is critical to the business process of an organization and how the information has impacted the organization 's structure.

Information systems (IS), technically are a set of interrelated components that collect and retrieve information, process and store it and support the organization in decision making. Information Technology (IT) is a shared technology and provides the platform for specific information. It consists of hardware and software for a business to achieve their objectives. Included is the computer systems, the computer, any hand-held devices, software the company needs to operate and storage. (20)

To help support this every organisation has an Information system. The UK academy for Information Systems defines information systems as “the means by which organisations and people, using information technologies, gather, process, store, use and disseminate information”

It is generally accepted that information is a vital commodity for the successful operation of today’s organizations. Nowadays modern business organizations are using computerized information systems in order to obtain such information. However as the technology advances rapidly the main issue is how can an organization should effectively use such an information system - which its management sometimes can be unpredictable - in order to effectively help the whole organization structure to improve and take the most out of it.

The purpose of this report is to explain what “Management Information Systems” (MIS) is. This report will discuss how management information system helps different departments in an organization. The functions and advantages of using MIS will also be examined in this report.

An information system is a base in today’s business world. Everything is electronic. In various businesses, the survival and ability to succeed strategic business goals is challenging without extensive use of information system. Businesses improve the efficiency of their operations in order to accomplish higher profitablity. Besides that, information systems are important tools available to managers for achieving higher levels of efficiency and productiviy in business operations. For an example, Zara uses the PDA technology to gather customer feedback and input.

Management is one of the most important human activities and has critical impact on life, growth, development or destruction of an organisation. In an organisation, managers with any rank or status should understand their basic duties i.e. maintaining a sustainable conductive environment where people can fulfil their commitments and objectives through collaborative approach. (Akhtar, 2011) A manager is responsible to achieve the business’s goals, visions and objectives by planning, organising, leading and controlling. Dubrin (1994) stated that in every organisation each member of staff must plan, organise, make decisions, and control the resources they need to accomplish the results expected

There are very many types of information systems. Classification of information systems follows the organizational levels in which they are used or installed for use. For instance, there are management information systems; some of which will be covered in this project report. Management information systems (MIS), helps businesses meet their business objectives. Almost all organizations and businesses today use management information systems; be it large, small, startup or an established multi-national. This is for the sole reason that information systems have evolved from just being a tool to gain competitive advantage for businesses, to a vital tool, a necessity in the digital age we live in. Management Information Systems help managers make better-informed decisions and communicate with their superiors, as well as with all the stakeholders in the businesses their organizations are involved in.