INFORMATION SYSTEM

APPROACHES
&
ROLES

Presented by:
Goutham.M (112)
Jayakanth.K (118)
Santosh Kumar.S (135)
 History Of Information System
• The history of information systems (IS) only spans five
decades. Yet from its inception, IS has done more to
expand business and industry into global markets than
any other convention in history.

• By the mid-sixties IS was already forging its way into

business mainstream. The use of computer in business
and industry usually started off in the accounting
departments.

• During the seventies more upper management levels

recognized the importance of IS and the flexibility it
brought to business.
 INFORMATION-SYSTEM
• Information System handles the flow and maintenance of
information that supports a business or some other
operation.

• Information is derived from meaningful interpretation of

data. Data consists of the raw facts representing events
occurring in the environment.

• An Information System can be defined technically as a set

of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve),
process, store and distribute information to support decision
making and control in an organization.
Definition of an Information system (by
Buckingham et al (1987b)) is :
A system which assembles, stores,
processes, and delivers information relevant to
an organization (or to a society), in such a way
that the information is accessible and useful to
those who wish to use it, including managers,
staff, clients and citizens.
3 major components of a
System:
Functions of Information System
• Using information systems
effectively requires an
understanding of the
organization, management,
and information technology
shaping the systems.
• All information systems can
be described as organizational
and management solutions to
challenges posed by the
environment.
APROACHES
 Technical Approach
It emphasizes mathematically based models to study
information systems, as well as the physical technology and
formal capabilities of these systems.

The disciplines that contribute to the technical approach are

computer science, management science, and operations
research.

• Computer science is concerned with establishing theories of computability,

methods of computation, and methods of efficient data storage and access.

• Management science emphasizes the development of models for decision-

making and management practices.

• Operations research focuses on mathematical techniques for optimizing

selected parameters of organizations such as transportation, inventory control,
and transaction costs.
 Behavioral Approach
It concentrates on changes in attitudes, management and
organizational policy, and behavior.
Issues such as strategic business integration, design,
implementation, utilization, and management could be
explored usefully with the models used in this approach.

• Sociologists study information systems with an eye toward how groups and
organizations shape the development of systems and also how systems
affect individuals, groups, and organizations.

• Psychologists study information systems with an interest in how human

decision makers perceive and use formal information.

• Economists study information systems with an interest in what impact

systems have on control and cost structures within the firm and within
markets.
 Sociotechnical Systems
In a sociotechnical perspective, the performance of a
system is optimized when both the technology and the
organization mutually adjust to one another until a
satisfactory fit is obtained.
The New Role of Information Systems in
Organizations
Widening scope of information
systems
• Information systems
can reduce the number
of levels in an
organization by
providing managers
with information to
supervise larger
numbers of workers
and by giving lower-
level employees more
decision-making
authority.
Role of Information System
1. Operational-level systems
– support operational managers by keeping track
of the elementary activities & transactions of the
org such as sales, receipts, cash deposits
2. Knowledge-level systems
– support the organization’s knowledge and data
worker.
- It help the company to discover, organize and
integrate new knowledge into business and to
control the flow of paperwork.
3. Management-Level systems
- monitor, control, decision-making &
administrative activities of middle managers
- controlling whether everything in company is
working well, whether actual costs exceed budgets
4. Strategic-Level systems
- help senior management tackle and address
strategic issues and long-term trends, both in the
firm and the external environment
Systems Example (Sales system)
Strategic level To forecast sales trends, buying
habits trends for next 5 years

Management Tracks monthly sales figures, if

level sales exceed or fall below
expected figures
Knowledge To design promotional displays
level for firm’s products, i.e. to design
an attractive brochure
Operational To record daily sales figures, i.e.
level at the cashier machine
Major Types of Information System
• Executive Support Systems (ESS)
• Decision Support Systems (DSS)
• Management Information Systems (MIS)
• Knowledge Work Systems (KWS)
• Office Automation Systems (OAS)
• Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)