What is a System?
• Input: capturing and assembling elements that enter the
system to be processed.
Example: Raw material, data and human effort must be
organized for processing.
• Processing: transformation processes that convert input
into output.
Example: A manufacturing process.
• Output: transferring elements that have been produced
by a transformation process.
Example: finished products and management
information must be transmitted to their human user.
Continued….
1
What is a System? (cont.)
• Feedback: data about the performance of a system.
Example: Data about sales performance is feedback to a
sales manager.
• Control; monitoring and evaluating feedback to
determine whether a system is moving toward the
achievement of its goal.
Example: a sales manager exercises control when
reassigning salespersons to new sales territories after
evaluating feedback about their sales performance.
2
Example: Manufacturing system
Environment
Feedback
Signals
Feedback
Signals
Control
Signals
Control by
Management
Control
Signals
Input of
Raw Materials
Manufacturing
Process
Output of
Finished Products
System Boundary
Other Systems
3
An Information System Model
4
Components of an Information System
People
Information
Systems
Resources
5
IS Resources: People
• End-user: use IS or the information it
produces, e.g: accountants, salespersons,
customers, managers, etc.
• Most end-user are knowledge workers:
spend most of their time communicating
and collaborating in teams and
workgroups and creating, using and
distributing information.
6
IS Resource: Hardware
• Includes all physical devices and materials
uses in information processing.
• Computer systems: consist of central
processing units
• Computer peripherals: devices such as a
keyboard or electronic mouse for input of
data and commands.
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IS Resource: Software
• Include all sets of information processing instructions.
• System software: operating system, which controls and
supports the operations of a computer system.
• Application software: programs that direct processing for
a particular use of computers by end-users, example: a
sales analysis program, payroll program.
• Procedures: operating instruction for people who will use
an IS, example: instruction for filling out a paper form or
using a software package.
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IS Resource: Data
• Data resource of IS are typically organized,
stored and accessed by a variety of data
resource management technologies into:
– Databases that hold processed and organized data
– Knowledge bases that hold knowledge in a variety of
forms such as facts, rules and case examples about
successful business practices.
• Example: data about sales transactions may be
accumulated, processed and stored in a web-enabled
sales database that can be accessed for sales analysis
reports by managers.
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Data versus Information
• Data are objective measurements of the
attributes (the characteristics) of entities
(such as people, places, things and
events).
• Information are data that have been
converted into a meaningful and useful
context for specific end users.
10
IS Resource: Network
• Network resources include:
– Communication media: include twisted-pair, coaxial
cable, and fiber-optic cable and microwave, cellular,
and satellite wireless technologies
– Network support: many hardware, software and data
technologies are needed to support the operation and
use of a communication network.
• Example: communication processors (such as modem),
communication control software (such as network OS and
Internet browser packages).
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Data versus Information
Monthly Sales Report
for West Region
Sales Rep: Charles Mann
Emp No. 79154
Item
Qty Sold Price
TM Shoes 1200
$100
12
IS Resource: Network
• Network resources include:
– Communication media: include twisted-pair, coaxial
cable, and fiber-optic cable and microwave, cellular,
and satellite wireless technologies
– Network support: many hardware, software and data
technologies are needed to support the operation and
use of a communication network.
• Example: communication processors (such as modem),
communication control software (such as network OS and
Internet browser packages).
13
IS Activities
•
•
•
•
•
Input of data resources
Processing of data into information
Output of information products
Storage of data resources
Control of system performance
14
Input of data resources
• Data entry activities: recording, editing
• For example, data about sales
transactions can be recorded on source
documents (such as sales order forms).
• Alternately, salespersons can capture
sales data using computer keyboards or
optical scanning devices; they are
visually prompted to enter data correctly
by video displays.
15
Processing of Data into Information
•
•
Processing activities: calculating, comparing,
classifying, and summarizing.
For example: data of purchasing can be:
1. Added to a running total of sales results
2. Compared to a standard to determine eligibility for
a sales discount
3. Sorted in numerical order based on product
identification numbers
4. Classified into product categories (such as food
and non food items)
5. Summarized to provide a sales manager with
information about various product categories)
6. Used to update sales records.
16
Output of Information Products
• Common information products: messages,
reports, forms, and graphic images.
• May be provided by video displays, audio
responses, paper products and multimedia.
• For example, a sales manager may view a video
display to check on the performance of a salesperson, accept a computer-produced voice
message by telephone, and receive a printout of
monthly sales results.
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Storage of Data Resources
• Storage is the information system activity
in which data and information are retained
in an organized manner for later use.
• For example, text material is organized
into words, sentences, paragraphs, and
documents, stored data are commonly
organized into a variety of data elements
and databases.
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Control of System Performance
• An IS should produce feedback about its input,
processing, output, and storage activities.
• This feedback must be monitored and evaluated
to determine if the system is meeting established
performance standards.
• For example, a manager may discover that
subtotals of sales amounts in a sales report do
not add up to total sales. This might mean that
data entry or processing procedures need to be
corrected. Then changes would be properly
captured and processed by a sales information
system.
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Attributes of Information Quality
20
Chapter Summary (cont)
• A system is a group of interrelated
components working toward the attainment
of a common goal by accepting inputs and
producing outputs in an organized
transformation process.
• An information system uses the resources of
people, hardware, software, data, and
networks to perform input, processing,
output, storage and control activities.
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Chapter Summary (cont)
• IS Resources:
–
–
–
–
–
Hardware Resources
Software Resources
People Resources
Data Resources
Network Resources
• Products:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Paper Reports
Visual Displays
Multimedia Documents
Electronic Messages
Graphics images
Audio Responses
22