MIS 2000
Information Systems
for Management
Introduction to Course
Section A03, Bob Travica
Updated: January 2014
Outline
• What is Management Information Systems (MIS)?
• Focus of MIS 2000
• Course at a Glance
• Teamwork
• Assignments
• Hands-on: Class Exercises & Labs
• MIS on your resume
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What is Management Information Systems (MIS)?
•
An area of management study and practice (as marketing or HRM*).
•
MIS focuses on managing organizational data, knowledge and
information technologies (IT) in order to achieve greater efficiency
(productivity) and effectiveness (accomplishment of goals).
•
Central concept is Information System (IS), which includes data, IT and
work procedures.
•
The term “MIS” is historical, when the main kind of IS would record
transactions and report on basic operations (e.g., payroll, inventory,
sales).
•
Today, MIS is about any type of IS (see Syllabus for types).
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Focus of MIS 2000
•
An introductory course, with both conceptual and practical focus.
•
Management approach: Analyzing business (organizational) processes (BP)*
in order to understand:
– organizational data (in various states of organization)
– BP working with organizational data
– support of information systems (IS) to BP
– how to improve BP by IS support
•
Critical thinking: Stay away from a “silver bullet” approach – a new
information technology “solves all problems”!
•
Look at process design and performance and ask, how it can be supported
with better IT and IS.
•
Try to see how IS and IT can improve BP in your area of study.
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Course at a Glance
•
Course outline: online, paper
•
Study materials: No textbook, materials online & some paper handouts
•
Study methods: lectures, teamwork (all assignments and class activities,
class exercises, labs (MS Access, Excel, SAP*), discussion
•
Assignments:
1.
2.
3.
•
Laboratory (MS Access & Excel)
Three home works
Two exams
Class participation: talking on the topic in class (1 mark).
– If you do not attend, you can’t participate. Just attending is not enough.
– participating in teamwork on class exercises brings 0.5 marks.
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Course at a Glance – Online Support
•
Study materials:
– Concept list on your instructor’s Website
– Class notes (slides) – same Website. Wait for updates, check
the time stamp!
– Other materials – same Website
•
To save and print class notes off the Web site use the procedures
listed in the footer of this slide (save the printer tonner!)
•
UofM’s Virtual Learning Commons (doing research, writing paper,
academic integrity)
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Teamwork
• Make a team of three to five members (not more!)
• Specify the study area (major) if you can; not all members have to
be from the same area
• Elect a coordinator/spokesperson – communicates with instructor
• Start planning time and responsibilities related to assignments
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Assignments
•
1. Data Analysis & Diagramming: The task is to analyze a narrative
describing a business situation and to create a data diagram.
•
2. Business Process Analysis & Diagramming: The task is to analyze a
narrative describing a business situation and to create a process
diagram.
•
3. Labs will have quizzes and homeworks on MS Access or Excel.*
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Hands-on: Class Exercises & Labs
•
Class exercises in teams; focus of some key aspects of the topics
studied (e.g., process diagramming, decision making…)
– Problem to solve as team; instructor helps
– Present your work, learn from others
•
Laboratory training:
– MS Access and MS Excel
– Check schedule
– Total 6 sessions; assignments and a final grade
– SAP – software for enterprise level IS
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MIS on Your Resume
•
Information systems support every department and most work in
today’s organizations.
•
MIS is related to all management disciplines.
•
Understanding MIS makes a better accountant, marketer,
HR manager, purchasing manager…
•
It pays back to double major with MIS!
•
MIS courses cover IS Strategy, databases, IS Analysis & Design,
computer networks, and accounting IS.
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