TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Learning goals – this lesson
Today:
Different Types of Information Systems:
Traditional Classification
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What is an information system?
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Overview of traditional types of information systems
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Why is this useful to you as a student?
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Why is this useful to you as a practitioner?
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Many companies still use old legacy systems from the 90’s, 80’s, …
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Knowing where package solutions are likely to be available
Guttorm Sindre, IDI
ISTypes.ppt
Easier to learn about new systems if you know the context they emerged
from
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i.e., possible to buy rather than build
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
What is an Information System?
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Information = data + metadata,
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Planning
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Recording
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Controlling
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Measuring
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Decision-making
is the part of of an IS automated by the use of ICT
Is an end-user program system being part of a CIS
An application package
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n
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Strategic
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Tactical
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Operational
An application
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”…an arrangement of people, data, processes, communications, and
information technology that interact to support and improve the day-today operations in a business, as well as support the problem-solving
and decision-making needs of managers and users”
A computerized information system (CIS)
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Organizational uses of information
i.e. data has been processed so as to be meaningful to the recipient”
An information system (IS) is…
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Is a COTS product
Often, ”information system” is seen as different from
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Embedded system
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Command & control system
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Can you give me some examples of (types of)
information systems?
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Example: Electricity network company
Real-time op.
of the network
SCADA
Maps, overview
maintenance
of the network
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CuIS
NIS
ERP
Further challenges: mergers
Personnel, salaries,
economy, accounting,
purchasing, …
Assume that you, as an IS-consultant is hired by an
electricity company that is dissatisfied with their
current information processing. What can possible
problems and solutions be?
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Types of information systems (1)
Covered by the Hawryszkiewycz book, ch. 1-3
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What are the kinds of systems? (pp 7-13)
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Corporate Computer Systems (pp 14-17)
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Networking (pp 17-24)
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Ch2: Workgroup systems
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Ch3: Evolving business systems
Somewhat unsystematic?
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E.g., architectural aspects mingled with function /
organizational need
Covers the same types of systems
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Loosely based on the Hawryskiewycz book
CuIS
B
NIS
A
ERP
A
NIS
B
ERP
B
Daughter comp. A
Daughter comp. B
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Traditional types of computerized IS
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Transaction processing systems (TPS)
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Knowledge work systems (KWS)
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Office automation systems (OAS)
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Management information systems (MIS)
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Decision-support systems (DSS)
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Executive support systems (ESS, or EIS)
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ERP
SCADA
B
This lecture (+ next week)
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NIS
Mother company
CuIS
A
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CuIS
SCADA
A
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SCADA
Subscriptions,
Meter readings
Invoicing
Daily routine transactions
Highly skilled creation and synthesis of knowledge
Incl. Office tools, email, conferencing etc.
Summary reports from TPS, for middle-level managers
Making decisions from unstructured info
Reports from TPS and external sources, for top-level
managers
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Transaction processing systems (TPS)
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Examples: flight reservation, bank accounts,
stock control…
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Automate the handling of information about
business activities, often seen as discrete events
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Used at the operational level for the hour-to-hour
running of the business
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Traditionally, an organization would have many
TPS’s, e.g. one for each department
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Typical architetures:
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Centralized
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Distributed
Centralized TPS
Terminals
Presentation services
Application services
Transaction services
Data access
Presentation services
Application services
Database server
Centralized system
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Two-tier vs. three-tier
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Homogeneous vs. heterogeneous
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Two-tiered distributed TPS
Presentation services
Application services
User modules
Three-tiered distributed TPS
Client
machines
Client
machines
Presentation services
Presentation services
Presentation services
Application services
Application server machine
Transaction services
Data access
DB server
machine
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Transaction support
Data access
DB server
machine
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
OAS and KWS
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Management Information Systems (MIS)
Office Automation Systems
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Improving the productivity of employees who need to
process data and information
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Supporting typical office work, e.g. letter writing,
messages, workflows for administrative routines
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Summarise data from TPS into reports
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Mostly for middle-level managers
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Organization-internal data
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Types of reports
Knowledge Work Systems
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Supporting work which in itself creates and synthesizes
information
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Used by highly skilled personnel
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Example: CAD, CASE, document management
systems
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Summary
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Scheduled
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Exception
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On demand
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Ad hoc
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
MIS architecture
Decision-support systems (DSS)
User (manager)
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Support for making decisions (unstructured and
semi-structured)
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Project future states of the world based on past
data (from databases of TPS and MIS)
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Using a model base to provide this analytical
capability
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NB: ”Decision-support system” is not
synonymous with Expert system
Capturing and validating data
MIS
Application
TPS’es
Presentation /
reporting
Aggregation and
anaysis of data
Databases
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
DSS architecture
Executive Support Systems (ESS)
Dialog
management
User
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Also called Executive Information Systems (EIS)
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Like MIS: aggregating lower level data from DB’s
into summaries / reports
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Difference from MIS:
Dialog
management
Data
management
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Higher level of abstraction
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Higher tendency to combine internal and external data
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Better UI, more focus on graphics
Databases
(org. internal
and external)
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Ways to classify computerized IS
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Classification by org. level
A CIS can be classified along several dimensions:
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Organizational level of use
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Function (what does it do for the users?)
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System scope (personal, group, department,
organization, inter-organizational, global)
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Architecture (e.g.,centralized vs. distributed)
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Other user characteristics (e.g., age, gender,
handicaps, technical skills)
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Implementation approach (e.g., custom-built program
vs. package solution)
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…?
Strategic
level
Top managers
Management
level
Knowledge level
Middle managers
Knowledge workers
Operators
Operational level
How do the mentioned types of systems fit in here??
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Classification by function (1)
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Separating between two major categories of IS:
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Operational IS:
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Mentzas (1994), a 3D framework
Collaboration process support
help the day-to-day operation of the organization
Informational IS:
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Classification by function (2)
Decision process support
Analyzing data, making decisions
Continuum rather than binary distinction?
informational
operational
Information process support
Where do the mentioned system types fit in here??
How do the mentioned types of systems fit in here??
And any other systems to complete the picture??
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Modern trends:
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TDT4175 - Information Systems, Spring 2005
Next week
More integration:
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Trad. TPS’es: one for each functional department
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Now: one system covering all, e.g., ERP, corporate portals
More collaboration support:
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Trad. systems: shared DBs or documents
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Now: more sophisticated support: groupware.
Monday 17-19, aud. S5
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Lectures Tuesday and Thursday:
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More dynamic analysis of data
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Trad. MIS & ESS: rather static, two-dimensional reports
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Now: more flexible data analysis, e.g., data warehouses
Extending the automation boundary
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More detailed info about the exercises
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Will look more closely at these more modern types of
systems:
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Workgroup systems, Hawr chap. 2
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Evolving business systems, Hawr ch.
…for which there are usually available package
solutions in the market
Trad systems: within the organization
Now: internet, e-commerce, integration with customers (B2C) and
partners (B2B)
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