MBUS 626
Introduction to
Management Information Systems
Jason Chen, Ph.D.
Professor of MIS
School of Business
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA 99258
mbus626chen@gmail.com
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Weekly Class Assignments
• Readings and prepare for class discussion
–
–
–
–
Chapter
Harvard Business Cases
Discussion Questions (DQ) - Blackboard
CDQ (if assigned): end of chapter discussion question
and Mini-case (individual and from end of chapter) if
assigned
– Online quizzes
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Why Information Systems?
(Why take IS?)
• “IT is a business force now. It amounts to one-half
of US firm annual capital expenditures and
increasingly affects firm organize, do business, and
compete. Business managers who choose not to
reckon with it do so at their and their firm’s peril.
by Pete G.W. Keen
• “Chaotics”
by Philip Kolter and John Caslione (AMACOM 2009)
N
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Why Information Systems?
“Chaotics”
Globalization and technology are the two main forces
that helped to create a new level of interlocking
fragility in the world economy. While global
interdependence works in everyone’s favor in good
times, it rapidly spreads much pain and damage in
bad times.
by Philip Kolter and John Caslione (AMACOM 2009)
N
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
4
Top-Ten Innovation Mistakes a Company
Can Make During a Turbulent Economy
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fire talent.
Cut back on technology.
Reduce risk.
Stop product development.
Allow boards to replace growth-oriented CEOs with costcutting CEOs.
Retreat from globalization.
Allow CEOs to replace innovation as key strategy.
Change performance metrics.
Reinforce hierarchy over collaboration.
Retreat into walled castle.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
5
IS vs. IT
IS
?
=
Why?
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
IT
Is Computer Age Over ?
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
The Information Age vs.
the Computer Age
The Computer Age
Time-sharing Computer 1960’s
Interactive Computing
Mini/Micro provide user with computer power (as of
Mainframe) but with little cost
End of the computer age
Advances in telecommunications(link terminals/PC
mainframe)
Beginning of the
information age
Software advances in application packages (e.g. ,
DBMS, spreadsheet
PC as DSS tool to access information stored in the
center computer files to support management decisionmaking process.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Computer Age vs. Information Age
• Computer age refers to the love affair with
hardware (and its speed of processing data)
• Information age refers to the trend toward treating
information as a corporate resource that supplies
executives with timely, accurate information for
more effective decision making.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
MIS
M
I
S
Which component is more
important?
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Computers Impact
The good news:
Computers allow us to work 100% faster.
The bad news:
They generate 300% more work.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
What is Information ?
DATA
INFORMATION
What is 80/20 rule?
How to apply it to this scenario?
Information is refined data.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
What is Information ?
DATA
INFORMATION
Trivial many (80%)?
or
Vital few (20%)?
Other business
example?
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
80% of
information/
valuable output
Data vs. Information
• Users really want is
– Information
What users can learn from the data
how to satisfy their best customers
how to allocate their resources most efficiently,
how to minimize losses
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Information and our Life
• Information (and energy) are at the
core of everything around us.
• Our entire existence is a process of
gathering, analyzing, understanding,
and acting on the information.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
100 Years ago...

Industrial Revolution
changed the World
Today...
• Information
Revolution!
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
100 Years ago...

Industrial Revolution
changed the World
Today...
• Information
Revolution!
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Industry
Evolution
(mid 1770s)
Steam Engine
Rail Road
(1829,
change concept
of distance)
Impact on:
Economy, Politics,
Social change
Information
Evolution
(late 1990s)
Computer
Internet
(1990,
??? Distance)
N
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
INFORMATION and PROCESS
Information is frequently said to be
the glue that holds an organization
together.
WHY? EXAMPLES
N
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Value Chain in Order Management
An Existing Product
Support Activities
Administrative and Other
Indirect Value Added
Primary Activities
Production
Sales
and
Manufacturing
Distribution/
Service
Logistics
DB/KB
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Accounting
N
Value Chain in Order Management
A New Product
Support Activities
Administrative and Other
Indirect Value Added
Primary Activities
Production
Sales
Finance
and
Manufacturing
DB/KB
.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Distribution/
Marketing
Logistics
Service
More Information ?
• More information is
not profitable unless
____
it is relevant
information.
• Executives will need
____ information in
better
the future if their
companies are to be
competitive.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Information …
BAD information is WORSE than ...
NO
________information.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Attributes of Information Quality
We realize that a firm needs better
information to survive and prosper.
Therefore, high quality information
products have to be provided to
management.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Attributes of Information Quality
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
What is Information Systems?
• Information Systems (IS) are more than just
computer hardware and software.
• It is not just developing business applications
programs
• Information Systems include:
– Information Technology
– Management
– Organization
• Ultimately, IS are used as strategic tool to improve
an organization’s competitive advantage.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MIS/IS)
ORGANIZATIONS
TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION
SYSTEMS
MANAGEMENT
Dr. Chen,
Management
Information
Systems Systems Technology
Dr. Chen,
The Challenge
of the Information
TM -27
What is Technology?
If it's green, it's biology,
if it stinks, its chemistry,
if it has numbers its math,
if it doesn't work, it’s technology
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
How you can apply MIS ...
• To improve the information content of the
data,
• to present the valuable information in a
user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to
understand way, and
• to empower knowledge workers of today
and tomorrow.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Objectives of the MIS
information
Deliver the right _______
people ,
to the right _______
time ,
at the right ______
form .
with the right _____
Ultimately, MIS should
improve the workers’
productivity
__________.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
who has what
information about
whom and when,
where, and how will
all be decided in the
process of building an
information system.
30
What is the class about ?
Therefore, this class is about
the need,
the value, and
the means
of acquiring, creating,
managing,
using the
_________ and ______
information in the
information age.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
The Twenty-first Century will ...
• The twenty-first century will witness only two
kinds of companies:
– those that exploit Information
Technology (IT)
– those that are out of business
Source: Quality Information and Knowledge, Huang et. al., Prentice Hall
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
32
What is Web 2.0?
• "Web 2.0" refers to the second generation of web
development and web design.
– It is characterized as facilitating communication,
information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design
and collaboration on the World Wide Web. It has led to
the development and evolution of web-based
communities, hosted services, and web applications.
– Examples include social-networking sites, video-sharing
sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies.
– Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer
industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform,
and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that
new platform.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Roles of Information Systems
Automates
Informates
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Innovates/
Transforms
Information Management vs. Knowledge
Management
• Information management can be described
as “delivering the right information to the
right people at the right time with the right
form.”
• Knowledge management can be illustrated
as “getting the right people to have the right
conversation at the right time.”
N
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
CONCLUSION
Information System (IS) should be an
organizational and management
solution, based on information
technology (IT), to a challenge posed
by the environment.
Dr. Chen, Management Information Systems
Information Systems
BUSINESS
CHALLENGE
MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION
INFORMATION
BUSINESS
SYSTEMS
SOLUTIONS
TECHNOLOGY
ORGANIZATION
Dr. Chen,
Management
Information
Systems
Dr. Chen,
Information
Age
TM -37
Dr. Chen,
Management
Information
Systems
Dr. Chen,
Information
Age
TM -38