Topic: “What are management information systems” A management information system (MIS) is a broad set of technologies that help organizations manage, coordinate, and analyze information from within.
Below is the description of the different parts that a management information system can contain:
Data sets
Many organizations record and store information related to their operations. They do this because they can use the information to analyze internal processes to find areas for improvement, key performance indicators (KPIs) for their organization, and ways to maximize efficiency in the operations the organization has already improved.
Examples of data an organization may store include:
- Employee units of output are measures of how much an employee contributes to the organization. This scale can be different for each organization.
- Profit margins: This is how much money an organization makes compared to its outlays. This can vary from organization to organization.
- Machine downtime and uptime: The time a unit of production machine spends in repair or operation, respectively.
- Click-through rates: This is an online measure used to determine how many people are accessing an organization’s web pages.
Computing devices
Computing hardware is the hardware and associated software that organizations use to employ management information systems. These are essential components of management information systems because they provide people with access to higher levels of the overall design, a necessary part of the system administrator’s job, and at lower levels allow specific individuals to access the resources of other components of the system, such as databases and analysis tools.
Examples of computing devices include:
Computers are the primary access point for most organizations for their management information systems. It may include each program the organization uses or one particular aspect of the system.
- Tablets: Tablets are becoming the more and more common in workplaces for taking notes and communicating between different teams and team members within an organization. Although they have not yet replaced computers, they are becoming more powerful and have the advantage of being more mobile than computers and more powerful than smartphones.
- Smartphones: Many organizations use smartphones to establish quick communication between team members, such as phone calls, emails, and text messages. Although it is not as powerful as tablets, it is very portable and can allow management to communicate quickly with the large numbers of people.
- Internal Communication Systems: Internal communication systems, such as corporate instant messaging or email systems, can help organizations communicate quickly and effectively with everyone. They also have the advantage of creating smaller groups to facilitate instant messaging for specific teams of individuals.
- Computer Software: Management can use this software to keep track of information. This includes progress tracking software, content management systems, project queues, and more, allowing managers to monitor their team members.
Management methods
These are how people in management roles decide and communicate changes to their organizations. This can include changing operations, finding new talent for specific projects, changing project budgets, and setting task deadlines. This can also include providing training, addressing challenges in the workplace, setting achievable but challenging goals motivating employees, and serving as a model for achieving those goals.
What is that?
Information technology (IT) is the technology organizations use to create, maintain and use computer systems, software, and networks, which you then use to store, process, and distribute data to internal and external recipients. Internal recipients include managers, team leaders, and project teams, while external recipients include clients, other organizations, researchers, and data scientists. Information technology also focuses on the use of computers and related technologies.
Examples of IT include:
- Radio and telephone equipment: Organizations can use this technology to communicate with their members and various locations quickly and over great distances.
- Computer applications: Organizations use these technologies to enter, process, and output data, which they use for various purposes, such as analysis, reporting, or process improvement.
- Software: Organizations use these technologies to automate office production, such as word processing, spreadsheet creation, and organizational production methods for project managers and team leadership.
- Computers: Organizations use computers as the main access points for their information. This can include internal information that data analysts use to drive decision-making and external communication to build public trust and increase sales to companies.
- IT professionals: Organizations employ these professionals to analyze the data in their systems, build and maintain their networks for technology and create more efficient data collection processes for their plans. These professionals may also support internal and external users of an organization’s information technology.
Differences between information technologies vs. management information systems
The main difference between information technology and management information systems is that management information systems operate as a system of technologies to provide information to management teams and help drive performance in the workplace. In contrast, information technology is only one part of this entire system. For example, an MIS may have computers to access a content management system, which is information technology. Still, the use of data by managers becomes part of a much larger system of professionals and computers. This means both are essential for modern organizations, but management information systems have a greater scope, while information technology focuses on computers.
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