mislecturenotes99fall01lecture01

8/6/2019 MISLectureNotes99Fall01Lecture01

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Management Information Systems90-728

Heinz School for Public Policy and

ManagementFall Semester 1999

Instructor: Michael P. Johnson

Teaching Assistants: Dana Berger, Cordell Carter, KarthikChandrasekar, Robin Groce, Ruth Kolb, Shawn

McClory (Head TA), Gersande Ringenbach, Qiu Yang

(grader)


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Course Goals and Topics

Course Goals:

Be able to design information systems at the conceptual level using a

variety of models

Self-learn and effectively use a suite of software packages

Learn methods to determine users' information requirements

Use a team approach to build a real database application Be able to make concrete assessments and recommendations for

public-sector IS acquisition, development and deployment

Course Topics:

IS overview: conceptual foundations, hardware, software, Internet

Database design and implementation

Systems analysis and design life-cycle, including project management

Web authoring and web-enabled database applications

IS policy issues and system implementation in the public sector


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Class Meeting Times and Texts

Meeting Times Lecture: Tuesday 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Room 1000 HbH

Labs: Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM (A), 11:00 AM - 12:20 (B), 3:30

PM - 4:50 PM (C) Room A100 HbH

Workshops: Friday 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM (A), 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM

(B), 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM (C) Room A100 HbH Discussion Sessions: days, times and rooms TBA

TA Office Hours: days, times and rooms TBA

Texts

Microsoft Access 2000 Step by Step

Microsoft FrontPage 98 Illustrated Standard Edition

Photocopied readings (available from Prof. Johnsons administrative

assistant, Connie Lucas, for $29)

Lecture notes and handouts


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Course Policies and Guidelinesy Grading:

Homework (8) - 20%Exam 1 (in-class) - 25%

Exam 2 (in lab) - 25%

Class project - 30%

y Group consultation is encouraged but all submitted work must be original

y Course information, data, updates and announcements on: Web site http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/90-728/

Electronic bulletin board (b-board) org.heinz.90-728

Heinz LAN directory r:\academic\90728

personal e-mail

y If you have questions: Check the electronic resources

Consult with the TAs (discussion sessions, office hours, or e-mail)

Ask the professor (office hours, by appointment, or e-mail)

y Always backup your work, whether done at home or in computer lab!


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Information Systems Fundamentals

An Information System is a set of (primarily) electroniccomponents that collect, analyze and disseminate data and

information to meet an objective.

Data: raw facts, e.g. text, image, audio, video. By itself, data

cannot help us make decisions

Information: aggregation, analysis and selection of data that

enables organizations to meet objectives. Some characteristics

of information:

accurate

reliable

relevant

verifiable

valuable


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Information Systems Fundamentals (contd)

System: a collection of elements or components that

interact to accomplish goals. Composed of:

Inputs

Processing mechanisms

Outputs Feedback/assessment

Many processes, whether or not they have a significant IS

component, can be viewed assystems:

Personnel management

University admissions

Production and inventory management

Criminal justice system


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Organizations may be classifiedaccording to the systems they

employ:

Simple vs. complex

Open vs. closed

Stable vs. dynamic Adaptive vs. nonadaptive

Permanent vs. temporary

System performance can be measuredalong three dimensions:

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Equity (fairness)


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Systems are designed, implemented and managed using models:abstractions of reality that allow us to apply principles assumed

to hold true for many different systems

Model types:

Narrative model, e.g. verbal descriptions of model features, goals,

resources

Physical model, e.g. prototypes, mock-ups

Schematic model, e.g. graphs and flowcharts

Mathematical, e.g. equations and relations

All models are based on assumptions, e.g. market conditions,legal restrictions, physical performance limitations. Assumptions

must be well-known and consistent


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Information Systems Components

Inputs: raw data

May be physical, electronic or conceptual

May use a manual or automated process

Processing: conversion of inputs to outputs

May be comprised of computations, data storage, choosing alternatives

May be a manual or automated process

Outputs: information used to make decisions

May be delivered in paper form or electronically

Outputs of one system may be inputs to another system

Feedback/assessment: outputs used to improve systemperformance

Can flag for incorrect processing

Cue for managerial interventions

Supply estimates of future input values (forecasting)


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Computer-BasedIS Components Hardware, computer equipment used for

input processing outputs

Software, computer programs that run on hardware: systems software applications software

Databases: specialized applications software designed to

organize data and information on an organizations operations

Infrastructure: equipment designed to link hardware across

space:

telecommunications networks Internet

People: IS personnel and users

Procedures: rules for developing and using the IS


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Business Information Systems Transaction processing: automation of routine, labor-intensive

processes payroll customer purchases accounts payable

Transaction processing systems have historically been mainframe-

based, often run in batch, using older, less flexible technology. E-commerce: commercial transactions conducted electronically

business-to-business business-to-consumer public sector-to-business

public sector-to-customerValue of E-commerce is estimated at $434 billion, with about

20% of total devoted to business-to-customer transactions


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Business Information Systems (contd)

Management information systems: collection of people,procedures, software, hardware and databases designed to

generate information for management decisions about

organization strategy. MISs may comprise: Marketing MIS

Financial management MIS Operations MIS Transaction processing systems

Decision support systems: an MIS intended to address specific,

complex decision problems requiring interaction of managerial

and machine expertise. Composed of: Database Models User interface Reporting


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MIS Demo: Workforce TrainingInformation

System (Fall 1998) Policy context

Increase in spending on local constuction

Need to remedy lack of minority participation in construction

Increased govt funding for organizations that can show positive

results from job training programs Desired features

Registration information on all program participants

Assignment of participants to training program classes

Recording personal and class outcomes

Implementation

Relational database application using Microsoft Access97

Web pages describing project teams, problem and solution using

Microsoft FrontPage98 (http://pirate.heinz.cmu.edu)


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Information System Development

Analysis and Design problem definition

justification of solution approach

system requirements

project team

conceptual application model

Implementation Prototyping

Large-scale development

Testing

Deployment

Maintenance and Review Evaluation of delivered product

Customer support

Upgrades


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