Name Shakeel Ahmad Shah

Roll No. 540910912

Program MBA 2nd sem– Lateral Entry
Subject Management information
system, set(1)
Code MB 0031

Learning Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Centre

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Q1. Define MIS ? What are the characteristics of MIS?
Answer:

MIS is an Information system which helps in providing the management of an

organization with information which is used by management for decision
making.

A management information system (MIS) is a subset of the overall internal

controls of a business covering the application of people, documents,
technologies, and procedures by management accountants to solving
business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide
strategy. Management information systems are distinct from regular
information systems in that they are used to analyze other information
systems applied in operational activities in the organization. Academically,
the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management
methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making, e.g.
Decision Support Systems, Expert systems, and Executive information
systems.

An 'MIS' is a planned system of the collecting, processing, storing and

disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the
functions of management. According to Philip Kotler "A marketing information
system consists of people, equipment, and procedures to gather, sort,
analyze, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to
marketing decision makers."

The terms MIS and information system are often confused. Information
systems include systems that are not intended for decision making. The area
of study called MIS is sometimes referred to, in a restrictive sense, as
information technology management. That area of study should not be
confused with computer science. IT service management is a practitioner-
focused discipline. MIS has also some differences with Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) as ERP incorporates elements that are not necessarily focused
on decision support.

MIS has a major impact on the functions of any organization. The

organization derives benefits from the systems in the following form:

a) Speedy access to information,

b) Interpretation of data,
c) Quick decisions,
d) Speedy actions,
e) increased productivity and thereby increase in the profit
f) Reduced transaction cost.
MIS characteristics
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In any organization managers will have varieties of tasks to manage. MIS is
mainly designed to take care of the needs of the managers in the
organization.

• Organizations will have different departments like marketing,

production, sales, inventory, maintenance etc. Each of these
departments function individually and also in relationship with other
departments. Information is available in abundance. MIS aids in
integrating the information generated by various departments of the
organization.
• MIS helps in identifying a proper mechanism of storage of data. The
data is maintained in such a way that the unnecessary duplication of
data is avoided.
• MIS also helps in establishing mechanism to eliminate redundancies in
data.
• MIS as a system can be broken down into sub systems. Each such sub
system may be programmed. This results in easy access of data,
accuracy of data and information. It helps in maintaining the
consistency of data.

Function of MIS

The main function of MIS is to help the managers and the executives in the
organization in decision-making.

• Large quantities of data like customers information, competitors

information, personnel records, sales data, accounting data etc is
collected from internal sources like the
• Company records and external sources like annual reports and
publications.
• The collected data is organized in the form of a database.
• The data from the database is processed and analyzed by using
different tools and techniques.
• The results of the analysis are properly presented to the managers to
help them in decision-making.

Q2. Explain strategic MIS categories in detail. Give illustration for

each category?

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Answer:

Strategic Information System

A Strategic Information System (SIS) is a system to manage information and

assist in strategic decision making. A strategic information system has been
defined as, "The information system to support or change enterprise's
strategy."

A SIS is a type of Information System that is aligned with business strategy

and structure. The alignment increases the capability to respond faster to
environmental changes and thus creates a competitive advantage. An early
example was the favorable position afforded American and United Airlines by
their reservation systems, Sabre and Apollo. For many years these two
systems ensured that the two carriers' flights appeared on the first screens
observed by travel agents, thus increasing their bookings relative to
competitors. A major source of controversy surrounding SIS is their
sustainability.

SISs are different from other comparable systems as:

1) they change the way the firm competes.

2) they have an external (outward looking) focus.
3) they are associated with higher project risk.
4) they are innovative (and not easily copied).

It is mainly concerned with providing and organization and its members an

assistance to perform the routine tasks efficiently and effectively. One of the
major issue before any organization is the challenge of meeting its goals and
objectives. Strategic IS enable such organization in realizing their goals.
Strategic Information System (SIS) is a support to the existing system and
helps in achieving a competitive advantage over the organizations
competitors in terms of its objectives. This unit deals with the critical aspects
of the strategic information system. This units indicates the theoretical
concepts and the way in which the same are realized in practice. The flow of
the unit is in such a way that it starts with the development of contemporary
theory about strategic uses of corporations' internal information systems
leading to systems which transcend the boundaries of particular
organizations. The process whereby strategic information systems are
created or identified is then examined. A number of weaknesses in the
existing body of theory are identified, and suggestions made as to directions
in which knowledge is or may be progressing. A strategic information system
is concerned with systems which contribute significantly to the achievement
of an organization's overall objectives. The body of knowledge is of recent
origin and highly dynamic, and the area has an aura of excitement about it.
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The emergence of the key ideas, the process whereby strategic information
systems come into being is assessed, areas of weakness are identified, and
directions of current and future development suggested.

Information system is regarded as a tool to provide various services to

different management functions. The tools have been developing year by
year and the application of the tool has become more and more diverse. In
management it is now a very power means to manage and control various
activities and decision making process. The original idea of automating
mechanical processes got quickly succeeded by the rationalization and
integration of systems. In both of these forms, IS was regarded primarily as
an operational support tool, and secondarily as a service to management.
Subsequent to the development, it was during the last few years that an
additional potential was discovered. It was found that, in some cases,
information technology (IT) had been critical to the implementation of an
organization's strategy. An organization’s strategy supported by information
system fulfilling its business objectives came to be known as Strategic
Information System. The strategic information system consists of functions
that involved gathering, maintenance and analysis of data concerning internal
resources, and intelligence about competitors, suppliers, customers,
government and other relevant organizations.

Q3. Write a detailed note on the planning and development of

Management Information Systems?

Answer:

Information is a corporate resource, as important as the capital, labour,

know-how etc. and is being used for decision-making. Its quality, therefore,
is required to be very high. A low quality information would adversely affect
the organizational performance as it affects decision-making. The quality of
information is the result of the quality of the input data, processing design,
system design, system and procedures which generate such a data, and the
management of the data processing function. Quality, unlike any other
product, is not an absolute concept. Its level is determined with reference to
the context and its use, and the user. Perfect quality just as perfect
information is non-achievable and has cost-benefit implications.

However, it is possible to measure the quality of information on certain

parameters. All these parameters need not have a very high value. Some
parameters may have lesser importance in the total value on account of their
relevance in the information and its use.

The quality parameters which are generally considered are shown in the table

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Individual Explanation Effect on Examples
differences information
processing
Locus of The degree of More The production
control perception information decisions,
internal or in assessing the gathering and selection of
external to control analysis, if tools and
the situation. which is internal to internal. materials etc.
the organization or
external to the
organization.

Personal The degree of faith Low The pricing,

dogmatism. in beliefs, opinions dogmatism, advertising in a
and past then more Competitive
experience. information environment.
collection and
processing.

Risk The ability to take Higher, then The top

propensity. the risk. more management
information decision-
gathering and making in a
analysis. strategic
planning.

Tolerance for Level of clarity Tight tolerance Manager

ambiguity. required in then Constantly
the information. more asking for more
The ability to read information information.
through the collection and
information. analysis.

Manipulative The ability to High ability, Experienced

intelligence. manipulate then less and skillful
the data and information and managers rely
information more self on the
vis-à-vis the analysis. manipulative
stored information intelligence.
and knowledge.

Experience in Extent of High, then The managers

decision- experience at correct filtering with a wide
making. particular level of of data and experience in
decision making. appropriate the different
choice of fields
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 decision of management
making- call for precise
process. and less but
pertinent
information.

Knowledge of The extent of Higher, then The Technocrat

the task, knowledge less scientists, and
tools and in the application information managers of
technology. of the tools and relevant to and technology
technology. tools correct have definite
analysis. information.

The quality of these important parameters is ensured by conducting a proper

systems analysis, designing a suitable information system and ensuring its
maintenance from time to time, and also subjecting it to audit checks to
ensure the system integrity.

The quality of the parameters is assured if the following steps are taken.

1. All the input is processed and controlled, as input and process design.
2. All updating and corrections are completed before the data processing
begins.
3. Inputs (transactions, documents, fields and records) are subject to
validity checks.
4. The access to the data files is protected and secured through an
authorization scheme.
5. Intermediate processing checks are introduced to ensure that the
complete data is processed right through, i.e. run to run controls.
6. Due attention is given to the proper file selection in terms of data,
periods and so on.
7. Backup of the data and files are taken to safeguard corruption or loss of
data.
8. The system audit is conducted from time to time to ensure that the
information system specifications are not violated.
9. The system modifications are approved by following a set procedure
which begins with authorization of a change to its implementation
followed by an audit.
10. Systems are developed with a standard specification of design
and development.
11. Information system processing is controlled through programme
control, process control and access control.
12. Ensure MIS model confirms consistency to business plan
satisfying information needs to achieve business goals.
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The assurance of quality is a continuing function and needs to be evolved
over a period and requires to be monitored properly. It cannot be assessed in
physical units of measure. The user of the information is the best judge of
the quality.

Q4. Explain in detail the necessity and importance of System Design

in MIS.

Answer: The Business application system demands designing of systems

suitable to the application in project. The major steps involved in the design
are the following:

Input Design: Input design is defined as the input requirement specification

as per a format required. Input design begins long before the data arrives at
the device. The analyst will have to design source documents, input screens
and methods and procedures for getting the data into the computer.

Output Design: The design of the output is based on the requirement of the
user- manager, customer etc. The output formats have to very friendly to the
user. Therefore the designer has to ensure he appropriateness of the of the
output format.

Development: When the design and its methodology is approved the system
is developed using appropriate business models. The development has to be
in accordance to a given standard. The norms have to be strictly adhered to.

Testing : Exhaustive and thorough testing must be conducted to ascertain

whether the system produces the right results. Testing is time consuming:
Test data must be carefully prepared, result reviewed and corrections made
in the system. In some instances, parts of the system may have to be
redesigned. Testing an information system can be broken down into three
types of activities.: unit testing, system testing and acceptance testing.

Implementation and Maintenance : Conversion – Conversion is the process of

changing from the old system to the new system. Four main conversion
strategies can be employed. They are – the parallel strategy, the direct
cutover strategy, the pilot strategy and the phased strategy.

In a parallel strategy both the old system and its potential replacement are
run together for a time until everyone is assure that the new one functions
correctly. This is the safest conversion approach because, in the event of
errors or processing disruption, the old system can still be used as a backup.

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But, this approach is very expensive, and additional staff or resources may
be required to run the extra system.

The direct cutover strategy replaces the old system entirely with the new
system on an appointed day. At first glance, this strategy seems less costly
than the parallel conversion strategy. But, it is a very risky approach that can
potentially be more costly than parallel activities if serious problems with the
new systems are found. There is no other system to fall back on. Dislocation,
disruptions and the cost of corrections are enormous.

The pilot strategy introduces the new system to only a limited area of the
organization, such as a single department or operating unit. When this
version is complete and working smoothly, it is installed throughout the rest
of the organization, either simultaneously or in stages.

The phased strategy introduces the new system in stages, either by functions
or by organizational units. If, for example, the system is introduced by
functions, a new payroll system might begin with hourly workers who are
paid weekly, followed six months later by adding salaried employees (who
paid monthly) to the system.

Maintenance is also necessary for other failures and problems that arise
during the operation of a system. End-users and information systems
personnel then perform a troubleshooting function to determine the causes of
and solution to such problems/

Q5. Explain in detail about e-business, e-commerce and e-

collaboration. Give Suitable examples?

Answer: Managing an E-business & Challenges before an E-business

- Due to Internet capabilities and web technology, traditional business
organization definition has undergone a change where scope of the enterprise
now includes other company locations, business partners, customers and
vendors. It has no geographic boundaries as it can extend its operations
where Internet works. All this is possible due to Internet and web moving
traditional paper driven organization to information driven Internet enabled
E-business enterprise. E-business enterprise is open twenty-four hours, and
being independent, managers, vendors, customers transact business any
time from anywhere. Internet capabilities have given E-business enterprise a
cutting edge capability advantage to increase the business value. It has
opened new channels of business as buying and selling can be done on
Internet. It enables to reach new markets across the world anywhere due to
communication capabilities. It has empowered customers and vendors /
suppliers through secured access to information to act, wherever necessary.
The cost of business operations has come down significantly due to the
elimination of paper-driven processes, faster communication and effective
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collaborative working. The effect of these radical changes is the reduction in
administrative and management overheads, reduction in inventory, faster
delivery of goods and services to the customers.

In E-business enterprise traditional people organization based on 'Command

Control' principle is absent. It is replaced by people organization that is
empowered by information and knowledge to perform their role. They are
supported by information systems, application packages, and decision-
support systems. It is no longer functional, product, and project or matrix
organization of people but E-organization where people work in network
environment as a team or work group in virtual mode. E-business enterprise
is more process-driven, Technology-enabled and uses its own information
and knowledge to perform. It is lean in number, flat in structure, broad in
scope and a learning organization. In E-business enterprise, most of the
things are electronic, use digital technologies and work on databases,
knowledge bases, directories and document repositories. The business
processes are conducted through enterprise software like ERP, SCM, and CRM
supported by data warehouse, decision support, and knowledge management
systems. Today most of the business organizations are using Internet
technology, network, and wireless technology for improving the business
performance measured in terms of cost, efficiency, competitiveness and
profitability. They are using E-business, Ecommerce solutions to reach
faraway locations to deliver product and services. The enterprise solutions
like ERP, SCM, and CRM run on Internet (Internet / Extranet) & Wide Area
Network (WAN). The business processes across the organization and outside
run on E-technology platform using digital technology. Hence today's
business firm is also called E-enterprise or Digital firm.

The paradigm shift to E-enterprise has brought four transformations, namely:

• Domestic business to global business.
• Industrial manufacturing economy to knowledge-based service
economy.
• Enterprise Resource Management to Enterprise Network Management.
• Manual document driven business process to paperless, automated,
electronically transacted business process.
These transformations have made conventional organization design obsolete.

In E-enterprise, business is conducted electronically. Buyers and sellers

through Internet drive the market and Internet-based web systems. Buying
and selling is possible on Internet. Books, CDs, computer, white goods and
many such goods are bought and sold on Internet. The new channel of
business is well-known as Ecommerce. On the same lines, banking,
insurance, healthcare are being managed through Internet E-banking, E-
billing, E-audit, & use of Credit cards, Smart card, ATM, E-money are the
examples of the Ecommerce application. The digital firm, which uses Internet

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and web technology and uses E-business and Ecommerce solutions, is a
reality and is going to increase in number.

MIS for E-business is different compared to conventional MIS design of an

organization. The role of MIS in E-business organization is to deal with
changes in global market and enterprises. MIS produces more knowledge-
based products. Knowledge management system is formally recognized as a
part of MIS. It is effectively used for strategic planning for survival and
growth, increase in profit and productivity and so on. To achieve the said
benefits of E-business organization, it is necessary to redesign the
organization to realize the benefits of digital firm. The organization structure
should be lean and flat. Get rid of rigid established infrastructure such as
branch office or zonal office. Allow people to work from anywhere. Automate
processes after reengineering the process to cut down process cycle time.
Make use of groupware technology on Internet platform for faster response
processing. Another challenge is to convert domestic process design to work
for international process, where integration of multinational information
systems using different communication standards, country-specific
accounting practices, and laws of security are to be adhered strictly.

Internet and networking technology has thrown another challenge to enlarge

the scope of organization where customers and vendors become part of the
organization. This technology offers a solution to communicate, coordinate,
and collaborate with customers, vendors and business partners. This is just
not a technical change in business operations but a cultural change in the
mindset of managers and workers to look beyond the conventional
organization. It means changing the organization behaviour to take
competitive advantage of the E-business technology.

The last but not the least important is the challenge to organize and
implement information architecture and information technology platforms,
considering multiple locations and multiple information needs arising due to
global operations of the business into a comprehensive MIS.

E-COMMERCE is a second big application next to ERP. It is essential deals

with buying and selling of goods. With the advent of intent and web
technology, E-Commerce today covers an entire commercial scope online
including design and developing, marketing, selling, delivering, servicing, and
paying for goods. Some E-Commerce application add order tracking as a
feature for customer to know the delivery status of the order.

The entire model successfully works on web platform and uses internet
technology. E-Commerce process has two participants, namely
Buyer and
Seller, like in traditional business model.

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And unique and typical to E-commerce there is one more participant to seller
by authorization and authentication of commercial transaction.

E-Commerce process model can be viewed in four ways and categories:

• B2C: Business Organisation to Customer
• B2B: Business Organisation to Business
• C2B: Customer to Business Organisation
• C2C: Customer to Customer
In B2C Model, business organization uses websites or portals to offer
information about product, through multimedia clippings, catalogues, product
configuration guidelines, customer histories and so on. A new customer
interacts with the site and uses interactive order processing system for order
placements. On placements of order, secured payment systems comes into
operation to authorize and authenticate payment to seller. The delivery
system then take over to execute the delivery to customer.

In B2B Model, buyer and seller are business organizations. They exchange
technical & commercial through websites and portals. Then model works on
similar line like B2C. More advanced B2B model uses Extranet and Conducts
business transaction based on the information status displayed on the buyer’s
application server.

In C2B Model, customer initiates actions after logging on to seller’s website

or to server. On the server of the selling organization, E-Commerce
application are present for the use of the customer. The entire Internet
banking process work on C2B model where account holders of the bank
transact a number of requirements such as seeking account balance,
payment and so on.

In C2C model, Customer Participates in the process of selling and buying

through the auction website. In this model, website is used for personal
advertising of products or services. E-Newspaper website is an Example of
advertising and selling of goods to customer.

In B2B Model, the participants in E-business are two organisation with

relations as buyer=seller, distributor-dealer and so on.

E-Collaboration every business has a number of work scenarios where

group of people work together to complete the tasks and to achieve a
common objective. The group could be teams or virtual teams with different
member strength. They come together to platform a task to achieve some
results. The process is called Collaboration. The Biggest Advantage of E-
Collaboration is that it taps the collective wisdom, knowledge and
experience of the members. The collaboration team or group could be within
the organization and between the organisation as well.

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Since, E-Collaboration works on an internet platform and uses web
technology, work group/team need not be at one physical location.
E-collaboration uses E-Communication capabilities to perform collaborative
tasks or project assignment. Its effectiveness is increased by software
‘GroupWare’ that enables the members of the group to share information,
invoke an application and work together to create documents and share them
and so on.

E-Collaboration helps work effectively on applications like calendaring and

scheduling tasks, event, project management, workflow application, work
group application.
E-collaboration system components are internet, Intranet, Extranet and LAN,
WAN networks for communication through GroupWare tools, browser.

Let us illustrate the model using an event in the business such as receipt of
material for a job to be processed on the shop floor. In this event there is a
transaction receipt of material, which needs to be processed, and then a
workgroup will use this information of material receipt. Each member of this
workgroup has a different goal.

Q6. What is an internet? Explain the differences between internet,

intranet and extranet.

Answer: Internet is a global network of interconnected computers,

enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a
computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast
array of available servers and other computers by moving information from
them to the computer's local memory. The same connection allows that
computer to send information to servers on the network; that information is
in turn accessed and potentially modified by a variety of other interconnected
computers. A majority of widely accessible information on the Internet
consists of inter-linked hypertext documents and other resources of the
World Wide Web (WWW). Computer users typically manage sent and
received information with web browsers; other software for users' interface
with computer networks includes specialized programs for electronic mail,
online chat, file transfer and file sharing.

The movement of information in the Internet is achieved via a system of

interconnected computer networks that share data by packet switching using
the standardized Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). It is a "network of
networks" that consists of millions of private and public, academic, business,
and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by copper
wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless connections, and other technologies.

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Difference between internet, intranet and extranet as follow:

Extranet :
An extranet is a private network that uses the Internet protocols and the
public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's
information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or
other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company's intranet
that is extended to users outside the company. An extranet requires security
and privacy. ...

A new buzzword that refers to an intranet that is partially accessible to

authorized outsiders. Whereas an intranet resides behind a firewall and is
accessible only to people who are members of the same company or
organization, an extranet provides various levels of accessibility to outsiders.
You can access an extranet only if you have a valid username and password,
and your identity determines which parts of the extranet you can view.

An extranet is somewhat very similar to an intranet. Extranets are designed

specifically to give external, limited access to certain files of your computer
systems to:

• Certain large or privileged customers.

• Selected industry partners.
• Suppliers and subcontractors... etc.

Therefore, a carefully designed extranet can bring additional business to your

company. Intranets and extranets all have three things in common:

• They both use secured Internet access to the outside world.

• Both can drastically save your company or organization a lot of money.
• Both need a user ID & password to control access to the whole system.

The professional development team at My Web Services has the expertise

and the right tools to design the right intranet or extranet that will meet your
exact needs, both for today and the future.

Intranet:

An internal use, private network inside an organization that uses the same
kind of software which would also be found on the Internet.
Inter-connected network within one organization that uses Web technologies
for the sharing of information internally, not world wide. Such information
might include organization policies and procedures, announcements, or
information about new products.

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An intranet is a restricted-access network that works like the Web, but isn't
on it. Usually owned and managed by a company, an intranet enables a
company to share its resources with its employees without confidential
information being made available to everyone with Internet access.
A network based on TCP/IP protocols (an internet) belonging to an
organization, usually a corporation, accessible only by the organization's
members, employees, or others with authorization. An intranet's Web sites
look and act just like any other Web sites, but the firewall surrounding an
intranet fends off unauthorized access. Like the Internet itself, intranets are
used to share information.
An intranet is an information portal designed specifically for the internal
communications of small, medium or large businesses, enterprises,
governments, industries or financial institutions of any size or complexity.
Intranets can be custom-designed to fit the exact needs of businesses no
matter where they are situated. Users of intranets consists mainly of:
• Members of the executive team.
• Accounting and order billing.
• Managers and directors.
• Sales people and support staff.
• Customer service, help desk, etc..

Internet:
An electronic network of computers that includes nearly every university,
government, and research facility in the world. Also included are many
commercial sites. It started with four interconnected computers in 1969 and
was known as ARPAnet.
A network of computer networks which operates world-wide using a common
set of communications protocols.
The vast collection of inter-connected networks across the world that all use
the TCP/IP protocols.
A global network connecting millions of computers.
A worldwide network of computer networks.
It is an interconnection of large and small networks around the globe. The
Internet began in 1962 as a resilient computer network for the US military
and over time has grown into a global communication tool of more than
12,000 computer networks that share a common addressing scheme.

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