Information Technology (IT) is all forms of technology such as networking, hardware,software, the internet used by people to create, store, exchange and use information.
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1) Why sould study Information Systems?
· Homo Conexus:
-You are the most connected generation in history.
-You practice continuous computing.
-You are surrounded by a personal, movable information network.
-You can pull information from the Web and push your ideas back to the Web.
· Informed User: a person knowledgeable about information systems and information technology.
-Tend to get more value from whatever technologies / systems they use.
-Improve the organizations’ performance, productivity and team work.
-Help selecting new information systems / applications.
-Build your own company (entrepreneur).
· IT offers opportunities.
· Managing Information Resources.
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2) Overview of Computer-Based Information Systems.
Computer-Based Information System (CBIS) is essentially an IS using computer technology to carry out some or all of its planned tasks. The basic components of computer based information system are:
1.Hardware- these are the devices like the monitor, processor, printer and keyboard, all of these work together to accept, process, show data and information.
2. Software- is a program of programs that allow the hardware to process the data.
3. Database- is the gathering of related files or tables containing data.
4. Network- is a connecting system that allows diverse computers to distribute resources.
5. Procedures- are the commands for combining the components above to process information and produce the preferred output.
6. People- are those individual who use the hardware and software, interface with it, or utilize its output.
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Information Technology inside the organization:
Information Technology Infrastructure: The IT components, IT services and IT personal that support an entire organization.
IT components (Platform): consist of hardware, software, network and telecoummunication, and wireless communications.
IT services: consist of data management, managing security and risk, and systems development.
IT personal: use IT components to produce IT services.
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Capabilities of Information Systems:
· Perform high-speed, high-volume.
· Provide fast, accurate communication and collaboration within and among organizations.
· Store huge amounts of information in small space.
· Quick, inexpensive access.
· Interpret vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
· Increase effectiveness and efficiency of people working in groups in one place or around the globe.
· Automate semiautomatic business process and manual tasks.
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Types of Organizationl Information Systems:
there are certain Information System that support parts of organization, others support enitre organization, and still others support group of organizations.
Breath of support of Information Systems.
- Functional area information systems (FAISs): support particular functional areas [HR, Marketing, Manufacturing, Finance] in an organization.
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| Information systems that function among multiple organizations |
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems: tightly integrate the functional area information systems via a common database.
- Transaction processing system (TPS): support the monitoring, collection, storage, and processing of data from the organization's basic business transcations.
- Interorganizational information systems (IOSs): connect two or more organizations.
Example: Supply chain management systems, Electronic commerce (e-commerce).
Support for Organizational Employees.
- Office automation systems (OASs): support the clerical staff, lower and middle managers, and support knowledge workers. These people use OASs to development documents, schedule resources, and communicate.
- Business intelligence systems (BI): provide computer-based support for complex, non-routine systems, primarily for middle managers and knowledge workers.
- Expert Systems (ES): attempt to duplicate the work of human experts by applying reasoning capabilities, knowledge, and expertise within a specific domain.
- Dashboards (digital dashboards): support all managers by providing rapied access to timely information and direct access to structured information in the form of reports.
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3) How Does IT Impact Organization?
- IT reduce the number of middle managers.
- IT changes the manager's job.
- mean the change in the managerial requirments.
- The use of IT might lead organizations to reconsider what qualities they want in a good manager.
- Will IT Eliminate Jobs?
- Due to difficult economic times, increased global competition, demands for customization, and increased consumer sophistication, many companies have increased their investments in IT.
- Computers gain in intelligence and capailities, the competitive advantage of replacing people with machines is increasing rapidly.
- IT creates entirely new categories of jobs, such as electronic medical record keeping and nonotechnology that could lead to lower unemployement.
- IT impacts employees at work.
- Many people have experienced a loss of identity because of computerization.They feel like "just another number" because computers reduce or eliminate the human element that was present in noncomputerized systems.
- Encouraging people to work and shop from their living rooms could produce some unfortunate psychological effects, such as depression and loneliness.
- IT impact Employess' Health and safety.
- Some workers feel overwhelmed and have become increasingly anxious about their performance.
- Feeling of stress and anxiety can diminish workers' preoductivity and jeopardize their physical and mental health.
- The long term use of keyboards can lead to repetitive strain injuries, such as backaches and muscle tension in wrists and fingers.
- Ergonomics: the science of designing machines and work settings that minimize injury and illness. The goal is to create an environment that is safe, well lit, and comfortable.
- Ergonomics: the science of designing machines and work settings that minimize injury and illness. The goal is to create an environment that is safe, well lit, and comfortable.
- IT provides opportunities for People with Disabilities.
- Computers can create new employment opportunities for people with disabilities by integrating speed and vision recognition capabilities.
- Adaptive equipment for computers enables people with disabilities to perform tasks they normally would not be able to do.
- Other devices help improve the quality of life in more mundane, but useful, way for people with diasbilities.
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4) Importance of Information Systems to society:
- IT Affects Our Quality of Life.
- The workplace can be expanded from the traditional 9-to-5 job at central location to 24 hours a day at any location.
- IT can provide employees with flexibility that can significantly improve the quality of leisure time.
- IT also can place employees on "constant call", which mean they are never truly away from the office.
- Robort Revolution on the way.
- Telepresence roborts: are a recent develpoment in the field of robortics.
- Improvements in Healtcare.
- Medical personnal use IT to make better and faster diagnoses and to monitaor critically ill patients more accuratelly.
