Q:-1 Describe Management Information Systems (MIS) Growth and development?

Ans:MIS Development The term Management Information Systems (MIS) has come to refer to a wide range of applications of computers to data processing and analysis problems in the private and public sectors. The pace of developments in computing in general, and MIS in particular, is breathtaking. Traditional concepts of how computers can and should be integrated into businesses are being challenged by worldwide telecommunications and transmission of sound, graphics, and video alongside of text. Virtually all successful businesses use computers extensively. If you don't like computers, and want to have a career in business that involves little use of themthink again. You don't have to like them, but you will have to deal with them extensively. This is a fact of life along with the hole in the ozone, Oklahoma City, TWA 800, AIDS, and The Real World on MTV (now in its fifth season!). Computers can have a profound impact on the way that power is distributed in society. Those who ignore computers are apt to be left out of important decisions. You may even become the person in your firm who has responsibility for your firm's use of information technology. Nevertheless, many people have little understanding of what computers are and what they can do. There is a desperate need in our society for liberally educated people who are able to balance the enormous possibilities of computing with its potentially harmful consequences. In the business world, there has been a gap between those who are computer smart and those who speak the language of business. You need to know enough about computers to be able to: understand how computers support decision making and how they can be used to obtain strategic advantages; understand the challenges posed by the rise of the Internet; understand how the computer works in order to have a feel for the computer's limitations; understand how data is stored and managed; understand how to store and retrieve data yourself; understand the different types of computer systems and when one type or another is appropriate; understand how the overall parts of an MIS system work together and what some of the functions that they accomplish are; understand how to state computer system requirements and understand how computer systems are built; understand how computing is managed in the corporate environment; understand some of the social issues which computers raise. Achieving these objectives will give you the tools you will need to function effectively in the business environment.

According to Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane Price Laudon in their book Management Information Systems: A Contemporary Perspective, an information system is "a set of procedures that collects (or retrieves), processes, stores, and disseminates information to support decision making and control." In most cases, information systems are formal, computerbased systems that play an integral role in organizations. Although information systems are computerbased, it is important to note that any old computer or software program is not necessarily an information system. "Electronic computers and related software programs are the technical foundation, the tools and materials, of modern information systems, " Laudon and Laudon wrote. "Understanding information systems, however, requires one to understand the problems they are designed to solve, the architectural and design solutions, and the organizational processes that lead to these solutions." Though it is sometimes applied to all types of information systems used in businesses, the term "management information systems, " or MIS, actually describes specific systems that "provide managers with reports and, in some cases, on-line access to the organization's current performance and historical records, " Laudon and Laudon noted. "MIS primarily serve the functions of planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level." MIS are one of a number of different types of information systems that can serve the needs of different levels in an organization. For example, information systems might be developed to support upper management in planning the company's strategic direction or to help manufacturing in controlling a plant's operations. Some of the other types of information systems include: transaction processing systems, which simply record the routine transactions needed to conduct business, like payroll, shipping, or sales orders; and office automation systems, which are intended to increase the productivity of office workers and include such systems as word processing, electronic mail, and digital filing. Ideally, the various types of information systems in an organization are interconnected to allow for information sharing.

SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
The development of effective information systems holds a number of challenges for small businesses. "Despite, or perhaps because of, the rapid development of computer technology, there is nothing easy or mechanical about building workable information systems, " Laudon and Laudon stated. "Building, operating, and maintaining information systems are challenging for a number of reasons." For example, some information cannot be captured and put into a system. Computers often cannot be programmed to take into account competitor responses to marketing tactics or changes in economic conditions, among other things. In addition, the value of information erodes over time, and rapid changes in technology can make systems become obsolete very quickly. Finally, many companies find systems development to be problematic because the services of skilled programmers are at a premium. Despite the challenges inherent in systems development, however, MIS also offer businesses a number of advantages. "Today, leading companies and organizations are using information technology as a competitive tool to develop new products and services, forge new relationships with suppliers, edge out competitors, and radically change their internal operations and organizations, " Laudon and Laudon explained. For example, using MIS strategically can help a company to become a market innovator. By providing a unique product or service to meet the needs of customers, a company can raise the cost of market entry for potential competitors and thus gain a competitive advantage. Another strategic use of MIS involves forging electronic linkages to customers and suppliers. This can help companies to lock in business and increase switching costs. Finally, it is possible to use MIS to change the overall basis of competition in an industry. For example, in an industry characterized by price wars, a business with a new means of processing customer data may be able to create unique product features that change the basis of competition to differentiation. The impetus to develop a new information system can grow out of end-user demands, the availability of new technology, or management strategy. A variety of tools exist for analyzing a company's information needs and designing systems

to support them. The basic process of systems development involves defining the project, creating a model of the current system, deriving a model for the new system, measuring the costs and benefits of all alternatives, selecting the best option, designing the new system, completing the specific programming functions, installing and testing the new system, and completing a postimplementation audit. Information systems designers, whether internal to the company or part of an outside firm, are generally responsible for assuring the technical quality of the new system and the ease of the user interface. They also oversee the process of system design and implementation, assess the impact of the new system on the organization, and develop ways to protect the system from abuse after it is installed. But it is the responsibility of small business owners and managers to plan what systems to implement and to ensure that the underlying data are accurate and useful. "The organization must develop a technique for ensuring that the most important systems are attended to first, that unnecessary systems are not built, and that end users have a full and meaningful role in determining which new systems will be built and how, " according to Laudon and Laudon.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Knowledge management (KM) is a relatively new form of MIS that expands the concept to include information systems that provide decision-making tools and data to people at all levels of a company. The idea behind KM is to facilitate the sharing of information within a company in order to eliminate redundant work and improve decision-making. KM becomes particularly important as a small business grows. When there are only a few employees, they can remain in constant contact with one another and share knowledge directly. But as the number of employees increases and they are divided into teams or functional units, it becomes more difficult to keep the lines of communication open and encourage the sharing of ideas. Knowledge management is a way of using technology to facilitate the process of collaboration across an organization. A small business might begin sharing

information between groups of employees by creating a best-practices database or designing an electronic company directory indicating who holds what knowledge. Larger companies, as David Coleman wrote in Computer Reseller News, can implement KM systems through targeted pilot projects or through a broader strategy involving the firm's technical infrastructure. Many companies have installed intranetsor enterprise-wide computer networks with databases all employees can accessas a form of KM. A number of software programs exist to facilitate KM efforts. Some of the leaders in the field include Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange Server, and a variety of systems based on XML.

Growth of MIS In Last Few Decades MIS In Last Few Decades Growth of management theory & techniques. Growth of management accounting & its application in business. Changes in the production & distribution methods & the consequent changes in organizational structure. Development of management science. Introduction of computer into business data Introduction processing & the developments in information technology. Growth of internet & popularity of World Wide growth .

Q:-2 Explain the location of MIS in any business organization. Stating in brief the concept and design? Ans:A management information system is a system that has important tools to supports, analyse, delivery and adding reliability to any organisation. Also this helps to solve businesses problems. The term MIS is often used to submit to a group of information management methods tied to the support of human decision making, e.g. Decision Support Systems, Expert systems, and Executive information systems.

Role of MIS in business organisation:

The role of the MIS in an organization can be compared to the role of heart in the body. The information is the blood and MIS is the heart. In the body the heart plays the role of supplying pure blood to all the elements of the body including the brain. The MIS plays exactly the same role in the organization. The system ensures that an appropriate data is collected from the various sources, processed, and sent further to all the needy destinations. The system is expected to fulfill the information needs of an individual, a group of individuals, the management functionaries: the managersand the top management. The MIS helps the clerical personnel in the transaction processing and answers their queries on the data pertaining to the transaction, the status of a particular record and references on a variety of documents.

The MIS helps the middle management in short them planning,target setting and controlling the business functions. It is supported by the use of the management tools of planning and control. The MIS plays the role of information generation, communication, problem identification and helps in the process of decision making. The MIS, therefore, plays a vita role in the management, administration and operations of an organization.

Uses of MIS in business organization:

It deals with transaction processing such as answering the questions, ststus of a particular record and variety of documents. It gives operational data for planning,scheduling and control. It helps in decision making and to correct an out of control situvation. It helps middle management in short term planning, target setting and control the business finctions. It helps top management in goal setting, planning business planes and its implementations. It helps in generating information, communicating of the generated information, problem idetification and helps in the process of decision making.

The Concept of Management Information System

A management information system (MIS) is designed by an organization for its smooth functioning. The MIS, a decision-making instrument used by top management, comprises of a set of controls. These controls cover the basic spheres of the business: its people, technologies, policies and procedures. The MIS gathers information on all the important realms of the business, tabulates the information and provides meaningful reports. Features

The management information system presents data such as the organization's processes, operating procedures, internal controls and audit preparation, which the management uses to make effective and efficient decisions. The internal controls for each department contain guidelines for operation. The flow of work assigned to employees, their responsibilities and duties, for example, are listed under internal controls. Benefits An organization benefits immensely by using an MIS. This fully automated system enables the organization to record, process and tabulate all of its business dealings and transactions. Also, the information collected makes it possible to make necessary changes and improvements to the gaey areas. For example, the organization can compare actual and projected sales and take steps to correct any deviations. By using a good MIS, the top management of the organization is able to make informed decisions. The data present in the MIS is studied and analyzed objectively and the organization is able to choose the best tradeoff for its operations, sales and other functions. Also they can judge whether their resources are being used correctly. MIS facilitates a two-communication process in the organization. The top management communicates to its employees what is expected of them and how they must accomplish the tasks entrusted. The employees in turn freely discuss their problems and concerns.

Types

There are four types of MIS. The first one, TPS (Transaction Processing System), is the most elementary. This methodology processes routine, mundane and recurring business transactions. OIS (Operations Information Systems) gathers comprehensive data and tabulates it for operations managers to use and maximize their output and minimize losses. DSS (Decision Support Systems) and ES (Expert Systems) are the two types of MIS used by the top management to make informed and intelligent decisions. The two types make extensive use of databases and modeling techniques Limitations MIS is heavily technology driven and therefore lacks a human element. The information represented by the MIS is often rich in nature. The expertise of humans is needed to analyze the information presented and to make decisions accordingly.

Designing management information systems

A management information system (MIS) is a system or process that provides information needed to manage organizations effectively [1]. Management information systems are regarded to be a subset of the overall internal controls procedures in a business, which cover the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures used by management accountants to solve 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.[2] 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. Management information systems (MIS) produce the information that managers use to make important strategic decisions. This book covers the

essential managerial skills that are necessary to design these systems. In contrast to other books on management information systems, this book takes a decidedly managerial perspective. It focuses on how managers perceive and respond to information, and on their need to use this information to make important decisions. The book considers how systems can be designed to combat 'information overload' experienced by managers, using such techniques as data aggregation and data visualization. Chapters provide an in-depth and practical consideration of these topics, focusing on the use of information systesms for managerial decision making. Designing Management Information Systems covers the topics of key performance indicator monitoring, and of shortlisting and selecting alternatives from a range of options. These are managerial decisions for which MIS are particularly useful, and which managers face on a daily basis. This is the first book offering practical guidance on how systems should be designed to support these decisions.