Information systems
Reading
Before reading the text, try to decide which of the following definitions best describes a management information system:
a system for supplying information to management
a system for managing information
a system which supplies information about management
Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F), then read the passage to check your answers.
I I All businesses are interested in more or less the same information,
regardless of the nature of their operations.
The managing director of a company needs a lot more detailed information about the day-to-day operations than his executives do.
Functional management require up-to-the-minute information so that they can take action to control events as they happen.
Information systems are usually computerized.
Transaction processing systems are usually the first systems to be installed.
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Information systems
The objective of information systems is to provide information to all levels of management at the most relevant time, at an acceptable level of accuracy, and at an economical cost.
Individual businesses require information according to the nature of their s operations. A car manufacturer is particularly interested in the extent of competition from overseas manufacturers in the home market and competition from other home-based manufacturers. A tour operator is concerned about purchasing power and its effect on holiday bookings and the political situation prevailing in the various countries.
10 As a general guide, the detail contained in reports containing information varies according to the position of the recipient in the hierarchical management structure. The chairman and managing director of a company require details of operations which are broad in scope and which concentrate on key factors pinpointing economic and financial trends.
15 Functional management require information relating to the departments they are responsible for in sufficient detail to enable them to apply whatever measures are required to bring situations into line with requirements. They require information relating to events as they occur so that appropriate action can be taken to control them.
20 Information systems are often computerized because of the need to respond quickly and flexibly to queries. At the bottom level in the information hierarchy are the transaction processing systems, which capture and process internal information, such as sales, production, and stock data. These produce the working documents of the business, such as
25 invoices and statements. Typically, these are the first systems which a company will install. Above the transaction-level systems are the decision support systems. These take external information - market trends and other external financial data - and processed internal information, such as sales trends, to produce strategic plans, forecasts, and budgets. Often such
30 systems are put together with PC spreadsheets and other unconnected tools. Management information systems lie at the top of the hierarchy of information needs. The MIS takes the plans and information from the transaction-level systems to monitor the performance of the business as a whole. This provides feedback to aid strategic planning, forecasting,
35 and/or budgeting, which in turn affects what happens at the transactional level.
Draw a diagram to show how information is processed by information systems, as described in the last paragraph. Your diagram should show the hierarchy of systems and should include examples of the kind of information involved at each stage in the process. Use arrows (-*) to indicate the flow of information.
Writing
Using your completed diagram from Task 15, write a paragraph explaining how information is processed by information systems. Do not look back at the text itself.
The passive
Passives are very common in technical writing where we are more interested in facts, processes, and events than in people. We form the passive by using the appropriate tenses of the verb to be followed by the past participle of the verb we are using.
Examples:
Active
We sell computers, (simple present)
Babbage invented 'The Analytical Engine9, (simple past)
Passive
Computers are sold, (simple present)
'The Analytical Engine' was invented in 1830. (simple past)
Facts and processes
When we write or talk about facts or processes that occur regularly, we use the present passive.
Examples:
Data is transferred from the internal memory to the arithmetic-logical unit along channels known as buses.
The other users are automatically denied access to that record.
Distributed systems are built using networked computers.
Exercise 1 Read the text below, which describes the insurance company's procedure for
dealing with PC-users' problems. Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verb in brackets.
All calls ! _ (register) by the Help Desk staff. Each call
(evaluate) and then
(allocate) to the relevant support group. If a visit 1
(require), the user ' (contact) by telephone, and an
appointmentb (arrange). Most calls
7 (deal with) within one working day. In the event of a
major problem requiring the removal of a user's PC, a replacement can usually
8 (supply).
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Exercise 2 Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the appropriate form of the
verb in brackets.
The part of the processor which controls data transfers between the various input and output devices (call) the control unit.
The address bus (use) to send address details between the
memory and the address register.
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3 The pixel positions ......
recognition software.
4 An operating system
(pass on) to the computer's pattern
(store) on disk.
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5 Instructions written in a high-level language
(transform) into machine code.
In the star configuration, all processing and control functions . _ (perform) by the central computer.
When a document arrives in the mail room, the envelope
(open) by a machine.
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8 Once the index
--. (store), a temporary key number
(generate) and (write) on the
document.
Exercise 3
Events
When we write or talk about past events, we use the past passive. Let us look at some examples.
Examples:
COBOL was first introduced in 1 959.
Microsoft was founded on the basis of the development of MS/DOS.
The organization was created to promote the use of computers in education.
Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the appropriate form of the verb in brackets.
Ucundj oy bill Gates.
(make) in
C language (develop) in the 1970s.During that period, enormous advances .
computer technology.
(sell).
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7 Last
year, more software companies
before.
8 IBM's
decision not to continue manufacturing mainframes
_ (reverse)
the year after it.
5 In the 1980s, at least 100,000 LANs
laboratories and offices around the world.
6 The first digital computer Pennsylvania inl946.
. (set up) in
_
(build) by the University of
(launch)
than ever
(take).
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Start-up
Make a. list of the ways computers are used in education.
Speaking
Task
2
Discuss these questions:
How are computers used in your school?
What do you think the following terms mean? a further education
b open learning c flexible learning
Task 3
Readme?
Read quickly through the text opposite to find:
the overall purpose of NCET.
another expression meaning 'educational technology'.
whether NCET produces learning materials.
how many priorities NCET's Schooling Directorate has.
three groups of people helped by NCET's Vocational Training programme.
three examples of new and developing technologies that the Council gives advice about.
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National Council for Educational Technology
The Council's purpose is to bring beneficial change to the processes of learning in education and training through the development and application of educational technology.
Educational technology - or learning technology, as it is sometimes known -s embraces everything from the way computers, satellites, and interactive video are used in schools, colleges, and industry to issues of copyright and flexible learning. Focusing on the learner, our purpose is to support change in the ways we learn by applying the benefits of educational technology - especially the new information technologies - to the process of learning.
10 We design and produce learning materials in all subjects to support education and training. We carry out research and manage projects, offer consultancy on technical matters, support training for trainers and teachers, and offer expertise in areas such as open and flexible learning, resource management, and educational software. We provide a comprehensive information and
15 enquiry service.