2013-Chapter1

ITEC 1010 Information and Organizations

SCS 214 Chapter 1

Introduction to

Information Systems


Information Concepts (1)

Data vs. Information

Data

• Raw facts

• Distinct pieces of information, usually formatted in

a special way

Information

• A collection of facts organized in such a way that

they have additional value beyond the value of the

facts themselves


Data ‘Discussion’ (1)

(1) Distinct pieces of information, usually formatted in a special

way. All software is divided into two general categories: data and

programs. Programs are collections of instructions for manipulating

data.

Data can exist in a variety of forms -- as numbers or text on pieces

of paper, as bits and bytes stored in electronic memory, or as facts

stored in a person's mind.

Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, a single piece of


information. In practice, however, people use data as both the

singular and plural form of the word.

(2) The term data is often used to distinguish binary

machine-readable information from textual human-readable

information. For example, some applications make a distinction

between data files (files that contain binary data) and text files

(files that contain ASCII data).

(3) In database management systems, data files are the files that

store the database information, whereas other files, such as index

files and data dictionaries, store administrative information, known

as metadata.


Homework

Is the term “data”generally used in the

singular or plural

(a) in the textbook, and

(b) in the zdwebopedia web site?


Terminology

Process

• A set of logically related tasks performed to achieve

a defined outcome

Process

• (n) An executing program. The term is used loosely

as a synonym of task.

• (v) To perform some useful operations on data.


Terminology

Knowledge

• An awareness and understanding of a set of

information and how that information can be made

useful to support a specific task

Knowledge base

• The collection of data, rules, procedures, and

relationships that must be followed to achieve value

or the proper outcome


Types of Data

Data Represented by

Alphanumeric data Numbers, letters, and other characters

Image data Graphic images or pictures

Audio data Sound, noise, tones

Video data Moving images or pictures


Data Information

Data Information Transformation


Characteristics of

Valuable Information

Characteristics

Accurate, complete, economical, flexible,

reliable, relevant, simple, timely, verifiable,

accessible, secure


System

System

A set of elements or components that interact

to accomplish goals

A combination of components working

together


System ‘Discussion’

(1) Refers to a combination of components working together. For

example, a computer system includes both hardware and software.

A Windows system is a personal computer running the Windows

operating system. A desktop publishing system is a computer

running desktop publishing software.

(2) Short for computer system.

(3) Short for operating system.

(4) An organization or methodology. The binary numbering system,

for instance, is a way to count using only two digits.


System Elements

Inputs

Processing mechanisms

Outputs


System Example

System

Elements

Goal Inputs

Processing

elements Outputs

Movie

Actors, director,

staff, sets,

equipment

Filming,

editing,

special

effects,

distribution

Finished

film

delivered to

movie

studio

Entertaining

movie, film

awards,

profits


System Components and Concepts

System boundary

Defines the system and distinguishes it from

everything else

System types

Simple vs. complex

Open vs. closed

Stable vs. dynamic

Adaptive vs. nonadaptive

Permanent vs. temporary


System Performance and Standards

Efficiency

A measure of what is produced divided by what is

consumed

Effectiveness

A measure of the extent to which a system achieves its

goals

System performance standard

A specific objective of the system (next 2 slides)


Figure 1.5a


Figure 1.5b


System Variables and Parameters

System variable

A quantity or item that can be controlled by the

decision maker

E.g. the price a company charges for a product

System parameter

A value or quantity that cannot be controlled

by the decision maker

E.g., cost of a raw material


Modeling a System

Model

An abstraction or an approximation that is used to represent reality

Types of models

Narrative (aka descriptive)

Physical

Schematic

Mathematical Next slide



Information System (IS)

Definition

A set of interrelated elements or components that collect (input), manipulate (process), and disseminate (output) data and information and provide a feedback mechanism to meet an objective

(IS) Pronounced as separate letters, and short for Information Systems or Information Services. For many companies, IS is the name of the department responsible for computers, networking and data management. Other companies refer to the department as IT (Information Technology) and MIS (Management Information Services).


What is an Information System?

Schematic model of an information system

Input Processing Output

Feedback


Input, Processing, Output,

Input

The activity of gathering and capturing data

Whatever goes into the computer

Processing

Converting or transforming data into useful outputs

Output

Useful information, usually in the form of documents

and/or reports

Anything that comes out of a computer


Input ‘Discussion’

(n) Whatever goes into the computer. Input

can take a variety of forms, from

commands you enter on a keyboard to data

from another computer or device. A device

that feeds data into a computer, such as a

keyboard or mouse, is called an input

device.

(v) The act of entering data into a computer


Output ‘Discussion’

(n) Anything that comes out of a computer. Output

can be meaningful information or gibberish, and

it can appear in a variety of forms -- as binary

numbers, as characters, as pictures, and as printed

pages. Output devices include display screens,

loudspeakers, and printers.

(v) To give out. For example, display screens output

images, printers output print, and loudspeakers

output sounds.


Feedback

Feedback

Output that is used to make changes to input or

processing activities

Forecasting

A proactive approach to feedback

Use for estimating future sales or inventory

needs


Manual vs. Computerized

Systems

Manual systems still widely used

E.g., some investment analysts manual draw charts and

trend lines to assist them in making investment

decisions

Computerized systems

E.g., the above trends lines can be drawn by computer

Evolution

Many computerized system began as manual systems

E.g., directory assistance (“411”)


Computer-based Information

Systems

A CBIS is composed of…

Hardware

Software

Databases

Telecommunications

People

Procedures

Together they are…

Configured to collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information


Technology Infrastructure

Another term for CBIS

Consists of the shared information system

(IS) resources that form the foundation of

the information system


Parts of a CBIS

Five parts

Hardware

Software

Database

Telecommunications

Networks


Parts of a CBIS

Five parts

Hardware

Software

Database

Telecommunications

Networks


Hardware

Hardware

Computer equipment used to perform input,

processing, and output activities

The objects that you can actually touch, like

disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards,

printers, boards, and chips.


Hardware ‘Discussion’

Hardware refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable. Software exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols, but it has no substance.

Books provide a useful analogy. The pages and the ink are the hardware, while the words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall meaning are the software. A computer without software is like a book full of blank pages -- you need software to make the computer useful just as you need words to make a book meaningful.


Parts of a CBIS

Five parts

Hardware

Software

Database

Telecommunications

Networks


Software

Software

Computer programs that

govern/determine/control the operation of the

computer

Computer instructions or data


Software ‘Discussion’ (1)

Software is computer instructions or data. Anything that

can be stored electronically is software. The storage devices

and display devices are hardware.

The terms software and hardware are used as both nouns

and adjectives. For example, you can say: "The problem lies

in the software," meaning that there is a problem with the

program or data, not with the computer itself. You can also

say: "It's a software problem.“


Software ‘Discussion’ (2)

The distinction between software and hardware is sometimes confusing because they are so integrally linked. Clearly, when you purchase a program, you are buying software. But to buy the software, you need to buy the disk (hardware) on which the software is recorded.

Software is often divided into two categories. Systems software includes the operating system and all the utilities that enable the computer to function. Applications software includes programs that do real work for users. For example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems fall under the category of applications software.


Parts of a CBIS

Five parts

Hardware

Software

Database

Telecommunications

Networks


Database

Database

An organized collection of facts and

information

A collection of information organized in such a

way that a computer program can quickly

select desired pieces of data


Database ‘Discussion’ (1)

A database is a collection of information organized in

such a way that a computer program can quickly select

desired pieces of data.

You can think of a database as an electronic filing system.

Traditional databases are organized by fields, records, and

files. A field is a single piece of information; a record is one

complete set of fields; and a file is a collection of records. For

example, a telephone book is analogous to a file. It contains a

list of records, each of which consists of three fields: name,

address, and telephone number.



An alternative concept in database design is known as

Hypertext. In a Hypertext database, any object, whether it be

a piece of text, a picture, or a film, can be linked to any other

object. Hypertext databases are particularly useful for

organizing large amounts of disparate information, but they

are not designed for numerical analysis.

To access information from a database, you need a

database management system (DBMS). This is a collection of

programs that enables you to enter, organize, and select data

in a database.




Parts of a CBIS

Five parts

Hardware

Software

Database

Telecommunications

Networks


Telecommunications

Telecommunications

The electronic transmission of signals for

communications; enables organizations to link

computer systems into effective networks

Refers to all types of data transmission, from

voice to video


Parts of a CBIS

Five parts

Hardware

Software

Database

Telecommunications

Networks


Networks

Network

Used to connect computers and computer

equipment in a building, around the country,

across the world, to enable electronic

communications

A group of two or more computer systems

linked together


Network ‘Discussion’ (1)

There are many types of computer networks, including:

local-area networks (LANs) : The computers are

geographically close together (that is, in the same

building).

wide-area networks (WANs) : The computers are farther

apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves.



In addition to these types, the following characteristics are also used to categorize different types of networks:

topology : The geometric arrangement of a computer system. Common topologies include a bus, star, and ring.

protocol : The protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that computers on the network use to communicate. One of the most popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet. Another popular LAN protocol for PCs is the IBM token-ring network .

architecture : Networks can be broadly classified as using either a peer-to-peer or client/server architecture.



Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes.

Computers and devices that allocate resources for a network

are called servers.




Internet and Intranet

Internet

The world’s largest telecommunications network

A network of networks

Free exchange of information

A global network connecting millions of computers

Intranet

A network that uses Internet technology within an

organization

A network belonging to an organization


People and Procedures

People

The most important element in most computer-based information systems

Includes people who manage, run, program, and maintain the system

E.g., IT professionals (you!)

Procedures

Includes the strategies, policies, methods, and rules for using the CBIS


Business Information Systems

Types

Transaction processing systems

E-commerce systems

Management information systems

Decision support systems

Expert systems


Transactions Processing Systems

Transaction

Any business-related exchange

E.g., generating a weekly payroll

Transaction processing system (TPS)

An organized collection of people, procedures,

software, databases, and devices used to record

completed for for business related exchanges


Payroll Example

Hours

worked

Pay

rate

Payroll

transaction

processing

Payroll

checks



Types


E-commerce systems



Expert systems


E-Commerce System

E-commerce

Involves any business transaction executed

electronically

Conducting business on-line

For example, between…

• Companies

• Companies and consumers

• Business and the public sector

• Consumers and the public sector

Example for placing a purchase order


Purchase Order - Traditional


Purchase Order – E-commerce



Types


E-commerce systems



Expert systems


Management Information Systems

An MIS is…


software, databases, and devices used to

provide routine information to managers and

decision makers


Schematic of MIS

Common

databases

Marketing

management

information

system

Financial

management

Information

system

Manufacturing

management

Information

system

Order

management

information

system

TPS


MIS ‘Discussion’

Short for management information system or management

information services, and pronounced as separate letters, MIS

refers to a class of software that provides managers with tools for

organizing and evaluating their department. Typically, MIS systems

are written in COBOL and run on mainframes or minicomputers.

Within companies and large organizations, the department

responsible for computer systems is sometimes called the MIS

department. Other names for MIS include IS (Information Services)

and IT (Information Technology).



Types


E-commerce systems



Expert systems


Decision Support Systems

A DSS is…


software, databases, and devices used to

support problem-specific decision making

A DSS helps a manger “do the right thing”



Types


E-commerce systems



Expert systems


Expert Systems

An expert system is…

A computer application that performs a task that would

otherwise be performed by a human expert

gives the computer the ability to make suggestions and

to act like an expert in a particular field

Examples: diagnose human illnesses, make financial

forecasts, schedule routes for delivery vehicles

Expert systems typically include “artificial

intelligence” (next slide)


Artificial Intelligence (1)

The branch of computer science concerned with making computers

behave like humans. The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy

at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Artificial intelligence

includes

games playing: programming computers to play games such as

chess and checkers

expert systems : programming computers to make decisions in real-life

situations (for example, some expert systems help doctors diagnose

diseases based on symptoms)

natural language : programming computers to understand natural

human languages



neural networks : Systems that simulate intelligence by attempting to reproduce the types of physical connections that occur in animal brains

robotics : programming computers to see and hear and react to other sensory stimuli

Currently, no computers exhibit full artificial intelligence (that is, are

able to simulate human behavior). The greatest advances have

occurred in the field of games playing. The best computer chess

programs are now capable of beating humans. In May, 1997, an IBM

super-computer called Deep Blue defeated world chess champion



Gary Kasparov in a chess match.

In the area of robotics, computers are now widely used in assembly

plants, but they are capable only of very limited tasks. Robots have

great difficulty identifying objects based on appearance or feel, and

they still move and handle objects clumsily.

Natural-language processing offers the greatest potential rewards

because it would allow people to interact with computers without

needing any specialized knowledge. You could simply walk up to a



computer and talk to it. Unfortunately, programming computers to

understand natural languages has proved to be more difficult than

originally thought. Some rudimentary translation systems that

translate from one human language to another are in existence, but

they are not nearly as good as human translators. There are also

voice recognition systems that can convert spoken sounds into

written words, but they do not understand what they are writing;

they simply take dictation. Even these systems are quite limited --

you must speak slowly and distinctly.



In the early 1980s, expert systems were believed to represent the

future of artificial intelligence and of computers in general. To date,

however, they have not lived up to expectations. Many expert

systems help human experts in such fields as medicine and

engineering, but they are very expensive to produce and are helpful

only in special situations.

Today, the hottest area of artificial intelligence is neural networks,

which are proving successful in a number of disciplines such as voice

recognition and natural-language processing.



There are several programming languages that are known as AI

languages because they are used almost exclusively for AI

applications. The two most common are LISP and Prolog.


Working with Systems (1)

Systems development

The activity of creating or modifying an existing

business system

Systems investigation and analysis

Defines the problems and opportunities of an existing

system

Systems design

Determine how a new system will work to meet

business needs


Working with Systems (2)

Systems implementation

Creating and acquiring system components

defined in the design

Systems maintenance and review

Checks and modifies the system so that it

continues to meet changing business needs


End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2

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