Information system

מידע

2022

We explain what information systems are and how they are classified. Elements of an information system and some examples.

Every SI is made up of a series of interconnected and interacting resources.

What is an information system?

When speaking of an information system (IS) it refers to a set ordered of mechanisms whose purpose is the administration of data and of information, so that they can be retrieved and processed easily and quickly.

Every information system is made up of a series of interconnected and interacting resources, arranged in the most convenient way based on the outlined information purpose, such as collecting personal information, processing statistics, Organize files, etc. These resources can be:

  • Human Resources. Various types of staff and abilities.
  • Data. Any type of massive information that needs to be organized.
  • Activities. Procedures, steps to follow, workstations, etc.
  • Information resources. Those determined by technology.

It should be noted that an information system is not the same as a computer system, although the latter often constitute the bulk of an IS's resources. But there are many others methods for information systems, which do not necessarily go through the computing.

Types of information systems

From a business or organizational point of view, information systems can be classified into:

  • Transaction Processing Systems (TPS). Also known as operational management systems, they collect the information pertaining to the transactions of the organization, that is, its operation.
  • Executive Information Systems (EIS). It monitors the managerial variables of a specific area of ​​the organization, based on the internal and external information of the same.
  • Management Information Systems (MIS). They contemplate the general information of the organization and understand it as a whole.
  • Decision support systems (DSS). Oriented to the processing of intra- and extra-organizational information, to support the conduct of the business.

There are other specialized or applied forms of SI, depending on the specific field and the specific functions expected of each. It would be too long to list them all.

Elements of an information system

All SIs are generally considered to contain a variety of elements that can be classified into five broad categories:

  • Financial elements. Those associated with capital and with the organization's available assets.
  • Technological elements. Those that have to do with specialized machinery and the ability to process information automatically.
  • Human elements. Basically, personnel, both specialized and managerial, as well as non-specialized or common.
  • Material elements. It refers to the location of the system, its physical support and location.
  • Administrative elements. Those related to processes, driving mechanics, permits, reports, transactions, etc.

Examples of information system

Some examples of SI can be:

  • systems QA. in which one asks for feedback to the client and the results are statistically evaluated to produce results that can be interpreted by management.
  • Library databases. Where the thick volume of documents is contained (books, magazines, thesis, etc.) from the library, in order to locate and retrieve each one as quickly and accurately as possible.
  • The spreadsheets. In which raw information is entered and organized in a quantifiable way to obtain financial driving guidelines.
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