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MC0076 Management and Information Systems 1 Data processing is any process that a computer program does to enter data

a and summarise, analyses or otherwise convert data into usable information. The process may be automated and run on a computer. It involves recording, analysing, sorting, summarising, calculating, disseminating and storing data. Because data are most useful when well-presented and actually informative, data-processing systems are often referred to as information systems. Nevertheless, the terms are roughly synonymous, performing similar conversions; data-processing systems typically manipulate raw data into information, and likewise information systems typically take raw data as input to produce information as output. Data are generally considered to be raw facts that have undefined uses and application; information is considered to be processed data that influences choices, that is, data that have somehow been formatted, filtered, and summarized; and knowledge is considered to be an understanding derived from information distinctions among data, information, and knowledge may be derived from scientific terminology. The researcher collects data to test hypotheses; thus, data refer to unprocessed and unanalyzed numbers. When the data are analyzed, scientists talk about the information contained in the data and the knowledge acquired from their analyses. The confusion often extends to the information systems context, and the three terms maybe used interchangeably. The acquisition of information is a first step in its use. We can obtain information from either formal or informal sources. Formal sources provide information in a relatively organized and predictable fashion, for example, business forms; electronic monitoring equipment such as digital thermometers; and machine-readable purchased data such as an encyclopaedia (Personal records, corporate annual reports, summarized transaction histories) on a compact disc.

2 Information retrieval is the activity of obtaining information resources relevant to an information need from a collection of information resources. Searches can be based on metadata or on full-text (or other content-based) indexing. Automated information retrieval systems are used to reduce what has been called "information overload". An information retrieval process begins when a user enters a query into the system. Queries are formal statements of information needs, for example search strings in web search engines. In information retrieval a query does not uniquely identify a single object in the collection. Instead, several objects may match the query, perhaps with different degrees of relevancy. An object is an entity that is represented by information in a database. User queries are matched against the database information. Depending on the application the data objects may be, for example, text documents, images,[6] audio,[7] mind maps[8] or videos. Often the documents themselves are not kept or stored directly in the IR system, but are instead represented in the system by document surrogates or metadata. Most IR systems compute a numeric score on how well each object in the database match the query, and rank the objects according to this value. The top ranking objects are then shown to the user.

3 Challenges of Information Management In identifying their information management requirements, individuals face four major challenges in addition to securing the most appropriate information. First, they must deal with large quantities of information that may createoverload.Second, they may face insufficient or conflicting information. Third, they must find ways to enhance their personal productivity. Fourth, they must acquire and maintain the technical skills needed for effective personal information management. Maintaining Technical Skills Finally, using information technology effectively requires continuous updating of technical skills. Although many companies provide training to their employees, others do not. Ensuring that employees have the appropriate skills has both financial and time cost implications. Facing Insufficient or Conflicting Information Although computers can make large quantities of information available to individuals, such information may not address their needs. Ramesh, ASM of Airtel, may wish to do some library research about competitors products. Inspire of the large amount of information in the librarys electronic catalogue.

infoglut, an overload of information. As individuals move higher in theorganizational hierarchy and assume more managerial responsibility,information overload become an even more significant challenge. Enhancing Personal Productivity Employees in any organization increasingly use information technology toimprove their personal productivity. To ensure high productivity, employeesmust know how to use computers to facilitate, not hinder, their performance.They must know how to access the information they require and recognizewhen manual data collection and processing is adequate Dealing with Quantities of Information The gap between the amount of information that an organization can collectand the ability of its employees to make sense of that information has beenwidening rather than narrowing.

4 The components of MIS The physical components of MIS comprise the computer andcommunications hardware, software, database, personnel, and procedures.Almost all organizations employ multiple computer systems, ranging from powerful mainframe machines (sometimes including supercomputers)through minicomputers, to widely spread personal computers (also known asmicrocomputers). The use of multiple computers, usually interconnectedinto networks by means of telecommunications, is called distributed processing. The driving forces that have changed the information processinglandscape from centralized processing, relying on single powerfulmainframes, to distributed processing have been the rapidly increasing power and decreasing costs of smaller computers. 1. Hardware 2. Software 3. Database 4. Personnel 5. Procedures An organizations need. Fast local area networks join machines, most frequently clusters of personal computers, at a particular organizational site such as a building or a campus. The emerging metropolitan area networks serve large urban communities. Wide area networks connect machines at remote sites, both within the company and in its environment. Through networking, personalcomputer users gain access to the broad computational capabilities of large machines and to the resources maintained there, such as large databases. This connectivity converts personal computers into powerful workstations. Computer software falls into two classes: systems software and applications software. Systems software manages the resources of the system and simplifies programming.

Operating systems (UNIX, for example) control all the resources of a computer system and enable multiple users to run their programs on a computer system without being aware of the complexities of resource allocation. Even if you are just using a personal computer, complex series of actions takes place when, for example, you start the machine, check out its hardware, and call up a desired program. All of these actions fall under the control of an operating system, such as DOS or IBMOS/2. Telecommunications monitors manage computer communications; database management systems make it possible to organize vast collections of data so that they are accessible for fast and simple queries and the production of reports. Software translators-compilers or interpreters, make it possible to program an application in a higher-level language, such as COBOL or C. The translator converts program statements into machine instructions ready for execution by the computers central processor. Many categories of applications software are purchased as ready-to-use packages. Applications software directly assists end users in their functions. Examples include general-purpose spreadsheet or word processing programs, as well as the so-called vertical applications serving a specific industry segment (for example, manufacturing resource planning systems or accounting packages for small service businesses). The use of purchased application packages is increasing. However, the bulk of applications software used in large organizations are developed to meet a specific need. Large application systems consist of a, number of programs integrated by the database. 4 Available approaches to organizational design share various limits that a relational approach can contribute to overcome. We have devoted analytical efforts in the past to critically review available approaches to organization design and to understand what they can and cannot deliver, and what their explicit and implicit assumptions are. The limits include the following: N Design is intended as a process of choice between known discrete formsM-forms, U-forms, H-forms, T-forms, A-forms, J-forms, N-forms (to mention just some internal forms)rather than as a process of the search for forms devised ad hoc to solve specific problems. N Design starts with some independent variables considered as givennamely, technology and strategy, or institutions and cultures; and typically assumes one-to-one correspondence between the state of independent variables and the superior form . Design is somewhat past oriented as it is based on observed forms rather than on criteria for developing forms. N Conflicting interests are admitted and treated, especially after the infusion of organizational economics into organization theory, but they are typically assumed to regard what is to be done or exchanged, not the likely systematic different preferences of actors in different structural positions over organizational solutions themselves. N The prevailing criterion for choosing an organization structure is information cost reduction, with little acknowledgment of knowledge as a distinct input to organization design. One or more of these shortcomings are present in all the most important approaches to organization design, including structural contingency theory in its various versions, transaction cost economy

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