M.Sc(CS) Sem - IV MC0076 Management Information Systems Q.1 a.

. Explain the impact of MIS in the area of police Information system.

Ans: Police organizations collect and store a vast amount of information. Traditionally, this information resided on sheets of paper stored in file cabinets. Today, police organizations are being transformed by the information age. Most have implemented management information systems (MIS) to record, store, access, and analyze data on calls-for-service from citizens, the nature of the police response to these calls, reported crimes, arrests, gun permits, motor vehicle stops, and many other types of data. Some agencies maintain centralized control over access to information, while others have adopted integrated management systems that can be accessed by law enforcement officials at any level (from patrol officer to chief). This "all access" approach allows employees with different needs to access the data without having to wait or file a formal request. Some agencies store and access data electronically, but do not use it as a means for improving the organization. Others use data as a tool to improve management and operations. While most large police agencies today have made enormous improvements in their capacity to collect and store large amounts of data, many have made little progress in using the data they collect. Developing the ability to use data for improving operations and management represents an important challenge for police organizations today. This section introduces some of the information technologies used by police and discusses their potential for improving police management. Computer Aided Dispatch systems (CAD) are now commonly used by many police departments. CAD systems prioritize calls-forservice received by the communications center, "stacking" less urgent calls so that police officers can respond to those calls requiring more immediate attention. Once a call is prioritized by the CAD system, it can be broadcast to an officer in a patrol car through either the radio or a computer. CAD makes it easier for human call-takers and dispatchers to remain abreast of what calls are being answered, where officers are located, and how long they have been out on a call. This reduces the likelihood of dispatching errors and enhances officer safety (George). CAD systems are also useful for collecting and storing data. Once a call is received at the communications center, it is categorized by the CAD system. Depending on the agency's information storage capacity, the data are then integrated into the information system for some period of time, after which they are archived for long-term storage. Many police agencies in the United States now have Mobile Digital Terminals (MDTs) or Computers (MDCs) installed in their patrol cars (hereafter referred to as MDTs). MDTs have a number of uses, not all of which are available in all jurisdictions. First, they allow an officer to receive "silent dispatches" over the computer rather than through the radio, so that police scanners can not be used to monitor police communications. Second, officers can check motor vehicle registrations, drivers' licenses, and outstanding warrants directly, without having to wait for a dispatcher to run a computer check. Third, officers can enter police reports into the computer while out in the field, rather than having to return to the police station early to complete paperwork. Fourth, officers can send e-mail to other officers, including those who are not on duty at the time. Finally, officers can sometimes retrieve information on arrests, criminal backgrounds, and calls for service from databases that are networked between agencies at local, state, or federal levels. According to the 1997 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey, 78 percent of large municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States use some type of mobile digital terminal or computer (Reaves and Goldberg). Using statistical methods and geographic mapping techniques to analyze trends in crime, disorder, arrests, and calls-for-service (hereafter called crime analysis) is now becoming popular in many agencies. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are useful for visually plotting the occurrence of particular offenses within a jurisdiction. By combining statistics on crime, disorder, arrests, or calls-for-service with descriptions of land areas, crime analysts are able to "map-out" those areas in the community with concentrations of particular problems. The police can then focus their efforts within these relatively small "hot spots." The maps produced by GIS are more than a fancy replacement for the old-fashioned "pin maps" used by police for years. Ideally, they should be able to track crime trends (or trends in calls or disorder) as they evolve. Thus, if a police sting operation in a particular neighborhood results in the displacement of offenders to the surrounding areas, the GIS maps should reflect this movement. Few agencies have reached this ideal state yet due to problems in linking separate databases and computer systems. Once these problems are ironed out, crime mapping will represent an increasingly important tool used by the police to analyze and respond to

crime trends. According to the 1997 LEMAS survey, 60 percent of local law enforcement agencies with one hundred or more officers use computers for crime mapping (Reaves and Goldberg). Other information technologies have more direct application for conducting investigations and tracking offenders. For example, digital imaging allows "mug shots," suspect composites, and other photographs or images to be stored electronically and transmitted to other police agencies. The Automated Fingerprints Identification System (AFIS) stores pictures of fingerprints in a national database of over 30 million fingerprint cards (Peak). AFIS allows investigators to solve criminal cases that are several months or even several years old. According to the 1997 LEMAS survey, most local and state law enforcement agencies that employed one hundred or more police officers had access to AFIS in 1997 (Reaves and Goldberg).

b. What are the functions and disadvantages of MIS? Ans: The main functions of MIS are:
Data Processing: Gathering, storage, transmission, processing and getting output of the data. Making the data into information is a major task. Prediction: Prediction is based on the historical data by applying the prior knowledge methodology by using modern mathematics, statistics or simulation. Prior knowledge varies on the application and with different departments. Planning: Planning reports are produced based on the enterprise restriction on the companies and helps in planning each functional department to work reasonably. Control: MIS helps in monitoring the operations and inspects the plans. It consists of differences between operation and plan with respect to data belonging to different functional department. It controls the timely action of the plans and analyzes the reasons for the differences between the operations and plan. Thereby helps managers to accomplish their decision making task successfully. Assistance: It stores the related problems and frequently used information to apply them for relative economic benefits. Through this it can derive instant answers of the related problem. Disadvantages of MIS The following are some of the disadvantages of MIS: MIS is highly sensitive: MIS is very helpful in maintaining logging information of an authorized user. This needs to monitor constantly. Quality of outputs is governed by quality of inputs. MIS budgeting: There is difficulty in maintaining indirect cost and overheads. Capturing the actual cost needs to have an accrual system having true costs of outputs which is extremely difficult. It has been difficult to establish definite findings. MIS is not flexible to update itself for the changes. The changes in the decision of top level management decrease its effectiveness. Information accountability is based on the qualitative factors and the factors like morality, confidence or attitude will not have any base.

Q.2 Discuss the Components of an Organizational Information System.

An information system (IS) - or application landscape - is any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making. In a very broad sense, the term information system is frequently used to refer to the interaction between people, algorithmic processes, data and technology. In this sense, the term is used to refer not only to the information and communication technology (ICT) an organization uses, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes. Some make a clear distinction between information systems, and computer systems ICT, and business processes. Information systems are distinct from information technology in that an information system is typically seen as having an ICT component. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes. Alter argues for an information system as a special type of work system. A work system is a system in which humans and/or machines perform work using resources (including ICT) to produce specific products and/or services for customers. An information system is a work system whose activities are devoted to processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information. Part of the difficulty in defining the term information system is due to vagueness in the definition of related terms such as system and information. Following the pioneering work of Ronald Stamper, Beynon-Davies argues for a clearer terminology based in systemics and semiotics. He defines an information system as an example of a system concerned with the manipulation of signs. An information system is a type of socio-technical system. An information system is a mediating construct between actions and technology. As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other. An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action. Information systems are the primary focus of study for the information systems discipline and for organisational informatics. 1) Dramatic Increase of Available Knowledge Whether measured in terms of the number of scholarly journals, patents and copyrights, or in terms of the volumes of corporate communications, both the production and the distribution of knowledge have undergone a manifold increase. 2) Growth of Complexity Huber characterizes complexity in terms of numerosity, diversity, and interdependence. A growing world population and the industrial revolution combined to produce numerosity, or a growing number of human organizations. To succeed, people and organizations learned to specialize: they do things differently and organize themselves differently to accomplish specialized tasks. These differences lead to diversity. Two principal factors have led to increased interdependence. The first as been the revolution in the infrastructure of transportation and communication. The second factor is specialization in firms that make narrowly defined products, as opposed to the self-sufficiency of companies producing a complex product down to its minute elements. A companys product is typically a part of a larger system, produced with contributions from a number of interdependent firms (consider a car or acomputer). Moreover, interdependence has increased on a global scale. Even the most isolated ofcountries participates in some way in the international division of labor. 3) Increased Turbulence The pace of events in an information society is set by technologies. The speeds of todays computer and communication technologies have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of event so occurring within a given time. Consider the volumes and speed of trades in the securities and currency markets. Widespread use of tele facsimile, as another example, has removed the "float"-the lag between sending and receiving-in written communications. Equally important, because of the infrastructure discussed earlier, the number of events that actually influence an organization sactivities (effective events) has also grown rapidly .The great amount of change and turbulence pressuring organizations today thus calls for rapid innovation in both product and organizational structure. To thrive, an organization must have information systems able to cope with large volumes of information in a selective fashion.

Q.3 what are the features contributing to success and failures of MIS models? Ans:

MIS is to be success then it should have all the features listed as follows: 1. The MIS is integrated into the managerial functions. It sets clear objectives to ensurethat the MIS focuses on the major issues of the business. 2. An appropriate information processing technology required to meet the data processing and analysis needs of the users of the MIS is selected. 3. The MIS is oriented, defined and designed in terms of the users 4. The MIS is kept under continuous surveillance, so that its open system design is modified according to the changing information needs. 5. MIS focuses on the results and goals, and highlights the factors and reasons for non achievement. 6. MIS is not allowed to end up into an information generation mill avoiding the noise in the information and the communication system. 7. The MIS recognizes that a manager is a human being and therefore, the systems must consider all the human behavioral factors in the process of the management. 8. The MIS recognizes that the different information needs for different objectivesmust be met with. The globalization of information in isolation from the different objectives leads to too much information and information and its non-use. 9. The MIS is easy to operate and, therefore, the design of the MIS has such features which make up a user-friendly design. 10. MIS recognizes that the information needs become obsolete and new needs emerge. The MIS design, therefore, has a basic potential capability to quickly meet new needs of information. 11. The MIS concentrates on developing the information support to manager critical success factors. It concentrates on the mission critical applications serving the needs of the top management. Many a times MIS is a failures. The common factors which are responsible for this are listed as follows: 1. The MIS is conceived as a data processing and not as an information processing system. 2. The MIS does not provide that information which is needed by the managers but ittends to provide the information generally the function calls for. The MIS then becomes an impersonal system. 3. Under estimating the complexity in the business systems and not recognizing it in the MIS design leads to problems in the successful implementation. 4. Adequate attention is not given to the quality control aspects of the inputs, the process and the outputs leading to insufficient checks and controls in the MIS. 5. The MIS is developed without streamlining the transaction processing systems in the organization. 6. Lack of training and appreciation that the users of the information and the generators of the data are different and they have to play an important responsible role in the MIS.

Q.4 Explain the relationship between artificial intelligence and neural networks with help of a scenario.
Ans.: Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of science and technology based on disciplines such as computer science, biology, psychology, linguistics, mathematics and engineering. The goal of AI is to develop computers that can simulate the ability to think, see, hear, walk, talk and feel. In other words, simulation of computer functions normally associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning and problem solving. AI can be grouped under three major areas: cognitive science, robotics and natural interfaces. Cognitive science focuses on researching on how the human brain works and how humans think and learn. Applications in the cognitive science area of AI include the development of expert systems and other knowledge based systems that add a knowledge base and some reasoning capability to information systems. Also included are adaptive learning systems that can modify their behavior based on information they acquire as they operate. Chess playing systems are some examples of such systems.

Fussy logic systems can process data that are incomplete or ambiguous. Thus, they can solve semi structured problems with incomplete knowledge by developing approximate inferences and answers, as humans do. Neural network software can learn by processing sample problems and their solutions. As neural nets start to recognize patterns, they can begin to program themselves to solve such problems on their own. Neural networks are computing systems modeled after the human brains mesh like network of interconnected processing elements, called neurons. The human brain is estimated to have over 100 billion neuron brain cells. The neural networks are lot simpler in architecture. Like the brain, the interconnected processors in a neural network operate in parallel and interact dynamically with each other. This enables the network to operate and learn from the data it processes, similar to the human brain. That is, it learns to recognize patterns and relationships in the data. The more data examples it receives as input, the better it can learn to duplicate the results of the examples it processes. Thus, the neural networks will change the strengths of the interconnections between the processing elements in response to changing patterns in the data it receives and results that occur. For example, neural network can be trained to learn which credit characteristics result in good or bad loans. The neural network would continue to be trained until it demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in correctly duplicating the results of recent cases. At that point it would be trained enough to begin making credit evaluations of its own. Genetic algorithm software uses Darwinian (survival of the fittest), randomizing and other mathematics functions to simulate evolutionary processes that can generate increasingly better solutions to problems.

Artificial intelligence

Cognitive Science Applications Expert systems Learning systems Fuzzy logic Genetic algorithms Neural networks Intelligent agents

Robotics Applications

Natural Interface Applications

Visual perception Tactility Dexterity locomotion Navigation

Natural languages Speech recognition Multisensory interfaces Virtual reality

Robotics: Ai, engineering and physiology are the basic disciplines of robotics. This technology produces robot machines with computer intelligence and computer controlled humanlike physical capabilities. This area thus includes applications designed to give robots the power of sight, or visual perception; Touch or tactile capabilities; Dexterity or skill in handling and manipulation; Loco motion, or the physical ability to move over any terrain; And navigation or the intelligence to properly find ones way to a destination. Natural interfaces the development of natural interfaces is essential to the natural use of computers by humans. Development of natural languages and speech recognition are major thrusts in this area of AI. Being able to talk to computers and robots in conversational human languages and have them understand us as easily as we understand each other is a goal of AI research. This involves research and development in linguistics, psychology, computer science and other disciplines. Other natural interface research applications include the development of multisensory devices that use a variety of body movements to operate computers .This is related to the emerging application area of virtual reality. Virtual reality involves using multisensory

human computer interfaces that enable human users to experience computer simulated objects, spaces activities and worlds as if they actually exist.

Q.5 What do you understand by Multinational corporation, Global corporation, International corporation, Transnational corporation.
A MNC is a Corporation have operations in several countries. Normally these entities are very large in size (generally Fortune 500 or 1000), span the globe, employ several people within the countries that they operate and have a local management team presence. Infosys and Wipro could be considered MNCs from a narrow definition - they are large in size and have operations in Europe, US and other parts of the world but they do not really employ a lot of local people to do work in the foreign countries. (They outsource foreign work back to India or substantial work is performed by Indian personnel who travel to work in the foreign countries). Also, local management teams are limited to a small sales office in most US cities for these entities. So from that perspective, in my opinion, they fail to be a true MNC in comparison to foreign companies in India such as Hindustan Lever, Monsanto etc to name a few. I believe the Tata Group is the best example of a Indian MNC - it has hotels across the world, steel mills in the UK, employs local people and has local management. A global corporation explores and capitalizes on building a customer base and investment strategy in every market possible. Global corporations leverage a network of entities in these markets to work toward maximizing profitability. In the late 1990s, Panos Mourdoukoutas rightly predicted in his book "The Global Corporation; The Decolonization of International Business" that parent companies would learn to "treat each national market as a part of a single, integrated regional or global market" Global corporations sell the same core product or service in every market they penetrate. McDonald's adds or removes menu items by region, but the core service of fast, hot food is the same in all markets. Levi's sells the same fashionable, comfortable jeans across the globe. Product decisions are made by a centralized management unit for all markets. Julian Birkenshaw, Professor at London Business School said in a "Bloomberg Businessweek" article "What we are seeing is the emergence of global customers that want a single point of contact around the world." A transnational corporation has its headquarters in one country and operates wholly or partially owned subsidiaries in one or more other countries. The subsidiaries report to the central headquarters. The growth in the number and size of transnational corporations since the 1950s has generated controversy because of their economic and political power and the mobility and complexity of their operations. Some critics argue that transnational corporations exhibit no loyalty to the countries in which they are incorporated but act solely in their own best interests. U.S. corporations have various motives for establishing a corporate presence in other countries. One possible motive is a desire for growth. A corporation may have reached a plateau meeting domestic demands and anticipate little additional growth. A new foreign market might provide opportunities for new growth.Other corporations desire to escape the protectionist policies of an importing country. Through direct foreign investment, a corporation can bypass high tariffs that prevent its goods from being competitively priced. For example, when the European Common Market (the predecessor of the European Union) placed tariffs on goods produced by outsiders, U.S. corporations responded by setting up European subsidiaries. Two other motives are more controversial. One is preventing competition. The most certain method of preventing actual or potential competition from foreign businesses is to acquire those businesses. Another motive for establishing subsidiaries in other nations is to reduce costs, mainly through the use of cheap foreign labor in developing countries. A transnational corporation can hold down costs by shifting some or all of its production facilities abroad.Transnational corporations with headquarters in the United States have played an increasingly dominant role in the world economy. This dominance is most pronounced in the developing countries that rely primarily on a narrow range of exports, usually primary goods. A transnational corporation has the ability to disrupt traditional economies, impose monopolistic practices, and assert a political and economic agenda on a country. Q.6 What are the limitations of ERP systems? How ERP packages help in overcoming theses limitations Ans: Enterprise Resource Planning Manufacturing management systems have evolved in stages over the few decades from a simple means of calculating materialsequirements to the automation of an entire enterprise. Around 1980, over

frequent changes in sales forecasts, entailing continual readjustments in production, as well as the unsuitability of the parameters fixed by the system, led MRP (Material Requirement Planning) to evolve into a new concept : Manufacturing Resource Planning (or MRP2) and finally the generic concept Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) The initials ERP originated as an extension of MRP (material requirements planning then manufacturing resource planning). ERP systems now attempt to cover all basic functions of an enterprise, regardless of the organization's business or charter. Nonmanufacturing businesses, nonprofit organizations and governments now all utilize ERP systems. To be considered an ERP system, a software package must provide the function of at least two systems. For example, a software package that provides both payroll and accounting functions could technically be considered an ERP software package. However, the term is typically reserved for larger, more broadly based applications. The introduction of an ERP system to replace two or more independent applications eliminates the need for external interfaces previously required between systems, and provides additional benefits that range from standardization and lower maintenance to easier and/or greater reporting capabilities. Some organizations -typically those with sufficient inhouse IT skills to integrate multiple software products choose to implement only portions of an ERP system and develop an external interface to other ERP or standalone systems for their other application needs. For example, one may choose to use the HRMS from one vendor, and the financials systems from another, and perform the integration between the systems themselves. Ideally, ERP delivers a single database that contains all data for the software modules, which would include: Enterprise Resource Planning is a term originally derived from manufacturing resource planning that followed material requirements planning . MRP evolved into ERP when "routings" became a major part of the software architecture and a company's capacity planning activity also became a part of the standard software activity. ERP systems typically handle the manufacturing, logistics, distribution, inventory, shipping, invoicing, and accounting for a company. Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP software can aid in the control of many business activities, like sales, marketing, delivery, billing, production, inventory management, quality management, and human resource management. ERP systems saw a large boost in sales in the 1990s as companies faced the Y2K problem in their legacy systems. Many companies took this opportunity to replace their legacy information systems with ERP systems. This rapid growth in sales was followed by a slump in 1999, at which time most companies had already implemented their Y2K solution. ERPs are crossfunctional and enterprise wide. All functional departments that are involved in operations or production are integrated in one system. In addition to manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and information technology, this would include accounting, human resources, marketing, and strategic management. The Ideal ERP System An ideal ERP system is when a single database is utilized and contains all data for various software modules. These software modules can include: 1.Manufacturing: Some of the functions include; engineering, capacity, workflow management, quality control, bills of material, manufacturing process, etc. 2. Financials: Accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, general ledger and cash management, etc. 3. Human Resources: Benefits, training, payroll, time and attendance, etc 4.Supply Chain Management: Inventory, supply chain planning, supplier scheduling, claim processing, order entry , purchasing, etc. 5.Projects: Costing, billing, activity management, time and expense, etc.

6.Customer Relationship Management: sales and marketing, service, commissions, customer Contact calls center support, etc. 7.Data Warehouse: Usually this is a module that can be accessed by an organizations customers, suppliers and employees.

Limitations of ERP Success depends on the skill and experience of the workforce, including training about how to make the system work correctly. Many companies cut costs by cutting training budgets. Privately owned small enterprises are often undercapitalized, meaning their ERP system is often operated by personnel with inadequate education in ERP in general, such as APICS foundations, and in the particular ERP vendor package being used. 1.Personnel turnover; companies can employ new managers lacking education in the company's ERP system, proposing changes in business practices that are out of synchronization with the best utilization of the company's selected ERP. 2Customization of the ERP software is limited. Some customization may involve changing of the ERP software structure which is usually not allowed. 3.Reengineering of business processes to fit the "industry standard" prescribed by the ERP system may lead to a loss of competitive advantage. 4.ERP systems can be very expensive to install often ranging from 30,000 US Dollars to 500,000,000 US Dollars for multinational companies. 5.ERP vendors can charge sums of money for annual license renewal that is unrelated to the size of the company using the ERP or its profitability. 6.Technical support personnel often give replies to callers that are inappropriate for the caller's corporate structure. Computer security concerns arise, for example when telling a non programmer how to change a database on the fly, at a company that requires an audit trail of changes so as to meet some regulatory standards. 7.ERPs are often seen as too rigid and too difficult to adapt to the specific workflow and business process of some companies this is cited as one of the main causes of their failure. 8.Systems can be difficult to use. 9.Systems are too restrictive and do not allow much flexibility in implementation and usage. 10.The system can suffer from the "weakest link" problem an inefficiency in one department or at one of the partners may affect other participants. 11.Many of the integrated links need high accuracy in other applications to work effectively. A company can achieve minimum standards, then over time "dirty data" will reduce the reliability of some applications. 12.Once a system is established, switching costs are very high for any one of the partners (reducing flexibility and strategic control at the corporate level). 13.The blurring of company boundaries can cause problems in accountability, lines of responsibility, and employee morale. 14.Resistance in sharing sensitive internal information between departments can reduce the effectiveness of the software. 15.Some large organizations may have multiple departments with separate, independent resources, missions, chainsofcommand, etc, and consolidation into a single enterprise may yield limited benefits. 16.There are frequent compatibility problems with the various legacy systems of the partners. 17.The system may be overengineered relative to the actual needs of the customer. Before ERP systems, each department in an organization would most likely have their own computer system, data and database. Unfortunately, many of these systems would not be able to communicate with one another or need to store or rewrite data to make it possible for cross computer system communication. For instance, the financials of a company were on a separate computer system than the HR system, making it more intensive and complicated to process certain functions. Once an ERP system is in place , usually all aspects of an organization can work in harmony instead of every single system needing to be compatible with each other For large organizations , increased productivity and less types of software are a result. ==========================================================================