Unit 05 Information Systems in Organization

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1 INTRODUCTION

Information is the most valuable resource that an organisation possesses. The effective gathering, protection, analysis, processing and dissemination of information is vital to the success of any organisation. As globalisation and the 24-hour economy develop and increase, organisations must ensure that their Information Systems are reliable, efficient and able to cope with rapid change.

Organisations whose Information Systems previously dealt purely with data processing have now introduced those supporting strategic management and decision support. Managers at all levels need appropriate and timely information to plan successfully in the short, medium and long term, and that information can have many sources and destinations. As organisations diversify and decentralise, information also needs to be available to many non-managerial staff in a variety of locations. The logical conclusion is that an organisation is now completely dependent on the effectiveness of its Information Systems in order to survive and thrive in the 21st century business environment.

Learners will begin this unit by analysing the information needs of an organisation at different levels and within different functional areas. It is important that computing professionals are able to understand how an organisation works and how it uses information, in order to be able to design, implement, maintain, and manage systems to support its operation.

On completion of this unit, learners will understand the importance of effective Information Systems to an organisation. They will be aware of the variety of options available for information processing and know that these will inevitably change over time. They will also use an information system to produce management information.

1.1 AIM:

To provide learners with an understanding of how organisations use Information Systems to help them manage their specific needs.

1.2 Objectives

On successful completion of this unit a learner will:

1 Understand information needs within different functional areas of organizations

2 Be able to compare Information Systems

3 Be able to use Information Systems to produce management information 

Unit Content:

2 Indicative content:

1 Understand information needs within different functional areas of organisations

Functional areas of an organisation: typical areas e.g. finance, accounts, human resources, stock control, sales, marketing, research and development, production, distribution, customer service, administration

Information needs: requirements analysis e.g. strategic, tactical, operational; data requirements e.g. inputs, outputs, processing activities; information distribution requirements e.g. location, department, individual

2 Be able to compare Information Systems

Information Systems: types e.g. business Information Systems, decision support systems, management Information Systems, executive Information Systems, office Information Systems, transaction processing systems, expert systems, global Information Systems, data warehouse systems, enterprise systems, enterprise resource planning systems, integrated Information Systems

Information and data: definition of information and data, sources of information, information requirements and the needs for information at different levels within an organisation, storing information and its importance with regard to security, accuracy and relevance; outputs e.g. payroll, invoicing, ordering, bookings, stock control, personnel records, goods tracking, decision making, marketing, customer service

3 Be able to use Information Systems to produce management information

Management information: reports e.g. sales report, college enrolment statistics, marketing analysis (brick v click) Gathering information: defining requirements; establishing sources of information; defining other factors to be considered e.g. constraints

Selecting information: analysis of e.g. validity, accuracy, currency, relevance; identifying

Alternatives

3Learning Outcomes and assessment criteria

On successful completion of this unit a learner will:

LO1: Understand information needs within different functional areas of organisations

P1.1 Evaluate the information needs of the different functional areas of an organisation

LO2 be able to compare Information Systems

P2.1 Describe different types of Information Systems

P2.2 Investigate the current trends in using Information Systems applications to solve business problems

P2.3 Evaluate the suitability of Information Systems for different functional areas of an organisation

LO3 be able to use Information Systems to produce management information

P 3.1 Use an information system to generate valid, accurate and useful information for a given problem

P3.2 Evaluate alternative methods of solving the problem.

Section 3: Teaching and learning Methods

The module tutor(s) will aim to combine lectures with tutorial activities. This environment will provide opportunities for the student to understand the course material through case study and text and to apply it in a practical way. The intent is to facilitate interactive class activities, and discussion about the significant role of research in a global and local business environment.

Teaching Ethos

The College’s approach towards teaching and learning is simple and effective. The main aim of UKCBC is to assist learners in maximising their potential by ensuring that they are taught clearly and effectively. This will enable students to engage in the learning environment and promote success in both their academic studies and subsequent career.