Management Information Systems

The data that supports an organization's decision-making process has to be stored and maintained in the management information system (MIS). The MIS is not just one system but a collection of systems designed to support various organizational functions. This article explores the different types of MIS systems and the level of decision-making each supports. Focus on the Transaction Process Systems diagram and note how the various information systems (pink boxes) inform decisions at different levels in the organization.

Management Information Systems

  • What types of systems make up a typical company’s management information system?

Whereas individuals use business productivity software such as word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics programs to accomplish a variety of tasks, the job of managing a company’s information needs falls to management information systems: users, hardware, and software that support decision-making. Information systems collect and store the company’s key data and produce the information managers need for analysis, control, and decision-making.

Factories use computer-based information systems to automate production processes and order and monitor inventory. Most companies use them to process customer orders and handle billing and vendor payments. Banks use a variety of information systems to process transactions such as deposits, ATM withdrawals, and loan payments. Most consumer transactions also involve information systems. When you check out at the supermarket, book a hotel room online, or download music over the internet, information systems record and track the transaction and transmit the data to the necessary places.

Companies typically have several types of information systems, starting with systems to process transactions. Management support systems are dynamic systems that allow users to analyze data to make forecasts, identify business trends, and model business strategies. Office automation systems improve the flow of communication throughout the organization. Each type of information system serves a particular level of decision-making: operational, tactical, and strategic. The relationship between transaction processing and management support systems as well as the management levels they serve. Let’s take a more detailed look at how companies and managers use transaction processing and management support systems to manage information.

Source: Rice University, https://opentextbc.ca/businessopenstax/chapter/management-information-systems/
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