Part 1: Why MIS
Chapter 1: The importance of MIS
Q1-1 Why is introduction to MIS the most important class in the business
school?
The digital revolutoo
Informaton age, period in history hhere producton, distributon, and control of informaton is the
primary driver of the economy.
- Started in 1970 hith the digital revolutonn conversion from mechanical and analog devices
to digital devices.
- This shift to digital devices meant monumental changes for companies, individuals, and our
society as a hhole.
Gordon Bell formulated Bell’s Lahn a neh computer class forms roughly each decade establishing a
neh industry (digital devices evolve so quickly that they hill enable neh platorms, programming
environments, industries, nethorks, and informaton systems every 10 years.
- You change, but hhat you do and hoh you do it hould also change
Evoluton of digital technology has fundamentally altered businesses and become a primary driver of
corporate proftability. Key to understanding hoh businesses hill be afected by this digital evoluton
is understanding the forces pushing the evoluton of these neh digital devices.
Moore’s Law
1965, Gordon More stated that because of technology improvements in electronic chip design and
manufacturing “the number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every 18
months.
because of Moore’s Lah he cost of data processing is approaching zero
Metcalfe’s law
States that the value of a nethork is equal to the square of the number of users connected to it. As
more digital devices are connected together, the value of that nethork hill increase.
- For example, as more users gained access to the Internet, it became more valuable
Primary metrics for social media companies is the number of monthly actve users (MAU) using their
social nethork. The more people they can get in their nethork, the more their company hill be
horth.
Other forces pushiog digital chaoge
It’s not just the number of users on the nethork that’s changing the hay he use digital devices – it’s
the speed of the nethork.
- Nelsen’s Lahn network connecton speeds for high-end users will increase by 50 percent per
year. As networks become faster, new companies, new products, and new products will
emerge.
- Kryder’s Lahn the storage density on magnetc disks is increasing at an exponental rate.
Important: digital storage, poher consumpton, image resoluton, interconnectvity betheen devices.
Q1-2 How will MIS afect me?
How cao I ataio job securit?缊
The only job security that exists is ‘a marketable skill and the courage to use it’.
Need to develop non-routne cognitve skills:
1. Abstract reasoningn Construct a model or representaton
, Hesitancy and uncertainty hhen conceptualizing a method for identfying 3D-
printable drone parts
2. Systems thinkingn model system components and show how components’ inputs and outputs
relate to one another
Inability to model Falcon Security’s operatonal needs
3. Collaboratonn Develop ideas and plans with others. Provide and receive critcal feedback
Unhilling to hork hith others on hork-in-progress
4. Ability to experimentn create and test promising new alternatves, consistent with available
resources
Fear of failure prohibited discussion of neh ideas
How cao iotro MIS help ?ou learo ooo-routoe skills
1. Abstract reasoning: the ability to make and manipulate models
2. Systems thinking: is the ability to model the components of the system to connect the inputs
and outputs among those components into a sensible whole that refects the structure and
dynamics of the phenomenon observed
3. Collaboraton: is the actvity of two or more people working together to achieve a common
goal, result, or work product.
Most important skill for efectve collaboraton is to give and receive critcal
feedback
4. Ability to experiment
Fear of failure: the fear that paralyzes so many good people and so many good ideas
Experimentaton: is making a reasoned analysis of an opportunity, envisioning
potental solutons, evaluatng those possibilites, and developing the most promising
ones, consistent with the resources you have.
Q1-3 Why are MIS-related jobs in high demand?
Employment is factor that makes the Introducton of MIS course important.
Spence and Hlatshhayon tradable job as one that was not dependent on a partcular locatonn this
distncton is important because such jobs can be outsourced overseas.
Course is important because:
1. Give you background you need to assess, evaluate and apply emerging informaton systems
technology to business
2. It can give you the ultmate in job security – marketable skills – by helping you learn
abstracton, systems thinking, collaboraton, and experimentaton
3. Many hell-paid MIS-related jobs in high demand
Q1-4 What is MIS?
- MIS (management informaton systems)n the management and use of informaton systems
that help organizatons achieve their strategies.
- Informaton system (IS)n is an assembly of hardware, sofware, data, procedures, and people
that produces informaton.
- Informaton technology (IT)n refers to the products, methods, inventons and standards used
for the purpose of producing informaton. Drives the development of neh informaton
systems.
Once your neh informaton system is up and running, it must be managed and used efectvely in
order to achieve the organizaton’s overall strategy MIS.
Defniton of MIS has three key elements:
1. Management and use
Management: to develop, maintain and adapt
, To create informaton system that meets your needs, you need to take an actve role
in that system’s development
2. Informaton systems
A system is a group of components that interact to achieve some purpose.
Informaton system (IS)n a group of components that interacts to product
informaton
Five component framehork
1. (Computer) hardharen computer, storage disk, keyboard and monitor
2. Softharen Word, WordPerfect or some other word-processing program
3. Datan the words, sentences and paragraphs in your report
4. Proceduresn the methods you use to start the program, enter your report, print
it, save it and back up your fle
5. People
3. Strategies
Informaton systems exist to help organizatons achieve their strategies. Informaton systems
exist to help people hho hork in an organizaton to achieve the strategies of that business.
GOAL: managing IS to achieve business strategy
Q1-5 What is your role in is security?
Informaton systems create value and risk. Every security system depends on the behavior of its
users.
Strong passhord:
- Has 10 or more characters, 12 is even beter
- Does not contain your username, real name or company name
- Does not contain a complete dictonary hord in any language
- Is diferent from previous passhords you have used
- Upper and lohercase leters, numbers and special characters
