Management Information System (MIS)

Management Information System (MIS)

Lecture 1

Management Information System: Definition

MIS (management information systems) is a general term for the computer systems in an enterprise that provide information about its business operations. It's also used to refer to the people who manage these systems. Typically, in a large corporation, "MIS" or the "MIS department" refers to a central or centrally-coordinated system of computer expertise and management, often including mainframe systems but also including by extension the corporation's entire network of computer resources.

The MIS program is intended to be the first step in a life-long learning experience in the exciting and dynamic field of information technology. It provides a strong foundation for advancement and success in IT careers and ventures.

Basically, Management Information Systems is the study of the use of computers in business. This course shows students how Information Systems are used to support critical business operations and achieve strategic objectives. The elements or corporate technology are studied and its application to specific business situations is discussed. Students develop a small information system using Microsoft Access and use Excel as a decision support tool.

In the beginning, business computers were used for the practical business of computing the payroll and keeping track of accounts payable and receivable. As applications were developed that provided managers with information about sales, inventories, and other data that would help in managing the enterprise, the term ‘MIS’ arose to describe these kinds of applications. Today, the term is used broadly in a number of contexts and includes (but is not limited to): decision support systems, resource and people management applications, project management, and database retrieval applications.

What is Management Information System?

Management Information System is a general name for the academic discipline covering the application of information technology to business problems.

As an area of study it is also referred to as Information Technology Management. The study of information systems is usually a commerce and business administration discipline, and frequently involves software engineering, but also distinguishes itself by concentrating on the integration of computer systems with the aims of the organization. The area of study should not be confused with computer science which is more theoretical in nature and deals mainly with software creation, and not with computer engineering, which focuses more on the design of computer hardware. IT service management is a practitioner-focused discipline centering on the same general domain.

In business, information systems support business processes and operations, decision-making, and competitive strategies.

Purpose & Scope of Management Information System

The Purpose and Scope of MIS can be defined as “The combination of human and computer based resources that results in the collection, storage, retrieval, communication and use of data for the purpose of efficient management of operations and for business planning”.

In order to get a better grip on the activity of information processing, it is necessary to have a formal system which should take care of the following points:

• Handling of a voluminous data.

• Confirmation of the validity of data & transaction.

• Complex processing of data and multi-dimensional analysis.

• Quick search & retrieval.

• Mass Storage.

• Communication of the information system to the user on time.

• Fulfilling the changing needs of the information.

The management information system uses computers and communication technology to deal with these points of supreme importance.