Articles on Management Information System

An information system refers to a set of network of components which act together towards producing, distributing and processing information. Lets understand the various aspects of management information systems in detail.

The global business environment constantly demands for innovation. Lets understand in detail the latest emerging trends and the changing face of the business environment.

An information system generally consists of 5 main components - hardware, software, database, network and people. Lets discuss the different types of informations systems in detail.

Information system and information technology are same in many ways but at the same time they are different. Lets discuss the major differences between information systems and information technology.

This article examines what is meant by information overload and discusses the consequences of living in a 24/7 world where we are constantly online all the time and where we are bombarded with information that is mostly useless and meaningless. The key theme in this article is that information overload has serious consequences for businesses, institutions, and society and therefore, it would be better if we learn to distinguish and separate the wheat from the chaff if we are to be productive.

Information systems concepts play an important role in todays working environment. Lets understand the concept of communication systems and groupwares in detail.

Advancement and application of information technology are ever changing. Lets discuss the latest trends in Information Technology, like - cloud computing, mobile applications, user interfaces, etc.

Worldwide influence of the internet is well-established and acknowledged. Lets understand the impact of internet on the way in which business is conducted today.

The 7S Framework model is used to study and suggest areas within an organization which requires improvement. Lets understand the 7 factors of the framework in detail.

Technology provides an edge to the organizations in this globalized world. Corporate planning plays a vital role in alignment of technology with the organizations strategies.

Development and deployment of information systems contributes to the business effectiveness and increases the overall productivity.

The article is an introduction to information technology and business intelligence. It discusses how IT, economic theory and business strategy acts as a driving source of productivity.

Information technology has changed the way in which businesses are conducted. It has been a driving force for product, service and process innovation.

Lets discuss in details the main elements of an information system model - customers, business processes, product services and communication technology.

In todays digital age information systems play a very vital role in success of any organization. Information technology has introduced the concept of virtual value chain.

Information Technology (IT) is everywhere. However, do organizations know what it takes to reap the benefits of IT? Moreover, does the organizations’ approach to IT or the IT strategy is consistent with its business and corporate goals and objectives? Apart from this, what are the elements of a successful IT strategy? These are some of the questions that are sought to be answered in this report, which uses the case study of a bank to illustrate the concepts and the ideas.

There are two main components of a value chain - primary activities and secondary activities. Lets discuss about the value chain and e-strategy in detail.

Commercial value chain is a value chain which is used to achieve its organizational goals. Lets discuss about the components of a commercial value chain.

The 2 most important factors which determines a successful e-strategy are - Customer Requirements and Commercial Scalability. Lets understand these two factors of e-Commerce in detail.

The role of information systems is to improve productivity of organization. Lets discuss in detail about the marketing function, marketing cycle and components of marketing information system.

Marketing channel can be defined as any agency, which facilitate distribution of goods and services. Lets understand the concept of marketing channel systems in detail.

Any sales support system can be divided into 6 parts - sales activity management, sales and territory management, contact management, lead management, configuration management and knowledge management.

Retail is an important part of the supply chain. It is the place where the goods are sold directly to the end user. Lets discuss more about the retail management information systems.

Recruitment and selection are 2 of the main function performed by the human resource department. Lets discuss in detail about the information systems for recruitment and selection.

Any employee development system consists of - induction, training, development, performance appraisal and career management. Lets dicuss in detail abouth the information systems for training and development.

Employee relationship management is the management of relationship between employee and employer. Information systems are actively used in employee relationship management.

A Talent management system takes care of four main functions - recruitment, perofrmance, learning and compensation. Lets understand in detail about the information system used for talent management in an organization.

Knowledge is very important for survival and growth of any organization. Knowledge management systems are developed to capture, create, refine, tag and circulate information which is used to improve the business productivity.

Information systems facilitates automation across various departments. Employee portals for human-resource department undertakes different tasks, like - employee information, timesheet management, appraisal management and employee development, etc.

In todays corporate world, there is encouragement for diverse and inclusive work environment. The Decision support system consists of 3 main parts - data management system, model management system and user interface.

Businesses require sufficient capital to succeed in business environment. Working capital management involves management of cash, inventory and other short term marketable securities and account receivables.

Financial analysis and planning are the most important tasks of any finance department. Information technology has made a big impact on financial analysis and planning. Lets discuss the process of financial analysis and planning in detail.

Financial planning and forecasting are integral part of strategic finance. The article discusses in detail about - strategic finance, strategic planning and capital management.

Finance intelligence is all about empowering employees with basic finance knowledge so that they can take a sound business decision. Finance intelligence is both art as well as science.

The article discusses in detail about the Tally accounting software and features of Tally and advanced features of MS-Excel useful in financial decision making.

This article examines the need of many Asian companies to get themselves certified for process maturity and process excellence. The key theme in this article is that though there are many industry leaders who are not process certified, the capability maturity models are useful for companies trying to expand globally as they are badges of excellence that can contribute to positive perceptions among their customers.

With the advent of information technology, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has been in the forefront in the organizational success. The article talks about the emergence and benefits of the ERP System.

E-procurement is electronic data transfer to support operational, tactical and strategic procurement. Lets discuss in detail about the tools, application and benefits of e-procurement.

Enterprise marketing automation is part of customer relationship management. The main purpose of the enterprise marketing automation is to run different marketing programs within the organization.

The article introduces the various ERP Products available in the market and their pros and cons.

Business analytics is a methodology or tool which helps decision makers to make a well thought and researched decision. The article discusses in detail about the application, importance and scope of business analytics.

Business intelligence is a framework designed to support the decision-making process. Lets discuss in detail about the architecture and components of business intelligence.

Business intelligence architecture is divided into 6 elements - data management, transformation tools and processes, data repositories, application tools for analysis, presentation tools and operational processes. Lets discuss all of these six elements in detail.

Data is one of the most important components in the information technology. Data warehouse is used to store huge volume of data. Lets discuss in detail about - data warehouse, data marts and online analytical processing.

This article discusses the need to align the IT and business strategies and lists the common obstacles as well as lays down some steps that can be taken to actualize a synergistic IT business alignment. The key theme in this article is that just as relay runners depend on each other and the overall success is a team effort, organizations cannot afford to have their CIOs and CEOs working at cross-purposes.

This article was aimed to introduce the exciting domain of cloud computing in emerging platforms and put forth reasons for its adoption.

This article throws light on the concept of Big Data, its challenges and ways to harness it.

This article introduces the reader to the term IT governance and explains what it means along with the differences between IT governance, corporate governance, IT management, and IT controls. The key theme in this article is to analyze how and why these terms differ and provide a basic introduction to the field of organizational governance, which is a vast ocean by itself.

This article discusses what is meant by systemic risk and how globalization and IT have made us both more vulnerable as well as prosperous at the same time. The key theme in this article is that we must not behave like an Ostrich that is oblivious to danger or the Dodo, which refused to change with the times and hence faced extinction.

This article examines the power of IT (Information Technology) in empowering people and analyses how IT enabled governance can transform developing countries. Using the example of UID in India, the article also discusses how the delivery value chain can be made more efficient and the leakages plugged and losses minimized. The key theme in this article is that knowledge is power and once the citizenry are made aware and empowered, governance would certainly improve for the better.

We all know that hacking and cybercrime have become very common these days. However, do we know that these are not random acts by malign individuals but are part of systematic and concerted efforts that are sometimes so effective that organizations stand to lose significant amounts of money as well as reputation? This article deals with the theme of how organizations can minimize Information Security Risks as well as protect their IT systems from hackers and cybercriminals. In addition, this article also stresses the need to be vigilant against hacking by insiders.

This article considers the key trends driving the market for IT hardware over the next three years. The key trends that are considered include globalisation of the supply chain, the effect of the ongoing recession on consumer and corporate spending, changes in consumer preferences for laptops and finally, the changes in technology that have spurred the introduction of newer products.

Given the current buzz around eCommerce, mCommerce, Digitization, and the emerging Digital Economy, it is important to understand the elements of this form of economic organization. This article takes three essential elements of the Digital Economy namely Big Data, Algorithms, and Platform Capitalism and explains what they are and how they rule our world. The key theme in this article is that since anyway we are wittingly or unwittingly participating in the Digital Economy, it makes sense to understand how it works for our good.

This article charts the transformation of Business Intelligence from earlier decades to the present where Big Data techniques have enabled firms and entities to develop Predictive Abilities. The key themes in this article are that Data is the New Currency of Power and if used wisely and ethically, BI has the potential to create a Better Society.

This article discusses the importance of critical thinking in the Age of Information and the Age of Information Overload. This article underscores why we must separate fact from fiction, truth from post truth, and facts from alternative facts if we are to make informed and well thought-out decisions in our careers and lives. The key theme in this article is that if we are to prevent ourselves from drowning in the sea of information, we need to learn to think for one so that we can navigate the tides of information and misinformation.

This article explains the business ramifications of the Equifax data breach. It tells why this is the worst data breach in the history of computer hacking. It also describes how this is likely to affect the individuals whose data was stolen and how they can prevent further damage.

Data Security has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Indeed, not a day passes without news of hacking of our data stored in millions of websites and apps and the recent scandal about Facebook and Cambridge Analytica have only heightened the concerns. In times when Data is the New Oil, one has to be very careful about what one puts online. This article examines these themes through careful analysis and deep explanations.

Most of us would have heard of cloud computing being a game changer for the IT Industry. So, what and how does the emergence of cloud computing impact the IT Industry. This article explains such impacts along with demystifying several concepts that have led to the transition from client server models to cloud based models. We use real world examples of Microsoft Word and Google Play to illustrate the theory with practical examples.

This article explains the concept of optical character recognition (OCR) and e-invoicing. It explains how these technologies are impacting the operations of companies. It also explains how these processes lead to huge cost savings as well as increased efficiency.

This article explains the importance of effective Information Security and Data Protection policies in the Digital Age. Using real world examples, we list the different ways in which Digitalised Firms can guard against Data Theft. We also argue that Data is the New Oil and with escalating threats from both Hostile State and Non State hackers, we can ill afford to be complacent as far as IS matters.