MIS - CH1

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of Management Information Systems (MIS), strategic business objectives, computer hardware and software classifications, and computer systems architecture.

Information System

A set of interrelated components that collect, process, store, and distribute information to support decision making, coordination, and control in an organization.

Data

Streams of raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical environment before they have been organized and arranged into a form people can understand.

Information

Data that have been shaped and converted into a meaningful and useful form for human beings.

Input

The activity of capturing or collecting raw data from within the organization or from its external environment.

Processing

The conversion, manipulation, and analysis of raw input into a meaningful form, including classifying, arranging, and calculating.

Output

The distribution and transfer of processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used.

Feedback

Output returned to appropriate members of an organization to help evaluate, refine, or correct the input stage.

Strategic Business Objectives of Information Systems

The six core business reasons firms invest heavily in information systems: (1) Operational excellence; (2) New products, services, and business models; (3) Customer and supplier intimacy; (4) Improved decision making; (5) Competitive advantage; and (6) Survival.

Operational Excellence

A strategic business objective in which businesses leverage information systems and technologies to improve efficiency, streamline tasks, and increase productivity to achieve higher profitability.

Business Model

A framework describing how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth.

Customer and Supplier Intimacy

A strategic objective achieved by using information systems to better understand and satisfy customer needs (increasing repeat business and revenue) and tightly linking with suppliers to obtain vital inputs at lower costs.

Improved Decision Making

Using real-time data and analytics through information systems to avoid overproduction, underproduction, misallocation of resources, and poor response times caused by relying on best guesses.

Competitive Advantage

The capability of delivering superior performance, charging less for superior products, and responding to customers and suppliers in real time compared to industry competitors.

Survival (Business Objective)

Investing in information systems because they are business necessities to keep up with industry standards or comply with federal and state regulatory reporting requirements.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Legislation that requires public corporations to retain all records and audit trails, including email correspondence, for at least five years.

Business Processes

The unique, logically related tasks and behaviors developed over time to accomplish organizational work (e.g., fulfilling an order or hiring an employee).

Dimensions of Information Systems

The three interrelated components necessary for understanding and effectively utilizing information systems: Organizations, People, and Technology.

Five-Step Problem-Solving Process

A continuous organizational model consisting of: (1) Problem identification/Analysis, (2) Solution design, (3) Implementation, (4) Testing, and (5) Maintenance.

Problem Identification

The first step of the problem-solving process involving defining the problem and its causes, reviewing firm resources and budget, outlining system objectives, estimating timeline, and listing requirements/specifications.

Hardware

The tangible, physical components of a computer system used to perform processing, input, output, storage, and communication operations.

Internal Hardware

Hardware components located inside the system unit (main box) of a computer, such as the CPU, GPU, and internal hard disk.

External Hardware

Peripheral hardware components situated outside the computer system unit and connected via wired or wireless interfaces (such as keyboards, mice, screens, and printers).

Software

The non-physical or non-tangible components of a computer consisting of series of instructions or programs that control and direct the hardware.

System Software

The software layer used to manage and operate computer hardware and run the system itself (e.g., Microsoft Windows 10, iOS, Android).

Application Software

Programs designed to enable end users to carry out specific tasks, such as creating documents, editing photos, or playing media (e.g., Microsoft Office 2016, Adobe Photoshop).

Embedded Computers

Dedicated computers integrated directly into products or devices (such as household appliances, thermostats, treadmills, and cars) to carry out specific, predefined tasks.

Mobile Devices

Small, handheld or wearable devices equipped with built-in computing power and/or Internet connectivity, including smartphones, smartwatches, mini tablets, and handheld gaming consoles.

Personal Computers (PCs)

Small computers, also called microcomputers, designed for use by a single individual at a time (e.g., desktop computers, notebooks/laptops, and hybrid tablets).

Servers

Midrange computers engineered to manage data storage, host shared applications, and deliver services concurrently to multiple connected users in an organization.

Mainframe Computers

High-end enterprise-class servers characterized by vast processing power and reliability, used by large organizations to centrally manage massive volumes of critical transaction data.

Supercomputers

The fastest, most powerful, and most costly class of computers, designed to process complex single programs and massive calculations at maximum speed.

TITAN

A high-performance supercomputer equipped with over 300,000 processors and capable of reaching a peak operational rate of 17000000000000000 quadrillion calculations per second.