COMPUTER BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS
An Information system is
a set of people, procedures, and resources that collects, transforms, and
disseminates information in an organization.
Today’s end users rely on many types of Information Systems (IS). Some are simple
manual information systems, where people use tools such as pencils and paper,
or machines such as calculators and typewriters. Others are computer-based
information systems. Computer-based information systems mean the use
hardware, software, telecommunications, and other forms of Information
Technology (IT) to transform data resources into a variety of information
products. Four kinds of organizational changes are enabled by Information
systems. These are automation, rationalization, re-engineering,
and paradigm shift. When an organization does not use its internal
resources to build and operate information system it takes help of other
organizations to provide these services. This is called outsourcing. There are
advantages and disadvantages of using outsourcing. Quality programs differ
greatly from company to company. Some are merely generalized “sales” campaigns
intended to sensitize employees to the need to strive for more quality in their
daily work. At the opposite extreme, quality programs can result in fundamental
changes in the way a company does its business. Companies also follow different
routes in achieving quality. Whatever route a company selects, the more it
tries to achieve with its quality programs, the more information systems can
contribute the success of those programs.
A computer based
information system uses the resources of
people (end users and IS specialists), hardware (machines and media), and
software (programs and procedures), to perform input, processing, output,
storage, and control activities that convert data resources into information
products as shown in Figure-1.
Figure-1: The Components
of an Information System
