Question

We all interact with various information systems every day; at the supermarkets, at different organizations, at school, even in cars. Make a list of the different information systems you interact with every day. See if you can identify the technologies, people, and processes involved in making these systems work

Answer 1

Answer:

Almost all programs in business require students to take a course in something called information systems. But what exactly does that term mean? Let’s take a look at some of the more popular definitions, first from Wikipedia and then from a couple of textbooks:

“Information systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data.”[1]

“Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings.”[2]

“Information systems are interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and viualization in an organization.”[3]

As you can see, these definitions focus on two different ways of describing information systems: the components that make up an information system and the role that those components play in an organization. Let’s take a look at each of these.

The Components of Information Systems

As I stated earlier, I spend the first day of my information systems class discussing exactly what the term means. Many students understand that an information system has something to do with databases or spreadsheets. Others mention computers and e-commerce. And they are all right, at least in part: information systems are made up of different components that work together to provide value to an organization.

The first way I describe information systems to students is to tell them that they are made up of five components: hardware, software, data, people, and process. The first three, fitting under the technology category, are generally what most students think of when asked to define information systems. But the last two, people and process, are really what separate the idea of information systems from more technical fields, such as computer science. In order to fully understand information systems, students must understand how all of these components work together to bring value to an organization.

Answer 2

We all interact with various information systems every day: at the

grocery store, at work, at school, even in our cars (at least for some of us). List three (3) different information systems you interact with regularly (or often); provide the type of function they perform along with where you encounter each system. For example, my car has a built-in navigation system that I interact with on a regular basis to plan routes, get traffic information, and locate restaurants, gas stations, and other services (so this example has been used and shouldn't be repeated.) This navigation system represents an information system because it combines hardware, software, telecommunications or connectivity, and data. In addition, try to identify the technologies, people, and processes involved in making these systems work. Be sure you're addressing examples of information systems rather than just hardware or one of the other components.