OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT CLASSIFICATIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Operations Support Systems

1. Transaction Processing Systems

A transaction processing system (TPS) is an information system that captures and processes data generated during an organization’s day-to-day transactions.  A transaction is a business activity such as a deposit, payment, order or reservation. Clerical staffs typically perform the activities associated with transaction processing, which include the following:

•      Recording a business activity such as a student’s registration, a customer’s order, an employee’s time card or a client’s payment.
•     Confirming an action or triggering a response, such as printing a student’s schedule, sending a thank-you note to a customer, generating an employee’s paycheck or issuing a receipt to a client.
•      Maintaining data, which involves adding new data, changing existing data, or removing unwanted data.

Transaction processing systems were among the first computerized systems developed to process business data – a function originally called data processing.  Usually, the TPS computerized an existing manual system to allow for faster processing, reduced clerical costs and improved customer service.

2.     Process Control Systems

    Process Control Application of technology to monitor and control physical processes. Refers to the application of technology to monitor and control physical processes. It’s useful, for example, in testing the temperature of food as it is being prepared or gauging the moisture content of paper as it’s being manufactured. Typically, it depends on sensors to collect data periodically. The data are then analyzed by a computer programmed either to make adjustments or to signal an operator.

3.       Enterprise Collaboration Systems

   Enterprise Collaboration Systems is a combination of groupware, tools, Internet, extranets and other networks needed to support enterprise-wide communications, such as the sharing of documents and knowledge to specific teams and individuals within the enterprise. Some examples of enterprise communication tools include e-mail, videoconferencing, collaborative document sharing, project management tools and others. The objective of an ECS is to provide each user with the tools for managing communications, documents and other information that individuals need to manage their own tasks efficiently in their departments.

Management Support Systems

1.      Management Information Systems

      Management information systems that integrate data to provide formalized reports that summarize the information to assist with managerial monitoring and controlling of organizational activities and resources. Transaction-processing systems automate routine and repetitive business transaction processing activities to reduce errors and increase efficiency. MIS help managers exercise effective controlling of organizational resources and activities. Rationally, MIS are designed to get the right information, at the right time and amount, to the right user, in the right format to allow managers to monitor and manage the organization better. For example  tracking inventory, billing, sales, or payroll data, with little detail or structure.

2.  Decision Support Systems

    Decision-making is an essential component of organizational life. Decision makers receive and analyses information using many different media, including traditional print, group and interpersonal information exchanges and computer-based tools Decision support systems (DSS) is a generic concept that describes information systems that provide analytical modeling and information to support semi-structured and unstructured organizational decision making. Common characteristics of DSS include:

•  Problem structured, used in semi-structured and unstructured decision context
•  Intended to support and augment decision makers not replace them
• Supports most phases of decision-making process
•  Uses underlying data and model
• Interactive: DSS is designed to be an interactive decision aid

3.      Executive Information Systems

      Executive Information Systems is information systems that is highly interactive and that provide the information and other functions necessary for strategic decision making. EIS help managers get the most accurate and immediate picture of the organization and its environment. For examples hardware, software, user interface and telecommunication. The potential benefits of executive information systems derive from the features listed above, and are similar to those for other management support systems

• faster decision making due to earlier identification of problems and faster delivery of     information
• better decision making due mainly to a better understanding of the organization and its environment

Specialized Processing Systems

1.       Expert Systems

      An expert systems is an information system that captures and stores the knowledge of human experts and then imitates human reasoning and decision-making processes for those who have less expertise.  Expert systems are composed of two main components:  a knowledge base and inference rules.  A knowledge base is the combined subject knowledge and experiences of the human experts.  The inference rules are a set of logical judgments applied to the knowledge base each time a user describes a situation to the expert system. For example interface that allows the user to express the human language such as English.

2.      Knowledge Management Systems

      Knowledge management systems refer to any kind of IT system that stores and retrieves knowledge, improves collaboration, locates knowledge sources, mines repositories for hidden knowledge, captures and uses knowledge, or in some other way enhances the knowledge management process. For example computer science, public policy, information and media.

3.          Strategic Information Systems

    A Strategic Information System (SIS) is a system that helps companies change or otherwise alter their business strategy and/or structure. It is typically utilized to streamline and quicken the reaction time to environmental changes and aid it in achieving a competitive advantage. For examples primarily Enterprise resource planning solutions that integrate or link the business processes to meet the enterprise objectives for the optimization of the enterprise resources and the real-time information Systems that intend to maintain a rapid-response and the quality indicators.

4.       Functional Business Systems

      Functional business systems provide decision-makers feedback and information on the daily operation of the business. Transaction processing, management information, decision support and many more information systems supports business functions, such as accounting, finance, marketing, operations management and human resource management.

SOURCES:http://www.webopedia.com http://bisom.uncc.edu http://en.wikipedia.org http://it.toolbox.com http://www.flatworldknowledge.com

Name  : Sarach Fauziah

NIM     : C1L011014