An information system is integrated and co-ordinate network of components, which combine together to convert data into information. Show
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Components of information systemsAn information system is essentially made up of five components hardware, software, database, network and people. These five components integrate to perform input, process, output, feedback and control. Hardware consists of input/output device, processor, operating system and media devices. Software consists of various programs and procedures. Database consists of data organized in the required structure. Network consists of hubs, communication media and network devices. People consist of device operators, network administrators and system specialist. Information processing consists of input; data process, data storage, output and control. During input stage data instructions are fed to the systems which during process stage are worked upon by software programs and other queries. During output stage, data is presented in structured format and reports. Classification of Information SystemIn any given organization information system can be classified based on the usage of the information. Therefore, an information system in an organization can be divided into operations support system and management support system.
In an organization, data input is done by the end user which is processed to generate information products i.e. reports, which are utilized by internal and or external users. Such a system is called operation support system. The purpose of the operation support system is to facilitate business transaction, control production, support internal as well as external communication and update organization central database. The operation support system is further divided into a transaction-processing system, processing control system and enterprise collaboration system. In manufacturing organization, there are several types of transaction across department. Typical organizational departments are Sales, Account, Finance, Plant, Engineering, Human Resource and Marketing. Across which following transaction may occur sales order, sales return, cash receipts, credit sales; credit slips, material accounting, inventory management, depreciation accounting, etc. These transactions can be categorized into batch transaction processing, single transaction processing and real time transaction processing. In a manufacturing organization, certain decisions are made by a computer system without any manual intervention. In this type of system, critical information is fed to the system on a real-time basis thereby enabling process control. This kind of systems is referred as process control systems. In recent times, there is more stress on team effort or collaboration across different functional teams. A system which enables collaborative effort by improving communication and sharing of data is referred to as an enterprise collaboration system. Managers require precise information in a specific format to undertake an organizational decision. A system which facilitates an efficient decision making process for managers is called management support system. Management support systems are essentially categorized as management information system, decision support system, expert system and accounting information system. Management information system provides information to manager facilitating the routine decision-making process. Decision support system provides information to manager facilitating specific issue related solution. Further ClassificationAn information system can be categorized based upon activity into strategic planning system, tactical information system and operational information system. Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)
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, hardware, software, data, fitting under the category technology, 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. Technology can be thought of as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. From the invention of the wheel to the harnessing of electricity for artificial lighting, technology is a part of our lives in so many ways that we tend to take it for granted. As discussed before, the first three components of information systems – hardware, software, and data – all fall under the category of technology. Each of these will get its own chapter and a much lengthier discussion, but we will take a moment here to introduce them so we can get a full understanding of an information system. Hardware The first component is hardware of an information system. Hardware is the part of an information system you can touch – the physical components of the technology. Computers, keyboards, disk drives, iPads, and flash drives are all examples of information systems hardware. We will spend some time going over these components in future chapters. Figure 3.1 displays internal parts on a computer. Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Computer Hardware. (Michal Jarmoluk, CCO, via pixnio.com)Software Software, the second component of an information system, is a set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. Software is not tangible – it cannot be touched. When programmers create software programs, what they are really doing is simply typing out lists of instructions telling the hardware what to do. There are several categories of software, with the two main categories being operating-system software, which makes the hardware usable, and application software, which does something useful. Examples of operating systems include Microsoft Windows on a personal computer and Google’s Android on a mobile phone. Examples of application software are Microsoft Excel and Angry Birds. Below is a diagram showing how the user interacts with application software on a typical desktop computer. The application software layer interfaces with the operating system, which in turn communicates with the hardware. The arrows indicate information flow. Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Computer Software : (CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Data The third component is data. You can think of data as a collection of facts. For example, your street address, the city you live in, and your phone number are all pieces of data. Like software, data is also intangible. By themselves, pieces of data are not really very useful. But aggregated, indexed, and organized together into a database, data can become a powerful tool for businesses. In fact, all of the definitions presented at the beginning of this chapter focused on how information systems manage data. Organizations collect all kinds of data and use it to make decisions. These decisions can then be analyzed as to their effectiveness and the organization can be improved. Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Data: Different Types of Data. (CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Networking Communication: A Fourth Technology Piece? Besides the components of hardware, software, and data, which have long been considered the core technology of information systems, it has been suggested that one other component should be added: communication. An information system can exist without the ability to communicate – the first personal computers were stand-alone machines that did not access the Internet. However, in today’s hyper-connected world, it is an extremely rare computer that does not connect to another device or to a network. Technically, the networking communication component is made up of hardware and software, but it is such a core feature of today’s information systems that it has become its own category. People When thinking about information systems, it is easy to get focused on the technology components and forget that we must look beyond these tools to fully understand how they integrate into an organization. A focus on the people involved in information systems is the fourth component. From the front-line help-desk workers to systems analysts, to programmers, all the way up to the chief information officer (CIO), the people involved with information systems are an essential element that must not be overlooked. Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): People. (geralt, CC, via pixabay.com)Process The last component of information systems is process. We have all heard the term process before, but what exactly does it mean? A process is a series of steps undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal. Processes are something that businesses go through every day in order to accomplish their mission. The better their processes, the more effective the business. Some businesses see their processes as a strategy for achieving competitive advantage. A process that achieves its goal in a unique way can set a company apart. A process that eliminates costs can allow a company to lower its prices (or retain more profit). The simplest way to document a process is to simply create a list. The list shows each step in the process; each step can be checked off upon completion. For example, a simple process, such as how to create an account on eBay, might look like this:
For processes that are not so straightforward, documenting the process as a checklist may not be sufficient. For example, here is the process for determining if an article for a term needs to be added to Wikipedia:
This procedure is relatively simple – in fact, it has the same number of steps as the previous example – but because it has some decision points, it is more difficult to track with as a simple list. What are the components of an information system?The main components of information systems are computer hardware and software, telecommunications, databases and data warehouses, human resources, and procedures.
What are the 3 components of information systems?As discussed before, the first three components of information systems – hardware, software, and data – all fall under the category of technology.
What are the 5 components concepts of information system?The Components of Information Systems. Information systems can be viewed as having five major components: hardware, software, data, people, and processes. The first three are technology.
What are the 6 main components of an information system?The six basic functions of information systems are capture data, transmit data, store data, retrieve data, manipulate data and display information.
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