Management Information Systems

Management Information System is generally defined as an integrated user-machine system for providing information to support operations, management and decision-making functions in an organization. The system utilizes computer hardware and software, manual procedure, models for analysis. Information is viewed as a resource much like land, labor and capital. It must be obtained processed, stored, manipulated and analyzed, distributed etc.

 

Management Information Systems is a system that converts data into information, communicated in an appropriate form to managers at levels of an organization. The information can contribute to effective decision making or planning to be carried out (Patterson, 2015). MIS basically involves the process of collecting, processing, storing, retrieving and communicating the relevant information for the purpose of efficient management operations and for business planning in any organizations. Thus, the success of effective decision-making, is consider as the heart of administrative process, is highly dependent partly on available information, and partly on the functions that are the components of the process (Nath & Badgujar, 2013).

         

Management Information Systems is define as type of information systems that transform data to information and summarized the information to Meaningful and useful forms as management reports to use it in managerial decision making. Management Information System is defined here as a type of system that consist of people, equipment and procedure to gather sort, analyze, evaluate and distribute timely, accurate, relevant and pertinent information for management decision making.

 

Weihrich and Koontz (2017) defined Management Information system as a functional system of gathering, comparing, analyzing, and dispersing internal and external information to the enterprise in a timely, effective, and efficient manner. Management information system can be defined as a support to management to provide the competitive advantage which must support the goals of the organization. Kenneth and Laudon (2001) Define Management information system as a planned system of collecting, processing, storing, disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the functions of management. It can also be a documented report of the activities, planned and executed. Management information system use formalized procedures to provide management at all levels in all functions with appropriate information based on the data from both internal and external sources to enable them to make timely and effective decision for planning, directing and controlling the activities for which they are responsible.

 

From the definition it means that management information system is made up of people who communicate (by report) information within and outside the organization.  Managers and officers communicate to their subordinates while subordinates also communicate by report and other device used in their communication process.

 

According to Philip (2017), management information system is the reception of facts and from a direct source which will be very useful to the organization as a whole.  The three key words are defined separately:

●    M (Management):  Refers to the state of mind that can best be described as a testimonial to the irrationality of man.

●    I (Information):  This is the meaningful input from which decision are made.

●    S (System):  Which entails a set of interacting components and sub-systems that work together to accomplish a defined goal.

Management information system is very useful to the organization and the major components of (MIS) include the following:

●    Data Processing Input (DPI): The term data processing is the processing of meaningful information by collecting all items of data together in performing operation on them to extract the requirement/required information from them, while

●    Electronic Data Processing (EDP):  Is the system through electronic means principally that of the use of computer.

Management Information System (MIS) has a primary purpose which is to provide the managers with the necessary information for decision making.  The critical point here is that not just any information will be enough but information should be particularly relevant for the managers area of decision and timely as well.

A good system requires the current raw data processed and filtered into information that management can accurately use.  Such systems are known as Decision Support System (DSS).  They are described as a wide variety of systems which have the direct objectives of supporting managerial decision making.

Management Information System is a (DSS) if and only it is designed with the primary objective of managerial decision support, thus a (DSS) is a specialties (MIS) designed to support a manager skills of all stage of decision making via identifying the problems choosing the relevant data, picking the approach to be used in making decision and evaluating the alternative course of action.

A management information system (MIS) is an information system used for decision-making, and for the coordination, control, analysis, and visualization of information in an organization.  The study of the management information systems involves people, processes and technology in an organizational context.  In a corporate setting, the ultimate goal of the use of a management information system is to increase the value and profits of the business. This is done by providing managers with timely and appropriate information allowing them to make effective decisions within a shorter period of time.