What is an Information System? An information system is an organized collection of people, information, business processes, and information technology designed to transform inputs into outputs in order to achieve a goal.

IPO (Input, Processes, Output) Input – customer name, address, income etc. Process – create customer record Output – Income level based mailing list/report

Input Data – raw facts Information- data that has been processed to make it useful Knowledge – created when information is combined with experience and judgment Decisions – Do we expand our business? Do we add staff? Reduce staff?

Processes People Business Processes IT (Information technology)

Output Data Information Knowledge Decisions Business Value – positive return on investment of resources

Business Value of IS TPS – Transaction Processing Systems MIS – Management Information Systems DSS – Decision Support Systems ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning (SAP) CRM – Customer Relationship Management

IT in a company IT supports the business – IT as a ‘product’ is the exception A) Microsoft B) Wells Fargo

IT in a Company Users of IT services - Everyone - Money makers (Revenue generators) IT Staff – Support (HELP Desk) – Analysts – Programmers – Testers – Project Managers – ……………. – Users

Data as an Asset What is the most important asset of a company?

3 categories of IT (Information Technology) Hardware – Anything you can touch Software – Tells hardware what to do – System software – Application software COTS Custom designed – Utility software Networks - permits sharing of technology

Data verses Information Delimited File Delimiter Excel – Math – Cannot show (well) how data is related to each other

Excel Demo Delimited file import Format Formulae Data -> Information