2. Business Information Systems Dr. Merle P. Martin MIS 116

3. Agenda t Data versus information t Information overload t Business decision making t Problems t Problem solving cycle t Characteristics of information

4. Data Versus Information t Data is unedited stimuli u business transactions u sales, payments, etc. t Information is processed data u customer balance u sales trends t Information used to make decisions

5. Information Overload t Proven for u animals u humans u organizations t Effectiveness increases with information t UNTIL... exceeds sensory capacities t THEN... effectiveness decreases

6. Information Overload t The point where this occurs is called INFORMATION OVERLOAD INFORMATION OVERLOAD t “I’m so busy squashing ants the elephants are stomping me to death.” the elephants are stomping me to death.” t Figure 2-2, Page 44

7. Business Decision Making Selection of an action from among two or more alternatives to solve a business problem

8. Problem Figure 2-3, page 46

9. Problem Solving Cycle Figure 2-5, page 48

10. Characteristics of Information t Relevancy ( Decisions) t Accuracy u Completeness u Correctness u Security t Timeliness

11. Characteristics t Economy ($) t Efficiency u Output/Input t Reliability t Usability ( Human Factors )

12. War Stories Give an example of Information Overload that you have encountered u in your job. u outside your job

13. Concepts to Remember t Data and Information t Information Overload t Problems and Decision Making t Characteristics of Information t Building blocks for remainder of course