Learn about the components of business information systems, with an emphasis on data transmission, management information software, and the ways that businesses manage data.
Course Introduction
Management Information Systems (MIS) is a formal discipline within business education that bridges the gap between computer science and well-known business disciplines such as finance, marketing, and management. In spite of this, most students will only take one or two MIS courses as part of their undergraduate program.
The term "Management Information Systems" has several definitions, depending upon where you look or whom you ask. Common among these many definitions is that MIS represent a collection of technologies, people, and processes that manage the information and communication resources of an organization.
Even if you do not realize it, you use MIS every day. If you use email, you are using MIS, since email is an information system (though you, the user, only see one end of it). If you log into a computer every morning and access or edit data on corporate servers, you are using information systems. In general terms, information systems encompass any interactions between organized data and people. MIS can be the means by which information is transmitted (such as the Internet), the software that displays the information (such as Microsoft Excel), or the systems that manage the data. In this course, you will learn about the components of management information systems and how to leverage them in business.
This course includes the following units:
Unit 1: Introduction to Management Information Systems
Unit 2: MIS Basics: Hardware, Software, Networking, and Security
Unit 3: Data and Databases
Unit 4: Information Systems and Organization Strategy
Unit 5: Information Systems Development
Unit 6: Information Systems in Society and the World
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
describe the use and function of management information systems;
identify and describe the different roles of people in information systems;
explain the strategic value of information systems in the organization;
describe the impact of information systems in the larger context of ethics and globalization; and
identify trends in information systems that will impact the next generation of business.
Throughout this course, you will also see learning outcomes in each unit. You can use those learning outcomes to help organize your studies and gauge your progress.
Course Materials
The primary learning materials for this course are articles, lectures, and videos.
All course materials are free to access and can be found in each unit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will tell you what to focus on in each resource, and will help you to understand how the learning materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also see a list of all the learning materials in this course by clicking on Resources in the navigation bar.
Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score
Only the final exam is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. In order to pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you may take it again as many times as you want
COURSE MODULES
This unit will introduce you to the concept of MIS and the impact it has on business organizations. Most people recognize that information systems are composed of technologies such as computers, keyboards, and networks, but technology is just one small component. Some argue that other components of MIS are far more important. Information systems are made up of three high-level components: technology, people, and process. Later in the course, you will spend more time learning about the specifics of each of the three components introduced in this unit.
Innovation drives MIS. The right technology, processes, and people come together to solve problems utilizing new techniques and strategies. In this unit, you will also look at the applications of MIS in business and learn how far MIS has come since the inception of the information age.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 6 hours.
Much of MIS is now centered on technology. Accordingly, MIS capabilities are mostly limited to the hardware and software capabilities of a given system. Ten years ago, it took the average Internet user a few minutes to download an MP3 music file over a cable connection. This can now be done in seconds wirelessly from just about anywhere in the developed world thanks to improvements in hardware and software. While it is nearly impossible to remain in front of technology developments, it is possible to analyze trends in technology advancements and identify what hardware and software may give you a competitive advantage.
This unit will first discuss the hardware component of technology, followed by the software component. We will finish the unit with a discussion of networking as a component of technology.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 11 hours.
Data is a collection of facts. For example, population estimates for China and the United States are data. Information is the presentation of these facts in an organized manner, such as by presenting population estimates side-by-side with other facts like per capita income. Knowledge refers to the use of information to make informed decisions. In this case, you might consider these figures critical knowledge for making policy decisions about China and the United States. Managing data allows the government, corporations, and even individuals to apply this knowledge to their everyday lives. Managing data can be difficult because databases are often filled with more information than you need. In this unit, you will explore the challenges of data management and learn how to take data and turn it into knowledge.
We have used the word database many times in this course. We will now define and study databases in detail. Entire courses are devoted to this subject (such as CIntroduction to Database Systems) since the uses and types of databases are as varied as the businesses that use them. However, finishing this unit should give you enough of an understanding of databases to have a conversation with a database administrator about the needs of your team or department.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours.
Strategic MIS is the application of information management in the overall strategy of a business. Many corporations include a Chief Information Officer (CIO) in executive management to implement information systems to be more competitive. What good would it do for a company to create an application that can tell where you are and serve you ads based on your location if it was unable to process that information? Part of the role of the CIO would be to figure out if it is possible to do this now – and if not now, when.
This unit will examine how information technology and information systems change the way organizations operate. The unit starts by looking at some of the key technological forces that characterize the information age that all firms must consider in their strategic planning. Then, you will learn about the special characteristics and challenges that business-to-business operations face. The unit concludes with an examination of how organizations adapt to technological changes.
Businesses have diverse needs. While software packages for managing information exist, most software is not "plug-and-play" ready for most business applications. IT departments, in conjunction with representatives from all lines of business, must work together to develop and implement information system solutions. The IS development process can range from the simple to the extremely complicated. Managers often find themselves disagreeing about what information is most important and what is worth developing. Trade-offs between financial resources, time, and the capabilities of current information systems can lead to frustration. For this reason, IS development is a very important function within a business.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 6 hours.
The reach of information systems extends well beyond the world of business. Today it is nearly as easy to communicate with someone on the other side of the world as it is to talk to someone next door. New technologies create situations that society has never dealt with before. How do we handle the unique capabilities that these technologies enable? Will societies need new laws or social mores to protect us from ourselves regarding technology?
We will conclude with a look at the future of MIS. After studying the security issues and failures of various systems, the outlook can seem bleak. Wherever there is a problem in MIS, there are opportunities to find profitable solutions.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 13 hours.
Course Duration: 57 hours.