Unit 8

It is a system that converts data from internal or external soures into information to be used by managers to aid the decision making process.

E.g. sales manager using MIS to compare the sales performance of different staff by comparing them to staff in the neaby area.

E.g. looking at pupil attendance figures to try and find strategies to improve their figures.

E.g. the manager of a nationwide parcel delivery service uses MIS to look at the distane each vehicle has to trael to make the decision whether they need a new depot.

• Accesible to a wide range of users - supports a wide range of skills and knowledge
• Accuracy of data and flexibility of data analysis - if its not entered correctly its not going to come out correctly.
• Presents the data in the most appropriate formats e.g. tables, graphs and lists.
• Improves interpersonal communications between management and employees - manager can get precise information which allows them to communicate the information effectively.
• Avoids informaiton overload - must not produce any surplus information as this can waste time and smetimes make essential information harder to use.
• Allows individual project planning - part of any managers job is to plan for the future.

• Complexity of the system - too difficult for most people to use
• Lack of formal methods during development - fails to meet user expectations
• Inadequate initial analysis - has not identified what users need from the system
• Innapropriate hardware or software - system is too slow
• Lack of management knowledge about the system and its capabilities
• Poor communication between professionals - staff did not work with developers
• Lack of professional standards of software developers - did not do it properly.