This document provides information on various categories of organizational information systems, including: Data Processing Systems (DPS), Management Information Systems (MIS), Decision Support Systems (DSS), Executive Information Systems (EIS), and Expert Systems. It discusses the characteristics and functions of each type of system, how they relate to different organizational levels, and how data flows between the different systems.

2. Organisational Information Systems
Learning Intention – You will learn about:
 Categories of Information Systems
 DPS
 MIS
 DSS
 EIS
 Expert Systems
 OIS Concepts
 Functions of OIS systems
 OIS Strategies
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3. Categories of Information Systems
 Data Processing Systems (DPS)
 Management Information Systems (MIS)
 Decision Support Systems (DSS)
 Executive Information System (EIS)
 Expert Systems
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4. Categories of Information Systems
How do Information systems fit into levels of IS?
Organisational Type of information system
Level
Strategic Executive Information System (EIS)
Tactical Decision Support Systems (DSS)
Management Information Systems
(MIS)
Operational Data Processing Systems (DPS)
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5. Concepts in Relation to Organisational Management
Systems
 Speed
 The processor is able to carry out millions of calculations per second.
 Accuracy
 Computers store and process numbers to a high degree of accuracy.
 The software and hardware combined will perform the calculation
correctly every time.
 Volume
 The number of transactions processed in a period of time is the
volume.
 Efficiency
 The efficiency of an Information System is a combination of the
speed, accuracy and volume of the data processed.
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6. Data Processing Systems (DPS)
 Transactional Processing System
 Deals with day-to-day transactions
 Accountancy, invoicing, stock control
 Items scanned by bar code reader etc
 DPS are the tools used at the Operational level of an
organisation
 DPS involves use of a computer
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7. The Data Processing Cycle
Information Data
Output Gathering
Processing Data
and Preparation
Storage and Input
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8. Functions
 Gathering data
 Turnaround documents in mail order and bills
 Bar codes on almost every item sold
 Call centres, customers pay by card
 Internet ordering – credit and debit cards
 Cards with magnetic strips and chip and PIN
 Magnetic ink character reader on cheques
 Optical character recognition
 Mark sense reader (Lottery tickets)
 In each case the data is captured and then stored electronically and
used for some purpose.
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9. Functions
Storing information
 Magnetic media
 Magnetic tape – long-term and backup storage. Very
cheap but slow to access.
 Hard disk – very fast random access, used in most
applications including ordering and booking systems.
 Optical media
 CD-ROMS and DVDs – both available in writeable and re-
writeable formats. Not as flexible as disk, but very
compact.
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10. Functions
Processing data
 Searching and selection
 Search and select a sub-section of the data that
matches specified criteria.
 Sorting and rearranging
 Alphabetic or numeric, ascending or descending.
 Aggregating
 Summarising data by totalling details.
 Calculating
 Working out bills like utility bills.
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11. Functions
Outputting information
 Paper
 Till receipts, statements, cheques, internal reports and
almost anything.
 Screen
 Data entry screens and reports for managers.
 Web-aware applications where pages are viewed as if
on the Internet.
 File
 Saving to backing storage.
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12. Management Information Systems
 MIS convert data from internal and external sources into
information for managers.
 The source of data for an MIS usually comes from databases
within Data Processing Systems.
 MIS summarise and report on the organisation’s basic
operations.
 MIS produce reports for managers interested in historic
trends on a regular basis.
 MIS support the monitoring, control and decision maiking at
the tactical level.
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13. Decision Support Systems
 DSS provide information and models in a form to help tactical and
strategic decision-making.
 They support management decision-making by integrating:
 Company performance data
 Business rules in a decision table
 Analytical tools and models for forecasting and planning
 A simple user interface to query the system.
 DSS are much more flexible and so are useful when making ad-hoc, one-
off decisions.
 The sources of data for DSS tend to be a combination of summary
information gathered from lower-level DPS and MIS.
 Spreadsheets and databases are commonly used
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14. Executive Information Systems
 EIS provide senior managers with systems to assist in taking strategic and
tactical decisions.
 Purpose – to analyse, compare and identify trends to help the strategic
direction of the organisation.
 EIS incorporate data about external events. They:
 draw summarised information from internal MIS and DSS.
 filter, compress, and track critical data.
 reduce time and effort required to obtain information useful to strategic
management.
 employ advanced graphics software to provide highly visual and easy-to-
use representations of complex information and current trends.
 do not provide analytical models.
 EIS allow the user to look at specific data that has been summarised from
lower levels within the organisation and then drill down to increase the level of
detail - data warehouse analysis.
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15. Task
 Read through Scholar Using Information – Topic 3
 Summarise the main points of each system
 Answer questions 1-5 on page 218
 Prepare memory cards or a brief mind map
 (leave room for Expert Systems)
 This should take 2 periods.
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16. Expert Systems
 An expert system is a computer program that tries to
emulate human reasoning.
 It does this by combining the knowledge of human
experts and then, following a set of rules, draws
inferences (solutions).
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17. Expert Systems
 An expert system is made up of three parts:
 A knowledge base stores all of the facts, rules and
information needed to represent the knowledge of the
expert.
 An inference engine interprets the rules and facts to find
solutions to user queries.
 A user interface allows new knowledge to be entered
and the system queried.
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18. Expert Systems
 Expert systems are used for the following purposes:
 To store information in an active form as
organisational memory.
 To create a mechanism that is not subject to human
feelings, such as fatigue and worry.
 To generate solutions to specific problems that are
too substantial and complex to be analysed by human
beings in a short period of time.
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19. Task on expert systems
 Find out:
 What is a ‘knowledge engineer’?
 What is ‘Artificial Intelligence’?
 Find a business example of an expert system and write
a little about it.
 Click on this link to try a simple one:
Whale Watcher
 Add Expert Systems to your mind map
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20. Interrelationships between
Information Systems
EIS
MIS DSS
DPS
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