Types of Information Systems Used Within Organizations - Essay Example

Sana Osman English 23 February 2009 Information Systems An Information System is a system of data records, persons, and activities that process information and data in an organization. It also includes an organizations automated and manual process. Simply put, Information Systems are hardware and software systems that support data-intensive applications. Another explanation of Information Systems is that it is a specific software application that is used to store data records in a computer system; it can also automate some of the information processing activities of an organization.

The field of information technology use computer based Information Systems. Information technology is a very important impressionable resource available to people in an organization. Information Systems have many different areas of work. Theses include Information Systems Management, Information Systems Strategy, and Information Systems Development. Information Systems Management is a system of collecting, processing, disseminating, and storing data in the form of information that is required to carry out functions of management.

An Information Systems Strategy is a system used to assist and manage information to help in strategic decision making. The IT department of an organization partly focuses on the development of information technology in an organization. It governs the development of Information Systems that focus on the development, use, influence, and application on an organization or business. A computer based Information System is a medium which is used for storing, recording, and spread linguistic expressions, and also drawing conclusions from these expressions.

These systems are technologically implemented. There are many different types of Information Systems; some of these include Management Information Systems, Transaction Information Systems, Expert Systems, Decision Support Systems, and Business Intelligence Systems. The key to Information Systems is that it converts data into useful information and delivers it to people who can use that data before it's too late. The importance of Information Systems is that it provides useful information and not just raw data that needs processing.

One of the greatest benefits of Information Systems is that it is an adaptable tool which can help your business progress. Some other benefits of Information Systems are that it provides central access to data, it has an easy backup system, it helps in distributing information centrally, and it helps in maintaining records easily, helps in identifying customer traits, and also helps in easy tax preparation. An Information System in an organization empowers its users. With a database a user has access only to raw data, whereas with an Information System a user is provided with the best information required to complete a task.

Information Systems also take into account the fact that different users may need to see the information presented to them in different way for a specific task. The benefits of a good Information System fall in place, only if a user can access, understand and respond to information correctly and quickly. "Computer-based information systems (IS) have evolved from supporting back office, already formalized, systems such as payroll, to penetrating the entire organization" (Hirschheim, Klein and Lyytinen 1995).

Works Cited Hirschheim, Rudy A., Klein, Heinz K., and Lyytinen, Kalle. Information Systems Development and Data Modeling: Conceptual and Philosophical Foundations. Published by Cambridge University Press, 1995