Information systems are necessary for supporting the business functions in a company. How well a company chooses the proper information systems can make the difference between a successful business and a failure. This paper will discuss information systems and how they impact organizations.
Information Systems Support Business Processes in OrganizationsAny modern business requires information systems to handle everything from customer information to human resources. Without information systems to handle the various tasks of an organization, a company would not be able to handle its operations efficiently.
Information systems, includes software and hardware. Hardware can include computers, including PCs and items that provide input and output to a computer such as printers and storage devices. Computer hardware will not function without software. Software includes application software and systems software. The primary function of application software is to apply the power of a computer to give individuals, workgroups, and the entire enterprise the ability to solve problems and perform specific tasks. (Stair, Reynolds, 2006).
The Essay on Information Systems 7
... includes the organization's manual and automated processes. In a narrow sense, the term information system (or computer-based information system) refers to the specific application software ... information systems. Some examples are: Transaction processing systems Management information systems Decision support systems Expert systems Business intelligence Information systems development Information ...
Systems software is defined by Stair and Reynolds as “the set of programs designed to coordinate the activities and functions of the hardware and various programs through the computer.”Business processes within an organizationA business I am familiar with is Real Easy Corp, a website design company. Real Easy Corp designs websites for business professionals.
This company uses hardware and software that help employees communicate with each other more easily. The employees are networked with a network server. This server runs many applications including Microsoft Office.
Customer access to the business information systemsThe customers have access to our information systems. The customers are tied in to our inventory department through a special application, which lists all of our company products for sale. Our website hosting services are easy for the business professional to set up and use.
The company’s weakness with the information systems is when the system crashes. The business has a large amount of system down time which causes customers to look elsewhere for products. The company could improve this entire process by investing in better infrastructure.
ConclusionInformation systems have a major impact on the business operations of an organization. Failure to take advantage of the information systems can lead to a loss of productivity within an organization and a loss of customers.
References
Stair, R., Reynolds, G. (2006).
Fundamentals of Information Systems (3rd ed.).
Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology
