MI13 - 01 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

MI13 - 01

management information system

Q.1. Briefly explain the approaches of MIS development.

Approaches of MIS development There are seven approaches, which are used developing MIS:

(1) Top down approach: This approach develops a corporate plan as a guide for designing the information system. Here top management takes the lead in formulating objectives, policies and plans and communicates them down the line to middle and supervisory management for translating them into reality.

(2) Bottom up approach: it consists following five steps:

Individual functional applications are planned separately consisting of transaction processing, updating of files and simple reports Files of various functional applications are integrated by means of indexing chaining into database Various function are added to operate on the database at management control level Integration of models into a model base having a vide verity of analysis, decision and planning models. Strategic planning data and planning models are added to the information system

(3) Integrative approach: This approach permits at all levels to influence the design of the information system. Here evaluation, modification and approval of top management continue, till a final design is acceptable to all levels.

(4) Traditional approach: here activities are performed in sequence. Each activity is undertaken only when the previous activity is completed. Managers and users, consider and review the work performed by MIS professionals during each stage of processing, in order to ensure accuracy and completeness.

(5) Prototyping approach: in order to avoid any possible delay, prototyping approach is used. The goal is to develop a small or pilot version, called a prototype, which is built quickly and at lesser cost with the intention of modifying it when need arise.

(6) End user development approach: with the increasing availability of low cost technology, end user development is popular in much organization. Here the end user is responsible for system development.

(7) Systematic apporach for development in small organization: since fewer MIS professionals shall be working having with variety of responsibilities that they have little time to develop new system for users. In a very small organization, no MIS professional will exist. This does not men that they cannot develop management information systems. They develop systems using the following steps:

Identify requirements.

Locate, evaluate and secure software development

Locate, evaluate and secure hardware

Implement the systems.

Q.2 Explain the functions of DSS.

There are five function of DSS facilitating managerial decision making.

Module building This allowed decision maker to identify the most appropriate module for solving the problem on hand. It takes in to account variable inter relationship among the variable problem assumption and constraints

What if analysis This is the process of assessing the impact of changes to module variable, the value of the variable are the inter relationship among variable. This help managers to be protective rather then reactive in there decision making this analysis is critical for semi structure and unstructured problem because the data necessary to make such decision are often either not available are incomplete hence managers normally manager use there intuition judgement in predicting the long term implications of there decision. Manager can prepare themselves to face a dynamic business environment by developing a group of scenarios (best case scenarios, worst case scenarios and realistic scenarios).

Goal seeking It is the process of deterring the input values require to achieve a certain goal for example, house wire determined the monthly payment they can afford (say for example Rs.5000/-) and calculate the number of payment required to pay the desired house

Risk analysis It is a function of DSS that allows manager to access the risk associated with various alternative decision can be classified as low risk medium risk and high risk. A DSS is particularly useful in medium risk and high risk environment

Graphical analysis This helps manager to quickly digest large volume of data and visualize the impact of various courses of action S.L. Jarvenpaa and G W Dickson studied the relative advantage and disadvantage of tabular and graphic output. They recommended the use of graphs when Seeking a quick summary of data Detecting trends overtime Comparing points and patterns at different variable Forecasting activities Seeking relatively simple impressions from a vast amount of information The researcher suggested that a tabular presentation be used when it is necessary to read individual data values.

Q.3 Write short notes on:

Decision support system The term decision support system refers to a class of system which support the process of decision making the emphasis is on support rather then on automation of decision DSS allows the decision maker to retrieve data and test alternative solution during the process of problem solving

DSS can also be defining as a set of well-intimated, user friendly, computer based tools that combined data with various decision-making modules- qualitative and quantitative- to semi structured and unstructured problems.

DSS characteristics The following are the desirable characteristics for a DSS.

DSS helps the decision maker in the decision making process

DSS is designed to solve semi structured and unstructured problems.

DSS supports decision makers at all levels, but is most effective at the tactical and strategic levels

DSS makes general-purpose models, simulation capabilities and other analytical tools available to the decision-maker

DSS is an interactive, user friendly system that can be used by the decision-maker with little or no assistance from and MIS professional

System Testing and Implementation Testing is one of the most difficult tasks in system development; it requires creativity, persistence, and a through understanding of the system. It involves thoroughly probing the system to ensure that its performance matches system requirements and meets the expectations of end users. There are three types of testing unit testing, system testing, and acceptance testing.

In unit testing, a system is viewed as a collection of programs (units), and each program is individually tested, without any assurance that the system is free of errors. In system testing, testing is performed of the entire system to ensure that its component units will function effectively when brought together as a system. In acceptance testing, developers and users test the system under actual or simulated operating conditions to ensure that it is acceptable to users.

A good system prevails when it is implemented without affecting the footing operations of the organization. This requires careful planning and coordination. In case the system is new, implementation is quite straightforward. If the system is replacing an existing one, implementation becomes critical.

Rapid Application Development (RAD) A methodology that has the same objective of speedy response to user needs as does prototyping but is broader in scope is called rapid application development (RAD). RAD is a term coined by James Martin, computer consultant and author, for a development life cycle intended to produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality. It is an integrated set of strategies, methodologies, and tools that exists within an overall framework called information engineering(IE).

Information engineering starts with the executive level, with strategic information resources planning applied to the entire enterprise. Thereafter, each business unit within the firm is subjected to business area analysis (BAA) to define the activities (or processes) and data that are necessary for the unit to function as intended. With the completion of BAA, RAD can proceed.

Ingredients of RAD

Management

People

Methodologies

Tools

Q.4 Explain the steps involved in the development of Operational Prototype

and Discernable prototype.

Prototyping is a process whereby systems are developed swiftly, without having undergone a complete analysis and specification. The system that is developed is known as the prototype. There are two types of prototypes.

Operational prototype

Discardble prototype

Development of Operational prototype The figure below shows the steps involved in developing in operational prototype there are 4 steps and are as follows.

identify the user needs : the system analyst interviews the user to obtain an idea of what is required from the system

develop a prototype the system analysts, working with other information specialists, uses one or more prototyping tools to develop a prototype.

Determine if prototype acceptable the analysts educates the user in prototype use and provides an opportunity for becoming familiar with the system. The user advises the analysts whether the prototype is satisfactory. If so, then the next step, i.e. step 4 is taken, else the prototype is revised by repeating steps 1,2 and 3 with a better understanding of the user needs.

Use the prototype The prototype becomes the operational system. This approach is possible only when the prototyping tools enable the prototype to contain all the essential elements of the new system.

Development of discernable prototype the steps involved in discernable prototype are as follows.

identify the user needs the system analyst interviews the user to obtain an idea of what is required from the system

develop a prototype the system analyst, working with other information specialists, uses one or more prototyping tools to develop a prototype.

Determine if prototype is acceptable the analyst educates the user in prototype use and provides and opportunity for becoming familiar with the system. The user advises the analyst whether the prototype is satisfactory. If so, then the next step, i.e. step 4 is taken, else the prototype is revises by repeating steps 1,2 and 3 with a better understanding of the user needs

Code the operational system the programmer uses the prototype as the basis for coding the operational system.

Test the operational system the programmer tests the system.

Determine if the operational system is acceptable the user advises the analyst as to whether the system is acceptable. If so steps 7 are taken else step 4 and step 5 is repeated.

Use the operational system

This approach is followed when the prototype is intended only to have the appearance of an operational system but not when it is contain all of the essential elements.

Q.5 Explain expert system. Also briefly explain its components.

Expert system (ES) : An expert system is a computer application that guides the performance of ill structured tasks, which usually require experience and expertise. Using an expert system, a non expert can achieve performance, which is comparable to an experts performance in that particular domain.

An expert system is very similar to a decision support system, i.e. both are intended to provide a high level of problem solving support to their users. But they differ in two major ways:

First, a DSS consists of routines that reflect as to how the manager believes a problem should be solved, as well as the manager’s style and capabilities. An expert system on the other hand, offers the opportunity to make decisions that exceed the manager’s capabilities.

The second but most important difference between DSS and ES is the ability of the expert system (ES) to explain its line of reasoning in reaching a particular solution. Very often, the explanation of how a solution was reached is more valuable than the solution itself.

Components of ES : Expert system consists of 4 major parts

User interface the users interface enables the user to enter instructions & information into the expert system and also to receive information from it. The instruction specify the parameters that guide the expert system through its reasoning process. The information is in the form of value assigned to certain values. The user can use 4 methods for input purposes: menus, commands, natural language and customized interfaces. Expert systems are designed to recommend solutions. These solutions are supplemented by explanations. There are two types of explanations: explanation of questions an explanation of problem solution.

Knowledge base the knowledge base contains both facts that describe the problem is and knowledge representation techniques that describe how the facts fit together in a logical manner. The term problem domain is used to describe the problem area. The popular knowledge representation techniques are rules and networks of rules.

The knowledge base are usually coded in the form IF X THEN Y, where x is condition, Y is action to be taken if the condition is true. All the rules contained in an expert system are the called the rule set. The rules of rule set are not physically linked but their logical relation ship can be established.

Interface engine: the interface engine is the portion of the expert system that performs reasoning by using the contents of the knowledge base in a particular sequence. During the consultation, the interface engines examine the rules of the knowledge base one at the time. And when the rule’s condition is true, specified action is taken. In expert system terminology the true is fired when action is taken.

To main methods have been devised for the interface engine to use in examining the rules: forewords reasoning and reverse reasoning

(d) Development engine: the development engine is used to create the expert system and

This process involves building the rule set. There are two basic approaches: programming languages and expert system shells.

Programming languages: an expert system can be created using any programming languages, however two are especially well suited to the symbolic representation of the knowledge base, Prolog and Lisp

Expert system shells: an expert system shell is a readymade processor that can be tailored to a specific problem domain through the addition of the appropriate knowledge base. In most case the shell can provide an expert system quicker and easier than by programming.

Q 6. Explain the neural network process with a neat diagram

A neural network is a program that models the pattern recognition capabilities of the human brain, thereby endowing machines with the ability to identify and classify faces voices picture and written characters. Neural networks are programs that model the interconnection of human brain cells

Neural networks can also be defined to be an array of interconnected processing elements, each of which can accept inputs process them and produce single output. The output may be passed through a connection to another processing elements or produce the environment of the net. The processing elements may be actual hardware components or either operation may be simulated by software.

A generic neural network is shown above. It is made up of interconnected processing elements (PE), which are self adjusting units that are firmly connected with other processing elements (PE) in the system/ a processing element receives inputs from the user; each input has a certain weight assigned to it. The weights influence the way yhe input is processed by the processing element and the processing element is capable of adjusting the weights of the input based on its past experience. Each processing element processes the input and generates a single output to other processing element in the network.

The system observes the overall patterns of outputs generated by the processing elements and this pattern from the basis for information analysis and retrieval. Thus unlike other computer which are programmed to performed a task, neural are trained to perform a task. By controlling and fine-tuning the type and flow of information among processing elements, the software gradually changes the connection between them and in this way new information is learned. For example one neural network learned to pronounce 20,000 words.

Q.7. “MIS design is more dynamic with well-defined authority and decision making

structure”. Explain how client-server architecture serves this need.

MIS design is more dynamic with well-defined authority and decision making structure. The client-server architecture because of its capabilities serves well with this need of MIS. It provides comprehensive support to the decision-makers. With the business growth, it allows easy expansion of any nature. The architecture is scalable on both side and also cost performance effective.

The decision making has shifted from data to information to individual. The architecture of the system should therefore be, such that it is flexible and easy to change. It is required of the nature where business process and rules governing them can be changed as suited to the decision-maker and they can coexist. Database should be stable and secured and process management flexible. The architecture should meet local need and serve corporate global needs. To meet this complex architecture needs it was necessary to built a model where data business logic-its usage and presentation is on different hardware software platform. The client server architecture helps this requirement very efficiently. It is user centric as each user can have his view of business and its processes. The client server architecture offered such a platform due to its following characteristics:

On the physical side it is scalable expandable and the distance between two locations for communication is no issue. The system components are divisible locally or at different platforms. For example the user can distributed databases and distributed processing.

It is platform independent where operating system hardware, architecture, and vender specific differences are no longer serious limitations. It is possible to build the system suitable to build the system suitable to user locations, data sources and application requirements. Due to capabilities of data warehousing, data reapplication and distributions of applications logic across the servers it is possible to optimize the usage of hardware and software with full benefit to the users.

Client server architecture provides the environment where MIS is a flexible and dynamic model as compared to traditional model of MIS Working on main frame model. MIS for competitive and strategic needs require heavy transaction processing and using processed information to update the business status initiating a variety of actions. Client server architecture to store data and swift access, and processing capabilities helps to try and simulate variety of strategy before they are firmed up. Use of executive information system, data reverse engineering for evolving and analysis of strategies is easily possible because of client server architecture using front end tools and packaged software on business modeling, risk analysis and forecasting.

MIS essentially revolves around mission critical application designed for highest customer satisfaction. A majority of such applications are real time transaction processing at multiple locations. The resultant business status needs to be put together to infer the position of performance. Client server architecture essentially focuses this requirement of business across the organization. With second-generation multi-tier client server architecture, it is possible to build MIS, which is efficient rich information for decision-making at all, levels. Once can conceptualize different models of MIS i.e. corporate MIS, functional MIS, divisional MIS, personal MIS etc.