Mis unit iv-converted
- 1. Page | 1 Management Information System BBA- III SEM Ms. Arati Singh Department of Computer Science Shri Shankaracharya Mahavidyalaya Junwani
- 2. Page | 2 Unit- IV Development and Implementation of the MIS Once the plan of MIS is made, the development of the MIS calls for determining the strategy of development is discussed earlier, the plan consists of various systems and subsystems. The development strategy determines where to begin and in what sequence the development can take place with the sole objective of assuring the information support. The choice of the system or the subsystem depends on its position in the total MIS plan, the size of the system, the user’s understanding of the systems and the complexity and its interface with other systems. The designer first develops systems independently and starts integrating them with other systems, enlarging the system scope and meeting the varying information needs. Determining the position of the system in the MIS is easy. The real problem is the degree of structure and formalization in the system and procedures which determine the timing and duration of development of the system. Higher the degree of structured and formalization, greater is the stabilization of the rules, the procedures, decision-making and the understanding of the overall business activity. Here, it is observed that the user’s and the designer’s interaction is smooth, and their needs are clearly understood and respected mutually. The development becomes a method of approach with certainty in the input process and outputs. a) Prototype Approach When the system is complex, the development strategy is Prototyping of the System. Prototyping is a process of progressively ascertaining the information needs, developing a methodology, trying it out on a smaller scale with respect to the data and the complexity, ensuring that it satisfies the needs of the users, and assess the problems of development and implementation. This process, therefore, identifies the problem areas, inadequacies in the prototype visa is the fulfillment of the information needs. The designer then takes steps to remove the inadequacies. This may call upon changing the prototype of the system, questioning the information needs, streamlining the operational systems and procedures and move user interaction. In the prototyping approach, the designer’s task becomes difficult, when there are multiple users of the same system and the inputs they use are used by some other users as well. For example, a lot of input data comes from the purchasing department, which is used in accounts and inventory management. The attitudes of various users and their role as the originators of the data need to be developed with a high degree of positivism. It requires, of all personnel, to appreciate that the information is a corporate resource, and all have to contribute as per the designated role by the designer to fulfill the corporate information needs. When it comes to information the functional, the departmental, the personal boundaries do not exist. This call upon each individual to comply with the design needs and provide without fail the necessary data inputs whenever required as per the specification discussed and finalized by the designer. Bringing the multiple users on the same platform and changing their attitudes toward information, as a corporate resource, is the managerial task of the system designer. The qualification, experience, knowledge, of the state of art, and an understanding of the corporate business, helps considerably, in overcoming the problem of changing the attitudes of the multiple users and the originators of the data. b) Life Cycle Approach
- 3. Page | 3 There are many systems or subsystems in the MIS which have a life cycle, that is, they have birth and death. Their emergence may be sudden or may be a part of the business need, and they are very much structured and rule-based. They have 100% clarity of inputs and their sources, a definite set of outputs in terms of the contents and formats. These details more or less remain static from the day the system emerges and remains in that static mode for a long time. Minor modifications or changes do occur but they are not significant in terms of handling either by the designer or the user of the system. Such systems, therefore, have a life and they can be developed in a systematic manner and can be reviewed after a year or two, for significant modification, if any. Examples of such systems are payroll, share accounting, basic financial accounting, finished goods accounting and dispatching, order processing, and so on. These systems have a fairly long duration of survival and they contribute in a big way as sources of data to the Corporate MIS. Therefore, their role is important and needs to be designed from the viewpoint as an interface to the Corporate MIS. c) Implementation of the Management Information System The implementation of the system is a management process. It brings about organizational change; It affects people and changes their work style. The process evokes a behavior response which could be either favorable or unfavorable depending upon the strategy of system implementation. In the process of implementation, the system designer acts as a change agent or a catalyst. For a successful implementation, he has to handle the human factors carefully. The user of the system has a certain fear complex when a certain cultural work change is occurring. The first and the foremost fear are about the security to the person if the changeover from the old to new is not a smooth one. Care has to be taken to assure the user that such fears are baseless and the responsibility, therefore, rests with the designer. The second fear is about the role played by the person in the organization and how the change affects him. On many occasions, the new role may reduce his importance in the organization, the work design may make the new job impersonal, and a fear complex may get reinforced that the career prospects may be affected. There are certain guidelines for the systems designer for the successful implementation of the system. The system designer should not question beyond a limit the information need of the user. 1. Not to forget that his role is to offer a service and not to demand terms. 2. Remember that the system design is for the use of the user and it is not the designer’s prerogative to dictate the design features. In short, the designer should respect the demands of the user. 3. Not to mix up technical needs with the information needs. He should try to develop a suitable design with appropriate technology to meet the information needs. The designer should not recommend modifications of the needs, unless technically infeasible.
- 4. Page | 4 4. Impress upon the user the global nature of the system design which is required to meet the current and prospective information need. 5. Not to challenge the application of the information in decision-making. It is the sole right of the user to use the information the way he thinks proper. 6. Impress upon the user that the quality of information depends on the quality of input. 7. Impress upon the user that you are one of the users in the organization and that the information is a corporate resource and he is expected to contribute to the development of the MIS. 8. Ensure that the user makes a commitment to all the requirements of the system design specifications. Ensure that he appreciates that his commitments contribute largely to the quality of the information and successful implementation of the system. 9. Ensure that the overall system effort has the management’s acceptance. 10. Enlist the user’s participation from time to time, so that he is emotionally involved in the process of development. 11. Realize that through serving the user, he is his best guide on the complex path of development. 12. Not to expect perfect understanding and knowledge from the user as he may be the user of a non- computerized system. Hence, the designer should be prepared to change the system specifications or even the design during the course of development. 13. Impress upon the user that the change, which is easily possible in a manual system, is not as easy in the computer system as it calls for changes in the programs at cost. 14. Impress upon the user that perfect information is nonexistent; His role therefore still has an importance in the organization. 15. Ensure that the other organization problems are resolved first before the MIS is taken for development. 16. Conduct periodical user meetings on systems where you get the opportunity to know the ongoing difficulties of the users. 17. Train the user in computer appreciation and systems analysis as his perception of the computerized information system will fall short of the designer’s expectation. Implementation of the MIS in an organization is a process where organizational transformation takes place. This change can occur in a number of ways. Lewin’s model suggests three steps in this process. The first step is unfreezing the organization to make the people more receptive and interested in the change. The second step is choosing a course of action where the process begins and reaches the desired level of stability. The third step is Refreezing, where the change is consolidated and equilibrium is reinforced. Many times, this process is implemented through an external change agent, such as a consultant playing the role of a catalyst. The significant problem in this task is the resistance to change. The resistance can occur due to three reasons, viz., the factors internal to the users of information, the factors inherent in the design of the system and the factors arising out of the interaction between the system and its users. The problem of resistance can be handled through education, persuasion, and participation. This can be achieved by improving the human actors, and providing incentives to the users, and eliminating the organizational problems before implementing the system. Evaluation of MIS Evaluation of MIS is a process in which the performance of an organizational MIS is determined. According to the performance results, the organization evaluates and implements the necessary modifications in MIS. Various terms related to the evaluation of MIS are,
- 5. Page | 5 1. Evaluation approaches 2. Evaluation classes 3. Product-based MIS evaluation 4. Cost/benefit-based evaluation 1) Evaluation Approaches Various approaches are used to evaluate the organizational MIS performance. The most common approaches are, • Quality Assurance Review: The quality assurance review is also known as a technical review. It determines the technical quality performance of MIS. The quality assurance review determines the data transmission rate, main or secondary storage, and CPU capacity. The MIS development personnel or a quality assurance group performs the quality assurance review. 2) Evaluation Classes To evaluate the performance of MIS, the following two classes are used, • Effectiveness: The effectiveness class determines the quality of the MIS output. MIS is effective if the quality of its output is good and the process of producing output is right. • Efficiency: The efficiency class specifies the total amount of resources required by MIS to obtain the output. The relationship between effectiveness and efficiency can be defined as effectiveness is a measure of the quality of an MIS output, while efficiency is a measure of the resources required to achieve the output. 3) Product-based MIS evaluation The product-based MIS evaluation is also known as effectiveness evaluation. Determines the effectiveness of an MIS output. For assessing the effectiveness of MIS output, a model structure may be used. • Model Structure: A model structure is a structure that contains various information attributes such as timeliness and relevance. To determine the MIS effectiveness in an organization, we need to determine the information attributes for the MIS output. Some of commonly used attributes are, o Timeliness o Relevance o Accuracy o Completeness o Adequacy o Explicitness o Exception-based 4) Cost/benefit-based evaluation Cost-based evaluation of the MIS system determines the benefits expected from the developed system. Different approaches are used to measure the cost and evaluate the various benefits to organizations. The approaches of cost-benefit analysis are used to find out the feasible solution.
- 6. Page | 6 Maintenance refers to the ongoing activity to ensure MIS effectiveness within the cost constraints and is directed toward minimizing the errors that have occurred due to design and environmental changes, and enhancing the scope and services of the system. Maintenance may be classified into emergency maintenance, routine maintenance, request for special reports, and system requirements. In an organization, the following activities require maintenance: policy statements, procedures, forms, operating system, hardware or hardware configuration, software modifications or additions, system controls, security requirements, environment inputs, etc. Changes in the environment need to be closely monitored to avoid undesirable effects on the MIS. Some of the environmental factors that affect the MIS are changes in governmental policies and regulations, changes in economic conditions, changes in industry and competitive conditions, and introduction of new technologies. Changes in Governmental Policies and Regulations Specialists and lawyers are engaged by large companies to apprise the management about the various changes that are taking place in the environment and how the organization can adapt to these changes. The organization may have to make changes in reporting and compliance requirements. Changes in Economic Conditions Financial information systems are affected by the economic conditions. Corporate policies are generally influenced by the information system. The information system should be designed in such a way that it is able to internalize economic changes. Since it may not always be possible to predict economic changes, a periodic evaluation of the system is required. Changes in Industry and Competitive Conditions Changes in the industry are as important as changes in the economic conditions. Timing is an important factor as far as changes in the industry are concerned. The company should launch new products at a time when the industry is doing well and markets are expanding. The timing will determine the success or failure of a product. Changes in the business environment affect the competitive strategy, pricing policy, hiring, and capital budgeting. New technology is likely to affect the basic objectives of the organization. There are new standards for measurement such as package size, or metric system. Some other examples are retailers gathering information at the point of purchase, stock price information at brokerage houses, etc. All these changes would require changes in the MIS. Use of Latest Technologies
- 7. Page | 7 A few years ago, organizations were skeptical about the implementation of an information system. The rapid pace at which computer technology, application programs, and management techniques have grown has facilitated MIS implementation in organizations. Conventional managers are not very comfortable with modern technology. The present generation managers are using these technologies to improve productivity and efficiency. System Maintenance / Enhancement Maintenance means restoring something to its original conditions. Enhancement means adding, modifying the code to support the changes in the user specification. System maintenance conforms the system to its original requirements and enhancement adds to system capability by incorporating new requirements. Thus, maintenance changes the existing system, enhancement adds features to the existing system, and development replaces the existing system. It is an important part of system development that includes the activities which corrects errors in system design and implementation, updates the documents, and tests the data. Maintenance Types System maintenance can be classified into three types − • Corrective Maintenance − Enables user to carry out the repairing and correcting leftover problems. • Adaptive Maintenance − Enables user to replace the functions of the programs. • Perfective Maintenance − Enables user to modify or enhance the programs according to the users’ requirements and changing needs. References https://www.includehelp.com/MIS/overview-of-management-information- system.aspx#:~:text=Nature%20and%20Scope%20of%20MIS,an%20art%20and%20a%20scienc e. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Integrated_systems#:~:text=Integrated%20systems% 2C%20or%20systems%20integration,'%20(Langford%2C%202013). https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Integrated_systems# https://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_information_system/management_information_syst em.htm https://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_information_system/management_information_syst em https://mays.tamu.edu/department-of-information-and-operations-management/management- information-systems/