1. Information Systems Fundamentals
is 311
Information Systems Fundamentals
College Of Computer Science and Information, Information Systems Department 1

2. Course Description
Information systems Fundamentals - IS 311 is a core course in the bachelor of information systems department.
This course is about the use of information systems in organizations and the technology that information systems use.

3. Course Objectives This course introduces the students to:
The main concepts of the information systems.
The nature and types of information systems.
The hardware and software computer technologies.
Data resource management.
Telecommunications and networks.
E-Business systems
Developing business systems
Information security, crime, and ethics.

4. Teaching Team Lecturer : Nouf Al mujally
Consultation Time:
Sunday 9-11
Monday 12:30-1:20
Tuesday 9 – 12
Office:

5. Course Reference
1- “Introduction to Information Systems” , by James A. O’Brien / Marakas , Fifteenth Edition , McGraw-Hill.

6. Course Link http://is311.wikispaces.com In the website: Announcement
Lectures
Tutorials (Home works)
Assignments
Grades

7. Course Grading Due Marks Theoretical part (40%) Midterm 1 (15%) Week 6
Presentation (10%)
Week 13-14 10
Tutorials (10%)
Home works (5%)
Weekly 5
Participation (5%)
Final Exam (50%)
Final Exam
---- 50
Total
100

8. General Notes No late submissions AT ALL !!
Copying from another student will result in a ZERO mark for all involved students
Exams will cover materials from the textbook, as well as material presented in the class.
Students who are absent on Midterm exam day due to illness are required to bring a signed medical excuse letter.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor if the midterm exam was missed within one (1) week following the scheduled exam date

9. Foundations of Information Systems in Business
Chapter 1- section II
Foundations of Information Systems in Business 9

10. Outline What is a system? Systems Functions.
Some system characteristics.
IS Components.
IS Resources.
IS Activities.

11. Definition - Example Glass CAR Steel Rubber Plastic Copper aluminum
Example of system : the system of creating car . Input – processing - output

12. What is a System? A system could be defined as:
“a set of interrelated components, with a clearly defined boundary, working together to achieve a common set of objectives by accepting inputs and producing outputs in an organized transformation process.”
Examples:
The biological system of the human body.
The technological system of an oil refinery.

13. Basic Functions of a System
Input
Capturing and assembling elements that enter the system to be processed
(Ex: raw materials,
Data, students…)
Processing
Transforma-tion process converts input into output
(Ex: manufacturing process, Breathing process…)
Output
Transferring transformed elements to their ultimate destination
(Ex: finished product, human services…)

14. Two Additional Functions of a System
The system concept becomes even more useful by including two additional elements as follows:
Feedback: is data about the performance of the system.
Control: involves monitoring and evaluating feedback to determine whether a system is moving toward the achievement of its goal. The control function then makes the necessary adjustments to a system’s input and processing components to ensure that it produces proper output.

15. Cybernetic System All systems have input, processing, output.
A cybernetic system: a system that uses feedback and control components to achieve a self-regulation, self-monitoring capability.
Ex: home temperature control system

16. Other System Characteristics
System Environment: system does not exist in vacuum, it rather exists and functions in an environment containing other systems.
Subsystem: if a system is a components of a larger systems, it is a subsystem, and the larger system is its environment.
System Interface: a shared boundary that allows the system to be connected to one another.
Open System: a system that interacts with other systems in its environment.
Adaptive System: a system that has the ability to change itself or its environment to survive.

17. A Business as a System

18. Information systems
If we apply our understanding of general system concepts
to information systems, it should be easy to see the parallels.
IS are made up of interrelated components:
People, HW, SW, networks.
They have clearly defined boundaries:
Functions, modules, type of application, department, or end-user.
All the interrelated components work together to achieve a common goal by accepting inputs and producing outputs in an organized transformation process:
Using raw materials, hiring new people , disseminating information to other.

19. Information systems
IS make extensive use of feedback and control to improve their effectiveness:
Error messages, dialog boxes, passwords, and user rights.
Many IS are designed to change in relation to their environments and are adaptive:
Intelligent software agents, expert systems, highly specialized decision support systems.

20. Questions ..

21. Components of an IS - “IS MODEL”

22. Information System Resources
Networks
Software
Hardware
Data
People

23. IS Resources

24. IS Resources
People Resources:
People are the essential ingredients for the successful operation of all information systems. These people resources include end users and IS specialists.
End Users: are people who use an information system or the information it produces.
E.g. Customers, salespersons, accountants, or managers
IS specialists: are people who develop and operate information systems.
E.g. System Analysts - Software Developers - System Operators

25. IS Resources
Hardware Resources
This concept includes all physical devices and materials used in information processing.
Example of hardware in computer-based information systems:
Computer systems : Consist of CPU containing processors and interconnected peripherals
E.g. laptop, tablet, desktop microcomputer system
Computer peripherals.
E.g. input : keyboard, mouse
output: screen , printers
storage : magnetic or optical disk drivers

26. IS Resources
Software Resources
This concept includes all sets of information processing instructions.
Examples of software Resources:
System software
Operating system program that ccontrol and support the operation of computer system (e.g. Unix , Windows)
Application software
Programs direct the processing (e.g. word)
Procedures
Instructions for people who will use the IS (e.g. users manual for using sw package)

27. IS Resources Data Resources
Data constitute valuable organizational resources. Thus data should be seen as any organizational resource that must be managed effectively to benefit the organization.
Data that previously were captured as a result of common transaction are now stored, processed, and analyzed using sophisticated software applications that can reveal complex relationships among sales, customers, competitors, and markets.
In today’s world, it is very important to store and protect data that creates simple list of an organization’s customers with the same energy as the cash in a bank.

28. IS Resources
Data can take many forms: Traditional alphanumeric data, Text data, Image data, Audio data.
The data resources of information systems are typically organized, stored, and processed by a variety of data resource management technologies into:
Databases
Knowledge bases (e.g. facts , rules, cases)

29. Data Versus Information
Data: are raw facts, typically about physical phenomena or business transactions.
Data are objective measurements of the attributes (e.g. the characteristics) of entities (e.g. people, places, things, events).
Information: is data that have been converted into meaningful and useful context for end users.
Data are subjected to value-added process (Data processing or information processing) :
Aggregated, manipulated, and organized
Analyzed and evaluated
Placed in proper context for a human user

30. Example .. Data Information
$35, Units $12,000 J. Jones Western Region $100, Units 35 Units
Salesperson: J. Jones Sales region: Western Region
Current Sales: 147 Units = $147,000
Data Processing

31. IS Resources
Network Resources:
The concept emphasizes that communications technologies and networks are fundamental resource components of all information systems.
Network resources include:
Communication media
(e.g. wire, microwave, cellular , wireless tech. ).
Network infrastructure
(e.g. modem ,network operating system, internet browser packages)

32. Basic IS Activities Input Processing Output Storage Control
Recording -Editing
Processing
Calculating, comparing, sorting , summarizing
Output
Messages, reports, forms, image
Storage
databases
Control
Feedbacks monitoring, evaluated

33. Recognizing Information Systems
Business professionals should be able to look at an information system and identify…
The people, hardware, software, data, and network resources they use.
The type of information products they produce.
The way they perform input, processing, output, storage, and control activities.

34. Questions ..

35. Read from Chapter 1 (Section 2)
Resources ..
Read from Chapter 1 (Section 2)