IS Consulting Process (IS 6005) Masters in Business Information Systems 2009 / 2010 Fergal Carton Business Information Systems

Last week Basic flows of information –Inventory at the heart of manufacturing –Students at the heart of University –Customers at the heart of commerce Degrees of integration UCC integration framework (homework) Dashboards of information with JB McCarthy Processing done at transaction level versus analysis done using BI tools

This week UCC integration framework A framework for integration PCB exercise Dashboards: from data to decisions

Integration example: UCC Registration Student records Blackboard Student services Library Exam records Fees Payroll Alumni records Research …

Integration example: UCC Registration Student card Exam results Fees Teaching support Services Library Payroll Alumni records Timetable Students

Families of IS MIS can be regarded as an umbrella name for the following systems: –Transaction Processing Systems –Data warehouse applications –Business Intelligence tools –Decision Support Systems –Dashboards

Transaction Processing Systems: support the firm’s business transactions reduce operational costs by automating the processing of paper work extend outside the organisation (customers, suppliers) consist of a number of sub-systems size of the organisation conditions the extent of the computerisation of TPSs

TPS - Major Sub-Systems payroll: –keep track of hours worked –print pay slips and cheques –create legal forms –interface with other sub-systems (G/L, Production control...) invoicing: –processes the shipping transactions –prints shipping documents –prints invoices –interface with Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable Purchasing Accounts Payable General ledger Transaction Processing Systems - Other Sub-Systems:

Information Reporting Systems based on hard reports - by products of TPSs (lists of transactions) originally targeted to the information needs of middle managers early successes with managers DP people tried to replicate this (too) simple recipe each report took too long to create (hard coded); information was not refined enough; there was too much of it

Different types of report exist: Scheduled reports (produced periodically) Exception reports (produced when something unusual happens) Demand (ad-hoc) reports (specific reports requested by a user) Information Reporting Systems:

The nature of office work: decision making (managerial level) data manipulation (preparing lists, meetings, agendas...) document handling (letters, memos, budgets...) communication (attending meetings, telephone...) storage (recording, storing and filing documents, archiving...)

What is a Decision?

Decision Support Systems: set of tools provided to managers to assist them in solving problems in their own, personalised way. not necessarily totally computer-based support manager as opposed to replace them originally targeted at top managers interactive and flexible

PCB exercise Analysis method Output ERP vs. in-house Next steps

Dashboards: from data to decisions