An-Najah National University MIS Dept. Maher ARAFAT January 2010

Manual vs. Computerized Systems Computerizing manual activities. ??? !!! Computerizing bad practices. Efficiency, WHAT we do? HOW we do it? A system will decide on: WHAT and HOW to do.

Computer-based Information Systems A CBIS is composed of… Hardware Software Databases Telecommunications People Procedures, practices, activities, policies Together they are… Configured to collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information

Technology Infrastructure Another term for CBIS Consists of the shared information system (IS) resources that form the foundation of the information system

Parts of a CBIS Five parts Hardware Software Database Telecommunications Networks People.

Parts of a CBIS Five parts Hardware Software Database Telecommunications Networks

Hardware Computer equipment used to perform input, processing, and output activities The objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips.

Hardware ‘Discussion’ Hardware refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable. Software exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols, but it has no substance. Books provide a useful analogy. The pages and the ink are the hardware, while the words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall meaning are the software. A computer without software is like a book full of blank pages -- you need software to make the computer useful just as you need words to make a book meaningful.

Parts of a CBIS Five parts Hardware Software Database Telecommunications Networks

Software Computer programs that govern/determine/control the operation of the computer Computer instructions or data

Software ‘Discussion’ (1) Software is computer instructions or data. Anything that can be stored electronically is software. The storage devices and display devices are hardware. The terms software and hardware are used as both nouns and adjectives. For example, you can say: "The problem lies in the software," meaning that there is a problem with the program or data, not with the computer itself. You can also say: "It's a software problem.“

Software ‘Discussion’ (2) The distinction between software and hardware is sometimes confusing because they are so integrally linked. Clearly, when you purchase a program, you are buying software. But to buy the software, you need to buy the disk (hardware) on which the software is recorded. Software is often divided into two categories. Systems software includes the operating system and all the utilities that enable the computer to function. Applications software includes programs that do real work for users. For example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems fall under the category of applications software.

Parts of a CBIS Five parts Hardware Software Database Telecommunications Networks

Database An organized collection of facts and information A collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data

Database ‘Discussion’ (1) A database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic filing system. Traditional databases are organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece of information; a record is one complete set of fields; and a file is a collection of records. For example, a telephone book is analogous to a file. It contains a list of records, each of which consists of three fields: name, address, and telephone number.

Database ‘Discussion’ (2) An alternative concept in database design is known as Hypertext. In a Hypertext database, any object, whether it be a piece of text, a picture, or a film, can be linked to any other object. Hypertext databases are particularly useful for organizing large amounts of disparate information, but they are not designed for numerical analysis. To access information from a database, you need a database management system (DBMS). This is a collection of programs that enables you to enter, organize, and select data in a database.

Database ‘Discussion’ (3)

Parts of a CBIS Five parts Hardware Software Database Telecommunications Networks

Telecommunications The electronic transmission of signals for communications; enables organizations to link computer systems into effective networks Refers to all types of data transmission, from voice to video

Parts of a CBIS Five parts Hardware Software Database Telecommunications Networks

Network Used to connect computers and computer equipment in a building, around the country, across the world, to enable electronic communications A group of two or more computer systems linked together

Network ‘Discussion’ (1) There are many types of computer networks, including: local-area networks (LANs) : The computers are geographically close together (that is, in the same building). wide-area networks (WANs) : The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves.

Network ‘Discussion’ (2) In addition to these types, the following characteristics are also used to categorize different types of networks: topology : The geometric arrangement of a computer system. Common topologies include a bus, star, and ring. protocol : The protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that computers on the network use to communicate. One of the most popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet. Another popular LAN protocol for PCs is the IBM token-ring network. architecture : Networks can be broadly classified as using either a peer-to-peer or client/server architecture.

Network ‘Discussion’ (3) Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes. Computers and devices that allocate resources for a network are called servers.

Network ‘Discussion’ (4)

Internet and Intranet Internet The world’s largest telecommunications network A network of networks Free exchange of information A global network connecting millions of computers Intranet A network that uses Internet technology within an organization A network belonging to an organization

People and Procedures People The most important element in most computer-based information systems Includes people who manage, run, program, and maintain the system E.g., IT professionals (you!) Procedures Includes the strategies, policies, methods, and rules for using the CBIS

Business Information Systems Types Transaction processing systems E-commerce systems Management information systems Decision support systems Expert systems

Transactions Processing Systems Transaction Any business-related exchange or activity E.g., generating a weekly payroll, bank withdrawal Transaction processing system (TPS) An organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices used to record completed for business related exchanges

Payroll Example Hours worked Pay rate Payroll transaction processing Payroll checks

Business Information Systems Types Transaction processing systems E-commerce systems Management information systems Decision support systems Expert systems

E-Commerce System E-commerce Involves any business transaction executed electronically Conducting business on-line For example, between… Companies Companies and consumers Business and the public sector Consumers and the public sector Example for placing a purchase order

Purchase Order - Traditional

Purchase Order – E-commerce

Business Information Systems Types Transaction processing systems E-commerce systems Management information systems Decision support systems Expert systems

Management Information Systems An MIS is… An organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices used to provide routine information to managers and decision makers

Schematic of MIS Common databases Marketing management information system Marketing management information system Financial management Information system Financial management Information system Manufacturing management Information system Manufacturing management Information system Order management information system Order management information system TPS

MIS ‘Discussion’ Short for management information system or management information services, and pronounced as separate letters, MIS refers to a class of software that provides managers with tools for organizing and evaluating their department. Within companies and large organizations, the department responsible for computer systems is sometimes called the MIS department. Other names for MIS include IS (Information Services) and IT (Information Technology).

Business Information Systems Types Transaction processing systems E-commerce systems Management information systems Decision support systems Expert systems

Decision Support Systems A DSS is… An organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices used to support problem-specific decision making A DSS helps a manger “do the right thing”

Business Information Systems Types Transaction processing systems E-commerce systems Management information systems Decision support systems Expert systems

Expert Systems An expert system is… A computer application that performs a task that would otherwise be performed by a human expert gives the computer the ability to make suggestions and to act like an expert in a particular field Examples: diagnose human illnesses, make financial forecasts, schedule routes for delivery vehicles Expert systems typically include “artificial intelligence” (next slide)

Artificial Intelligence (1) The branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans. The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Artificial intelligence includes games playing: programming computers to play games such as chess and checkers expert systems : programming computers to make decisions in real- life situations (for example, some expert systems help doctors diagnose diseases based on symptoms) natural language : programming computers to understand natural human languages

Artificial Intelligence (2) neural networks : Systems that simulate intelligence by attempting to reproduce the types of physical connections that occur in animal brains robotics : programming computers to see and hear and react to other sensory stimuli Currently, no computers exhibit full artificial intelligence (that is, are able to simulate human behavior). The greatest advances have occurred in the field of games playing. The best computer chess programs are now capable of beating humans. In May, 1997, an IBM super-computer called Deep Blue defeated world chess champion

Artificial Intelligence (3) Gary Kasparov in a chess match. In the area of robotics, computers are now widely used in assembly plants, but they are capable only of very limited tasks. Robots have great difficulty identifying objects based on appearance or feel, and they still move and handle objects clumsily. Natural-language processing offers the greatest potential rewards because it would allow people to interact with computers without needing any specialized knowledge. You could simply walk up to a

Artificial Intelligence (4) computer and talk to it. Unfortunately, programming computers to understand natural languages has proved to be more difficult than originally thought. Some rudimentary translation systems that translate from one human language to another are in existence, but they are not nearly as good as human translators. There are also voice recognition systems that can convert spoken sounds into written words, but they do not understand what they are writing; they simply take dictation. Even these systems are quite limited -- you must speak slowly and distinctly.

Artificial Intelligence (5) In the early 1980s, expert systems were believed to represent the future of artificial intelligence and of computers in general. To date, however, they have not lived up to expectations. Many expert systems help human experts in such fields as medicine and engineering, but they are very expensive to produce and are helpful only in special situations. Today, the hottest area of artificial intelligence is neural networks, which are proving successful in a number of disciplines such as voice recognition and natural-language processing.

Artificial Intelligence (6) There are several programming languages that are known as AI languages because they are used almost exclusively for AI applications. The two most common are LISP and Prolog.