1. INTRODUCTION & SYSTEM CONCEPTS IMS1001 - Information Systems 1 CSE1204 - Information Systems 1

2. l Use Allocate+ for tutorial allocation – no exceptions l If you have a problem with tutorial allocation, contact Carol Jackway - Ph: 99033262 email - Carol.Jackway@sims.monash.edu.au No tutorials Week One

3. Teaching Staff l Lecturer: Barry Atkinson Room B1.34 – Ground Floor “B” Block email – barry.atkinson@sims.monash.edu.au telephone - 9903 2416 l Consultation hours: Tuesday 9:00 to 10:00am Thursday 10:00 to 11:00am l Make sure you obtain your tutor’s contact details and the location and times your tutor is available for student consultation

4. Unit Information l All unit materials: lecture notes, tutorials, assignments, notices at www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/CSE1204.nsf and www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/IMS1001.nsf

5. Prescribed text l WHITTEN, J.L., BENTLEY, L.D. and DITTMAN, K.C. (2001). l Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 5th ed. l Irwin/McGraw-HilI, New York, NY. Copies available at CITSU Bookshop

6. Assessment l exam - 60%, assignment - 40% l a pass requires a final mark of 50% or more l hurdle - you must earn a minimum of 40% for the exam AND a minimum of 40% for the assignments l Eg. Practical mark = 35/40 = 87.5% Exam mark = 20/60 = 33% Total mark = 55/100 = FAIL !! If either hurdle is not met, a result of 44% will be recorded even if the total mark is > 50%

7. Example of assessment hurdle l Practical mark = 35/40 = 87.5% l Exam mark = 20/60 = 33% Total mark = 55/100 = FAIL !! l If either hurdle is not met, a result of 44% will be recorded even if the total mark is > 50%

8. Assignment work requirements l Assignments must be submitted according to the School of Information Management and Systems’ assignment submission requirements l These are available at: www.sims.monash.edu.au/resources/assessment.html l The School’s style guide for printed assignments is available at: www.sims.monash.edu.au/resources/style.html

9. Your Responsibilities l You are responsible for your own learning – this is a University, not a school. l Lectures are an introduction to topics – not the final word. Read the references given at the end of each lecture. l Information and direction to other University sources and services will be given if requested. l You must: read widely, ask questions, think practise the techniques that you learn l If you have a problem: LET US KNOW Tutor -> Lecturer -> Director of Undergraduate Studies > Deputy Head of School -> Head of School

10. This lecture’s objectives l Understand system concepts and components l Understand the need for information systems and roles and tasks associated with building information systems

11. A System l An assembly of components that interact in an organised way to accomplish goals l E.g. river systems, nervous system, public transport system, legal system, education system, water supply system, elevator system, information system.

12. A System l system elements a boundary a purpose an environment interfaces inputs, processes, outputs feedback constraints subsystems

13. Systems l Simple ----------------------- Complex l Open ------------------------- Closed l Stable ------------------------ Dynamic l Adaptive --------------------- Nonadaptive l Permanent ------------------ Temporary l Well-designed systems have feedback and control loops to help them adapt to changing conditions

14. System Elements l Purpose - the overall goal or function of a system l Process - the transformation of inputs into outputs l Boundary - the line that divides the system from its environment l Environment - everything external to the system that interacts with it l The system exchanges inputs and outputs with its environment

15. System Elements (contd..) l Inputs - what is taken from the environment l Outputs - what is returned to the environment l Interfaces - points of contact where a system meets its environment or where subsystems meet each other l The environment may be always changing l Feedback and control loop allows the system to adapt to its environment l Constraints - limits on what a system can accomplish

16. System example: a business l Environment: general population, an industry, business climate, government etc. l Inputs: materials, services, new employees, equipment, facilities, money, orders etc. l Outputs: products/services, waste materials, payments, retired employees, old equipment etc. l Feedback: customer complaints, law suits, new knowledge necessary to make required changes to product etc. l Subsystems: e.g. payroll system, stock system

17. Systems thinking l The application of formal systems theory and concepts to systems problem solving l Helps us understand how systems are organised and how they work l Simplifies inherent system complexity l Useful to apply systems thinking to understanding of business organisations (“organisations as systems”) and their information systems

18. Data vs. Information l Data - consists of raw or unstructured facts (text, pictures, sound) eg. Student number, date Information - data that has been refined for a particular purpose: a collection of facts organised so that they have meaning and use to a particular recipient in a particular context. It has additional value beyond the value of the facts themselves.

19. Information characteristics l Useful information is essential if an organisation is to achieve its goals: accuratecompleteeconomical flexiblereliablerelevant simpletimelyverifiable accessiblesecure l An information system is designed to produce such information

20. Business organisations are complex systems l Business organisations organise their activities and work practices into various systems because: many different tasks must be done different data are needed for different tasks a single task is often done many times complex processes must be coordinated the environment changes constantly

21. How can Information Systems help ? Efficiency, reliability, economy, control l An Information System is a formal arrangement of people, data, processes l Integrated to manage complexity support and improve business operations Support and improve the problem-solving and decision-making activities of managers. l It transforms Data into Information (Why are computers not mentioned?)

22. Computer-Based Information Systems l Information systems may or may not involve the use of computers l Computers significantly expand the potential of information systems because they: are more reliable processors than humans are faster than humans, and “tireless” are easily replicated are much more productive have enormous memory capacity

23. Information System Components Information system components include: l people - need the information, build the system, operate it and use it l data and information -the raw material which the system is set up to manage and distribute l machines (usually computers) - help manage and process the data and information l procedures - define how the information is to be input/stored/processed/ etc. formal – specified, perpetual, expected informal – unspecified, trivial, one-off

24. Functions of an Information System Any information system performs four main functions: l data input - capturing information l data storage/retrieval - keeping information l data processing - transforming information l data output - displaying/presenting information

25. Benefits of Information Systems A good information system ensures:- l the right information l to the right degree of accuracy l when it is required l in the right format/layout l to the right people l in the most efficient way possible (Have you had to deal with an information system which did not work well? Which of these things was not present in that system?)

26. The Complexity of Information Systems Even small information systems can be very complex: l many components (lots of information) l much interaction between components l systems within systems (subsystems) l the intangibility of information (hard to define) l the subjective nature of information (interpretatrion) l differing needs of different system users

27. Computer-based information systems Requirements for information systems: l “unique” situations: bet-taking system, voter registration system, airline ticket reservation system l generic business applications: payroll systems, inventory systems Types of information systems e.g.: l transaction processing systems, l decision support systems, l expert systems, l executive information systems, l geographical information systems

28. Building Information Systems Activities involved in building computer- based information systems are:- l identifying business information problems l analysing and describing information needs l designing solutions to meet those needs l acquiring/building new systems l implementing new systems

29. System building players System owners System users Project sponsor/s Project leader (manager) Systems analyst Systems designer Systems builders IT vendors and consultants

30. Building Information Systems: The Role of the Systems Analyst (our focus in this course) l to understand the system’s information needs what information is needed? for whom? in what form? when? l to describe the system’s information flows and processes l to identify problems, opportunities, constraints l to suggest possible system solutions

31. References l WHITTEN, J.L., BENTLEY, L.D. and DITTMAN, K.C. (2001) 5th ed., Systems Analysis and Design Methods, Irwin/McGraw-HilI, New York, NY. Chapter 1 l HOFFER, J.A., GEORGE, J.F. and VALACICH (1999) 2nd ed., Modern Systems Analysis and Design, Benjamin/Cummings, Massachusetts. Chapter 1