1. Asper School of Business - MBA Program
6150 Management of Information Systems & Technology
April-June 2009
Instructor: Bob Travica
Class 1
Information, Information Technology,
Information Systems and Organizations
Updated April 2009
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

2. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
Outline
Management of Information Technology & Systems
Data, Information, Knowledge
Data, Information, Knowledge and Occupations
Information Technology and Information System
Putting on Information System Lenses
Management Topics, Information Systems, and Cases
Organization-Systems Trajectory at Mead-Westvaco
Putting MIS6150 Themes Together
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

3. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
Management of Information Technology & Systems
Management of information technology (IT) and information systems
(IS, systems) is similar to “Management Information Systems” (MIS):
Utilizing IT/IS and information these support to solve business
problems and support organizational performance.
MIS 6150 is not:
- A detailed technical look at various IT
- A laconic survey of capabilities of various IT ("you can do this and that")
- Hand-on course on IT use
More…
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

4. Management of Information Technology & Systems
MIS 6150 is about managing IT/IS to accomplish
Strategic goals (organizational effectiveness), and
- Operational objectives (efficiency/productivity in
daily operations)
Two levels of analysis:
- IT/IS as asset, “strategic weapon”, “nervous system” (strategic level) vs.
tool, commodity (operational level)
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

5. Data, Information, Knowledge
Relationships – simple just in textbooks 
Data
(Letters, numbers, graphics…
Representing reality and knowledge)
Domain of
Technology
Knowledge
(Complex cognitive entity;
cause-effect theories, vocabularies/conceptual maps,
know-how, experience)
Information
(Data understood,
meaning)
Domain of Human Brain
Knowledge is also embedded in computer software! (e.g., math
operations in Excel, procedures in Accounting IS, decision trees in
Expert Systems)
In plain English, we often do not differentiate between data,
information and knowledge, simply calling it all “information”.
More…
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
5 of 12

6. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
Data, Information, Knowledge and Occupations
Where the primary focus of job is.
Professionals
Clerks
Information
Knowledge
Data
Managers
6 of 12
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

7. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
_Concept of Information Technology (IT)
What do we mean by "IT"?
Any tool for manipulating data, information
- electronic: computer software and hardware - our focus
- paper: documents, filing techniques… - still there,
gradually transformed into electronic
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

8. Concept of Information System (IS, system)
Information Technology (IT)
(Computers, Other)
Data (organized, meaningful)
Representations of
Knowledge
Use
Procedures
Supports
Use
Information, Knowledge
Task, Business Process
Perform on
Users
(Organizational members:
Managers, Professionals, Clerks)
In plain English, we often do not differentiate between data, information
and knowledge, simply calling it all “information”.
We often use term “technology” to refer to either IT or IS.
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

9. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
Brainstorm
Putting on Information System Lenses
What is the frequent (or important) task
or process you work on?
These questions
help to focus on
MIS6150
perspective,
study and do
assignments.
What information is part of your work?
How is this information supported by technology?
Is something missing in your information/technology? .
First part of
Analytical
Process
addressed
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

10. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
Management Topics , Information Systems, and Cases
Mapping into
Our Teaching
Cases:
Electronic Commerce (Buying & selling via Internet), Demand pull;
Sales & manufacturing systems innovation and integration,
Supply chain systems innovation
Compaq/Dell,
Healthcare Exchange
DrKW,
Accenture
Knowledge management, communication, hierarchy “demise”;
Communication and Document management systems innovation
Efficiency & effectiveness driven organizational change, Teamwork,
internal/external process improvement, any time/space-operations;
groupware, distributed systems, computer networks,
enterprise systems, transaction processing/reporting systems
Xerox HK,
Clearwater,
PPC, MNP
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

11. 6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology
Organization-Systems Trajectory of MeadWestvaco
- Centralized mainframe data processing centre (1960s)
Decentralization – organizational and technological
(mini computers 1970s, PCs 1980s, networks, Client-Server)
Recentralization and Enterprise Resource Planning system
IS evolution: Transactions tracking to office work support to
decision making support to professional work support
Role of IS Department: Support to operations to Strategic
business partner; interfacing with business and computer
vendors; shared IT governance.
6150 Management of Information Systems and Technology

12. Putting MIS6150 Themes Together
Professionals,
Clerks, Managers
System
Design & Development
Provide System
Requirements
Adopt, Use
IT (Computer Software
& Hardware)
Data
(organized, meaningful)
Procedures of
Handling IT and Data
Task, Process
---
Infor-
mation
Productivity?
Strategy
Accomplishment?
IS Dept.
Design &
Build
Vendors
People issues:
Skills, motivation, equity, personality, other psychological factors
Organizational values and stable behaviors (org. culture)
Interest, power distribution (org. politics)
Work Issues:
Organization of work (tasks, jobs, processes)
Org. structure (departments, reporting lines)
Planning, controlling, coordinating, delegating
Time-related issues:
Scheduling, controlling, reporting
Money issues:
Budgeting, controlling, reporting
Define strategic and operational targets, and role of technology
Manage people, work, time and money in system use,
development, and adoption
Evaluate relationships b/w Users--System and
System--Organizational Performance
Managers: