Feedback and Control

The system concept becomes even more

useful by including two additional
components: feedback and control.
Feedback is data about the performance of a
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 necessary
adjustments to a system's input and
processing components to ensure that it
produces proper output.
 Feedback and Control
Environment

Feedback Feedback
Signals Signals
Control Control by Control
Signals Management Signals

Input of Manufacturing Output of

Raw Materials Process Finished Products

System Boundary
Other Systems
 Components of an Information
System
An information system uses the resources of
people (end users and IS specialists), hardware
(machines and media), software (programs and
procedures), data (data and knowledge bases),
and networks (communications media and net-
work support) to perform input, processing,
output, storage, and control activities that
convert data resources into information
products.
Components of an Information
System
 Information System Resources

five major resources: people, hardware,

software, data, and networks.

People resources include end users and IS specialists.

Hardware resources include machines and media.
Software resources include programs and procedures.
Data resources include data, model, and knowledge
bases.
Network resources include communication media and
network support.
 IS Resources and Products
People Resources
Specialists: system analysts, programmers, operators
End users : anyone else using the system
Hardware Resources
Machines: computers, video monitors, disks, printers, scanners
Media: floppies, tapes, disks, plastic cards, paper forms, ...
Software Resources system, application, procedures
Programs: OS , spreadsheet programs, payroll programs , ....
Procedures: data entry, error correction, paycheck distribution, ...
Data Resources database, model base, knowledge base
Product descriptions, customer records, inventory databases,...
Network resources
Communication media, network support, ...
 Information System Activities

Information processing activities that occur in

information systems include the following:
Input of data resources - data needs to be
placed into a machine readable form.
Processing of data into information - this
may include the following activities:
calculating, comparing, sorting, classifying,
summarising, and updating.
 Information System Activities

Output of information products - this is the

main objective of an IS. Typical information
products provided to end users include:
video displays, paper documents, and audio
responses. These provide us with
messages, forms, reports, listings, graphics,
and displays.
 Information System Activities

Storage of data resources - storage is the

information system activity in which data/
information are retained in an organised manner
for later use. Stored data is organised into a
storage hierarchy composed of databases, files,
records and fields.
Control of system performance - an IS must
provide feedback about its input, process, output,
and storage activities.
IT - usage in the Company
 Using the Internet for Project
Management
Black & Veatch firm had made a contractual
commitment to let clients check the status of their
multimillion-dollar construction projects online in real
time.
In early 1996, when B&:V's telecom division landed
deals with a number of telecom giants to manage the
construction of tens of thousands of cellular towers to
support the new personal communications services
(PCS) cellular phone systems for frequencies just
licensed from the U.S. Federal Communications
Commission. As firms rushed to establish new cellular
networks, B&:V promised its clients it would figure out
a way to keep them on top of the day-to-day progress
of construction permits, licensing deals, and other
developments at each site.
 Using the Internet for Project
Management
a construction progress web site on the
Internet-turned out to be the charm.
users could easily access project data on the
web site with any web browser. Project
construction managers at each site could also
use their browsers to update a project
database on the company's intranet with daily
progress reports.
Developing the application turned out to be
fast and cheap.
 Using the Internet for Project
Management
What people, hardware, software, data, and
network resources in this example?
What input, processing, output, storage, and
control activities do you recognize in this
information system?
 Decision Support
financial models
what-if analyze
goal seeking
risk analysis
statistical analysis
management models
graphical representations
personal databases
Computer Software:

Application softwares
End User Applications
 Software

Softwares are the instructions that make the

computer work.
Major types of software you depend on as you
work with computers and access computer
networks are.

Application software.
System software.
 Application softwares
Application software. Programs that direct the
performance of a particular use, or application,
of computers and computer networks to meet
the information processing needs of end users.

System software. Programs that manage and

support the resources and operations of a
computer system or network as it performs
various information processing tasks.
 Application softwares
Computer
Software

Application System
Software Software

General- Application- System System

Purpose Specific Management Development
Programs Programs Programs Programs
 General Purpose Programs

General-purpose application programs are

programs that perform common information
processing jobs for end users.
 General Purpose Programs

Software Suites
Web Browsers
Electronic Mail
Word Processing
Spreadsheets
Database Managers . Presentation Graphics .
Personal Information Managers
Desktop Publishing
Integrated Packages
Groupware
 Application Specific Programs
Thousands of application-specific software
packages are available to support specific
applications of end users in their respective
fields.
Application-specific software for science and
engineering plays a major role in the research
and development programs of industry and the
design of efficient production processes for
high-quality products.
 Application Specific Programs

Accounting, Management, Transaction

Processing,
Electronic Commerce, etc.
Science and Engineering
Education etc.
 Software Suites and Integrated
Packages
each suite integrates software packages for
web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets,
presentation graphics, database management,
personal information management, and more.
Another advantage of software suites is that
all programs use a similar graphical user
interface (GUI) of icons, tool and status bars,
menus, and so on, which gives them the same
look and feel, and makes them easier to learn
and use.
Software Suites and Integrated
Packages
 Software Suites and Integrated
Packages
Software suites also share common tools,
such as spell checkers and help wizards to
increase their efficiency.
Another big advantage of suites is that their
programs are designed to work together
seamlessly, and import each other's files
easily, no matter which program you are using
at the time. These capabilities make them more
efficient and easier to use than using a variety
of individual package versions.
 Web Browsers and More

The most important software component for

many computer users today is the once simple
and limited, but now powerful and feature-rich
web browser.
A browser like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft
Explorer is the key software interface you use
to point and click your way through the
hyperlinked resources of the World Wide Web
and the rest of the Internet, as well as
corporate intranets and extranets.
 Web Browsers and More

Once limited to surfing the web, browsers are

becoming the universal software platform on
which end users launch into information
searches, E-mail, multimedia file transfer,
discussion groups, and many other Internet,
intranet, and extranet applications.
That's why browsers are being called the
universal client, that is, the software
component installed on the workstations of all
the clients (users) in client/server networks
throughout an enterprise.
Web Browsers and More
 Electronic Mail

Electronic mail has changed the way people

work and communicate, Millions of end users
now depend on E-mail software to
communicate with each other by sending and
receiving electronic messages via the Internet
or their organizations' intranets or extranets,
E-mail is stored on network servers until you
are ready Whenever you want to you can read
your E-mail by displaying it on your
workstations.
 Electronic Mail

So with only a few minutes of effort (and a few

microseconds or minutes of transmission
time), a message to one or many individuals
can be composed, sent, and received.
Full-featured E-mail software like Microsoft
Exchange E-Mail or Netscape Messenger can
route messages to multiple end users based
on predefined mailing lists and provide
password security, automatic message
forwarding, and remote user access.
 Electronic Mail

They also allow you to store messages in

folders with provisions for adding attachments
to message files, E-mail packages may also
enable you to edit and send graphics and
multimedia as well as text, and provide bulletin
board and computer conferencing capabilities.
Finally, your E-mail software may automatically
filter and sort incoming messages (even news
items from online services) and route them to
appropriate user mailboxes and folders.