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Planning for Management Information System
Planning for Management Information System
The biggest challenge and most critical success factor in reengineering projects are
persuading the people within the organization to cooperate. When you begin to
computerize a legacy system considers the advantages; reduced clerical cost, quicker
processing time and improved customer service. Everyone knows that the computer
capabilities alone make life a lot easier for all managers. The advantage of time and
accuracy spread over the lifespan of the information system means improved long-term
vision and focus for top, middle and lower managers.
A management information system (MIS) focus is on information that management needs
to prepare its job. This task becomes much more difficult when the major players have a
tradition of high independence, are often confrontational to management, and are
irreplaceable independent contractors. CIOs in major business organizations face exactly
this situation; further complicated by the fact that the reengineering effort is crucial to the
continued existence of the organization.
Such discussion has driven the software industry to focus attention on software specifically
designed to support the team approach essential to most service and customer oriented
organizations. The importance of teamwork can not be over emphasize in achieving
overall organizational goals, and the need to capture and manage an organizations
knowledge base remain crucial. This teamwork enables the organization to achieve and
sustain competitive advantage in their business.
In considering the framework for an information system (IS) each level operational,
tactical and strategic planning requires different IS. At the operational planning system, the
IS collect, validate and record transactional data relating to acquisition or disbursement of
resources. The data for account receivable and payables, payrolls, inventory level, shipping
data, printed invoice and cash receipts recorded as they occur. The operational-level IS
characteristic are repetitive, predictable, emphasizes the past and detailed in nature just to
name a few. The focus of the operational system is the daily tasks performed at the user
level. The operational level manager uses this data to check every day tasks, i.e. ordering,
shipping, inventory control, the essence of the business processes.
The second level in the framework is the tactical system. This system provide middle-level
managers with information to monitor and control operation while allocating their
resources efficiently. The data is summarized, aggregated, or analyzed with a wide range
of reports, i.e., summary, exception and ah hoc reports. The tactical information system
differs from operational information system in the basic purpose: operational support the
