MIS Management Information Systems Syllabus

1. MISManagement Information Systems Syllabus What I expect you to do!

2. 11 Labs • You must go to all 11. • 2% penalty for first lab missed • 5% for 2nd • 10% for 3rd • Automatic course failure if you miss a 4th lab. • Remember you can drop the course and take it in a semester where you are less busy.

3. Lab • Pre-lab quiz 20% • In-lab activity 50% (hard to makeup) • Post-lab question/activity 30% • If you miss a lab, you still have to make it up before the next lab period, otherwise you get a penalty and a zero.

4. Pop Quizzes & IS Speaker Series • About 10 pop quizzes on reading and the IS Speaker Series • You can use your notes • should be easy to get 100’s • Take notes while reading • Take notes while listening to IS Speaker Series • Attend IS Speaker Series talks • http://www.cs.siena.edu/News_&_Events/IS_Speaker_Series.php • Videos will be available in the library

5. Lecture • Eventually, I will stop using PowerPoint. • 70% of exam questions are answered in lecture • You can’t do well in this course unless you come to lecture

6. Exams • Exams 1 and 2 given in class • Cumulative final exam

7. Group Project • Propose an idea for how to improve a business using technology • Research the business and technology • Log your hours via Google Spreadsheet • Make an ePortfolio (individual) • Make a group Wiki (to share your research) • Make a group presentation about your idea

8. Summary • Attend 11 labs • One miss won’t kill you • Attend lecture • 2-3 misses won’t kill you • Actual work • 11 pre-labs • 10 post-labs writeups • 10 pop quizzes • 1 group project (with individual component) • 2 in-class exams • 1 final exam

9. MISManagement Information Systems The Fundamentals Stuff that is not in the book

10. Management Information Systems (MIS) • What does this term really mean? • Management • a major at Siena, • a good occupation. • the act of managing; handling, directing, controlling. A well-known manager on TV

11. MIS applies to many fields • More than just Information Systems used by Managers? • The study of systems that help with the management of information • The information could be for • Accounting • Finance • Marketing • Scientific Research • Computer Gaming Madden 12 Football Player Management

12. MIS helps build understanding • We will study the principles of transforming data into information and then beyond Correctness Wisdom People Understanding and developing principles and concepts Knowledge Computers and Systems Understanding patterns Information Adding value, context, relationships, and patterns Data Understanding

13. A better course title for MIS • I would call this course…Computer Systems for Managing Information Computer being used to manage information poorly.

14. Why do you have to take MIS? • Chapter 1 answers this question (read it). • Your ability to manage information using technology will determine your success in any business field. • Contrary to media portrayals, high school-aged studentsare not masters of technology, but often clueless consumers of new technology ?

15. IT vs. IS • First, does anyone know the difference between INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY andINFORMATION SYSTEMS ?

16. VS. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SYSTEMS 1. Computer hardware and 2. Software, but also includes: 3. People 4. Processes, and 5. Data Familiar Information Systems Twitter iTunes Blackboard Innovations in storing, transmitting, and sharing information • hardware devices like: • Telephone • Computer Printer • Wireless Network Router • Also includes software, languages, and protocols: • Photoshop, Java, Flash, HTML, HTTP, etc.

17. Software is always part of bigger systems Consider these examples • Twitter • Pointless without people? • iTunes • Little value without data (music, movies, etc.) • Blackboard • Useless without procedures

18. Hardware is always part of bigger systems Consider these examples • iPhone • Pointless without people • Solid State Hard Drive • No value without data (files, movies, etc.) • Xbox Kinect • Difficult to use without procedures

19. Information Technology is part ofInformation Systems IS IT People users, administrators, owners, etc. HardwarePC, iPad, Android Phone, RFID Scanner, Laser Printer, etc. Datanumbers, words, images, video, etc;computerized (digital) or on paper SoftwareExcel, Access, Blackboard, iTunesChrome, Windows 7, Oracle Proceduresoften documented in writing

20. IT is practically free • Cost of labor and natural resources keep rising. • But, every 18 months, the cost of information technology decreases by nearly 50% • See Figure 1-1 in the book • Data communication and storage are so cheap that CEO’s consider it free. • Businesses leverage this free commodity. • And, consumers are happy to pay for it.

21. Leveraging Technology • In 1992, I bought Metallica’s Black Album for $16.99 at store called Record Town. • Today, you can download new albums on iTunes for $9.99. • Information Technology makes delivering music cheaper • right or wrong? • This is great for the consumer • right or wrong?

22. How Leveraging Technology Works • Those who purchase “cheap” songs on iTunes often • Pay $60-$100/month for their iPhone service • Pay $1000-3000 every three years for a MacBook

23. How Leveraging Technology Works • Consumers pay for Apple’s store (iTunes) by buying Apple hardware • Apple Corporation can sell music without • moving stuff in trucks • building a store in your town • hiring clerks • BTW: If you own a PC, Microsoft leverages consumers in many other ways.

24. Famous quote • “Instead of learning how to program computerskids minds are beingprogrammed by computers.” • Who said it? When? • We rely so much on technology that it changes the way we think and behave. • This change is good if you are a master of technology • its bad if you are • a grunt user/employee • clueless consumer of technology

25. Why I care? • I teach Computer Science (CS) majors how toblow up your business job! • In CS, we build software systems that replace costly human labor to help businesses become more profitable • unless you have ideas on how to use information systems to improve business, you might not have a “thinking” career in business.

26. How will I help you? By making you do lab activities where you will • Use computer systems to solve problems and manage information • Labs are important because • You get to actually do stuff • Then, you think about what you did • Then, I tell you why it was important What lab might look like if I were handsome and smiled

27. Why you should care about labs. You need to know • How to use information systems in non-routineways. • How information systems can help • Solve problems • Make better decisions • Create strategic advantages • What better way to learn this than to actually do it on computer?

28. Will doing the labs make me a master of technology? • No! • You have to do 5 other things • But, these things will also help you • get an A in the course and • avoid a grunt-like career with no job security • Do you want to know the 5 things?

29. #1 Read • Read the text book • Read the lab instructions • Read your own writing before you submit it • If you don’t understand what you are reading, read it again 2 more times! • And, if someone still has to explain it to you, read it a 3rd time again so you understand your misunderstanding Abstract Reasoning • Reading hones your abstract thinking skill • Pictures & video are nice, but written words • help you imagine • help you build your own mental model of the world • If you rely on others to build a model for you, • You will not understand things as deeply • and, you’ll struggle to solve problems on your own

30. #2 Look at the world as a system 1. Goal 2. Observe Input Output 3. Action Identify goals Make honest observations about the world around you, and connect inputs with outputs Take action to achieve your goal

31. #2 Look at the world as a system Input Output • Goal: I want to get an A. • Observations: • Studied 2 hours for exam1 and got a B. • Studied 4 hours for exam2 and got a A-. • Input: hours studied • Output: grade Why this helps • Some systems are poorly designed and unfair, some are fair and consistent. • Regardless, understanding how a system works is the key to controlling the system and achieving goals. Connect input and outputs

32. #3 Share ideas and be open to criticism McDonald’s Grunt: • Goal: To be a manager • Observation: We cook too many fries at once. By the time we sell them all, the last order is cold. • Idea: We should cook half as many fries, but twice as often. Idiot Night Manager: • Criticism: Dude, we are going to have to work harder to fill the fryer twice as often. Grunt: • Openness: You are right, but my goal is to make crispy, tasty fries and I’m not afraid to work harder.

33. #4 Experiment (test what works the best) • Grunt: • Filling the fryer at 50% capacity but twice as often is too much work. • but filling it at 66% capacity but 1.5 times as often works out great • Also we can change the % based on how busy we are. • Idiot Night Manager: • Good job, nerd! • District Manager: • Since we hired Grunt, we are selling more fries • customers say the fries are fresher and crispier • Outcome: • Grunt gets promoted to “thinking” position • Idiot Manager has to follow Grunt’s nerdy fry cooking process any way.

34. #5 Identify bad ideas and do the right thing. • Student #1 goal • My goal is to minimize the amount of work to do on this project. • Student #1 idea • I will just copy text from Wikipedia. • Student #2 identifies bad idea • That’s plagiarism and it might lead to you having to do more work. Outcome: • Student #1 gets • a zero on project, • fails the course • must take the course again • must redo project next semester anyway • Student #2 ends up doing a lot less work on the project than student #1.

35. How these steps apply to MIS NOT To leverage information technology and systems in your future career/business, you must often • use technology and systems in new/innovative ways, • do things you’ve never done before with very little help. • This is NOT easy. • It requires: reading, making systematic observations, collaborating, experimenting, and eventually doing the right thing.

36. How can I help to make it easy? • My job as your teacher is NOT to show you what buttons to press. • My job is to teach you non-routine skills, i.e., strategies for how to press the right buttons.

37. Technology & Non-routine skills • Abstract Reasoning • reading is essential in developing thoughts and ideas • technology cannot put thoughts in your mind like reading can • Systems Thinking • business itself is a system with input and output • business systems are rich with technology • Collaboration • sharing your ideas and handling criticism positively makes for better ideas • technology impacts how people collaborate

38. Technology & Non-routine skills 4. Experimentation • try things, take risks, be curious • don‘t just use technology, experiment with it 5. Ethics & Integrity • doing the right thing will eventually pay off. • Technology makes it easier to cheat, but also easier to catch cheats

39. Don’t be afraid to “press new buttons” But, before you press a button, read and think • What is your goal? • Goals are often formalized in writing. • What does the button do? • Buttons are often described in documentation (i.e., writing). After you press the button, think and reflect • Did the button do what is was supposed to? • Did pressing it get you closer to your goal?

40. Chapter 1 take away • Non-routine skills that are valued in MIS? • Abstraction • System Thinking • Collaboration • Experimentation • Ethics & Integrity (this one is mine)

41. Good Information Systems vs. Bad ones • Dr. Breimer’s Goal: I want information about you on a roster cheat sheet so I can get to know you all better. • My system (a bad one): • Students make documents (Word) • Student upload them (Blackboard) • I download them and grade them (Blackboard) • I mash them up (Word)

42. My bad system • People: Instructor and 30 students • Software: Word and Blackboard • Hardware: Your computers and mine • Processes: The pre-lab instructions (written) my process (in my head) • Data: Your names, majors, pictures, interesting facts about you, your goals

43. My bad system • Input: Information entered into 30 Word documents • Processing: A lot of cutting, pasting, screen capturing your photos, cropping them. • Output: My roster cheat sheet • Feedback: I keep track of how long it takes; it takes me about 1.5 hours to make my cheat sheet.

44. Why is it bad? on your computer on blackboard on my computer

45. How could it be better? on the cloud

46. Major take-away • A better system can reduce the amount of work, but not necessarily for everyone involved. • In your career, do not think a system is bad just because it makes *you* do more work. • Companies care more about the aggregate work and you may be on the wrong end of the pyramid of success.

47. A bad system • You and your partner are working collaboratively on a Word document • Goal: To share document with partner • Information System: • Software: Email

48. Emailing attachments: a bad system on your computer partner’s inbox/sent mail partner’s computer your sent mail/inbox V1 V1 V1 V1 V2 V2 V2 V2 V3 V3 V3 V3

49. Using WinSCPa better system? your z: drive partner’sz: drive V1 V1 V2 V2 V3 V3

50. Take-aways from Intro Lab • WinSCPis great way for you to access your lab work from home and copy a file for your partner. • ScreenHunteris a nice way to “take a picture” of your computer screen. • Google, when used thoughtfully, is perhaps the greatest software component ever created. • All of these are software components that can be part of bigger systems.