Chapter 1 Information Systems: The Big Picture

1. Chapter 1Information Systems:The Big Picture PowerPoint Presentation Jack Van Deventer Ward Eagen

2. Textbook Overview • Ch 1 – IS: The Big Picture • Ch 2 – IS for Competitive Advantage • Ch 3 – Database Management • Ch 4 – Telecommunications and the Internet • Ch 5 – E-Business, Intranets, and Extranets • Ch 6 – Organizational Information Systems • Ch 7 – Enterprise-Wide IS • Ch 8 – IS Development and Acquisition • Ch 9 – IS Ethics, Computer Crime, and Security

3. Chapter 1 Objectives • Understand the term information systems (IS) • Understand IS components: • Technology, people, organizations • Understand IS career opportunities • Understand types of information systems

4. Information Systems Defined Combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data in organizations

5. The goal of IS • To provide useful data to users • IS can be local or global, organizational or enterprise-wide

6. Ex.: Operations Management • With just in time (JIT) manufacturing, a few minutes can mean thousands of dollars • Global positioning systems (GPS) are used in tracking material but have shortcomings because they require line-of-sight transmission • Bell Mobility and Sedum Corp. of Vancouver have developed a new service combining Bell’s cellular network with GPS technology, allowing tracking in bad weather, indoors, etc.

7. Key Elements of Information Systems

8. Knowledge as a Business Resource • Knowledge Worker • A well-educated professional who creates, modifies, or synthesizes knowledge in one’s profession • Knowledge Society • Also called digital society, new economy • Working with brains instead of hands

9. Accounting and Finance: Scotiabank • Global Finance magazine rated Scotiabank as Best Canadian Internet bank • Scotiabank seeks constant improvement through a monthly customer satisfaction survey—it has a 94% satisfaction index • Cost and ROI are questions, but the retention of online customers is strategic in repositioning the bank to be in the wealth-management business

10. The People Side of IS • Despite economic ups and downs… • Labour shortages predicted • IS Jobs ranked among best jobs available

11. Careers in IS • Systems Analyst • Systems Programmer • Systems Consultant • Database Administrator • Webmaster • IS Director • Chief Information Officer • Professor • Government scientist

12. Chief Information Officer (CIO) • Responsible for organization’s IS • Executive level • Became prominent in 1980s • Challenges • Tightening budgets • Expectation management

13. CIO IS director Account Executive Info Centre Manager Development Manager Project Manager Maintenance Manager Systems Manager IS planning Manager Operations Manager Programming Manager Systems Programming Manager Manager of Emerging Technologies Telecommunications Manager Network Manager Database Administrator Auditing or Computer Security Manager Quality Assurance Manager Webmaster IS Managerial Personnel

14. The High Value of IS Personnel • Supply and Demand • Aggressive recruiting • High salaries • Broad demand • Large and small companies • Urban and rural

15. Integrating Skills and Knowledge • Technology • Hardware, software, networking • Business • Business, management, social, communications • Systems • Integration, development methods, critical thinking, problem solving

16. Hot Skills in IS Workers • Office / E-mail • Languages • Applications • RDBS Administration • Development Tools • Internetworking • Operating Systems • NOS LAN Administration • Networking

17. The Organizational Side of IS • Transaction Processing System • Management Information System • Executive Information System • Decision Support System • Expert System • Functional Area Information System • Office Automation System (a.k.a. Personal Productivity Software) • Collaboration System • Customer Relationship Management System • Electronic Commerce System • Enterprise Resource Planning System

18. Disaster Plans for IS • That IS is crucial to corporate success is illustrated by the need for disaster planning • Power Blackout 2003 • Are companies prepared now? • What’s at stake? • The consequences of failing to plan

19. When Things Go Wrong • Blackouts, blizzards, and terrorist acts underscore the importance of contingency plans for IS, yet little time is given to disaster recovery strategy • 44% of Canadian firms surveyed do not have a disaster recovery plan in place • Why? The biggest challenge is funding • And existing plans are rarely tested • 25% of companies have a disaster recovery plan for their midrange data centres (payroll and HR), and only 1/3 of these have actually tested it

20. IS for Competitive Advantage • Strategic Systems • Competition: doing things faster, better, cheaper • How can systems gain one’s organization a competitive advantage?

21. Human Resource Planning and Training for IS • The human resource challenge: • Tech workers need to understand business • Business workers must understand technology

22. Staying Current with IS News • Business/Trade Magazines and Journals • Great sources for IS current info: • informationweek.com • computerworld.com • wired.com • cio.com • cipa.com • CanadaIT.com • GlobeTechnology.com