Information Systems and Organisations

Information systems and computing uses the word system or systems in many ways, such as:

• Interactive system
• File system
• Systems design

System = A collection of components or parts.

Systems have a defined structure and are not random. There may be interaction with things outside of the system and systems always have a function or objective that they need to fulfill.

Open system = Systems that exchange material with their environment

Closed system = Systems that do not interact with their environment at all.

As stated earlier, the collection of components is not random.

• They are useful to discuss
• They seem to have good chemistry with each other
• They seem to be coherent

It exhibits goal seeking or purposive behaviour.

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES ARE A MATTER OF CHOICE

Components themselves can also be interpreted as a system

The division of a system into sub-systems is also a choice.

Information = Data that has been process for a specific purpose

• Data can be the basis of graphs, images or observations of a set of variables
• Data can also be viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which information and then knowledge are derived.

The processing that data has to go through can sometimes be quite sophisticated before being presented as information. Such processes include:

• Classfication
• Sorting
• Selection of data
• Calculations
• Summarisation

An algorithm describe a process.

Algorithms are sets of instructions that will lead to a solution for an issue. It is important to know that understanding of the problem is not required in order to follow the algorithm.

An algorithm written in a language for a computer is known as a program.

An example is a web browser, as it uses HTML coding to display a webpage, making it a program.

Computer focused information system = A collection of interacting computer programs that supply information to human decision makers.

People focuses information system = A collection of interacting computers and humans that makes management decisions within an organisation.