Prelim Questions #3

Prelims Question 3

A company has basically four (4) levels of organizational hierarchy and each level makes use of unique IT technology and software to address and/or support their works.

Answer then the following:

1. Identify and describe information systems (IS) used in each level.

An Information System (IS) is the system of persons, data records and activities that process the data and information in a given organization, including manual processes or automated processes.

There are three categories of information related to the Formal Information Systems:

• 1. Knowledge Level or top level management -includes policy making and the highest level of management.
  
• 2. Strategic Information or middle level 1- relates to long-range planning policies. This information is achieved using the Decision Support System.

• 3. Managerial Information or middle level 2 helps the middle level management in policy implementation and control. This information is achieved using the Management Information System
• 4. Operational Information or lower level management -is the daily information needed to operate the business. This information is achieved using the Data Processing System

2. How do these IS help the employees and managers achieve their objectives.
This system helps define very clearly the work-flow system, communication flow-down and the authority. The information flows in terms of policies, goals, strategies, rules and regulations from the top level management to the bottom level of management.. The information also flows from the bottom level management to the top level in terms of feedback, results of work done etc.
Management and Information Systems,the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making, e.g. Decision Support Systems , Expert systems, and Executive information systems.MIS has also some differences with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as ERP incorporates elements that are not necessarily focused on decision support.

3. Cite a local or national company that makes use of these IS and identify the benefits and drawbacks/lapses of these IS.
Alcoa, Inc. makes use of these IS. Surveyed as they don't follow security best practices that was their lapses. Otherwise it makes their system faster and easier for them to be productive. They got a big help especially for their organization to solve business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy without overlapping.