16-09-2014

Information Management (MB702)

Unit 1: IT infrastructure
Information system (IS) Concepts,
Classification of IS
Computer hardware/ software
Database Management systems
Internet technologies
Network computing
Messaging and collaboration
Collaborations: Virtual groups
Collaborations in supply chain network
Examples of virtual collaborations
Collaboration enabling tools: Workflow, Groupware

Information system - concepts

Information system (technically) set of interrelated

components that collects (or retrieve), process, store and
distribute information (to users) to support decision
making and control in organization
The inter related components (making IS) and its
organisations are termed as Information technology (IT)
IT is technological side of an Information system
IT consists of all computer hardware, software,
databases, network and other electronic devices
supporting technologies (telecommunication) that a firm
or entity needs in order to build an IS for specific purpose

16-09-2014

Information system - concepts

Information: Raw Data shaped into a form or

representation that give meaningful information to human
being
Data: are streams of raw facts representing events
occuring in organizations or physical environment before
they have been organized into a form that people can
understand
Data items refer to elementary description of things,
activities, events, transactions that are recorded,
classified and stored but not organized to give specific
meaning
Data: alphanumeric, images, sounds, video streams, etc

Data processed by specific applications (inventory

mgmt system, ecommerce systems) into information
Knowledge: consists of data and/or information that
are organized and processed to convey
understanding, experience and accumulated
expertise that can be applied for current activity.
Data: eg tyre, tubeless, radial, units sold, January,
aspect ratio
Information eg: total units of tyre tubless radial with
aspect ratio sold in month January

16-09-2014

Goal of Information system

Functions of Information system

Three activities in IS helps to produce the Information

that organization needs
Input: Raw data, facts collected within the
organization (system) and outside organization
(environment)
Processing: converts raw data into a meaningful form
or shape
Output: transfers the processed information to
users/people to enable people perform intented
activities (decision making)
Feedback: It is an output transferred to appropriate
members of organization to correct/evaluate at input
stage

16-09-2014

Functions of IS

Difference between computer and IS

Computers provide capabilites to process data that is

necessary part of IS.
Information system require the understanding of the
business and its environment that is support by IS
Eg. IS supporting transactions of US stock exchange
need understanding of procedures governing buying
and selling of stocks, demand cycles, etc.

16-09-2014

Components of Information system

Configurations of IS

IS are made out components (hardware, software,

network) that can be assembled into different
configurations, hence different IS!
Analogous to different types of houses built from same
construction materials
Classifying information system into groups with similar
charaterisitics required for effective planning and
implementation
Mainly IS classified by: Organizational levels they support
and types of support they provide.

16-09-2014

Classification of IS by organisational levels

Traditional Organizations made of heirachy: Divisions,

Functional departments and working units
Some organizations are cross functional teams also
IS can be built from Head quaters through division,
department to individual level
All these systems can be stand alone and
interconnected
Oraganizations based IS types: Functional
(departmental); Enterprise-wide; Inter-organizational
These IS arranged in heirarchy, with higher
encapsulating many lower level systems

Organization structure based IS types

Functional (departmental IS): IS organised around

traditional department functions of company
Functions:
Manufacturing,
Finance,
marketing and human resource

accounting,

Enterprisewide IS: This IS serve several departments

along with individual functional IS or entire enterprise.
IS along with department applications comprise EIS.
Eg. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, helps
plan and control resource at enterprise level

16-09-2014

Transaction processing system (TPS): special enterprise

system crosses several dept.
TPS automates routine and repetitive tasks critical for
operations of organizations. Eg payroll or billing
customers
Interorganizational IS: connects two or more
organizations
Eg. Worldwide Airline reservation system consists of
systems of different Airlines
Support international or global operations. Play major role
in ecommerce and Supply chain management support

IS types based on support they offer

Regardless of functions, IS provides general support like

office document management to office workers; Decision
making system for Managers
MIS support all employees for routine planning and
control operations in all functional areas
CAD/CAM for Designers and Engineers
Expert systems: support knowledge workers and nonexperts. Provide stored knowledge of experts to nonexperts and provide decisions recommendation based on
built-in expertise
Data warehouse, Business intelligence, Executive support
systems, Decision support systems

16-09-2014

IS infrastructure and Architecture

IS infrastructure: consists of physical facilites, services,

and management that support all shared computing
resources in organization
Five major components of IS Infrastructure:
[1] Computer hardware: Mainframes, PC, Network devices,
Mobile ( handheld) devices
Hardware provides - (i) raw computing capabilities to
collect and process data;
(ii) physical data storage,

IS Infrastructure

[2]Softwares: operating systems, special processing

applications, functional information systems, etc
They provide logical computing services (data
processing, storing, managing) that is implemented in the
hardware
[3] Network and communication technologies:
Includes Internet and Intranets
The support data exchange between the computing
facilities (eg. PC connected in LAN, PC to Web)

16-09-2014

[4] Databases: Mix of storage devices (hardwares) and

database management s/w to store, organize and retrive
data. Major role in providing Data Persistence.
[5] Information management personnel: persons (with
roles in organization) interact with this infrastructure to
perform the business (in turn generate data and info.)
Depending on the ROLE of personnel within
organization the user privileges to access computing
resources (Infrastructures) are given

IT Architecture:

Information technology (IT) Architecture: The way

these resources are integrated, operated, documented,
maintained and managed to perform business process
(transactions) and produce the required data and
Information.
The produced information conforms with the business
vision, objectives, operations, evolution which is
comprises BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE
IT architecure and its (outcome) Information abstraction
will conforms with the Business architecture

16-09-2014

IT architecture is high level map of the information assets

within the organizations, includes physical design of the
build that holds the hardware
Information architecture
Info requirements/fulfillment

Data architecure
Source, quality, storage
Business architecure
Plans, visions

Application architecure
Portfolio, security, vendors

Organizational architecure
Human resource needs
Technical architecure
Hardware, sw, netwrok

IT Infrastructure

Information architecture: computing paradigms

Information
architecure
(Information
requirement
/fulfillment done) classified based on computing
paradigms (environments)
[1] Mainframe environment: processing done by one or
more mainframe computers
Users connect mainframes with dump terminals (all
processing done in mainframes)
Later 'smart terminals' has limited processing capabilites
and connect with mainframes

10

16-09-2014

[2] PC environement: Only PC provide computational

power in Information system
PC LAN PC are connects in LAN and they provide
processing power
In PCLAN new functionalities like Internet access, email and shared devices/ resources added
[3] Distributed computing: The processing task (of data)
is divided between two or more computer with network
connection
The computing resources are mix of mainframes and
PCs
Cooperative processing: computers in disparate georegions coupled to perform specific task

Uses of distributed computing:

permit intra and interorganizational cooperation in
computing
Process vast amount
knowledge

of data, information and

Efficient use of computing resources

All software support distributed computing paradigm

11

16-09-2014

[4] Client-Server architecture:

Two types distributed computing resource (i) client, (ii)
Server - connected by network
Client is a PC connected to network to used shared
resources
Server machine or PC connected to same network and
provides services to clients
Eg. Database server provide large storage capability to
many clients (PC) connected in a network
Enterprise wide computing: uses Client-server paradigm
to process and shares data within entire organization!

[5] Web-based services:

Multiple servers network connected to multiple clients
network through standard internet and web based
protocols
The processing capabilites (applications, resources) are
hosted in server are distributed/ shared through the
internet (web)
Here computing capabilites are given (published) as a
service in internet and can be accessed (by web
browsers) using clients connected to internet.
Eg. Banking services, Social media networks, ecommerce systems

12

16-09-2014

[6] Mobile computing:

Real time connection between mobile devices and
other computing environment
Mobile connected thro wireless environment.
The content of are delivered to mobile devices in
wireless environment,
The content (data and info.) is processed, stored
and transfered to other computing paradigm thro'
wireless computing.
Other types are Grid computing, Utility computing,
etc.

Legacy systems

Legacy systems are matured IS and forms (many cases)

the back bone of overall IT infrastructure
They are earlier costly systems and hence they are
reused than replacing
It has (i) Mainframe computing with many remote terminal
accessing it
(ii) Distributed LAN PCs or Client server environment
Features: Process high volume applications, secured
systems and operated by Professionals rather than end
users
Legacy system support repetitive tasks and transaction
processing

13

16-09-2014

Peer to peer architecture

Special case of Client server environment

In a network each client server shares its files or

processing power to other computers but not through a
central server

P2P sharing is done thro' private network, but now

through secured internet

Features of P2P: The information is accessible from any

PC or mobile device

Easy to maintain network and no need for administrator

P2P file sharing basis of web services, the back up copy

of data from one PC to another for improved security

Network computing

Its consists of network of computing resources (PCs)

and applications shared through internet technologies
The internet technologies includes communication and
transport functions to share resources
The internet applications uses the transport functions to
access and share the information thorough network
Eg Web (WWW or W3) applications with accepted
universal standards facilitates to use internet capabilites
It helps in storing, retriving, formatting and displaying
information via Client/Server architecture
Terminal even with web browsers applications can use
the Web services capabilites.

14

16-09-2014

Network computing: other infrastructures

Addition to internet and web other infrastructures: Intranet

and Extranets
Intranet: Network designed to serve internal informational
needs of organisations using internet concept and tools
These are internal company websites that are accessible
only to employees
Intranet implemented using LAN technologies including
wireless LAN.
Used to share information within organizational
boundary, not geographical boundary (connects same
company in different countries)

Extranet: Another type of infrastructure that connects the

intranet of different organizations
It is an infrastrucutre that allows secure communication
among business partners over the internet (using Virtual
private network-VPN)
It offers limited accessability to the
participating
companies
and
interorganizational communications

intranet of
necessary

Eg. Suppliers extranet accessing organizations (intranet)

through internet
Ecommerce uses extranet applications to enable B2B
purchase

15

16-09-2014

Corporate extranets

Suppliers
(purchasing)

Professional association
Large suppliers
Corporate intranets

Other Extranets

Non company
manufactures

Toy Industry
1. Headquaters
2. Manufacturing
3. retail stores
4. Employees

Toy Industry extranet

Non company retailers

public

Large customers

Small
customers

Internet

Banks and other

Business partners

Internet application - Categories

Internet support application in categories: (i) Discovery,

(ii) Communications, (iii) Collaboration
Discovery includes browsing and information retrival
from the databases of organizations
Use software agents to retrive information from large
database sources
Software agents: applications carries user intentions and
process task. eg. Search engine process user queries
Discovery aids and search engines: (i) webopedia.com
is a directory of technoogy related terms answers
query about particular technology

16

16-09-2014

Communications: Internet provides fast communication

channels for apps like messages, complex information
exchange

It includes information transfer among computers, via

wireline and wireless

Eg. Email, chat groups, news groups are communication

media supported by internet

Collaboration:
With
high
processing
powers,
collaboration of individual, groups, organizations with
their work are possible

Eg. Screen sharing, video conferencing, Resource

sharing services like printers, processors

Communications

The interpersonal process of sending and receiving

symbols with message attached to them
Managers collect, process and distribute information
among them and between organizations
Hence
requried
communications

internet

support

to

provide

Factors determining the type of IT Technology to

support communications
(i) people: number sending/receiving info may be from
two to many
(ii) Nature and source of destination: Include people,
databases, sensors, applications, etc

17

16-09-2014

(iii) Media: Text, voice, graphics, radio, pictures,

animations and other IT supported media
(iv) Place: Sender(s) and reciver(s) may be in same
room, different room, different locations
(v) Time: Message sending time and receiving time
almost simultaneous. Eg, Synchronous
(real-time
communication) telephone, instant messaging, video
conferencing
Asynchronous communication: Receiver gets response
after sometime of message sent. eg. Email, bulletin
boards

IT communication and collaboration

classified based on Time/place framework

technologies

Same time/same place: particpants meets at one place at

a time
Same time/different palce: participants communicate from
different location at same time, Eg. Tele-con-call, voice
chat, instant messaging
Different time same place: participant working in different
shifts leave voice messages and record them
Diffrent time and palce: participants at different place
and time. Send and receive messages thro' emails, Voice
mails via internet.

18

16-09-2014

Internet major support to interactive communcications:

Internet phones, smart phones, In. Video conferencing,
chat rooms
(Eg.1)Web based call centers: enabling collaborations
and simultaneous voice/web contact.
Use email, text chat, call back, simultaneous voice and
web sessions
Eg.2: Electronic chat rooms: participants may be in
different locations and communicate at same time thro
virtual rooms
Voice communication: using internet, microphone and
sound cards to communicate. Eg VOIP long distance
internet calling without incurring telephone charge

Weblogging: Individual do personal publishing in the

internet web sites
The information can be edited, archieved and
published to public or private access
Effective for information discovery, collaboration and
communications

19

16-09-2014

Collaborations

Collaboration: refers to mutual efforts by two or more

individual to perform activities to accomplish a business
objective
Participants may be individuals persons or individual
representing organizations, or members of groups
Group memebers work together in tasks like designing
products & documents, teaching & knowledge work,
decision making activities, etc
IT supports memebers of group (called work group)
distributed in different locations to perform group tasks

Workgroup: two or more individual act together to

perform a task
Groups may be temporary or permanent and may be
located in same or different locations
Virtual teams If collaborating groups are located in
different places, they meet electronically (called virtual
meeting)
Virtual collaborations (e-collaborations) use of digital
technology to enable organizations or individual to plan,
design, develop, and manage research products thro'
collaboration
E-C use for commercial purpose called as commerce
collaborations (C-Commerce)

20

16-09-2014

Commerce collaborations (C-commerce)

Collaborations among business partners. Eg company

collaborating with a vendor to develop its product
C-commerce involves communication, info sharing and
collabrative planning to be done electronically thro'
Groupware applications
Collaborative network used in supply chain members
reshape the linear flow of product and information
Business partners interact readily with each other and
collaborate by-passing traditional business partners
Shape of collaborative network depends on the industry,
product and volume of information

Traditional supply chain and collaborative networks

21

16-09-2014

Collaborative network examples

Info sharing: Walmart (retailer) and P&G (Supplier) for

collaborative vendor management.
Walmart gives access to P&G, their item by item sale
through its extranets
The P&G able to forecast its sales and replenishment
plans by collaborating with Walmart
P&G monitors the inventory level in Walmart and
triggers sales and shipment if required
Collaborative uses: P&G effective sales and cost
reduction in logistics; Walmart effective inventory levels
and no stock out bottle necks
Other collaboration enabling tools: Workflow and
groupware

Workflow technologies

Workflow is the movement of work and information

through sequence of steps that forms business process
of organization
Business processes are set of activities performed in a
sequence by various participants to accomplish business
objective.
Eg. Bank loan
organizations etc.

process,

purchase

process

in

Workflow systems includes tools to automate the

business process.
It employ set of software for processing information
associated with each step of process and control their
flow

22

16-09-2014

In workflow process automation and each activity may

be performed in collaborations by various individual or
groups
The control of the work and information are transfered
from one person to another and thus collaborate to
accomplish the work
good
Request info
customer

start

Check credit
score

Approve
Loan req

Bank issue loan

end

bad
Disapprove
Loan req.

Types of workflow

Types:
(i)
Collaborative;
Administrative

(ii)

Production;

(iii)

Collaborative workflow: support project oriented and

collaborative process
They are administered centrally but users can
work/access the job from different departments or
locations
Eg. Lotus, Jetform, FileNet
Production workflow:
Address mission critical,
transaction oriented, high volume process. Eg. Product
assemblies
The collaborating participants (users) are within single
department
Eg. Staffware, IBM MQ3,

23

16-09-2014

Administrative workflow: Mix of collaborative and

production workflow
It consists of predefined steps required to process a
job, like approval of expense business report
It support the clerical activities and reduce associated
costs
Eg. InTempo, Metro
Workflow support control of work movement and
information movement within/between organization
Provide enterprise wide information services and allow
users (with privileges) to process, store and share
information

Groupware

Groupware refers to s/w products that support group of

people with common task or goal who collaborate to its
accomplishment
Eg. Group of people modeling a product; Group of
people want to have meeting
Groupware implies use of network to connect people
even if they are in same room!
Different technologies and tools to support group of
people in internet environment
Groupware may be standalone application for specific
purpose (eg. E-mail)
Or Intergrated kit with several tools. Eg. Web camera,
with video chat applications

24

16-09-2014

Groupware technologies can be incorporated into

existing information system
Internet, extranet, intranet, private communication lines
provide infrastructure for hardware & s/w of Groupware
Some common groupware products:
[1] Electronic meeting systems: The virtual teams
collaborate using a virtual meeting supported by IT
systems
Web based systems support virtual meeting of
members of group located in different locations
It obviates corporate travels and associated costs

Electronic
teleconferencing:
Use
electronic
communication lines and allows two or more people to
simultaneous conference
Eg. Teleconference calls allow several people (from 3 or
more locations) to talk to each other
Limitations: No face-to-face communications, participants
from various locations cannot see pictures, graphics,
chart and other materials
Hence Video Teleconferencing: participants at different
locations can see each others media: text, pictures,
charts
The conferences are digitized and transmitted over
network of computers linked by the conferencing
applications

25

16-09-2014

Web conferencing: Conducted on the internet and soley

uses Web, for few to as many as thousands of people
Video Teleconference may be done on regular telephone
line and Web
Webconferencing allows users to see others media
content like spreedsheet, powerpoints, graphics, chart on
one's computer screen
While interaction done thro' messaging and real time
teleconferencing
Eg. Web conferencing products: Genesys meeting
center, PlaceWare, Centra Emeetings

RTC tools: Real time collaboration tools support

synchronous communication of graphical and text based
information
Address groups distributed in space and time can
collaborate in projects and decision making
Use internet, Intranet and extranet potential
Interactive whiteboards: computer based board allows
access multiple users to edit graphics and designs in
real time.
The digital whiteboad contents can be stored and
archived for future use

26

16-09-2014

Screen sharing s/w: Group members can work on

same document, shared real time on computer of
each participant
Eg. Authors can work on same manuscripts to makes
reviews and edits
Designers can collaboratively design a product on real
time basis
This product synchronizes people, computer (sites)
and information to enable joint creation and/or editing
of the documents on one's PC.

Suggested readings

Effraim Turban, Dorothy Leidner, Ephraim Mclean,

James Wetherbe, Information Technology for
Management Transforming organizations in the digital
economy, 6th edition, Wiley India Publication, 2009
Laudon & Laudon, Management information systems,
10th edition, Pearson publishing company, New Delhi,
2009

27