1. Define MIS and its objective. What are its characteristics?

Ans MIS can be defined as a system that 1. Provides information to support managerial functions like Planning, organizing, directing, controlling. 2. Collects information in a systematic and a routine manner which is in accordance with a well defined set of rules. 3. Includes files, hardware, software and operations research models of Processing, storing, retrieving and transmitting information to the users. P Objectives An effective MIS has the following objectives 1. Facilitate the decision - making process by furnishing information in the proper time frame. This helps the decision - maker to select the best course of action. 2. Provide requisite information at each level of management to carry out their functions. 3. Help in highlighting the critical factors to the closely monitored for successful functioning of the organization. 4. Support decision-making in both structured and unstructured problem environments. 5. Provide a system of people, computers, procedures, interactive query facilities, documents for collecting, sorting, retrieving and transmitting information to the users. CHARACTERISTICS OF MIS Management Oriented4 The system is designed from the top to work downwards. It does not mean that the system is designed to provide information directly to the top management. Other levels of management are also provided with relevant information. For example, in the marketing information s ystem, the activities such as sales order processing, shipment of goods to customers and billing for the goods are basically operational control activities. A salesman can also track this information, to know the sales territory, size of order, geography and product line, provide the system has been designed accordingly. However, if the system is designed keeping in mind the top management, then data on external competition, market and pricing can be created to know the market share of the company's product and to serve as a basis of a new product or market place introduction. Management Directed4 Because of management orientation of MIS, it is necessary that management should actively direct the system development efforts. In order to ensure the effectiveness of system designed, management should continuously make reviews. Integrated4 The world "integration" means that the system has to cover all the

functional areas of an organization so as to produce more meaningful management information, with a view to achieving the objectives of the organization. It has to consider various sub-system their objectives, information needs, and recognize the interdependence, that these subsystem have amongst themselves, so that common areas of information are identified and processed without repetition and overlapping Common Data Flows4 Because of the integration concept of MIS, common data flow concept avoids repetition and overlapping in data collection and storage combining similar functions, and simplifying operations wherever possible. Heavy Planning Element4 A management information system cannot be established overnight. It takes almost 2 to 4 years to establish it successfully in an organization. Hence, long-term planning is required for MIS development in order to fulfill the future needs and objectives of the organization. The designer of an information system should therefore ensure that it will not become obsolete before it actually gets into operation. Flexibility and Ease Of Use4 While building an MIS system all types of possible means, which may occur in future, are added to make it flexible. A feature that often goes with flexibility is the ease of use. The MIS should be able to incorporate all those features that make it readily accessible to the wide range of users with easy usability. 2. Explain the various source of Manufacturing Information. Ans Information needed for manufacturing decision stems from a variety of data sources as follows Production Data4 By using terminals around the production floor, data on production processes can be quickly gathered and processed. These data are used for billing and in almost every aspect of production control. Inventory Data4 Inventory data include inventories of raw materials, goods-in-process, and finished goods. Accurate raw material data are especially important in manufacturing situation because running out of certain items at critical times can shut down production lines, leaving workers idle. Vendor Data4 Vendor data show sources and prices for raw materials. Often, vendor data are maintained by the purchasing department, although sometimes the manufacturing area will personally buy certain items. In any case, manufacturing personnel must be constantly aware of the origination of their raw materials, what new types of products are offered by vendors, and current price. Personnel Data4 Personnel data show various statistics on current manufacturing personnel often,in the course of production, people switch assignments,

so personnel skills must be reviewed to fit the right person for the right job. Union Data4 Many types of labor today are unionized production shops usually have strict regulations regarding such items as pay scales, hiring and firing, promotion and working conditions. Labor Data4 Raw materials and people are at the core of manufacturing a product. While vendors are the source of raw materials, the labor market is the source of people. Data must be kept regarding where new personnel may be obtained as labor shortages occur in the firm. External Environment Data4 To manufacturing managers, the most pressing information need in the area of external environment data is the outlook for raw material prices and labor availability. For example if certain raw material prices will skyrocket next month, it may be wise to pad inventories now. Or if labor threatens to strike, manufacturing managers should immediately make decision regarding how to produce goods in a degraded mode. Engineering Specifications4 Engineering specifications data indicate whether something can be built and how. Engineering specifications contain such facts as sizes of screws; whether a certain drill bit is suitable for wood, metal, or masonry; how to build a sub-assembly of a certain type; and so on. Massive libraries of such specifications are often assembled on magnetic media for retrieval by database management systems. Such technology applications as CDROM, hypertext, multimedia, Object-oriented database, and screen publishing have great potential in this area. P Internal Marketing Data Marketing ends where manufacturing begins, so marketing output is manufacturing input. Marketing specifies the number of units of goods that must be produced in each time period in order to meet consumer demand. Marketing data are also useful to production personnel as part of the engineering design process. 3. Explain the different components and various applications of expert systems. Ans Expert system consists of 4 major parts (1) User Interface (2) Knowledge Base (3) Inference Engine (4) Development Engine P User Interface The user interface enables the user to enter instructions & information into the expert system and also to receive information from it. The instructions specify the parameters that guide the expert system though its reasoning process. The information is in the form of values assigned to certain values. Expert System Inputs4 The user can use 4 methods for input purposes menus, commands, natural

language and customized interfaces. Expert System outputs4 Expert systems are designed to recommend solutions. Theses solutions are supplemented by explanations. There are two types of explanations Explanation of questions4 The manager may desire explanations while the expert system performs its reasoning. Perhaps the expert system will prompt the manager to enter some information. The manager asks why the information is needed, and the expert system provides an explanation. Explanation of Problem solution 4 After the expert system provides a problem solution the manager can ask for an explanation of how it was reached. The expert will display each of the reasoning steps leading to the solution. P Knowledge Base The knowledge base contains both facts that describe the problem area and knowledge representation techniques that describe how the facts fit together in a logical manner. The term problem domain is used to describe the problem area. The popular knowledge representation techniques are rules and networks of rules. The rules in the knowledge base are usually coded in the form ,If X THEN Y, where X is a condition is an action to be taken if the condition is true. All the rules contained in an expert system are called the rule set. The rules of a rule set are not physically linked, but their logical relationship can be established. P Interface Engine The interface engine is the portion of the expert system that performs reasoning by using the content of the knowledge base in a particular sequence. During the consultation, the interface engine examines the rules of the knowledge base one at a time, and when a rule s condition is true, specified action is taken. In expert system terminology, the rule is fired when the action is taken. Two main methods have been devised for the inherence engine to use in examining the rules. Forward Reasoning4 Also known as forward chaining, the rules are examined one after another in a certain order. The order might be in the sequence in which the rules are entered into the rule set, or it might be some other sequence specified by the user. As each rule is examined, the expert system attempts to evaluate whether the condition is true or false. Reverse Reasoning4 Also known as backward chaining, the inference engine selects a rule and regards it a problem to be solved. Reserve reasoning is faster than forward reasoning because it does not have to consider all the rules and does not make multiple passes through the rule set. Reverse reasoning is appropriate when 1. There is multiple goal variables. 2. There are many rules. 3. All or most of the rules do n ot have to be examined in the process of reaching a solution. P Development Engine The development engine is used to create the exert system and this process involves building the rule set. There are two basic approaches

4 Programming Languages An expert system can be created using any programming language, however, two are especially well suited to the symbolic representation of the knowledge base, Prolog and Lsp. 4 Expert System Shells An expert system shell is ready made processor that can be tailored to a specific problem domain through the addition of the appropriate knowledge base. In most cases, the shell can produce an expert systems quicker and easier by programming.

APPLICATIONS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS The business applications of expert systems are many. Some of them are as follows Manufacturing4 Marinating Facilities. Analyzing quality and providing corrective measures Determining whether a process is running correctly or not Scheduling job shop tasks Selecting transportation routes Assisting with product design and facility layout. Marketing4 Establishing sales quotas Responding to customer inquiries Assisting with marketing timing decision Determining discount policies Accounting And Finance4 Providing tax advice and assistance

Helping with credit authorization decision Selecting forecasting models Providing investment advice Personnel4 Assessing applicant qualifications Giving employees assistance in filling out forms General Business4 Assisting with project proposals Recommending acquisition strategies Educating trainees Evaluating performance Social Applications4 Counseling prospective students about study option Advising buyers on the ideal home layouts. 4. Mention the advantages and disadvantages of client server system. Ans: Advantages4 Reduction of responsibilities and cost overhead at centre. Better local cost control of operations and development. Faster response time to requests for processing. Greater access to corporate data and knowledge otherwise maintained in a highly protected and centralized data structure. Enables distribution of processing from centralized to desktop computing. Offers cooperative processing between individuals and group departments across organizational boundaries, geographies and time zones. Rewriting systems for the client server system is often an opportunity to purge obsolete software from the application portfolio and to consolidate, integrate and make the system more efficient. Offers more friendly interfaces for end users-especially knowledge workers and customers. Greater involvements of end users in IT implementation. Disadvantages4 There are some advantages of client server system. Some problems exist, which are associated with downsizing and the need for greater coordination and cooperation among the end users of the system. There is a problem of resistance, which must be expected of all the new technological changes. Training may be considered as a technological obstacle. End user have to be trained not only on sing the client and knowing the functions of the server, but end users need to be educated about networking and trained in navigating across LAN and perhaps across the internet. Other technological obstacles are the lack of tools of development and products of the client server system, the lack of methodologies for development of client server systems, lack of experience in the planning and implementation of a client server system, lack of experience in the planning and implementation of a client server system, lack of available standards relating to the equipment and operations of such systems.

These and other disadvantages of client server are as follows Organizational4 Lack of personnel skill in the client server and in network ing. Resistance to change and new technology Risks of downsizing costs of conversion Need for greater coordination and control of more end users. Technological4 Need of LAN/WAN infrastructure. Lack of skills and equipment resources. Lack of methodology in planning for client server system. Lack of client server products and tools of development. Lack of client server application Lack of national and international standards for the client server paradigm.