MIS stands for Management Information Systems. The goal of MIS is to use technology in order to solve issues that come up in day-to-day life. A key work in MIS is “systems”. This word is very important in terms of understanding where to start when it comes to this course.
Systems are simply the process in which we do certain activities, it’s a plan, a method. One example could be making a peanut butter sandwich. When asking someone their plan or method to making a PB&J, they could come up with something very simple: Spread peanut butter and jelly on two slices of bread and put the two pieces together. However, this system told by another person could be much more complex: Get in your car, drive to the store, get out of the car, go inside the store, grab a cart, go to the bakery aisle, pick out whole wheat bread and put it in your cart, go to aisle with peanut butter and jams, pick out JIF original peanut butter and Welch’s grape jelly and put it in your cart, go to the self-checkout lane, scan your grocery store card, scan each of your items…the list of steps could go on and on. The PB&J system is one that I had to answer for a job interview. The employer wanted to know my process, my system, for making a PB&J. Would I be an employee who would care about minor details, or would I be an employee who got straight to the point, skipping some details that go would be helpful? In my employers words, you can tell a lot about a person based on how they explain how to make a PB&J.
For the purposes of this class, systems are how people perform tasks, made easier with the component of technology. These are the three components of systems: People, a process, and technology. Now that we understand what a system is, we can understand that an information system is a tool for gathering and interpreting data and using that data to provide information.
We use systems in everyday life, there’s a process for everything. And with the integration of technology, these processes can become easier.
Hi Grace, I really enjoyed reading your post! It is very detailed and well organized. I especially liked your example! It would be interesting to see what systems other students have for making a good PB&J.