Information Flow

MIS RESOURCES
The Information Age
Technology has become a part of life
Competitive Landscape
Unintended Consequences of Technology
What is information technology?
Any computer-based tool that people use to work with and support the information & information- processing needs of an organization.
Example: Cell phone or tablet, desktop, large business networks.
Information Flow
Within an organization, information flows in 4 basic directions...
Ethical Responsibilities
Ethics - the principles & standards that guide our actions towards others
Ethics are more subjective than laws, as they are a matter of personal or cultural interpretation
Information
Information
Upward
Describes current state of the organization based on daily transactions
Downward
Strategies, goals, and orders start at the top and flow down to the bottom to be put into action.
Horizontal
Outward/Inward
Types of Info
Internal- operational
External- environment
Objective- known
Subjective -unknown
Information is communicated from and to:
> customers
> suppliers
> distributors
> partners



Information that flows between business units & teams
Every business unit aware of others' processes
Hardware Tech
Hardware - physical devices that make up a computer
Example: Cell phone
Input/Output
Input device - tool you use to enter info & commands
Output device - tool you use to see, hear, or otherwise recognize the results of your info processing requests (ex.: printer)
Storage/Connecting
Storage Device - tool you use to store info at a later time (ex.: thumb drive)
Connecting Device - things you would use cords to connect to (ex.: connecting your PC to a printer using USB port)
CPU
Hardware that interprets and executes the system and application software instructions and coordinates the operation of all hardware

RAM - temporary holding area for the information you're working with as well as the system & application software instructions that the CPU currently needs
Telecommunications
Tool you use to send information to and receive it from another person or computer within a network
Software
The set of instructions that your hardware executes to carry out a specific task for you
Example: Microsoft Office
Application Software
Enables you to solve specific problems and perform specific tasks
Example: Payroll Software
System Software
Handles tasks specific technology management and coordinates the interactions of all tech devices
Example: Mac OS software
Data
Business Intelligence
Quality of Information
Quality is a critical element of data, information, & BI
Pertinent, useful, relevant
Attributes that help define quality
Timeliness
Location
Form
Validity
As innovators...
We must go beyond our skill set to gain a competitive advantage
We must consider our social responsibilities
Complexity
Ethical decision-making can be complex
Present-day technology allows for greater speed of access, distribution and information use
Graph depicts the relationship between ethical and legal acts
Tech Literacy
Broken up into two aspects : How & When
How to apply technology
Knowing which technology to purchase
How to exploit the benefits of application software
What infrastructure is required to connect businesses with each other
When to apply technology
Technology is NOT a panacea
There are many cases when technology is not the answer
Being technology literate helps you understand when and when not to use technology
Vincent Doyle, Matt Harrington, Lisa Mendez, Simone Tanimaru, Victor Vazquez, Haili Welton
November 6th, 2014