Features and Functions of

information systems
 Features of information systems
• Setup to manage and support the day-to-day
running of an organisation and its management.
• There are many key elements that can affect
the systems that have been put in place.
• The elements are;
– Data
– People
– Hardware
– Software
– telecommunications
 Data
• An information system is
– Only as good as the data inputted
– Poor data will lead to poor results being outputted
– Incomplete or inaccurate information means outputted information will be
incomplete or inaccurate
– There fore the system becomes useless

• For the outputted data to be accurate or complete the

source data needs to be of good quality.
• Data is generated by all parts of an organisation
• Data can also be received from outside the organisation
– Such as sales orders
 People
• People are involved in the capture, processing and the
inputting of data in a organisation.
• People can affect the quality of information and the
information system because if the inputted data is
captured in the wrong format or inputted incorrectly it
can make the information become useless. This means
that the system is only as good as the expert it has
been collected from
• Motivation is one of the best ways to get people who
capture and input the data to work efficently
 Hardware
• The hardware
• Should be flexible enough to cope with stress and strain
put on it throughout the whole organisation.
• Should be able to store data in large volumes.
• In large organisations the MIS is normally run
on a server so that the whole organisation can
use it, however in smaller companies the
system is normally run on a stand alone
system in the finance directors office.
 Software
• Software should
• Be able to handle data quickly and efficiently, and that it can be easily
searched though when needed.
• The simplest MIS can be built using run of the mill
software.
• Most MIS’s use specialised software
• The cheaper the MIS = the less features it has.
• The more expensive the MIS = the more features it will
have.
• The hardware and software need to work well together.
 Telecommunications
• Communicate data and knowledge between
different information systems
• Telecommunication tools such as email, phone
and intranet, are essential to the successful
running of a organisation.
• Information output is required in multiple
places, telecommunications are the best way to
communicate quickly and efficiently between
different locations.
 Functions of information systems
• An information has four functions
– Input
– Storage
– Processing
– Output
 Input
• Inputting information in to a information
system has two parts;
– Detailed data – stored and processed and forms
the basis for the rest of the system.
– User – tells the system what sort of analysis they
want from the system.
 Storage
• The data should be stored efficiently with the
highest level detail available.
• The IT department should take regular back
ups of the system and the stored data
regularly, this should be kept in a different
location in case of disaster
 Processing
• The processing of data is where the
information is turned into knowledge.
 Output
• Outputted information can be displayed in
many forms.
• The main two forms are :
– Graphical ( e.g. Charts, graphs)
– Textual ( e.g. Reports, numbers)
 Control and feedback loops
• Result of outputted information from a system
– If the information outputted is wrong feedback
would be sent back to the people who inputted
the data into the system, so that it can be inputted
correctly.