FUNDAMENTALS OF

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

DR. LAILA ABDELHAMID

 COURSE OBJECTIVE:
THE PURPOSE OF THE COURSE IS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH
SOLID GROUNDING IN BUSINESS USES OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, AND TO
PROVIDE DISCUSSION OF CRITICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING THE
USE OF IT IN ORGANIZATIONS. THIS COURSE AIMS TO RECALL
AND EXPLAIN TERMINOLOGY AND CONCEPTS RELATED TO
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND NETWORKS. WILL PROVIDE
INFORMATION REQUIRED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF ETHICAL
ISSUES RELATED TO USING TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS
CONTEXTS.
GRADING POLICY
Activities/ Percentages
Evaluation Methods

Section 10%
Practical Task 10%
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 50%
Total 100%
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 FOUNDATION OF
INFORMATION SYSTEM

Source Book: Introduction to Information Systems/Patricia Wallace,

Johns Hopkins University—Second edition.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF A SYSTEM AND HOW IT RELATES TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS.

• EXPLAIN WHY KNOWLEDGE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IS IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS,
AND IDENTIFY FIVE AREAS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY NEED.

• PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF SEVERAL MAJOR TYPES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES
WITH BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE REAL WORLD.
• IDENTIFY SEVERAL CHALLENGES THAT A BUSINESS MAN-AGER MIGHT FACE IN MANAGING THE
SUCCESSFUL AND ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN A BUSINESS.
• DEMONSTRATE FAMILIARITY WITH THE MYRIAD OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
 WHAT IS AN INFORMATION SYSTEM?

• WE BEGIN WITH A SIMPLE DEFINITION THAT WE CAN EXPAND UPON LATER IN

THE CHAPTER.
• AN INFORMATION SYSTEM (IS) CAN BE ANY ORGANIZED COMBINATION OF
PEOPLE, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS, DATA
RESOURCES, AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT STORES, RETRIEVES,
TRANSFORMS, AND DISSEMINATES INFORMATION IN AN ORGANIZATION.
 WHAT IS AN INFORMATION SYSTEM?

• PEOPLE RELY ON MODERN INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER

USING A VARIETY OF PHYSICAL DEVICES (HARDWARE) , INFORMATION PROCESSING
INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES (SOFTWARE) , COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS (NETWORKS)
, AND STORED DATA (DATA RESOURCES) .
 WHAT IS AN INFORMATION SYSTEMS?
Management
FIGURE 1.2
Challenges
A framework that outlines
the major areas of
information systems
Business Information
knowledge needed by Information
Applications
business professionals. Technologies
Systems

Development Foundation

Processes Concepts
ROLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEM IN BUSINESS.

Support
FIGURE 1.2
Strategies
The three fundamental
for Competitive
roles of the business
Advantage
applications of information
systems. Information systems
Support
provide an organization with Business
support for business Decision Making
processes and operations,
decision making, and
competitive advantage. Support

Business Processes and Operations

 THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLES OF IS IN BUSINESS

• THEY ARE FOUND IN THE THREE VITAL ROLES THAT INFORMATION SYSTEMS CAN PERFORM FOR
A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE:
• SUPPORT OF BUSINESS PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS.
• SUPPORT OF DECISION MAKING BY EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS.
• SUPPORT OF STRATEGIES FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
 Enterprise Resource Planning and Business Intelligence: 2000s–2010s

Enterprisewide common-interface applications data mining and data

visualization, customer relationship management, supply-chain management

Electronic Business and Commerce: 1990s–2000s

Internet-based e-business and e-commerce systems

FIGURE 1.4 Web-enabled enterprise and global e-business operations and electronic
commerce on the Internet, intranets, extranets, and other networks
The expanding roles of
the business applications Strategic and End-User Support: 1980s–1990s

of information systems. End-user computing systems

Note Direct computing support for end-user productivity and workgroup collaboration
Executive information systems
how the roles of Critical information for top management
computer based Expert systems

Information systems have Knowledge-based expert advice for end users

Strategic information systems
expanded over time. Strategic products and services for competitive advantage

Also, note the impact of

these changes on the end Decision Support: 1970s–1980s

users and managers of Decison support systems

Interactive ad hoc support of the managerial decision-making process
an organization.
Management Reporting: 1960s–1970s

Management information systems

Management reports of prespecified information to support decision making

Data Processing: 1950s–1960s

Electronic data processing systems

Transaction processing, record-keeping, and traditional accounting applications
 THE ROLE OF E-BUSINESS IN BUSINESS

• THE INTERNET AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS HAVE

CHANGED THE WAYS BUSINESSES OPERATE AND PEOPLE WORK, AS WELL AS
HOW INFORMATION SYSTEMS SUPPORT BUSINESS PROCESSES, DECISION
MAKING, AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. THUS, MANY BUSINESSES TODAY
ARE USING INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES TO WEB-ENABLE THEIR BUSINESS
PROCESSES AND CREATE INNOVATIVE E-BUSINESS APPLICATIONS. SEE FIGURE
1.5 .
 E-BUSINESS
The Internet Suppliers and Other

FIGURE 1.5 Extranets

Business Partners

Businesses today Company

Boundary
depend on
the Internet, intranets, Supply chain management:
Procurement, distribution, and logistics
and
extranets to implement Intranets

and
manage innovative Engineering and Manufacturing Accounting

e-business applications. research and production and finance

Intranets

Customer relationship management:

Marketing Sales Customer service

Extranets

Consumers and
Business Customers
 THE ROLE OF E-BUSINESS IN BUSINESS

• IN THIS TEXT, WE DEFINE E-BUSINESS AS THE USE OF INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES TO

WORK AND EMPOWER BUSINESS PROCESSES, E-COMMERCE, AND ENTERPRISE
COLLABORATION WITHIN A COMPANY AND WITH ITS CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, AND
OTHER BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS.
• IN ESSENCE, E-BUSINESS CAN BE MORE GENERALLY CONSIDERED AN ONLINE
EXCHANGE OF VALUE . ANY ONLINE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, MONEY,
RESOURCES, SERVICES, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF FALLS UNDER THE E-
BUSINESS UMBRELLA.
 THE ROLE OF E-BUSINESS IN BUSINESS

• THE INTERNET AND INTERNET-LIKE NETWORKS—THOSE INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE (INTRANET)

AND BETWEEN AN ENTERPRISE AND ITS TRADING PARTNERS (EXTRANET) — HAVE BECOME THE
PRIMARY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THE E-BUSINESS
APPLICATIONS OF MANY COMPANIES. THESE COMPANIES RELY ON E-BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
TO:
(1)REENGINEER INTERNAL BUSINESS PROCESSES
(2)IMPLEMENT E-COMMERCE SYSTEMS WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS.
(3)PROMOTE ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION AMONG BUSINESS TEAMS AND WORKGROUPS.
 THE ROLE OF E-BUSINESS IN BUSINESS

• ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION SYSTEMS INVOLVE THE USE OF SOFTWARE

TOOLS TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATION, COORDINATION, AND
COLLABORATION AMONG THE MEMBERS OF NETWORKED TEAMS AND
WORKGROUPS. A BUSINESS MAY USE INTRANETS, THE INTERNET, EXTRANETS,
AND OTHER NETWORKS TO IMPLEMENT SUCH SYSTEMS.
QUESTIONS?