1. What is a system?

A system is a group of elements that are integrated with the common purpose of achieving an objective.
Organization having common goal for the achievement are functionally interactive units. All systems
have inputs, outputs, and feedback, and maintain a basic level of equilibrium. For example, in
the human body the heart functions to support the circulatory system, which is vital to the survival of
the entire body
Example
Purchase System
 A simple example can be given of a purchase and sales system. In a
typical purchase system information related to purchase of materials is kept, for instance,
Orders for the purchase of various materials Status of deliveries received against specific orders
Changes in the order quantity, time, day or other information Quality inspection
reports and whether they need to be communicated to the supplier Updated status report of stock
Issues made out of the stock. All and more of information is required to be linked and provided in
an organized way
Components of a system
Every system comprises of basic components which ina coordination formulate a system. These are as
follows.
 Input elements
The information entered into a system. For instance raw data input to the computer system.
 Process
Any specific treatment defined in the system to be performed the data entered into the system, for
instance, computation, analysis, application of any model.
 Output elements
The results given by the system after the process has been performed on the data being input to the
system
 Control mechanism
Every system is expected to generate some sort of standardized output. Hence actual output needs to be
compared with what it is supposed to generate. This comparison of actual with expected output is done
with the help of control mechanism.

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  Feedback system
Once the control mechanism has been devised, it needs to a reporting mechanism, which should
respond with a corrective action, if required
 Objectives
We just mentioned that a control mechanism should compare actual output with expected/Ideal output.
But before this is being done, there needs to be a list specific objectives which define expected output

2. Difference between open & closed systems

Systems can be either open or closed.

2.1 A closed system

 It is one where a quantity or series of quantities cannot enter or leave the system. For example, a
system might be closed to energy, meaning energy might not be able to enter or leave the system. A
vacuum thermos flask does a really good job of stopping energy from leaving the system to keep
your drink warm. So it might make sense to treat it as a closed system - but no system in the real
world is ever perfectly closed, so it will only be an approximation.

2.2 Open system.

 An open system is a system that regularly exchanges feedback with its external environment. Open
systems are systems, of course, so inputs, processes, outputs, goals, assessment and evaluation, and
learning are all important. Aspects that are critically important to open systems include the
boundaries, boundaries and external environment. Healthy open systems continuously exchange
feedback with their environments, analyze that feedback, adjust internal systems as needed to
achieve the system’s goals, and then transmit necessary information back out to the environment.

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  An open system is one where a quantity or series of quantities can enter or leave the system to a
significant degree. If you pour your hot drink into a mug instead of a vacuum thermos flask, the
heat will escape relatively quickly into its surroundings. So a mug is most certainly an open system!
Open systems are a lot more complicated to understand than closed systems, and so scientists prefer
to work with closed systems when possible. It makes things much simpler to explain and can be a
good starting point before trying to explain open systems, too.

Exa
mple

One of the places where you see scientists analyze closed systems the most is when working on
thermodynamics, or the study of the movement of heat energy. One of the laws of thermodynamics
says that heat can only travel from hot places to cold places unless you do some kind of 'work' to stop
it. So, if you put a hot object in contact with a cold one, heat will transfer from the hot one to the cold
one.

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 3. What are the characteristics of system?
Our definition of a system suggests some characteristics that are present in all systems: organization
(order), interaction, interdependence, integration and a central objective.

Organization implies structure and order. It is the arrangement of components that helps to
achieve objectives. In the design of a business system, for example, the hierarchical relationships
starting with the president on top and leading downward to the blue – collar workers represents the
organization structure. Such an arrangement portrays a system – subsystem relationship, defines the
authority structure, specifies the formal flow of communication and formalizes the chain of
command. Like – wise, a computer system is designed around an input device, a central processing
unit, an output device and one or more storage units. When linked together they work as a whole
system for producing information.
Interaction refers to the manner in which each component functions with other components of
the system. In an organization, for example, purchasing must interact with production, advertising
with sales and payroll with personnel. In a computer system, the central processing unit must
interact with the input device to solve a problem. In turn, the main memory holds programs and
data that the arithmetic unit uses for computation. The interrelationship between these components
enables the computer to perform.
Interdependence means that parts of the organization or computer system depend on one
another. They are coordinated and linked together according to a plan. One subsystem depends on
the input of another subsystem for proper functioning: that is, the output of one subsystem is the
required input for another subsystem. An integrated information system is designed to serve the

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 needs of authorized users (department heads, managers, etc.) for quick access and retrieval via
remote terminals. The interdependence between the personnel subsystem and the organization’s
users is obvious.
Integration refers to the holism of systems. Synthesis follows analysis to achieve the central
objective of the organization. Integration is concerned with how a system is tied together. It is more
than sharing a physical part or location. It means that parts of the system work together within the
system even though each part performs a unique function. Successful integration will typically
produce a synergistic effect and greater total impact than if each component works separately.
Central objective The last characteristic of a system is its central objective. Objectives may be
real or stated. Although a stated objective may be the real objective, it is not uncommon for an
organization to state one objective and operate to achieve another. The important point is that users
must know the central objective of a computer application early in the Formal Organizational
positions President Vice- President Sales Vice- President Production Vice- President Accounting
Department Head Assembly Departing Head Painting Lines of Authority Workers Workers analysis
for a successful design and conversion.

4. What are the information system resources? Would you mention the information
systems resources?

An information system depends on the resources of people (end users and IS specialists), hardware
(machines and media), software (programs and procedures), data (data and knowledge basis), and
networks (communications media and network support) to perform input, processing, output, storage,
and control activities that convert data resources into information products.

Components or Resources of Information Systems

Following 5 components or resources are found in today’s computer based information systems.

1. Hardware Resources
2. Software Resources
3. Data Resources
4. Network Resources
5. Human Resources

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 Hardware Resources

Computer and all devices and peripherals connected to computers, such as, mouse, keyboard, hard disk,
monitor etc. are collectively called hardware resource. Hardware resources also includes media devices
like floppy disk, optical disks etc.

Software Resources

Computer programs that enables communication between hardware and humans and operates hardware
based human interaction or stored procedures are called Software Resources. Hardware resources
actually works to assist the software resources which uses hardware resources in order to process
data.Computer programs are organized set of instructions for the hardware resources to execute and
procedures is a set of one or multiple programs to do an specific task.

Data Resources

Raw materials used in a process to obtain targeted result of goal are called data. In other words, pieces
of information which by itself may or may not mean something but useful when connected or used with
other pieces of information to form a piece of information that means something, are called data.

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 Network Resource

In modern computer based information systems network resources are very important.
Telecommunication, wireless network are used by Internet, Intranet, extranet etc. to build up network
resources. Network resources use computation media and network support.

Human Resources

The primary components or resources of an information system. This human resources are closely
related to media resource. All people who are involved in inserting data into the system, handling
software and hardware of the system etc. are, in combined, called Human Resources. Human resources
includes two roles, user and specialist of the information system.

5. What are the information system activities?

The basic information or data processing activities that occur in information systems are)

5.1 Input of data resources: data related to business transactions and other events hes to be
Captured and prepared tot processing and by input activities. Input takes the ham of defy entry
activities Such as data Entry activities and Recording etc..

5.2 Processing of data into resources : it includes calculating, Comparing. Sorting summering
and analyzing to end user to manipulate and organize data

5.3 Output of information processes : The goal of information system to produce outputs such
as message reports forms provided by paper products multimedia and videos display for end users. It
has three dimensions

a)Time dimensions: The time dimensions attributes are timelines currency frequency and time
period
b) Content dimensions: The content dimension activities are accuracy reliance completeness
consciousness scope and performance.
c) Form dimensions: The form dimension attributes are detail order presentation and media
5.4 Storage of data dimension: Storage is information system activities in which data and
information are retained in organized way of later usage

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 5.5 Controller of system performance

An important information system activity is the control of its performance. An information system
should produce feedback about its input, processing, output, and the system is meeting established
performance standards. Then appropriate system activities must be adjusted so that proper information
products are produced for end users.

For example, a manager may discover that subtotals of sales amounts in a sales report do not add up to
total sales. This might mean that data entry or processing procedures need to be corrected. Then
changes would have to be made to ensure that all sales transactions would be properly captured and
processed by a sales information system.