PRACTICAL NO.

DATE- 13 January 2012

An Introduction to Management Information Systems

MIS, or management information systems, are used to manage the data created within the structure of a particular business. These systems store the data and allow the business to manipulate, analyze and compile the data through the use of software applications. Reports and analysis pulled from an information system can assist in the directing, planning and decision making needs of managers.

Information Management
Businesses gather information every day in the form of invoices, proposals, daily sales figures and time cards. This information can provide a business insight into their operations, create a platform for decision making and reveal ideas that feed strategic planning. Gathering the information requires a consistent and reliable process in order for the information to be useful. Information management requires a system that supports the business model the information comes from.

Structures
Management information structures provide a central location in which to store and manage the information from. The structure or system is fed by people (employees, vendors, suppliers, customers) who input (provide) the data and output the data (creating reports and disseminating the data). Software and hardware supply the equipment needed to process, store and control access to the data. Business rules (how production cost is figured, formulas for vacation time, how accounts payable are processed for payment) dictate how the software should operate.

Data
Data found in information management systems is gathered by hand or electronically. Documents can provide data that is then input into the system or data can be gathered through conversation and input directly into the system via a form. Data can also be gathered using an electronic device such as a barcode scanner that is then downloaded into the management system. Delivering data into the system can occur from outside the system via

customers, vendors or suppliers. Access to data may be controlled via a separate set of rules implemented by the business.

Tools
Software programs designed to fit the business rules and its required documents are the entry points for an information system. Hardware is needed to operate the software and can include large computer networks or a simple single server with a small number of desktops. Each business department may have a separate software program that shares its data with other programs or all departments can enter data through a central software program. Oracle and Microsoft offer management information system software products for medium to large businesses.

Output
Software applications allow the sorting and analyzing of data. Output typically comes in the form of reports. Reports can be disseminated electronically or by hand. A report can provide information about sales figures, production goals or even the financial value of the business as a whole. Annual reports and quarterly sales figures are created from data located in a management information system.

Types Of Management Information System

A management information system (MIS) is a computer-based system that provides the information necessary to manage an organization effectively. An MIS should be designed to enhance communication among employees, provide an objective system for recording information and support the organization's strategic goals and direction.

Transaction-Processing Systems
Transaction-processing systems are designed to handle a large volume of routine, recurring transactions. They were first introduced in the 1960s with the advent of mainframe computers. Transaction-processing systems are used widely today. Banks use them to record deposits and payments into accounts. Supermarkets use them to record sales and track inventory.

Operations Information Systems

Operations information systems were introduced after transaction-processing systems. An operations information system gathers comprehensive data, organizes it and summarizes it in a form that is useful for managers. These types of systems access data from a transaction-processing system and organize it into a usable form. Managers use operations information systems to obtain sales, inventory, accounting and other performance-related information.

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

A DSS is an interactive computer system that can be used by managers without help from computer specialists. A DSS provides managers with the necessary information to make informed decisions. A DSS has three fundamental components:database management system (DBMS), which stores large amounts of data relevant to problems the DSS has been designed to tackle; model-based management system (MBMS), which transforms data from the DBMS into information that is useful in decision-making; and dialog generation and management system (DGMS), which provides a userfriendly interface between the system and the managers who do not have extensive computer training.

CASE STUDY: Library Management System PROBLEM STATEMENT A software has to be developed for automating the manual Library Management System. The system should have distributed functionalities as described below:1.RESERVE S : A passenger should be able to reserve a seat in the train specified by him if available. For this he has to fill a reservation form with the details about his journey. The clerk checks for the availability of the seat in the train and if the seat is available then he makes entries regarding train name,train number, date of journey, boarding station, destination. The passenger is the asked to pay the fair .After making payment the passenger can collect the ticket from the clerk. 2.CANCEL RESERVATION : There may arise a case when the passenger wants to cancel his reservation .For this he has to fill a cancellation form providing all the details about the ticket reserved by him. The clerk then checks for the entries from the database and cancels the reservation finally returning the ticket amount with some deduction. 3.UPDATE TRAIN INFORMATION & REPORT GENERATION : Only the Administrator has the right to make changes in train details(train name, train no. etc.).The system should also be able to generate report when needed in the form of reservation charts , train schedule charts etc. 4.LOGIN : Only the user with specified login id & password can get access to the system. This provides security from unauthorized access. 5. VIEW RESERVATION STATUS &TRAIN SCHEDULE : All the users should be able to see the information about the reservation status & train schedule, train name, train number etc.

USECASE DIAGRAM:

The use case diagram shows the functional aspects of the system.The actors are shown with stick diagram & usecases are shown by ovals. The arrows shows the relationship between the actor and the use cases.

CONTEXT DIAGRAM

The context diagram shows the interaction between the external entities and the system.Here we dont deal with the internal subprocesses of the system.

LEVEL-1 DATA FLOW DIAGRAM:Here the internal subprocesses of the system and their interaction with the external entites is shown.

ENTITY RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM

The entity relationship diagram shows the relationship between the entities.