College Of Computer Science and Information, Information Systems Department

IS 311

INFORMATION SYSTEMS FUNDAMENTALS

Course Description

• Information systems Fundamentals - IS 311 is a core course in the bachelor of information systems department.

• This course is about the use of information systems in organizations and the technology that information systems use.

Course Objectives

This course introduces the students to: • The main concepts of the information

systems.• The nature and types of information

systems.• The hardware and software computer

technologies.• Data resource management.• Telecommunications and networks.• E-Business systems• Developing business systems• Information security, crime, and ethics.

Teaching Team

• Lecturer : Nouf Al mujally• Email: ccis311@gmail.com• Consultation Time:

• Sunday 9-11 • Monday 12:30-1:20• Tuesday 9 – 12

• Office: 1.501.33

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1- “Introduction to Information Systems” , by James A. O’Brien / Marakas , Fifteenth Edition , McGraw-Hill.

Course Reference

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http://is311.wikispaces.com

In the website:• Announcement • Lectures• Tutorials (Home works) • Assignments • Grades

Course Link

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Course Grading

Due Marks

Theoretical part (40%)

Midterm 1 (15%) Week 6 15

Midterm 2 (15%) Week 11 15

Presentation (10%) Week 13-14 10

Tutorials (10%)

Home works (5%) Weekly 5

Participation (5%) Weekly 5

Final Exam (50%)

Final Exam ---- 50

Total 100

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• No late submissions AT ALL !!• Copying from another student will result in a

ZERO mark for all involved students• Exams will cover materials from the

textbook, as well as material presented in the class.

• Students who are absent on Midterm exam day due to illness are required to bring a signed medical excuse letter.

• It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor if the midterm exam was missed within one (1) week following the scheduled exam date

General Notes

CHAPTER 1- section II

FOUNDATIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS

Outline

• What is a system?• Systems Functions.• Some system characteristics.• IS Components. • IS Resources.• IS Activities.

Definition - Example

GlassSteel

RubberPlasticCopper

aluminum

CAR

What is a System?

A system could be defined as:

“a set of interrelated components, with a clearly defined boundary, working together to achieve a common set of objectives by accepting inputs and producing outputs in an organized transformation process.”

Examples:

1. The biological system of the human body.

2. The technological system of an oil refinery.

Basic Functions of a System

InputInput

Capturing and assembling

elements that enter the

system to be processed

(Ex: raw materials,Data, students…)

ProcessingProcessing

Transforma-tion process

converts input into output

(Ex: manufacturing

process, Breathing process…)

OutputOutput

Transferring transformed elements to

their ultimate destination

(Ex: finished product, human

services…)

Two Additional Functions of a System

The system concept becomes even more useful by including two additional elements as follows:

Feedback: is data about the performance of the system.

Control: involves monitoring and evaluating feedback to determine whether a system is moving toward the achievement of its goal. The control function then makes the necessary adjustments to a system’s input and processing components to ensure that it produces proper output.

Cybernetic System

• All systems have input, processing, output.

• A cybernetic system: a system that uses feedback and control components to achieve a self-regulation, self-monitoring capability.

• Ex: home temperature control system

Other System Characteristics

System Environment: system does not exist in vacuum, it rather exists and functions in an environment containing other systems.

Subsystem: if a system is a components of a larger systems, it is a subsystem, and the larger system is its environment.

System Interface: a shared boundary that allows the system to be connected to one another.

Open System: a system that interacts with other systems in its environment.

Adaptive System: a system that has the ability to change itself or its environment to survive.

A Business as a System

Information systems

• IS are made up of interrelated components: • People, HW, SW, networks.

• They have clearly defined boundaries:• Functions, modules, type of application, department, or end-user.

• All the interrelated components work together to achieve a common goal by accepting inputs and producing outputs in an organized transformation process:• Using raw materials, hiring new people , disseminating information

to other.

If we apply our understanding of general system conceptsto information systems, it should be easy to see the parallels.

Information systems

• IS make extensive use of feedback and control to improve their effectiveness:• Error messages, dialog boxes, passwords,

and user rights.• Many IS are designed to change in

relation to their environments and are adaptive:• Intelligent software agents, expert systems,

highly specialized decision support systems.

Questions ..

Components of an IS - “IS MODEL”

Information System Resources

InformationSystem Resources

People

Hardware

NetworksSoftware

Data

IS Resources

IS Resources

• People Resources:

People are the essential ingredients for the successful operation of all information systems. These people resources include end users and IS specialists. End Users: are people who use an information system or

the information it produces. E.g. Customers, salespersons, accountants, or managers

• IS specialists: are people who develop and operate information systems.

E.g. System Analysts - Software Developers - System Operators

IS Resources

• Hardware Resources

This concept includes all physical devices and materials used in information processing. Example of hardware in computer-based information systems:

o Computer systems : Consist of CPU containing processors and interconnected peripherals E.g. laptop, tablet, desktop microcomputer system

o Computer peripherals.E.g. input : keyboard, mouse output: screen , printers storage : magnetic or optical disk drivers

IS Resources

• Software Resources

This concept includes all sets of information processing instructions.Examples of software Resources: System software

Operating system program that ccontrol and support the operation of computer system (e.g. Unix , Windows)

Application softwarePrograms direct the processing (e.g. word)

Procedures Instructions for people who will use the IS (e.g. users manual

for using sw package)

IS Resources

• Data Resources Data constitute valuable organizational resources.

Thus data should be seen as any organizational resource that must be managed effectively to benefit the organization.

Data that previously were captured as a result of common transaction are now stored, processed, and analyzed using sophisticated software applications that can reveal complex relationships among sales, customers, competitors, and markets.

In today’s world, it is very important to store and protect data that creates simple list of an organization’s customers with the same energy as the cash in a bank.

IS Resources

• Data can take many forms: Traditional alphanumeric data, Text data, Image data, Audio data.

• The data resources of information systems are typically organized, stored, and processed by a variety of data resource management technologies into:

Databases Knowledge bases (e.g. facts , rules, cases)

Data Versus Information

• Data: are raw facts, typically about physical phenomena or business transactions. Data are objective measurements of the attributes

(e.g. the characteristics) of entities (e.g. people, places, things, events).

• Information: is data that have been converted into meaningful and useful context for end users.

• Data are subjected to value-added process (Data processing or information processing) : Aggregated, manipulated, and organized Analyzed and evaluated Placed in proper context for a human user

Example..

Data

$35,000 12 Units $12,000 J. Jones Western Region $100,000 100 Units

35 Units

Data Processing

Salesperson: J. Jones Sales region: Western Region

Current Sales: 147 Units = $147,000

Information

IS Resources

• Network Resources:

The concept emphasizes that communications technologies and networks are fundamental resource components of all information systems.

• Network resources include:• Communication media

(e.g. wire, microwave, cellular , wireless tech. ).

• Network infrastructure (e.g. modem ,network operating system, internet browser packages)

Basic IS Activities

OutputMessages, reports, forms, image

InputRecording -Editing

ProcessingCalculating, comparing, sorting ,

summarizing

Storagedatabases

ControlFeedbacks monitoring, evaluated

Recognizing Information Systems

• Business professionals should be able to look at an information system and identify… The people, hardware, software, data, and

network resources they use. The type of information products they

produce. The way they perform input, processing,

output, storage, and control activities.

Questions ..

Read from Chapter 1 (Section 2)

Resources..