Why should businesses require an information system?

For this exercise you will need to do a little bit of research. You can do this as an individual, or you might join up with a few colleagues and share your results.

The basic information can be found in the following text:

What is an information system?, Chapter 1, Managing the Digital Firm, Management Information Systems, Laudon & Laudon, Prentice Hall, p7-31, ISBN 0-13-033066-3.

However this is only a starting point and you are advised to look further for other resources, such as alternative texts or on the internet.

Once you have completed your research and made some notes, try the review questions below.

As a guide, this piece of learning should take about one hour to complete.

Review Questions

Test your understanding of this topic with the following questions.

How do Laudon & Laudon describe an information system?

If we are to use information systems effectively, what three things should we consider?

What are the major business functions? Give several examples.

What is meant by the term 'digital firm'?

What impact has the rapid increase in computing power had on communication networks?

Common communication standards (such as the www) can affect how an organisation is structured. Suggest some business advantages of a 'flattened organisation'.

In what ways can information systems assist managers to make decisions? Describe three examples.