Management Information Systems 90-728 Heinz School for Public Policy and Management Fall Semester 1999

1. Management Information Systems 90-728Heinz School for Public Policy and ManagementFall Semester 1999 Instructor: Michael P. Johnson Teaching Assistants: Dana Berger, Cordell Carter, Karthik Chandrasekar, Robin Groce, Ruth Kolb, Shawn McClory (Head TA), Gersande Ringenbach, Qiu Yang (grader)

2. Course Goals and Topics • Course Goals: • Be able to design information systems at the conceptual level using a variety of models • Self-learn and effectively use a suite of software packages • Learn methods to determine users' information requirements • Use a team approach to build a real database application • Be able to make concrete assessments and recommendations for public-sector IS acquisition, development and deployment • Course Topics: • IS overview: conceptual foundations, hardware, software, Internet • Database design and implementation • Systems analysis and design life-cycle, including project management • Web authoring and web-enabled database applications • IS policy issues and system implementation in the public sector

3. Class Meeting Times and Texts • Meeting Times • Lecture: Tuesday 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Room 1000 HbH • Labs: Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM (A), 11:00 AM - 12:20 (B), 3:30 PM - 4:50 PM (C) Room A100 HbH • Workshops: Friday 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM (A), 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM (B), 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM (C) Room A100 HbH • Discussion Sessions: days, times and rooms TBA • TA Office Hours: days, times and rooms TBA • Texts • Microsoft Access 2000 Step by Step • Microsoft FrontPage 98 Illustrated Standard Edition • Photocopied readings (available from Prof. Johnson’s administrative assistant, Connie Lucas, for $29) • Lecture notes and handouts

4. Course Policies and Guidelines • Grading: Homework (8) - 20% Exam 1 (in-class) - 25% Exam 2 (in lab) - 25% Class project - 30% • Group consultation is encouraged but all submitted work must be original • Course information, data, updates and announcements on: • Web site http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/90-728/ • Electronic bulletin board (“b-board”) org.heinz.90-728 • Heinz LAN directory r:\academic\90728 • personal e-mail • If you have questions: • Check the electronic resources • Consult with the TAs (discussion sessions, office hours, or e-mail) • Ask the professor (office hours, by appointment, or e-mail) • Always backup your work, whether done at home or in computer lab!

5. Information Systems Fundamentals An Information System is a set of (primarily) electronic components that collect, analyze and disseminate data and information to meet an objective. • Data: raw facts, e.g. text, image, audio, video. By itself, data cannot help us make decisions • Information: aggregation, analysis and selection of data that enables organizations to meet objectives. Some characteristics of information: • accurate • reliable • relevant • verifiable • valuable

6. Information Systems Fundamentals (cont’d) • System: a collection of elements or components that interact to accomplish goals. Composed of: • Inputs • Processing mechanisms • Outputs • Feedback/assessment • Many processes, whether or not they have a significant IS component, can be viewed as systems: • Personnel management • University admissions • Production and inventory management • Criminal justice system

7. Information Systems Fundamentals (cont’d) • Organizations may be classified according to the systems they employ: • Simple vs. complex • Open vs. closed • Stable vs. dynamic • Adaptive vs. nonadaptive • Permanent vs. temporary • System performance can be measured along three dimensions: • Efficiency • Effectiveness • Equity (fairness)

8. Information Systems Fundamentals (cont’d) • Systems are designed, implemented and managed using models: abstractions of reality that allow us to apply principles assumed to hold true for many different systems • Model types: • Narrative model, e.g. verbal descriptions of model features, goals, resources • Physical model, e.g. prototypes, mock-ups • Schematic model, e.g. graphs and flowcharts • Mathematical, e.g. equations and relations • All models are based on assumptions, e.g. market conditions, legal restrictions, physical performance limitations. Assumptions must be well-known and consistent

9. Information Systems Components • Inputs: raw data • May be physical, electronic or conceptual • May use a manual or automated process • Processing: conversion of inputs to outputs • May be comprised of computations, data storage, choosing alternatives • May be a manual or automated process • Outputs: information used to make decisions • May be delivered in paper form or electronically • Outputs of one system may be inputs to another system • Feedback/assessment: outputs used to improve system performance • Can flag for incorrect processing • Cue for managerial interventions • Supply estimates of future input values (forecasting)

10. Computer-Based IS Components • Hardware, computer equipment used for • input • processing • outputs • Software, computer programs that run on hardware: • systems software • applications software • Databases: specialized applications software designed to organize data and information on an organization’s operations • Infrastructure: equipment designed to link hardware across space: • telecommunications • networks • Internet • People: IS personnel and users • Procedures: rules for developing and using the IS

11. Business Information Systems • Transaction processing: automation of routine, labor-intensive processes • payroll • customer purchases • accounts payable Transaction processing systems have historically been mainframe-based, often run in batch, using older, less flexible technology. • E-commerce: commercial transactions conducted electronically • business-to-business • business-to-consumer • public sector-to-business • public sector-to-customer Value of E-commerce is estimated at $434 billion, with about 20% of total devoted to business-to-customer transactions

12. Business Information Systems (cont’d) • Management information systems: collection of people, procedures, software, hardware and databases designed to generate information for management decisions about organization strategy. MISs may comprise: • Marketing MIS • Financial management MIS • Operations MIS • Transaction processing systems • Decision support systems: an MIS intended to address specific, complex decision problems requiring interaction of managerial and machine expertise. Composed of: • Database • Models • User interface • Reporting

13. MIS Demo: Workforce Training Information System (Fall 1998) • Policy context • Increase in spending on local constuction • Need to remedy lack of minority participation in construction • Increased gov’t funding for organizations that can show positive results from job training programs • Desired features • Registration information on all program participants • Assignment of participants to training program classes • Recording personal and class outcomes • Implementation • Relational database application using Microsoft Access97 • Web pages describing project teams, problem and solution using Microsoft FrontPage98 (http://pirate.heinz.cmu.edu)

14. Information System Development • Analysis and Design • problem definition • justification of solution approach • system requirements • project team • conceptual application model • Implementation • Prototyping • Large-scale development • Testing • Deployment • Maintenance and Review • Evaluation of delivered product • Customer support • Upgrades

15. Careers in Information Systems/Information Technology • Operations • systems maintenance • LAN operations • data entry • Systems Development • systems analysis • hardware/software development • Support • data administration • Web development/maintenance • Interface • IS analysis in functional areas: engineering, planning and management • Participation in multi-disciplinary teams bridging policy and IS Heinz MSPPM/MAM IS/IT training is oriented towards interface and systems development careers