Information Systems (IS) are constituted to improve the organization and space in their structure, the objective of this article is to learn the basic theoretical concepts that allow us to guide the function of IS in organizations.
SIs in organizations offer advantages and benefits:
- Improve efficiency Increase competitive advantage.
By advantage we mean obtaining a difference, generally over other organizations or the current state of affairs. By profit we refer to the results that we can achieve with the advantages in the market, compared to competitors.
From the point of view of the employer, the advantages and benefits of an IS are the factors that matter the most and what will allow a favorable improvement in the face of any type of competitive organization.
EFFECTIVENESS / EFFECTIVENESS
Efficacy or effectiveness answers a question: What was achieved?
Effectiveness seeks high productivity, an increase in it and a consequent improvement in services. Efficiency is related to the way to meet the objective. The search for greater efficiency seeks to do more for less, lower costs, reduce routine and repetitive work.
The SI that respond to this type of criteria are:
- Systems that allow cost savings Systems that allow a reduction in manual labor Systems that allow a reduction of physical space
Increase in competitive advantages
SIs of this type answer the question: How to achieve a position, a unique and different service, before the competitors who do not yet have it?
In general, they are characterized by allowing or enabling business growth and are used to gain an advantage over our competitors. The SI that respond to this type of criteria are:
- Internet purchasing systems Different banking services Air ticket purchasing systems
Faced with this factor, competitive organizations react, with the incorporation of the novelty to their resources, they try to diminish the existing advantage of the company that leads this process. That is, in an easier way, they copy the leader. The leader wins the market due to the time differential before late competition.
The benefits of efficiency and increased competitive advantages do not occur in isolation, they are not unique. An IS produces a combination of these benefits, in the decision to invest in a good IS. In general, the Systems offer some of the three advantages, although one of them may be the focus, the motor or the generator with the purchase option.
At different moments in time, the development of systems focused on some of the advantages mentioned and; This chronological evolution occurs and usually occurs in the evolution of the objectives pursued by the IS in an organization.
Within organizations they are living systems that act and react to their own problems and those of others constantly. Those companies that do not have an attitude of change and reaction, that is, those that are: blind to their behavioral problems, ignore the market that supports them, or ignore the true needs of the people, quickly lose competitiveness where the “only permanent thing is the change ”in our time, and the main problems are the following:
- Negative problem: Current situation does not meet objectives Potential problem. The projected situation does not satisfy the objective Implementation problem. How will the objective be achieved? Taking advantage of opportunities: Generating a new objective.
Technological advances in general and information technologies in particular are an actor in these actions of change. SIs enable organizations to solve problems and / or are part of their solutions. (Prieto & Zornoza, 1996)
INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Many actors distinguish between information systems (IS) and information technology (IT), although in common language it is not easy to find a difference. However, the semantic difference is not trivial.
Information systems in a company, independent of the use of computers, always existed. As we have observed in the previous thematic unit, they are an integral part of the company. The information increases our possibility of making correct decisions, until reaching levels of certainty where there would be no possible misunderstanding. Of course, we are taking the reasonableness of problems as a criterion for decision-making, and of course, many times, decisions are not made rationally.
At an organization level there is also formal and informal information, and the information needs are so wide that highly complex and quality information systems are produced at all levels of business decisions, and their means of maintaining the information system are extraordinarily wide using:
- ReportsConsultation meetingsResult sheetsNewslettersBalancesPlansMapsTelephone communicationsInformal feedback
The means and their automation to carry out and obtain information is what is known as Information Technology.
Information flow
Between the different levels there is a flow of information. Likewise, the organization takes external information. The following graphs show the flow of information in theoretical form and the flow of information in real form. It is possible to observe the rebounds and / or noise to which these flows are subjected.
INFORMATION AS A RESOURCE IN ORGANIZATIONS
In today's society, called "Information Society", the use and access to information constitutes a transcendental change, from the economic and intellectual point of view, for the development of man in all areas of business. It facilitates the decision-making process, represents a guide for problem solving and represents the basis for organizational progress in the corporate factor.
According to Gil Horton, information: “is a good that differs from an economic good by not ending up when consumed; It is not extinguished by being shared, on the contrary, it makes it grow. It proposes two definitions of information resources:
- Information resources (singular): refers to the information itself, that is, the content. Information resources (plural): are the tools, equipment, supplies, people and resources used for an entity; also the capital, investment and expenses involved in providing all these support resources.
Andreu, Ricart and Valor define information systems "as the formal set of processes that operates with a structured set of data according to the needs that an organization collects, elaborates and distributes the information necessary for the operation of said organization and for the corresponding control management activities, supporting, at least in part, the decision-making necessary to carry out the functions and business processes in accordance with its strategy ”(Andreu, R, & Ricart, 1996).
COMPONENTS
Ponjuan conceptualizes the basic components of an Information System:
- Documents: any source of information, in material form, capable of being used for reference or study as an authority. Registers: it is a set of elements collectively for the contribution of information about the matter that is required. Files or records files: it is a set of records, almost always with similar characteristics. Equipment: the equipment is very varied and depends on the technological line. Systems support elements: procedure manuals and specific software. Processes: sets of tasks that are logically related, to obtain concrete results, within an IS that develop multiple processes, with procedures, activities and tasks. People: they are the ones who design the systems, operate the equipment, carry out the processes, and make a large part of the technical and personal decisions that allow the systems to operate efficiently. (Ponjuan & Gloria, 2004).
TYPOLOGIES IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL SECTOR
The organizational sector has developed various types of information systems. Basically from the own needs of the sector and from education to the fundamental processes developed according to the particularities of each organization; among them are the following:
- Marketing Information Systems (SIM): they are oriented to obtain and process marketing information, an organization needs three types of marketing information: marketing intelligence, internal marketing information and marketing communication in the information. Production Information Systems (SIP): aims to support the production system. Financial Information Systems (SIF): provide individuals and groups, both within and outside the organization, information related to the financial affairs of the organization. Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)- Collect and store information related to human resources to transform it and then distribute it to the users of the organization. Management systems for executives (SDD): provide managers with information about the overall performance of the company. They use internal information sources and sources from the environment in which they work.
Application portfolio
The application portfolio is the actual, planned and potential set of computer systems that a company demands to meet its information expectations.
A very useful classification scheme originally developed by Mc Farlan1 compares the role of IS / IT in various organizations, takes the form of a matrix and classifies them into:
- High potential Strategic Key to operations Support
The main idea that leads us to this analysis and is the reason for its observation is to allow visualizing the priority and need of information systems.
The acronym ITSGAS comes from English with abbreviation of the phrase "Information Technology Generic Strategy Action", its meaning in Spanish is: Strategies based on Information Technology.
This appendix taken from the book: "The organization in the information age" has been included thinking of its practical usefulness to check a list of possibilities that we prepare for an organization and not forget any of the possible aspects.
The mentioned applications are mapped to the following organizational components:
- In relation to the product In relation to the customer In relation to distribution channels In relation to suppliers In relation to the value chain In general. (Rafael, E, Josep, & Valor, Barcelona).
TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENHANCER OF CHANGE
This appendix taken from the book: "The organization in the information age" has been included, thinking about its practical usefulness to check a list of possibilities that we prepare for an organization and not forgetting any of the possible aspects. This appendix taken from the book: "The organization in the information age" has been included, thinking about its practical usefulness to check a list of possibilities that we prepare for an organization and not forgetting any of the possible aspects.
Every day more organizations use information and communication technologies in order to develop information systems in environments marked by the new computer culture, where information systems are no longer entrusted to tasks such as maintaining clients' agendas, payroll, sales, distribution, etc. If the IS is now understood as part of the company's infrastructure, that is, its infostructure. With the passing of the information data processing and its subsequent distribution.
According to Andreu (1997), the CIO must play a role that is not a simple (technological observer), but a figure with the ability to understand the ins and outs of the business in depth, so that he can provide, suggest and help understand and justify applications of technology to improve or innovate in any type of area of an organization. You must develop and learn to link the business with technology, visualize, analyze and plan future strategies always closely observing the needs of the client and organization.
Likewise, the CIO is considered a lever for change in organizations, where there are conceptual coincidences to define the CIO, as a member who must have a great capacity to continually learn, inclined to innovation and highly skilled in communicating the added value of technology in the forms of postindustrial society. (ANDREU & RICART, 1991)
Importance of Organizations
An information system for the organization is of the utmost importance as it facilitates the organization and standardization of information, thus allowing to know the status of the data, information on markets and competitors, project statistics, suppliers and other relevant information for the company. organizational management and decision making.
It must respond to the fulfillment of its mission and vision, as its supreme objectives, since information systems interact directly with the organization's environment, since the elements of the environment that affect the system constitute an input and all the results of the system to its environment on an exit. Similarly, feedback is a key element for the development and strengthening of the organization; allowing to know the impact of the services and products, which serve as outputs in the environment and provide the redesign of the system based on the satisfaction of the needs of the users / customers who will form inputs.
conclusion
Information Systems, in postmodern companies, emphasize the urgent needs to understand the different IS in different organizations as an instrument that allows responding in an agile and effective way in different turbulent environments. For this, it is convenient to raise the relationships of changes in the relevant organizational structures, in order to create an informational culture.
The fundamental considerations highlight that a clear conception of the value of the IS is required at the different levels of the companies, since it is only from these perspectives that they sign it, being able to direct their systems strategies, surviving in the context of the different demands to level of competitiveness of the different companies currently offering their services.
Bibliography
- Andreu, R, & Ricart. (nineteen ninety six). Information systems and strategies. 2 ed. MC Graw-Hill.ANDREU, R., & RICART, JY (1991). Information Systems and Strategies. Madrid: Mc Graw-Hill.Ponjuan, & Gloria. (2004). Information Systems: principles and applications. Havana, Prieto, & Zornoza, P. (1996). New Information Technologies in the company. Madrid: Piramide.Rafael, E, AJ, Josep, R., & Valor. (Barcelona). Information Systems and Strategies. 1996: Mc. Graw Hill.
