management information systems

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

JAVASCRIPT Problems

Hello

Students check these javascript problems

Add new elemts at the beginning of array
<html >
<body >
<script language="javascript" >
var scripts=new Array();
scripts[0]="PHP";
scripts[1]="ASP";
scripts[2]="JAVASCRIPT";
scripts[3]="HTML";
document.write(scripts.join("< br > "));
document.write("< br >---- NOW AFTER APPLYING unshift()---< br >");
scripts.unshift("VBSCRIPT","PERL");
document.write(scripts.join("< br >"));
</script >
</body >
</html >
Display Today's date and Time

< html >
< title >
< /title >
< body >
< script language="javascript" >
var d=new Date;
document.write("< b > "+d);
< /script >
< /body >
< /html >
Add an element to position 2 in an array
< html >
< body >
< script type="text/javascript" >
var fruits = ["HTML", "JSP", "PHP", "ASP"];
document.write("Removed: " + fruits.splice(2,0,"JAVASCRIPT") + "< br / >");
document.write(fruits);
< /script >
< /body >
< /html >
Concatenate two arrays

< html >
< body >
< h2 > concat arrays containig alphabets,numbers,symbols < /h2 >
<script language="javascript" >
var alphabets = ["a","b","c"];
var numbers = ["1","2"];
var symbols = ["@", "$","^"];
var alphano = alphabets.concat(numbers,symbols);
document.write(alphano);
< /script >
< /body >
< /html >
To concert today's date to string
< html >
< body >
< script language="javascript" >
var d =new Date();
document.write("in original form");
document.write(d +"< br/ > ");
document.write("(according to UTC) to string:");
document.write(d.toUTCString());
< /script >
< /body >
< /html >
TO remove first element of the array
< html >
< head >
< title > Removing the first Element < /title >
< script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" >
< !--
var x = new Array(1,2,3,4);
var firstElement = x.shift();
alert(firstElement);
alert(2);
alert(3);
alert(4);
alert(x);
//-->
< /script >
< /head >
< body >
< h1 > Removing the first Element < /h1 >
< /body >
< /html >
Replace character in a string
< html>
< body>
< script language="javascript" >
var str="LOGIN UR ID!";
document.write(str.replace(/ID/,"ACCOUNT"));
< /script >
< /body >
< /html >
Reverse order of elements in the array
< html >
< title > JavaScript array reverse() example < /title >
< body >
< h2 >
Example of reversing an array
< /h2 >
< script type="text/javascript" >
var arr = new Array(3);
arr[0]="1";
arr[1]="2";
arr[2]="3";
document.write("< b > Array before reversed is < /b >="+arr+"< br > ");
document.write("< b > Reversed array is < /b > ="+arr.reverse()+"<br > ");
< /script >
< /body >
< /html >

compiled by PRAPTI

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Information System

At present there are Four main types:

 Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)
 Decision Support Systems (DSS)
 Executive Information Systems (EIS)
 Management Information Systems (MIS

Operations Support System:

Operations Support System (OSS) performs management, inventory, engineering, planning, and repair functions.
A lot of the work on OSS has been centered on defining its architecture. Put simply, there are four key elements of OSS:

• Processes
          o the sequence of events
• Data
         o the information that is acted upon
• Applications
           o the components that implement processes to manage data
• Technology
         o how we implement the applications

1. Transaction Processing System

A transaction processing system (TPS) collects, stores, modifies and retrieves the transactions of an organization. Examples of such systems are automatic telling machines (ATMs), electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS – also referred to as POS).

• A Transaction Processing System collects, stores, modify's and retrieves the daily transactions of a business.
• TPS systems secure and record the daily transactions of a company.

There are two types of transaction of processing:

Batch processing: where all of the transactions are collected and processed as one group or batch at a later stage.
Real-time processing: where the transaction is processed immediately

Batch Processing

In Batch processing all information that needs to be processed is collected and processed as a group at a later date.
A good example of Batch processing is Cheques, as these are collected and processed at a later date.

Three main disadvantages of batch processing are:

1. The processing schedule is pre-determined so it must wait till a set time.
2. Errors cannot be corrected during processing
3. Sorting the transaction data is expensive and time consuming.

Real time processing

Real time Processing is the immediate processing of data. It instantaneously provides confirmation of a transaction.

There are two main concerns with Real-time processing these are:

1. Concurrency, which ensures that two users cannot change the same data at any one time.
2. Atomicity, which is the ensurance that all steps in the transaction process are completed.

Real time processing is extremely expensive. Both the hardware and software.

Information systems are constantly changing and evolving as technology continues to grow. Very importantly the information systems described below are not mutually exclusive and some (especially Expert Systems, Management Information Systems and Executive Information Systems are can be seen as a subset of Decision Support Systems). However these examples are not the only overlaps and the divisions of these information systems will change over time.

Components of A Transaction Processing System:

• Users – are people who use a TPS often take the data provided by the TPS and use it in another type of information system. This is a main feature of a TPS
• Participants – are the people who conduct information processing. Success or failure of the system depends on them.
• People – people from the environment become participant when they directly enter transactions and perform validation .Eg, withdrawing money from an ATM.

Four most important characteristics of a TPS system:

• Rapid response – fast performance with rapid results
• Reliability – well designed backup and recovery with a low failure rate
• Inflexibility – treat every transaction equally
• Controlled processing – maintain specific requirements for the roles and responsibilities of different employees.

• The output from a TPS is the input to other types of information systems.
Such as:

• DSS (Decision Support Systems) can provide the information necessary to make informed decisions.
• MIS (Management Support Systems) provides information for the organisation’s managers. Presenting basic facts.

File Types in A Transaction Processing System:

• Master file - contains information about an organisations business situation.
• Transaction file - is a collection of transaction records.
• Report file - contains data that has been formatted for presentation to a user.
• Work file - is a temporary file in the system used during the processing.
• Program file – contains instructions for the processing of data.

ACID MODEL

The ACID model is one of the oldest and most important concepts of database theory. It sets forward four goals that every database management system must strive to achieve: atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability. No database that fails to meet any of these four goals can be considered reliable.

Let’s take a moment to examine each one of these characteristics in detail:
• Atomicity states that database modifications must follow an “all or nothing” rule. Each transaction is said to be “atomic.” If one part of the transaction fails, the entire transaction fails. It is critical that the database management system maintain the atomic nature of transactions in spite of any DBMS, operating system or hardware failure.
• Consistency states that only valid data will be written to the database. If, for some reason, a transaction is executed that violates the database’s consistency rules, the entire transaction will be rolled back and the database will be restored to a state consistent with those rules. On the other hand, if a transaction successfully executes, it will take the database from one state that is consistent with the rules to another state that is also consistent with the rules.
• Isolation requires that multiple transactions occurring at the same time not impact each other’s execution. For example, if Amit issues a transaction against a database at the same time that Richa issues a different transaction; both transactions should operate on the database in an isolated manner. The database should either perform Amit’s entire transaction before executing Richa’s or vice-versa. This prevents Amit’s transaction from reading intermediate data produced as a side effect of part of Richa’s transaction that will not eventually be committed to the database. Note that the isolation property does not ensure which transaction will execute first, merely that they will not interfere with each other.
• Durability ensures that any transaction committed to the database will not be lost. Durability is ensured through the use of database backups and transaction logs that facilitate the restoration of committed transactions in spite of any subsequent software or hardware failures.

Monday, August 23, 2010

System Development Life Cycle-4

System Development Life Cycle

The system development life cycle is the overall process of developing, implementing, and retiring information systems through a multistep process from initiation, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance to disposal. There are many different SDLC models and methodologies, but each generally consists of a series of defined steps or phases.

The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application.

The SDLC in its Pure Form has These Phases.

1) Requirement Analysis: - This phase is also known as feasibility study. In this stage the Requirement is been gathered for the product to be developed. The gathered requirement is documented in a simple document which is known as the Software Requirement Specification.

The Requirement Analysis Phase ultimately ends up with the SRS.

2) Design Analysis: - The purpose of this phase is to plan out the solutions to develop the application that has been documented in the SRS. The design provides solutions to the problems from the Requirement Analysis Phase.

3) Coding/ Development: - This phase is where the actual coding takes place. This stage targets to develop the application using right coding standards and technology.

4) Testing: - This phase is where the code is tested and verified to match the requirement given in the SRS. The stage repeats itself until the code is ready to publish or distribute. The testing takes place in many methods which are Black Box Testing, White Box Testing, Unit Testing, and Integrated Testing etc...

5) Implementation and Maintenance: - This is a phase where the Tested code is distributed to the end user and the Application has to be maintained. This stage is the most time consuming Phase where the end user keeps on identifying bugs and the application has to be modified and updated.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

CASE STUDY On BPR-2

CASE STUDY 2

Read the following case and answer the questions at the end:

Dr. Sukumar inherited his father’s Dey’s Lab in Delhi in 1995. Till 2002, he owned 4 labs in the
National Capital Region (NCR) . His ambition was to turn it into a National chain. The number increased to 7 in 2003 across the country, including the acquisition of Platinum lab in Mumbai.

The number is likely to go to 50 within 2-3 years from 21 at present. Infusion of Rs. 28 crores for
a 26% stake by Pharma Capital has its growth strategy.

The lab with a revenue of Rs. 75 crores is among top three Pathological labs in India with Atlantic
(Rs. 77 crores) and Pacific (Rs. 55 crores). Yet its market share is only 2% of Rs. 3,500 crores market. The top 3 firms command only 6% as against 40-45% by their counterparts in the USA. There are about 20,000 to 1,00,000 stand alone labs engaged in routine pathological business in India, with no system of mandatory licensing and registration. That is why Dr. Sukumar has not gone for acquisition or joint ventures. He does not find many existing laboratories meeting quality standards. His six labs have been accredited nationally whereon many large hospitals have not thought of accreditation; The College of American pathologists accreditation of Dey’s lab would help it to reach clients outside India.

In Dey’s Lab, the bio-chemistry and blood testing equipments are sanitized every day. The bar coding and automated registration of patients do not allow any identity mix-ups. Even routine tests are conducted with highly sophisticated systems. Technical expertise enables them to carry out 1650 variety of tests. Same day reports are available for samples reaching by 3 p.m. and by 7 a.m. next day for samples from 500 collection centres located across the country. Their Technicians work round the clock, unlike competitors. Home services for collection and reporting is also available.

There is a huge unutilized capacity. Now it is trying to top other segments. 20% of its total business comes through its main laboratory which acts as a reference lab for many leading hospitals. New mega labs are being built to Encash preclinical and multi-centre clinical trials within India and provide postgraduate training to the pathologists.

Questions:

(i) What do you understand by the term Vision? What is the difference between ‘Vision’ and ‘Mission’? What vision Dr. Sukumar had at the time of inheritance of Dey’s Lab? Has it been achieved?
(ii) For growth what business strategy has been adopted by Dr. Sukumar?
(iii) What is the marketing strategy of Dr. Sukumar to overtake its competitors?
(iv) In your opinion what could be the biggest weakness in Dr. Sukumar’s business strategy?

CASE STUDY ON BPR-1

CASE STUDY 1

DD is the India’s premier public service broadcaster with more than 1,000 transmitters covering 90% of the country’s population across an estimated 70 million homes. It has more than 20,000 employees managing its metro and regional channels. Recent years have seen growing competition from many private channels numbering more than 65, and the cable and satellite operators (C & S). The C & S network reaches nearly 30 million homes and is growing at a very fast rate.

DD’s business model is based on selling half-hour slots of commercial time to the programme producers and charging them a minimum guarantee. For instance, the present tariff for the first 20 episodes of a programme is Rs. 30 lakhs plus the cost of production of the programme. In exchange the producers get 780 seconds of commercial time that he can sell to advertisers and can generate revenue. Break-even point for producers, at the present rates, thus is Rs. 75,000 for a 10 second advertising spot. Beyond 20 episodes, the minimum guarantee is Rs. 65 lakhs for which the producer has to charge Rs. 1,15,000 for a 10 second spot in order to break-even. It is at this point the advertisers face a problem – the competitive rates for a 10 second spot is Rs. 50,000. Producers are possessive about buying commercial time on DD. As a result the DD’s projected growth of revenue is only 6-10% as against 50-60% for the private sector channels. Software suppliers, advertisers and audiences are deserting DD owing to its unrealistic pricing policy. DD has three options before it.
First, it should privatize, second, it should remain purely public service broadcaster and third, a middle path. The challenge seems to be to exploit DD’s immense potential and emerge as a formidable player in the mass media.

Question:
(i) What is the best option, in your view, for DD?
(ii) Analyze the SWOT(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ) factors the DD has ?
(iii) Why to you think that the proposed alternative is the best? (20 Marks)

Advantage & Disadvantages of MIS

Advantage & Disadvantages of MIS

Modern businesses have been leveraging management information systems (MIS) to manage, order, organize and manipulate the gigabytes and masses of information generated for various purposes. MIS helps businesses optimize business processes, address information needs of employees and various stakeholders and take informed strategic decisions. However, budget allocation and monitoring issues can affect the efficacy of MIS. It has its advantages and disadvantages depending on organizational deployment and usage.

ADVANTAGES

An MIS provides the following advantages:

1. It Facilitates planning: MIS improves the quality of plants by providing relevant information for sound decision - making. Due to increase in the size and complexity of organizations, managers have lost personal contact with the scene of operations.

2. In Minimizes information overload: MIS change the larger amount of data in to summarize form and there by avoids the confusion which may arise when managers are flooded with detailed facts.

3. MIS Encourages Decentralization: Decentralization of authority is possibly when there is a system for monitoring operations at lower levels. MIS is successfully used for measuring performance and making necessary change in the organizational plans and procedures.

4. It brings Co-ordination: MIS facilities integration of specialized activities by keeping each department aware of the problem and requirements of other departments. It connects all decision centers in the organization.

5. It makes control easier: MIS serves as a link between managerial planning and control. It improves the ability of management to evaluate and improve performance. The used computers has increased the data processing and storage capabilities and reduced the cost.

6. MIS assembles, process, stores, Retrieves, evaluates and disseminates the information.

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Highly sensitive requires constant monitoring.
2. Buddgeting of MIS extremely difficult.
3. Quality of outputs governed by quality of inputs.
4. Lack of flexibility to update itself.
5. Effectiveness decreases due to frequent changes in top management

MIS – Introduction to management in context of Information System

MIS – Introduction to management in context of IS

Management Information Systems, which are often abbreviated to MIS, are a subdivision of internal business controls that usually refer to documents, IT, people and procedures. An MIS is usually applied by management accountants who will be trying to solve a business problem or setting a price for how much a product should cost.

MIS are actually quite different from other information systems. This is because the MIS are used primarily to analyze other information systems that are used in the operational activities of any particular organization.
So MIS is not a true information system in the sense of technology, but nor is it a true business function. In fact it straddles both these disciplines and is a way in which technology can be harnessed along with business so that people can function more effectively.

Within any given organization there may well be MIS professionals, but they are actually employed as systems analysts or even project managers. They often will act as a means of communication between management and the staff on the ground and they are actually a very valuable asset to any firm, since MIS professionals have the ability to analyze vast amounts of data.

This is the real beauty of Management Information Systems; they allow personnel to effectively and efficiently analyze huge amounts of data that would otherwise be too enormous to be analyzed by humans. This means that trends can be spotted or patterns start to emerge. The MIS systems can also show dips or peaks in performance that may not be readily available when using other information systems, so they are incredibly important.

Origins of Management Information Systems

Initially computers were used to keep finances up to date by using word processing and in many cases accounting. But then more and more applications were invented all of which were geared towards providing management with useful and relevant information that would help them to manage their business and due to the nature of the information they contained, these applications became known as Management Information Systems.

Aim of Management Information Systems

The main aim of MIS systems is to inform management and help them make informed decisions about management and the way the business is run. This highlights the difference between an MIS and other types of information systems that do not necessarily contain information that will help managers make managerial decisions.

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.

Component of MIS in context of IS

1. Information Management
2. Structures
3. Data
4. Tools
5. Output

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Monday, August 23, 2010

Saturday, August 21, 2010

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS