1. Management Information Systems
1.1. A Management Information System is a type of information system that uses data collected by a transaction processing system. It then manipulates the data to create reports that managers can use to make routine business decisions in response to structured problems.
1.2. A major goal of a management information system is o increase efficiency of managerial activity. A management information system can produce scheduled reports or ad hoc reports.
1.2.1. Scheduled reports follow a fixed format and are produced according to a preset timetable.
1.2.2. An ad hoc report is a customized report, generated to supply specific information not available in scheduled reports
1.3. A traditional management information system is based on the data collected by a transaction processing system.
1.4. A management information system usually cannot create models or projections.
2. Expert Systems
2.1. An Expert System is a computer system designed to analyze data and produce a recommendation, diagnosis, or decision based on a set of facts and rules.
2.2. Each expert system is designed to make decisions in a particular area or domain. Some expert systems have been developed to locate mineral deposits, diagnosis blood diseases, order a customized PC, and recommend stock purchases.
2.3. Expert systems are designed to deal with data that is imprecise. By using a technique called fuzzy logic, an expert system can deal with imprecise data by asking for a level of confidence.
2.4. How does an expert system work?
2.4.1. When it is time to make a decision, the inference engine begins analyzing the available data by following the rules in the knowledge database. If the expert system needs additional data, it checks external databases, looks for data in the transaction processing system or asks the user to answer a question.
3. Neutral Networks
3.1. A Neutral Network uses computer circuitry to stimulate the way a brain might process information, learn, and remember.
3.2. Neutral networks have been successfully implemented in many business and financial applications where identification and trend analysis are important.
4. Transaction Processing Systems
4.1. What is a transation?
4.1.1. A transaction is an exchange between two parties that is recorded and stored in a computer system.
4.2. A Transaction Processing System provides ways to collect process, store, display, modify or cancel transactions.
4.3. Data collected by a transaction processing system is stored in a database and can be used to produce a regularly scheduled set of reports.
4.4. Most modern transaction processing systems use online processing which is a real time method in which each transaction is processed while its entered. This system is known as an online transaction processing system.
4.4.1. An online transaction processing system uses a rollback strategy to ensure that each transaction is processed correctly.
4.5. A typical transaction processing system generates detail reports, which provide a basic record of completed transactions.
5. Decision Support Systems
5.1. A decision support system is used to help people make decisions by directly manipulating data, analyzing data from external sources, generating statistical projections, and creating data from various scenarios.
5.2. A special type of decision support system known as a executive information system, is designed to provide senior managers with information relevant to strategic management activities.
5.3. Decision makers use the system to design decision models and make queries.
5.3.1. A decision model is a numerical representation of a realistic situation.
5.3.2. A decision query is a question or set of instructions describing data that must be gathered to make a decision.