Thomas Janovic
Info. Tech.
Prof. Vengerov
11/16/11
MIS and DSS for Organizations
MISs, management information systems, and DSSs, Decision Support Systems are highly effective tools for businesses and organizations to make better decisions which ultimately allows them to increase their competitive advantage and improve the organization’s overall success. Managers must not only have a complete understanding of the business they’re in and how to compete in the marketplace, but also should “understand how to use software tools, including DSS (decision support systems) and MIS (management information systems) to make the best decisions.”[1]
MISs and DSSs grant managers and businessman of all industries entrance to a greater amount of information and data, improve their credibility, standardize information throughout the organization, and help businesses to become flexible and more adaptable. MISs and DSSs are two different things and their functions must be understood completely to achieve effectiveness for the firm as a whole. “A management information system (MIS) provides information needed to manage organizations efficiently and effectively, and is used to analyze operational activities in the organization through people, technology, and information.” [2] A “decision Support System (DSS) is a specific class of computerized information system(s) that supports business and organizational decision-making activities.”[3]
The function of a MIS and DSS is to provide large amounts of information to managers in an understandable form so they can make intelligent decisions based on factual information and data. These systems provide ongoing support by analyzing the business’s performance on a regular basis, providing long-term trends and analysis of sales, costs, revenue, marketing, and equity, while updating the organizations financial information. A manager of decision maker may reorganize this information as they need to achieve the individual needs of the firm and produce various types of helpful documents such as charts, balance sheets, and graphs.
There are many different types of DSSs and MISs to choose from which are individually based on the goals and objectives of the organization. Many of these systems are highly complex and expensive which may be needed by larger businesses with a heavier work load and bank account. However, there are also MISs and DSSs that are made for small and medieum-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well. The MISs many businesses use today are created to assist managers in all aspects of decision making, while DSSs are much more “narrow in scope” and focus more on the financial information of the org.
Once these information systems are initiated into the organization they allow for a greater flow of information. Managers and executives in all branches of the business can create and share documents which will ultimately reach all areas of the firm, rather than just one or two. These systems require all users of the system to store and retrieve data using the same interface, allowing information to be accessed easier, decreasing the burden on employees of learning a new information system. Managers can now share this information with each other and since they utilize the same information system, can work together faster to come up with better business solutions.
Works Cited
