Paper: Management

Information System
(UNIT-III)

1
E-business
• E-business is the use of the Internet, as well as
other networks and information technologies, to
support e-commerce, enterprise communications
and collaboration, and Web-enabled business
processes—both within a networked enterprise
and with its customers and business partners
• E-business includes e-commerce, which is the
buying/selling, marketing, and servicing of
products, services, and information over the
Internet and other networks.

2
Cross-Functional Enterprise
Systems
• Many companies today are using information
technology to develop integrated cross-functional
enterprise systems that cross the boundaries of
traditional business functions in order to reengineer
and improve vital business processes all across the
enterprise.
• These organizations view cross-functional enterprise
systems as a strategic way to use IT to share
information resources and improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of business processes, and develop
strategic relationships with customers, suppliers, and
business partners

3
Following Figure illustrates a cross-
functional business process-

• This is an example of a business process that must

be supported by cross-functional systems that cross
the boundaries of several business functions
4
Cross-Functional Enterprise
Systems … continued
• Companies first moved from functional mainframe-
based legacy systems to integrated cross-functional
client/server applications
• This typically involved installing enterprise resource
planning, supply chain management, or customer
relationship management software from SAP America,
PeopleSoft, Oracle, and others
• Instead of focusing on the information processing
requirements of business functions (i.e., accounting,
finance, or marketing), such enterprise software
focuses on supporting integrated clusters of business
processes involved in the operations of a business by
providing a single software-based system that spans
the traditional functional boundaries
5
Cross-Functional Enterprise
Systems … continued
• Business firms are using Internet technologies to
help them reengineer and integrate the flow of
information among their internal business
processes and their customers and suppliers
• Companies all across the world are using the Web
and their intranets and extranets as a technology
platform for their cross-functional and
interenterprise information systems

6
Enterprise Application Architecture
(a conceptual framework)
• An overview of the major cross-functional
enterprise applications and their interrelationships

7
Enterprise Application
Architecture … continued
• Referring to the conceptual framework, it is clear
that instead of concentrating on traditional
business functions or supporting only the internal
business processes of a company, enterprise
applications focus on accomplishing fundamental
business processes in concert with a company’s
customer, supplier, partner, and employee
stakeholders
• Thus, enterprise resource planning (ERP)
concentrates on the efficiency and effectiveness of
a firm’s internal production, distribution, and
financial processes
8
Enterprise Application
Architecture … continued
• Customer relationship management (CRM) focuses on
acquiring and retaining profitable customers via
marketing, sales, and service processes
• Partner relationship management (PRM) aims to
acquire and retain partners who can enhance the sale
and distribution of a firm’s products and services
• Supply chain management (SCM) focuses on
developing the most efficient and effective sourcing
and procurement processes with suppliers for the
products and services that a business needs
• Knowledge management (KM) applications provide a
firm’s employees with tools that support group
collaboration and decision support

9
How does a business interconnect
some of the cross-functional
enterprise systems?
• Enterprise application integration (EAI) software is
being used by many companies to connect their
major e-business applications
• EAI software enables users to model the business
processes involved in the interactions that should
occur between business applications
• EAI also provides middleware that performs data
conversion and coordination, application
communication and messaging services, and access
to the application interfaces involved

10
… continued…
• EAI software can integrate a variety of enterprise
application clusters by letting them exchange data
according to rules derived from the business
process models developed by users
• For example, a typical rule might be: When an order is
complete, have the order system tell the accounting system
to send a bill to the customer and alert shipping to send
out the product

11
An example of a new customer order process
showing how EAI middleware connects several
business information systems within a company

12
Transaction processing systems
(TPS)
• Transaction processing systems (TPS) are cross-
functional information systems that process data
resulting from the occurrence of business
transactions
• Transactions are events that occur as part of doing
business, such as sales, purchases, deposits,
withdrawals, refunds, and payments
• Transaction processing activities are needed to
capture and process such data, or the operations of
a business would grind to a halt

13
Online transaction processing
systems
• Online transaction processing systems play a strategic
role in Web-enabled businesses
• Many firms are using the Internet and other networks
that tie them electronically to their customers or
suppliers for online transaction processing (OLTP)
• Such real-time systems, which capture and process
transactions immediately, can help firms provide
superior service to customers and other trading
partners
• This capability also adds value to their products and
services, and thus gives them an important way to
differentiate themselves from their competitors
14
The Transaction Processing Cycle
• Consists of five stages: Data Entry, Transaction
Processing (Batch Processing, Real-Time
Processing), Database Maintenance, Document
and Report Generation, Inquiry Processing

15
The Transaction Processing Cycle
Data Entry
• The first step of the transaction processing cycle is the
capture of business data
• For example, transaction data may be collected by
point-of-sale terminals using optical scanning of bar
codes and credit card readers at a retail store or other
business
• Transaction data can also be captured at an e-
commerce Web site on the Internet
• The proper recording and editing of data so they are
quickly and correctly captured for processing is one of
the major design challenges of information systems
16
The Transaction Processing Cycle
Transaction Processing
• Transaction processing systems process data in two
basic ways: (1) batch processing , where transaction
data are accumulated over a period of time and
processed periodically, and (2) real-time processing
(also called online processing), where data are
processed immediately after a transaction occurs
• All online transaction processing systems incorporate
real-time processing capabilities
• Many online systems also depend on the capabilities of
fault-tolerant computer systems that can continue to
operate even if parts of the system fail
17
The Transaction Processing Cycle
Database Maintenance
• An organization’s databases must be updated by its
transaction processing systems so that they are always
correct and up-to-date
• Therefore, transaction processing systems serve to
assist in maintaining the corporate databases of an
organization to reflect changes resulting from day-to-
day business transactions
• For example, credit sales made to customers will cause
customer account balances to be increased and the
amount of inventory on hand to be decreased
• Database maintenance ensures that these and other
changes are reflected in the data records stored in the
company’s databases
18
The Transaction Processing Cycle
Document and Report Generation
• Transaction processing systems produce a variety of
documents and reports
• Examples of transaction documents include
purchase orders, paychecks, sales receipts,
invoices, and customer statements
• Transaction reports might take the form of a
transaction listing such as a payroll register, or edit
reports that describe errors detected during
processing

19
The Transaction Processing Cycle
Inquiry Processing
• Many transaction processing systems allow you to use
the Internet, intranets, extranets, and Web browsers or
database management query languages to make
inquiries and receive responses concerning the results
of transaction processing activity
• Typically, responses are displayed in a variety of
prespecified formats or screens
• For example, you might check on the status of a sales
order, the balance in an account, or the amount of
stock in inventory and receive immediate responses at
your PC
20
Enterprise collaboration systems
(ECS)
• Enterprise collaboration systems (ECS) are cross-functional
information systems that enhance communication,
coordination, and collaboration among the members of
business teams and workgroups
• Information technology, especially Internet technologies,
provides tools to help us collaborate—to communicate
ideas, share resources, and coordinate our cooperative work
efforts as members of the many formal and informal
process and project teams and workgroups that make up
many of today’s organizations
• Thus, the goal of enterprise collaboration systems is to
enable us to work together more easily and effectively by
helping us to: COMMUNICATE: Share information with
each other; COORDINATE: Organize our individual work
efforts and use of resources; COLLABORATE: Work together
cooperatively on joint projects and assignments
21
Example of Enterprise collaboration
systems
• For example, engineers, business specialists, and external
consultants may form a virtual team for a project
• The team may rely on intranets and extranets to collaborate
via e-mail, videoconferencing, discussion forums, and a
multimedia database of work-in-progress information at a
project Web site
• The enterprise collaboration system may use PC
workstations networked to a variety of servers on which
project, corporate, and other databases are stored
• In addition, network servers may provide a variety of
software resources, such as Web browsers, groupware, and
application packages, to assist the team’s collaboration until
the project is completed.
22
Tools for Enterprise Collaboration

23
Four basic categories of
e-commerce applications

1. business-to-consumer (B2C)
2. business-to-business (B2B)
3. consumer to-consumer (C2C)
4. business-to-government (B2G)

24
1. business-to-consumer (B2C)
• In this form of e-commerce, businesses must
develop attractive electronic marketplaces to sell
products and services to consumers.
• For example, many companies offer e-commerce
Web sites that provide virtual storefronts and
multimedia catalogs, interactive order processing,
secure electronic payment systems, and online
customer support.
• The B2C marketplace is growing like a wildfire but
still remains the tip of the iceberg when compared
with all online commerce.

25
2. business-to-business (B2B)
• If B2C activities are the tip of the iceberg, B2B represents
the part of the iceberg that is under the water—the biggest
part.
• This category of e-commerce involves both e-business
marketplaces and direct market links between businesses.
• For example, many companies offer secure Internet or
extranet e-commerce catalog Web sites for their business
customers and suppliers.
• Also very important are B2B e-commerce portals that
provide auction and exchange marketplaces for businesses.
Others may rely on electronic data interchange (EDI) via the
Internet or extranets for computer-to-computer exchange of
e-commerce documents with their larger business
customers and suppliers.
26
3. consumer to-consumer (C2C)
• The huge success of online auctions like eBay, where
consumers (as well as businesses) can buy from and sell
to one another in an auction process at an auction Web
site, makes this e-commerce model an important e-
commerce business strategy.
• Thus, participating in or sponsoring consumer or
business auctions is an important e-commerce
alternative for B2C, C2B (consumer-to-business), or B2B
e-commerce.
• Electronic personal advertising of products or services
to buy or sell by consumers at electronic newspaper
sites, consumer e-commerce portals, or personal Web
sites is also an important form of C2C e-commerce.
27
4. business-to-government (B2G)
• B2G is defined as a sales model when companies sell products,
services and information to governments or government agencies
• Unlike other models, the B2G ecommerce model is complex and
requires strict compliance with business laws and conditions due
to government agencies’ supervision and intervention.
• In most cases, the state agencies will prepare pre-negotiated
contracts, put out tenders, and ask businesses to participate in
bidding.
• Businesses that meet the government’s strict requirements will
now calculate the fee and make the project’s pricing submission.
Then, the government will review and select the most suitable
enterprise and decide to sign a B2G contract with them.
• B2G examples include: Construction of buildings, highways, and
infrastructure, Cloud-based or on-premises software solutions

28
Some of the key factors for success
in e-commerce

29
M-Commerce
• M-commerce is the use of handheld, wireless
gadgets such as mobile phones, tablets and
personal digital assistants to perform online
commercial transactions.
• It's a component of electronic commerce that
works on mobile devices.
• M-commerce enables a business to reach more
customers online.
• It also provides customers with a wide range of
product choices and payment options from
different vendors.
30
How m-commerce works?

• M-commerce works under the following categories

of transactions:

❑Mobile shopping
❑Mobile banking
❑Mobile payments
❑Mobile person-to-person

31
Mobile Shopping

• This type of m-commerce allows users to browse

products and services on their mobile phones.
• Mobile shopping uses applications that are
optimized for mobile websites and social media
platforms.
• Users can view different products, compare them
and place orders using mobile shopping.

32
Mobile Banking
• Mobile banking allows phone users to perform
bank transactions on their mobile devices.
• Mobile banking eliminates the need to use a
computer or visit a bank in person.
• The type of services that users can perform on
mobile banking may vary from one financial service
provider to another.
• Typically, users can pay their bills, send or receive
money, check their account balances, deposit
checks or transfer money across bank accounts.
33
Mobile Payments

• Mobile payments allow users to pay for goods or

services from their mobile wallets.
• This eliminates the need for cash payment or
swiping a card.
• Mobile payments also allow users to make money
transfers using a card connected to their mobile
devices.

34
Mobile Person-to-Person

• This branch of m-commerce involves sending and

receiving money from person to person.
• Mobile person-to-person allows a user to send
money directly to another user's mobile number or
bank account.
• This process can help users transfer and receive
money more efficiently.

35
Knowledge Management Systems
(KMS)
• The idea of a KMS is to enable employees to have ready access to
the organization’s documented base of facts, sources of
information, and solutions
• E.g., an engineer could know the metallurgical composition of an
alloy that reduces sound in gear systems. Sharing this information
organization wide can lead to more effective engine design and it
could also lead to ideas for new or improved equipment
• In many organizations, hypermedia databases at corporate
intranet Websites have become the knowledge bases for storage
and dissemination of business knowledge
• Knowledge Management refers to the set of business processes
developed in an organization to create, store, transfer and apply
knowledge
• Knowledge Management increases the ability of the organization
to learn from its environment and to incorporate knowledge into
its business processes
36
The Knowledge Management value Chain
• One apt slogan of the knowledge management field is
“Effective knowledge management is 80 percent
managerial and organizational and 20 percent
technological”

37
Types of Knowledge Management
Systems
• There are essentially three major types of knowledge
management systems: enterprise-wide knowledge
management systems, knowledge work systems, and
“intelligent” techniques.
• Enterprise-wide knowledge management systems are
general-purpose firmwide efforts to collect, store,
distribute, and apply digital content and knowledge.
These systems include capabilities for searching for
information, storing both structured and unstructured
data, and locating employee expertise within the firm.
They also include supporting technologies such as
portals, search engines, collaboration and social
business tools, and learning management systems.
38
…continued…
• Knowledge work systems (KWS) are specialized systems
built for engineers, scientists, and other knowledge workers
charged with discovering and creating new knowledge for a
company.
• Knowledge management also includes a diverse group of
“intelligent” techniques, such as data mining, expert
systems, machine learning, neural networks, natural
language processing, computer vision systems, robotics,
genetic algorithms, and intelligent agents. These techniques
have different objectives, from a focus on discovering
knowledge (data mining and neural networks) to distilling
knowledge in the form of rules for a computer program
(expert systems) to discovering optimal solutions for
problems (genetic algorithms).
39
… continued …

40
What are artificial intelligence (AI)
and machine learning?

How do business use AI?

41
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• “Intelligence” techniques are often describes as
artificial intelligence (AI)
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of science and
technology based on disciplines such as computer
science, biology, psychology, linguistics, mathematics,
and engineering.
• The goal of AI is to develop computers that can
simulate the ability to think, as well as see, hear, walk,
talk, and feel.
• A major thrust of artificial intelligence is the computer
simulation of functions normally associated with
human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, and
problem solving.

42
Some of the attributes of intelligent
behavior – AI is attempting to
duplicate these capabilities in
computer-based systems:

43
Major application areas of artificial
intelligence
• Note that the many applications of AI can be grouped
into the three major areas of cognitive science,
robotics, and natural interfaces.

44
Major types of AI Techniques
expert systems, machine learning, neural networks, deep learning,
genetic algorithms, natural language processing, computer vision
systems, robotics, and intelligent agents

45
Expert Systems
• Expert Systems capture the knowledge of individual experts
in an organization through in-depth interviews, and
represent that knowledge as sets of rules.
• These rules are then converted into computer code in the
form of IF-THEN rules
• How Expert Systems Work? Expert systems model human
knowledge as a set of rules that collectively are called the
knowledge base. The strategy used to search through the
collection of rules and formulate conclusions is called the
inference engine. The inference engine works by searching
through the rules and firing those rules that are triggered by
facts the user gathers and enters.
• Expert systems do not scale well to the kinds of very large
datasets produced by the Internet and the Internet of
Things (IoT)
• See the example in the next slide !

46
Example

47
Machine Learning
• More than 75 percent of AI development today involves
some kind of machine learning (ML) accomplished by
neural networks, deep learning networks, and genetic
algorithms, with the main focus on finding patterns in
data, and classifying data inputs into known (and
unknown) outputs
• ML begins with very large datasets and automatically
find patterns and relationships by analyzing a large set
of examples and making a statistical inference.
• E.g., Netflix – Recommender system based on video
similarity algorithm uses statistical and machine
learning to develop a personalized selection of videos
for each of its subscribers worldwide.

48
Supervised & Unsupervised
Learning in machine learning
• Nearly all machine learning today involves supervised learning, in
which the system is “trained” by providing specific examples of
desired inputs and outputs identified by humans in advance.
• A very large dataset is developed and split into two sections –
one a development database and the other a test database.
• E.g., To identify all photos that contain a car image, humans feed
a large collection of verified pictures that contain a car image into
a neural network that proceeds iteratively through the
development database in millions of cycle, until eventually the
system can identify photos with a car. The machine learning
system is then tested using test database to ensure the
algorithms can achieve the same results with different photos.
• Supervised learning is one technique used to develop
autonomous vehicles that need to be able to recognize objects
around them, such as people, other cars, buildings, and lines on
the pavement to guide them

49
Supervised & Unsupervised Learning
in machine learning … continued…
• In unsupervised learning, the same procedures are
followed, but humans do not feed the system examples
• Instead, the system is asked to process the development
database and report whatever patterns it finds.
• E.g., You collect millions of YouTube photos from videos
and built an ML system that could detect human faces
without labeling or “teaching” the machine with verified
human face photos. Here the system processors should
have billions of connections to one another, creating a very
large network that imitated on a small scale the neurons
and synapses (connections) of a human brain. Then you test
the system thousands of object images and this way you can
achieve to near accuracy. It means, it is possible to create
machine learning systems that can “teach themselves”
about the world without human intervention.

50
Neural Networks
• A neural network is composed of interconnected units
called neurons.
• Each neuron can take data from other neurons, and
transfer data to other neurons in the system.
• The artificial neurons are not biological physical
entities as in the human brain, but instead are
software programs and mathematical models that
perform the input and output function of neurons.
• The strength of the connections (weight) can be
controlled by researchers using a Learning Rule, an
algorithm that systematically alters the strength of the
connections among the neurons to produce the final
desired output that could be identifying a picture of a
cancer tumor, fraudulent credit card transactions, or
suspicious telephone calling patterns.
51
Neural Networks … continued…
• Biological Neurons: A neuron consists of a cell body,
one axon, and many dendrites. Dendrites receive inputs
from axons of other neurons via excitation or inhibition
synapses. Synapses are narrow gaps through which
Axons influence dendrites

52
Neural Networks … continued…
• Artificial Neurons: The artificial neuron (perceptron)
receives inputs, processes inputs and delivers a single
output.

53
How a neural networks works?
• A neural network use rules it “learns” from patterns in data
to construct a hidden layer of logic. The hidden layer then
processes inputs, classifying them based on the experience
of the model
• In this example, the neural network has been trained to
distinguish between valid and fraudulent credit card
purchases.

54
Examples of Neural Networks

55
“Deep Learning” Neural Networks
Deep Learning neural networks are more complex, with many layers of
transformation of the input data to produce a target output

56
Genetic Algorithms
another form of Machine Learning

• GAs (also called Adaptive Computations) refer to a

variety of problem-solving techniques that are
conceptually based on the method that living
organisms use to adapt to their environments – the
process of evolution.
• They are programmed to work the way populations
solve problems – by changing and reorganizing their
component parts using processes such as reproduction,
mutation and natural selection.
• GAs breed programs that solve problems even when no
person can fully understand their structure.
57
How Genetic Algorithm Works?
• A genetic algorithm works by searching a population of randomly
generated strings of binary digits to identify the right string
representing the best possible solution for the problem.
• As solutions alter and combine, the worst ones are discarded and
the better ones survive to go on to produce even better solutions
• Genetic algorithms are used to solve problems that are very
dynamic and complex, involving hundreds or thousands of
variables or formulas
• Genetic algorithms expedite the solution because they can
evaluate many solution alternatives quickly to find the best one
• For example, General Electric engineers used genetic algorithms
to help optimize the design for jet turbine aircraft engines, in
which each design change required changes in up to 100 variables

58
The Components of a Genetic
Algorithm

59
 Decision Making
One way to understand decision making is to look at decision structure

• Decision structure can be thought of as a

continuum anchored on one end with highly
structured decisions and on the other end with
highly unstructured decisions
• Decisions made at the operational management
level tend to be more structured, those at the
tactical level are more semi structured, and those
at the strategic management level are more
unstructured.

60
Types of Decision
1. Unstructured decisions: are those in which the decision
maker must provide judgement, evaluation, and insight to
solve the problem. Each of these decisions is novel,
important, and nonroutine, and there is no well-
understood or agreed-on procedure for making them.
2. Structured decisions: by contrast, are repetitive and
routine, and they involve a definite procedure for
handling them so that they do not have to be treated
each time as if they were new.
3. Semi structured decisions: Many decisions have elements
of both types of decisions and are semi structured, where
only part of the problem has a clear-cut answer provided
by an accepted procedure.
Note: In general, structured decisions are more prevalent at
lower organizational levels, whereas unstructured problems
are more common at higher levels of the firm.
61
Information requirements of key
decision-making groups in a firm

62
The Decision-Making Process
Making a decision is a multistep process.
Simon (1960) described 4 different stages in decision making:
INTELLIGENCE, DESIGN, CHOICE and IMPLEMENTATION
• Intelligence: consists of discovering, identifying, and
understanding the problems occurring in the organization –
why a problem exists, where, and what effects it is having
on the firm
• Design: involves identifying and exploring various solutions
to the problem
• Choice: consists of choosing among solution alternatives
• Implementation: involves making the chosen alternative
work and continuing to monitor how well the solution is
working
Refer to the diagram in the next slide !
63
Decision Making Stages (Diagram)

64
Use of Information Systems in
Decision Making

• To understand the use of Information Systems in

Decision Making, we need to understand what
roles a manager play in organization
• Managerial Roles: There are two models to
describe managerial role –
1. Classical Model
2. Behavioral Model

65
1. Classical Model

66
2. Behavioral Model

67
Use of Information Systems in
Decision Making …. Continued…

68
What have you noticed from the
last slide??
• You have seen that information systems are not
helpful for all managerial roles
• And in those managerial roles where information
systems might improve decisions, investments in
information technology do not always produce
positive results

• There are three main reasons: information quality,

management filters, and organizational culture

69
Information Quality
• High-quality decisions require high-quality information
• Following are the dimensions of information quality
that affect the quality of decisions:

• If the output of information systems does not meet

these quality criteria, decision making will suffer
70
Management Filters
• Even with timely, accurate information, managers often
make bad decisions
• Managers (like all human beings) absorb information
through a series of filters to make sense of the world
around them
• Cognitive scientists, behavioral economists, and
recently neuroeconomists have found that managers,
like other humans, are poor at assessing risk, and are
risk averse; perceive patterns where none exist; and
make decisions based on intuition, feelings, and the
framing of the problem as opposed to empirical data
71
Organizational Culture
• Organizations and information systems have a
mutual influence on each other.
• The information needs of an organization affect the
design of information systems and an organization
must be open itself to the influences of information
systems in order to more fully benefit from new
technologies.
• Organizational culture is one of the important
determinants of information systems success

72
Business Intelligence (BI)
• BI is an umbrella term to describe “concepts and methods to
improve business decision making by using fact-based
support systems.”
• BI describes the infrastructure for warehousing, integrating,
reporting, and analyzing data that come from the business
environment, including big data.
• The foundation infrastructure collects, stores, cleans, and
makes relevant information available to managers.
• Today, BI is considered a necessary and mission-critical
element in crafting and executing a firm’s strategy
• Business intelligence traditionally focuses on using a
consistent set of metrics to both measure past performance
and guide business planning, which is also based on data
and statistical methods

73
Business Analytics (BA)
• Business analytics (BA) refers to the skills,
technologies, applications, and practices applied to
a continuous iterative exploration and investigation
of a business’s historical performance to gain
insight and drive the strategic business planning
process.
• Business analytics focuses on developing new
insights and understanding of business
performance based on data and statistical methods

74
Business Intelligence and Analytics for
Decision Support / 6 elements in
business intelligence environment

75
…continued…
1. Data from the Business Environment: Businesses
must deal with both structured and unstructured
data from many different sources, including big data.
The data need to be integrated and organized so that
they can be analysed and used by human decision
makers.
2. Business Intelligence Infrastructure: The underlying
foundation of business intelligence is a powerful
database system that captures all the relevant data to
operate the business. The data may be stored in
transactional databases or combined and integrated
into an enterprise data warehouse or series of
interrelated data marts.
76
…continued…
3. Business Analytics Toolset: A set of software tools are
used to analyse data and produce reports, respond to
questions posed by managers, and track the progress of
the business using key indicators of performance.
4. Managerial Users and Methods: Business intelligence
hardware and software are only as intelligent as the
human beings who use them. Managers impose order on
the analysis of data using a variety of managerial methods
that define strategic business goals and specify how
progress will be measured. These include business
performance management and balanced scorecard
approaches focusing on key performance indicators and
industry strategic analyses focusing on changes in the
general business environment, with special attention to
competitors. Without strong senior management
oversight, business analytics can produce a great deal of
information, reports, and online screens that focus on the
wrong matters and divert attention from the real issues.
77
…continued…
5. Delivery platform-MIS, DSS, ESS: The results from business
intelligence and analytics are delivered to managers and employees
in a variety of ways, depending on what they need to know to
perform their jobs. MIS, DSS, and ESS deliver information and
knowledge to different people and levels in the firm-operational
employees, middle managers, and senior executives. In the past,
these systems could not share data and operated as independent
systems. Today, one suite of hardware and software tools in the form
of a business intelligence and analytics package is able to integrate all
this information and bring it to managers' desktops or mobile
platforms.
6. User Interface: Business people often learn quicker from a visual
representation of data than from a dry report with columns and rows
of information. Today's business analytics software suites feature
data visualization tools, such as rich graphs, charts, dashboards, and
maps. They also are able to deliver reports on mobile phones and
tablets as well as on the firm's web portal. For example, Tableau
Software enables nontechnical users to easily create and share
customized interactive dashboards to provide business insights from
a broad spectrum of data, including data from spreadsheets,
corporate databases, and the web.
78
Major information technologies that are being
customized, personalized, and Web-enabled to provide
key business information and analytical tools for
managers, business professionals, and business
stakeholders

79
Decision Support Systems
• Decision support systems are computer-based
information systems that provide interactive
information support to managers and business
professionals during the decision-making process.
• Decision support systems use (1) analytical
models, (2) specialized databases, (3) a decision
maker’s own insights and judgments, and (4) an
interactive, computer-based modeling process to
support semi structured business decisions.

80
The End of UNIT - III

81