Information system

"Business Information System" redirects here. For the Finnish government service, see Business Information System (government service).

An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information.[1] From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems comprise four components: task, people, structure (or roles), and technology.[2] Information systems can be defined as an integration of components for collection, storage and processing of data, comprising digital products that process data to facilitate decision making[3] and the data being used to provide information and contribute to knowledge.

A computer information system is a system, which consists of people and computers that process or interpret information.[4][5][6][7] The term is also sometimes used to simply refer to a computer system with software installed.

"Information systems" is also an academic field of study about systems with a specific reference to information and the complementary networks of computer hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create and also distribute data.[8] An emphasis is placed on an information system having a definitive boundary, users, processors, storage, inputs, outputs and the aforementioned communication networks.[9]

In many organizations, the department or unit responsible for information systems and data processing is known as "information services".[10][11][12][13]

Any specific information system aims to support operations, management and decision-making.[14][15] An information system is the information and communication technology (ICT) that an organization uses, and also the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes.[16]

Some authors make a clear distinction between information systems, computer systems, and business processes. Information systems typically include an ICT component but are not purely concerned with ICT, focusing instead on the end-use of information technology. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes.[17]

Alter[18][19] argues that viewing an information system as a special type of work system has its advantages. A work system is a system in which humans or machines perform processes and activities using resources to produce specific products or services for customers. An information system is a work system in which activities are devoted to capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying information.[20]

As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other.[21] An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action.

Information systems are the primary focus of study for organizational informatics.[22]

  1. ^ Piccoli, Gabriele; Pigni, Federico (July 2018). Information systems for managers: with cases (4.0 ed.). Prospect Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-943153-50-3. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  2. ^ O'Hara, Margaret; Watson, Richard; Cavan, Bruce (1999). "Managing the three levels of change". Information Systems Management. 16 (3): 64. doi:10.1201/1078/43197.16.3.19990601/31317.9. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Information Systems". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020-11-12.
  4. ^ "information system". BusinessDictionary.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  5. ^ "Information Systems". Principia Cybernetica Web.
  6. ^ Vladimir Zwass (2016-02-10). "Information system". Britannica.
  7. ^ D'Atri A., De Marco M., Casalino N. (2008). "Interdisciplinary Aspects of Information Systems Studies", Physica-Verlag, Springer, Germany, pp. 1–416, doi:10.1007/978-3-7908-2010-2 ISBN 978-3-7908-2009-6
  8. ^ "Information Technology vs Information Systems: What's The Difference?". CityU of Seattle. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  9. ^ Jessup, Leonard M.; Joseph S. Valacich (2008). Information Systems Today (3rd ed.). Pearson Publishing. Glossary p. 416
  10. ^ "What is Information Systems or Information Services (IS)?". Definition from Techopedia. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  11. ^ "What is IS (information system or information services)?". WhatIs.com. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Information Services". Directory. Australian Government. 2 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Information Services". Ramsey County. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  14. ^ Bulgacs, Simon (2013). "The first phase of creating a standardised international innovative technological implementation framework/Software application". International Journal of Business and Systems Research. 7 (3): 250. doi:10.1504/IJBSR.2013.055312. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  15. ^ "SEI Report, "Glossary"". Archived from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved 2013-04-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ Kroenke, D M. (2008). Experiencing MIS. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ
  17. ^ O'Brien, J A. (2003). Introduction to information systems: essentials for the e-business enterprise. McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA
  18. ^ Alter, S. (2003). "18 Reasons Why IT-Reliant Work Systems Should Replace 'The IT Artifact' as the Core Subject Matter of the IS Field", Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 12(23), Oct., pp. 365–394.
  19. ^ Alter, S (2013). "Work System Theory: Overview of Core Concepts, Extensions, and Challenges for the Future". Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 14 (2): 72–121. doi:10.17705/1jais.00323.
  20. ^ Alter, S. (2006) The Work System Method: Connecting People, Processes, and IT for Business Results. Works System Press, CA
  21. ^ Bacon, C. James; Fitzgerald, Brian (2001-04-01). "A systemic framework for the field of information systems". ACM SIGMIS Database: The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems. 32 (2): 46–67. doi:10.1145/506732.506738. ISSN 0095-0033. S2CID 15687595.
  22. ^ Beynon-Davies P. (2009). Business Information Systems. Palgrave, Basingstoke