Management information system

Introduction:

We are living in a time of great change and working in an information age. Managers in the big company now have to deal with masses of data, convert that data into information, analysis the information and making decisions leading to the achievement of business objectives. For an organization, information is as important resource as money, machinery and manpower. It is essential for the survival of the enterprise.

Before computers are widespread used in the world, many organizations found difficulties in gathering, storing, organizing and distributing large amount of data and information. Development in Management Information System made possible for managers to select the information they required, in the form best suited for their needs and in time they want. This information must be current and in many cases is needed by many people at the same time. So it have to be accurate, concise, timely, complete, well presented and storable. Most companies in nowadays depend on IT. But personal computers (PCs) themselves will not improve organisational productivity: this only comes out about if they are used efficiently and effectively.

This information system is the mechanism to ensure that information is available to the managers in the form they want it and when they need it. It is designed to support their work through providing relevant information for their decision-making. Computer system can clearly help organization in the processing of data into accurate, well-presented, up-to-date, and cost-effective information. However, weather that information is also concise, relevant, timely, and complete will largely depends on the capabilities of the people involved in its processing and selection.

How MIS impact the organizations in the world

          Management Information System (MIS) developments follow the same track as Internet did. It was made its first appearance in U.S navy report on the use of computers to construct a single integrated system to manage all navy resources. Then the idea of MIS spread rapidly throughout the administrative systems community, encouraged and conference sponsored by the American Management Association. For about a decade, from its first introduction in 1959 to the end of 1960s, the idea of MIS spread rapidly and was accept by industrial corporations, academic researchers, computer manufactures. (Bee and Bee, 1999) Now, in the 21st century MIS is everywhere, which provides information for the managerial activities in organization.

          The organizations are now realize that the ability use computer technology to collect, organize, distribute, and control information is spelling the different between success and mediocrity. Computer are changing the way the business done.

          Almost all the organizations now normally have some kind of information system for management. Accounting rules, stock control and market monitoring system are the most traditional and common example. The power of technology has transformed the role of information in business firm. Now information has become recognized as the lifeblood of an organization. Without information, the modern company is simply dead. (Figure 1) (Papows, 1998)

Figure 1 Information --- the life-blood of the organization.

             

  .      With the development of new technology, our society has transitioned from industry-based to information-based society, new flexible working arrangement become a norm, such as part-time working, working at home, self-employment. Without computer technology we cannot do it. And, implementation of modern MIS would improve the firm’s competitiveness and make them flexible, more responsible and more profitable through decreasing the cost and creating possibilities for accessing new market and customer.

Development of management information system in the Electric power industry.

           As MIS developed with amazing speed, the structure of the electric power industry is also undergoing a monumental transformation. As the industry transition to a deregulated environment, companies are fundamentally restructuring not only the ways they conduct the business, but also the type of business they conduct. Information technology is both a cause and a means for restructuring, as power companies are looking for the Internet to streamline core business operations such as customer service, power and outage management, and supply procurement. As a result, electric power companies are becoming more reliant on accurate, expansive, and open information system.

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  • Traditional systems

         

Information networks have controlled electric power company core operations since before industry deregulation. These networks allow companies to maintain centralized monitoring of their energy management systems (EMS) and “move” power from generation to the end user. As shown in Figure 1 below, EMS systems encompass large numbers of transmission and distribution substations, which are often spread out over large distances and require centralized management. In order to provide a centralized management and monitoring capability, power companies deploy supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, which allow a ...

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