Information System and its Major Components
An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical organisational framework that collects, processes, stores, and disseminates information. According to a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed of four components: people, structure (or roles), technology, and tasks.
A computer information system is a system for processing or analyzing data that combines computers and people. Occasionally, the term is used in more specific situations, such as referring only to a computer system or the software required to run a computerized database.
The academic study of information systems focuses on information and the underlying hardware and software networks that people and organizations use to create, analyze, filter, distribute, and collect data. A defined boundary, users, processors, storage, inputs, outputs, and the previously mentioned communication networks are all critical components of an information system.
The purpose of any given information system is to aid in management, decision-making, and operations. An information system is the combination of an organization’s use of information and communication technology (ICT) and how its workers interact with it to support business activities.
There are authors who make a clear distinction between business processes, computer systems and information systems. Although most information systems have an ICT component, they are more concerned with the end use of technology than with ICT itself. Furthermore, corporate processes and information systems are not identical. Information systems help to manage how efficiently company activities run.
Alter argues for the advantages of seeing an information system as a distinct kind of labor system. A work system is one in which people or machines employ resources to perform processes and activities in order to produce certain products or services for customers. An information system is a kind of work system that collects, transmits, saves, retrieves, manipulates, and displays data.
As a result, information systems are inextricably linked to activity and data systems. An information system is a kind of communication system that represents and processes social memory using data. Another approach to conceive of an information system is as a semi-formal language that helps people make decisions and take action.
Information System Components
With the development of computers, businesses, academic institutions, and a broad variety of other organizations gained a new element: an information system, which is made up of numerous components and is used for collecting and organizing data and information. An information system consists of five components.
Hardware for computers
This is the information-processing physical technology. Hardware may be as little as a pocket-sized smartphone or as large as a building-sized supercomputer. Hardware also includes computer peripherals such as routers, external hard drives, and keyboards. As the Internet of Things expands, sensors that connect with computers becoming more widespread in our surroundings. This allows everything from autos to clothing to home appliances to receive and deliver data.
Software for PCs
Software is responsible for sending instructions to the hardware. Software may be classified into two categories: system software and application software. The operating system, such as Windows or iOS, is the most important component of system software since it determines how the hardware operates. Application software is intended for specific tasks such as spreadsheet manipulation, document authoring, and website creation.
Telecommunications
This section creates the network connection between the hardware elements. There are two kinds of connections: wired, like Ethernet cables or fiber optics, and wireless, like Wi-Fi. A local area network (LAN) may be used to link computers in a specific location, such as an office or school (LAN). Wide area networks (WANs) are those in which computers are widely scattered. The Internet may be thought of as a network inside itself.
Data Warehouses and Databases
This component stores the “stuff” used by the other components. A database is a place where information is collected and may be retrieved via queries based on one or more specific criteria. A data warehouse contains all of the data required by a business. Databases and data warehouses have become even more important to information systems as a result of the rise of “big data,” a term used to characterize the massive amounts of data that can be acquired and reviewed.
Procedures and Human Resources
The final, and perhaps most important, component of information systems is the human element: the people who must maintain the system and the protocols they follow in order to transform the knowledge stored in massive databases and data warehouses into knowledge that can be used to understand past events and guide future course of action.