Features of information systems

The key feature of any information system is data. Data is information stored in its raw (or most basic) form. The reason why information is stored like this is so that only the information that is needed for specific functions can be used. For example if a company held information on one of their main products and they just wanted to see what the product number is then there would be no point in finding a thirty page document about the product. By using an information system the user would be able to search for the product name and return the product number only. This is a simple example but the key point to remember is that data is used to store information in its simplest form. A range of different data items can be used together then to form valid information by selecting on the data that is needed.

People are another key feature of information systems and need to understand how the system works to maximise the potential of the data stored in the information system. Firstly technical people are required to actually design the information system and must have a strong knowledge of database design and programming so that the requirements of the system can be implemented successfully. Management need to make decisions on how the information system works based on the types of reports and information that they need to analyse and run the operation of the business successfully. Employees in a range of different departments need to inform management and technical staff of what they require from an information system. For example, purchasing would need to have a list of items that are ordered on a regular basis whereas personnel need the ability to store a range of information about employee’s personal details. Data entry clerks need to ensure that the information system is kept up to date with the most recent data so that details required by management are accurate. If purchasing did not enter everything that they ordered into the system before the end of the month then the financial department would not be able to process accurate tax returns.

Although data is a key feature of information systems without people there would be no information system. Information systems need to run on computer systems that meet the needs of the systems. The hardware requirements need to be analysed before the system is built so that the long term needs of the system can be met. Different hardware components such as a server and networking components such as routers and switches will be required for the system to work over a network. If the information system is internal only then LAN (local area network) technologies are needed but if the system needs to be available to run of the internet across a range of sites then additional security measures and a range of web servers may be needed. A hardware firewall will be needed to block any unauthorised attempts to access data stored in the information system illegally.

A range of software packages may be needed to create an information system. Software is a key component of any information system as it is what lets the end user access the system to enter and find information. The key software component of any information system will definitely be a database or DBMS (database management system). The database will be used to store data that can be access in many different forms to create valid and up to date information by running complex queries on the database. If the information system needs multi user feature then the design will probably mean that the database runs in the background and cannot be accessed directly. Application software will run on top that will allow the end user to access the data stored in the system through a gateway. Programming languages such as VB.net or PHP might be used to write front end programs that for the user interface of an information system. These programs will be designed to make the use of the system as simple as possible for the end user. Software will be used to allow users to run relevant report on the system without needed to have any knowledge of how the database works on the back end.

We have mentioned hardware and software and how they will run over a network for this to happen we need telecommunications such as networking technologies. For a range of people to access information on an information system then the system needs to run over a network and as previously mentioned hardware components to create a telecommunications network are needed to do this. In summary we can see that there are many key features of an information system that need to work together in order for the system to run successfully. If we look back at people then technical people need to constantly monitor, back up and upgrade the system so that valuable data is not lost. The best hardware and software application and networking technologies should be used to design the system based on the budget.

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