Hello everyone, I have an Assignment for you today. This assignment must be DONE by Tuesday, January 28, 2019, no later than 10 pm. By the way, I need this assignment to be PLAGIARISM FREE & a Spell Check when completed. Make sure you READ the instructions CAREFULLY. Now without further ado, the instructions to the assignments are below:

Instructions

In this unit, you have learned about management information systems (MIS) and the importance of it. For this assignment, compose a paper that discusses the key differences between data, information, information technology (IT), and information systems (IS). Your paper should address the components listed below.

• Define what is meant by information.
• Define what is meant by data.
• Create two matrices (one for data and one for information) that illustrate the key differences between information and data, place the matrices into your paper, and briefly discuss the differences in one or two paragraphs. Each matrix should contain characteristics and/or facts about the subjects (data and information) that show how they are different.
• Define IT.
• Define IS.
• Using the five-component model as an example, discuss some differences between IT and IS.

If you are using Microsoft Word, you can develop a matrix using this program. For an example of how to create a matrix using Microsoft Word, see the Microsoft.com explanation by clicking the link below.

Microsoft. (n.d.). Create a matrix. Retrieved from

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Create-a-matrix-0E74423D-2E28-4DEB-9223-A30C2312CC22

You may use another computer software program that you are familiar with to create the matrices. However, you must submit your assignment in a Microsoft Word document, and the matrices should be included in the body of your paper.

Your paper must be a minimum of two pages in length (not counting the title and reference pages), and you must use at least two resources as references. Any information from these resources must be cited and referenced in APA format.

By the way, I attached a study guide below to help with this assignment!

BBA 3551, Information Systems Management 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Analyze the key differences between data, information, information technology (IT), and information

systems (IS).
1.1 Define data, information, IT, and IS.
1.2 Discuss the difference between IT and IS.
1.3 Illustrate the difference between information and data.

Course/Unit
Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

1.1
Unit Lesson
Chapter 1
Unit I Scholarly Activity

1.2
Unit Lesson
Chapter 1
Unit I Scholarly Activity

1.3
Unit Lesson
Chapter 1
Unit I Scholarly Activity

Reading Assignment

Chapter 1: The Importance of MIS

Unit Lesson

In this unit, we explore the importance of management information systems (MIS). MIS have several
components such as data, information, hardware, software, processes, and human elements that provide
organizations with the tools for decision-making (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Before we start a discussion about information systems (IS), let’s first examine what a computer system is.
Computers perform a number of tasks (e.g., calculations, word processing, programming, application
development). A computer consists of some basic components such as hardware-like memory chips; a hard
drive and motherboard, which contain the central processing unit; and software, which tells the computer what
to do. There are other hardware components such as a monitor, which helps us to see what the computer is
doing, and a keyboard and a mouse, which help us to input data or tell the computer what we want to do. We
can apply all of this to better understand an IS. An IS contains five important components: hardware,
software, data, procedures, and people (Figure1) (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE

Why MIS?

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Title

An IS contains hardware such as personal computers, tablets, servers, and server farms. It also includes
software such as operating systems and applications, which tell the hardware what to do. An IS uses data
that can be organized into useful information, such as reports, and the IS uses procedures, such as
instructions, to help users understand how to complete tasks (e.g., saving a file, printing a report). Lastly, an
IS is used by people who input data and evaluate that data. Let’s use a database as an example. The
database is stored using hardware, and the interface for the database is the software. A database contains
data that can be organized in some way (e.g., queries, reports), and there are procedures that instruct the
users of the system on how to use the database (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Compared to IS, information technology (IT) contains four components, and these four components are used
for the purpose of producing information (Figure 2) (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Products are the goods or commodities that support technology. Methods are guiding objectives, procedures,
or processes that evaluate a product. Inventions are new ideas or innovations that provide the foundation for
technological revolution. Standards can be thought of as the criteria for which something is evaluated. These
are the four components of IT (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

So, in short, IS and IT are closely related, but they do not mean the same thing. One way to remember this is
that you can buy IT, but you cannot purchase an IS. Let’s take, for example, a system that an organization
uses to monitor inventory. You can purchase cloud services to provide the technology (hardware and
software, the database structure, and procedures for the operation of the system). Then, you have users who
will provide the data to input into the system so that inventory can be monitored. Lastly, you have the
procedures that tell your users (people) how to keep the system current. Managing this inventory system is an
example of an IS (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Overall, in order to maintain and manage the usage of IS, we use the term management information systems
(MIS).

Hardware Software Data Procedures People

Figure 1: Five-component framework for IS
(Kroenke & Boyle, 2017)

Products Methods Inventions Standards

Figure 2: Four-component framework for IT

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Nonroutine Skills and the Value of IS

This unit discusses some cost-effective business applications of Facebook and Twitter. These applications
did not exist 10 years ago, but in recent years, they have moved to the forefront as a communication medium.
In turn, businesses recognized their potential and adopted the technology in order to gain a competitive
advantage. Employees that can assess and evaluate emerging technologies will be valuable to organizations
that must adapt to new technology. Facebook and Twitter are examples of reasons why business
professionals should be able to recognize emerging technologies and find ways to apply them to their
businesses (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Business professionals should acquire job skills that are marketable (i.e., nonroutine cognitive skills) such as
abstract reasoning, systems thinking, collaboration, and the ability to experiment (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Abstract reasoning is the ability to have flexible thinking skills, be creative, use proper judgment, and be able
to solve problems logically. In IS, abstract reasoning is the ability to construct and use a model or
representation. Being able to construct a model or representation of a complex situation through abstract
reasoning is an important skill for business professionals who frequently must make decisions in uncertain
and highly complex situations (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017). This is a highly marketable skill. Some examples
include projects plans, budgets, and business process models. For example, you would use a systems
development model before deploying or installing a system (Figure 3).

After reviewing the Unit I Reading Assignment, think back to the Falcon Security scenario at the beginning of
Chapter 1. Jennifer was unable to develop ideas for a process that would identify potential drones. She
developed a model that made no sense and needed essential skills to be successful. She also claimed that
she had some drone part ideas, but those ideas were not suitable for 3D printing.

Systems thinking is the ability to identify and understand how components connect and interact with one
another (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017). This is an important skill because business professionals must be able to
identify and understand the relationships among the elements involved in a complex situation. For example,
suppose a database system was taking too long to generate reports. You could then ask questions to help
isolate the problem (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017). Another way to use systems thinking is to illustrate the concept
using flows and charts (Figure 4).

Figure 3: Systems modeling

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In the Falcon Security scenario, Jennifer
was unable to understand and model the
correct components and relationships
between components in the firm’s
innovative prototype of a new platform
using a 3D printer. Jennifer needed to
understand the model, but she also
needed to understand its components
and how they interacted with one
another. Systems thinking skills are often
learned through practice.

Collaboration involves working with
others to produce ideas such as working
with a team of people to resolve a
problem or to create a new product
(Kroenke & Boyle, 2017). A good
collaboration results in a final work
product that is superior to one that would
be developed by a person working alone.
Collaboration is more than just dividing
up the work between group members
and assembling the individual
contributions into a whole (a typical
student approach to a group project
assignment). Good collaboration involves
several iterations in which ideas are
contributed, reviewed, critiqued, and
refined. All members contribute to the

development and refinement of ideas (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

In the Falcon Security scenario, Jennifer failed to demonstrate effective collaboration skills because she was
unwilling to share her ideas and work-in-progress with others because she wanted to wait until she felt that
she was “done.” She failed to seek out the benefit of having others review her ideas as they were developing
and help her improve upon them. Collaboration skills can be improved with practice. It may be hard for some
people to offer half-formed ideas to others and to subject themselves to criticism, but the benefits will help
them overcome this reluctance.

Ability to experiment involves creating and testing promising new alternatives, consistent with available
resources. In today’s demanding business environment, new ideas will be essential to success, and
businesspeople have to overcome their fear of failure and pursue new approaches rationally. When someone
says, “That will never work,” he or she may be reflecting his or her fear of failure. Being unwilling to try a new
way of doing things may be an accurate assessment that the approach is unworkable, but it could also be an
unwillingness to work in a new way (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

Providing employees with the freedom to experiment will foster an environment that encourages innovation.
This means the company should allow its employees to take risks and experiment with modern ideas and
theories. This is especially true when a problem requires an innovative solution. This type of situation will
push employees beyond what they are capable of so that they can become pioneers by thinking outside the
box. Unfortunately, for employees who are not able to do this, their employment with the organization will be
relatively short (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).

In the Falcon Security scenario, Jennifer failed to demonstrate the ability to experiment because she was
unable to share new ideas with others. She was willing to do what she was told, but she did not have the
confidence to discuss any new ideas that she had with others in case the ideas did not work out. It is hard for
some people to change their innate willingness to take risks. The best way to overcome this is to work with a
group that accepts new ideas with enthusiasm and does not ridicule a member for suggesting a new
approach. Once some success is gained, it will be easier to take risks in the future.

Figure 4: Systems thinking process

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The textbook in uCertify defines job security as possessing a useful skill and not being afraid to use it
(Kroenke & Boyle, 2017). The textbook also argues that marketable skills are no longer specific, task-related
skills; rather, marketable skills can be strong cognitive and thinking skills (Kroenke & Boyle, 2017).
Unfortunately, the more traditional task-oriented skills you learn (e.g., computer programming, accounting) will
not provide you with job security. Technical skills are not irrelevant to job security, but they are not sufficient to
guarantee job security. This circumstance is very different than in the 1990s when technical skills probably
were sufficient to get and keep a decent job.

In conclusion, MIS is the maintenance and management of IS. Information is a term we use to describe data
that has been transformed into useful information. For example, after we enter data, such as inventory
numbers into a database, we can then run a report to better understand what items need to be reordered in
order to keep the product in stock.

IS and IT are closely related to one another, but they do not mean the same thing. An IS is a collection of
components such as hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. Examples of IS include enterprise
resource planning (ERP) systems and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. IT is about using
computers or computer systems to store, retrieve, manipulate, and send information.

Reference

Kroenke, D. M., & Boyle, R. J. (2017). Using MIS (10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Suggested Reading

In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

In this unit, you learned about how innovation can provide businesses with a competitive advantage. This
video explores that topic by examining a video game developer and a t-shirt company that are using this
tactic. If needed, a transcript is provided once the video is accessed.

McAuliffe, M. (Executive Producer). (2004). Innovation for competitive advantage (Segment 2 of 10) [Video

file]. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPla
ylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=34476&loid=26299

Graphic information systems (GIS) are another interesting type of information system. This video shows how
one emergency response team uses GIS. If needed, a transcript is provided once the video is accessed.

Video Education America. (2008). Power of graphic information systems (Segment 13 of 13) [Video file].

Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPla
ylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40312&loid=72957

Learning Activities (Nongraded)

Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

To test your knowledge of the material covered in this unit, complete the activities listed below.

 Chapter 1 Active Review

 Chapter 1 Using Your Knowledge

 Chapter 1 Collaboration Exercise

 Chapter 1 Review Questions

 Chapter 1 Cards

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=34476&loid=26299

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=34476&loid=26299

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40312&loid=72957

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=40312&loid=72957

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The activities are located within the chapter readings in uCertify. The Chapter 1 Active Review, Using Your
Knowledge, Collaboration Exercise, and Review Questions are located at the end of the chapter. The cards
can be accessed by clicking on the Cards icon within uCertify, which is located to the right of the chapter title,
and the icon in uCertify resembles the image shown below.