Virtual office - using wireless and portable technology, people are able to
work anywhere and anytime.
Automation - the processing of information is automated with computers.
Downsizing and Outsourcing - many companies have opted to outsource certain
tasks that need to be done rather than pay full time employees. The belief is
that the outside companies that specialize in that particular task are more
efficient and therefore cost effective than the company's own employees.
Total Quality Management - organizational wide company to continuously improve
quality.
Employee Empowerment - allowing employees to have access to information that
was typically only held by management and giving them the power and freedom
to make their own decisions.
11.2) Organizations
R&D - Research and Development: conducts basic research and develops
new products
Production Operations: makes the products and services
Marketing: Advertising, promotions, and sales.
Accounting and Finance: balances the books, pays bills, budgets, financial
forecasts.
Human Resources: finds and hires people, administers sick leave, etc...
Management tasks: five functions.
Planning: Set objectives and develop strategies for achieving them.
Organizing: arranging people and resources.
Staffing: selecting, training, and developing people.
Supervising: directing, guiding, and motivating employees to work towards
established goals.
Controlling: monitoring progress and adapting to change
Three levels of management:
Top management - CEO and vice presidents. Strategic decisions, long term
planning
Middle Management - Tactical Decisions, principally organizing and staffing.
Lower Management - operational decisions. Monitor day to day events, take
corrective action when necessary.
see chart pg. 11.9
Types of Information:
Unstructured - summarized, concerned with future, somewhat subjective.
Structured - highly accurate, non-subjective, concerned with past events.
Semi-structured - some structured and some unstructured.
see chart pg. 11.11.
11.3) Management
Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) - keeps track of transactions needed
to conduct business. Features include:
Input and Output - transaction data turns into bills and paychecks.
For lower management.
Produces detail reports
One TPS for each department
Basis for MIS and DSS
Management Information Systems (MIS) - uses data from TPSs to create reports
Input Output - processed transaction data into structured reports.
For Middle Managers
Draws from all departments
Produces several kinds of reports
Decision Support System (DSS) - a flexible tools for analysis that helps
managers focus on the future.
Input and Output - turns structured reports into high-end, unstructured
business decisions.
For Top and Middle managers
Produces Analytical models
Components of a DSS: Hardware, Software, Data resources, Model resources,
People resources.
Examples: Airlines, Real Estate, Geographic
Executive Information Systems (EIS) - Easy to use for top managers, supports
strategic decision making.
Expert Systems (ES) - Attempts to emulate human knowledge and assist the user
in making a sophisticated decision.
Office Automation System (OAS) - combine various activities to reduce the
amount of manual effort needed to operate office machines. Includes things
like dictation, filing, copying, fax, etc. All these things are becoming
easier due to OAS's.
11.4) Future - going sideways
The old hierarchical structure is fading away. Due to new, powerful
technologies, top progressive managers are allowing employees to have more
freedom and power to explore better ways of doing their job.
Homework 11:
Due: 4/10
in Interactive computing book
AC Ch. 4
4.30 #1
Checked out during lab