Course at a glance
Introduction
40 years ago, a computer to perform basic mathematics was housed in a room the size of a family home. Today the same information fits in a chip in a calculator. Similarly writing involved a long winded process of using a type writer. Today information can be processed in a way that knowledge arising from the world’s greatest experts can be found to hand on a computer package. This course facilitates obtaining a greater understanding of the technology that supports business and executive management. It considers the vital “lifeblood” of the organisation – Information – how this is generated and how it is retained, and so is also often referred to as “Information technology management.” It teaches how to maintain data integrity and manipulation of information to produce management reporting of accurate information and statistics. The important aspect of decision support, solving business problems and how computer technology is utilized for analysing and interpreting information is discussed at length. The area of study should not be confused with computer science which is more theoretical in nature and deals mainly with software creation, or computer engineering, which focuses more on the design of computer hardware. IT service management is a practitioner-focused discipline centring on the same general domain. In business, information systems support business processes and operations, decision-making, and competitive strategies.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Entry Requirements
All students must be 16 years of age and above to enrol into our Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma course.
Level 3 Diploma courses require a minimum prior learning to GCSE standard in order that students can manage their studies and the assumed knowledge within course content.
Course Study Hours
Approximately 20 hours per unit.
Assessment
Optional coursework and final examination.
Enrolment
Please note that you can enrol on this course at anytime.
Course Length
1 Year.
Endorsed By
This course has been endorsed by the Quality Licence Scheme for its high-quality, non-regulated provision and training programmes. This course is not regulated by Ofqual and is not an accredited qualification. Your training provider will be able to advise you on any further recognition, for example progression routes into further and/or higher education. For further information please visit the Learner FAQs on the Quality Licence Scheme website.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Course Content
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module One – Introduction to Management Information Systems, MIS.
The definition of MIS and its practical application within a business setting helps to look at the different types of information that an organization utilizes. How this information is gathered, how the information is processed and the demands that Executives place upon referential data integrity for Executive decision making is assessed great care has to be taken to store records and data accurately while maintaining confidentiality, so the use of systems to do this is discussed. MIS has a range of uses from report writing to processing organisational information and evaluating performance, as well as branding and making a company competitive in industry by making it professional by delivering greater quality. It is covered in detail also because it makes day-to-day running very efficient as it can e.g. organise calendars, schedule and be used in booking flights, training rooms or act as a library of all of the organisations documents – often called information architecture The way knowledge is managed, artificial intelligence and security is discussed in depth.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Two – Decision Support Systems
Computerised systems have only been developed in the last 50 years, and in their inception information systems were extremely expensive. Decision support systems, DSS are a class of computerized information systems or knowledge based systems that support decision making activities. The concept of DSS is extremely broad but generally today it is an interactive system that aids decision-making. This unit will explore the types and range of decision support systems, how they are utilized in the context of MIS using real case studies to illustrate their practical application. Expert knowledge is required to set systems to obtain the information based on requirements, e.g. if a set of statistics about quality is required, one example is that all feedback from clients can be searched using the word “quality”.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Three – The Use of Expert Systems
Often, specific industries require analysis of precise information e.g. the diagnosis in medicine or a problem in the electronic system of a car in mechanics. An AI application or a wizard uses a knowledge base of human expertise for problem solving. Its success is based on the quality of the data and rules obtained from the human expert who sets the programme. The considered founding fathers of these systems are introduced here. In practice, expert systems perform both below and above that of a human, and a historical look at how it developed is discussed. It derives its answers by running the knowledge base through an inference engine, which is software that interacts with the user and processes the results from the rules and data in the knowledge base. Other examples of uses are equipment repair, investment analysis, financial, estate insurance planning, vehicle routing, contract bidding, production control and training.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Four – Processing Information
If we use supermarkets award schemes, then the business has a record of our shopping, and they will send specific incentives based on offering deals from analysing our shopping habits. How information is processed within an organization both using a data processing system is examined. Although computing science plays an important part in this the unit will explore techniques of Workflow, Business Process Re-Engineering, Architecture of systems and the output of information into a meaningful form. Often business will recruit specialists to read and manage the data, for example the reading of satellite maps in predicting weather patterns is done by experts who then produce reports for the weather. The way the actual data is managed, how business is done in the virtual world, and how information is transmitted and stored is extremely complex and how this information is processed is covered here. A key problem is the loss of jobs as much more work is taken over by the growth of innovative technology.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Five – Recording and Storing of Business Data
Imagine a mobile phone that acts as a computer, camera and a communication tool thanks to an advance in information communication technology. A database management system (DBMS) runs operations on the data requested by numerous users such as finding a client address or their business dealings over ten years. A library storing Doctorate thesis in three floors can now occupy one chip! Typical examples of DBMS uses include accounting, human resources and customer support systems. Originally found only in large companies with the computer hardware needed to support large data sets, DBMSs have more recently emerged as a fairly standard part of any company back office. A Data warehouse is a computer database that collects, integrates and stores an organization’s computer data with the aim of producing accurate and timely management information and supporting data analysis.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Six – Report Writing and Producing Executive Information Systems
This section focuses upon the production of Executive / Management report writing requirements. It supports management finding and querying information then making decisions by locating both internal and external information needed to meet the company’s strategic goals. It considers the different types of management information required and how raw data is converted into meaningful management reports and statistics. Varying approaches are examined by the use of software support systems, report programme generators, statistics and management information systems. The emphasis on these systems is that it analyses data using graphical and easy-to-use interfaces that highlight trends, monitor performance and identifies opportunities and problems, which can then be turned into reports.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Seven – Performance Monitoring
Often called the research student of business, Business Performance Management (BPM) is a set of processes that help organizations optimize business performance by consolidating, analysing and putting the results into practice. BPM is seen as the next generation of Business Intelligence (BI). BPM is focused on business processes such as planning and forecasting by setting key performance indicators for measuring and evaluating their success. It helps businesses discover efficient use of their business units, financial, human, and material resources. Aspects of Business Intelligence, planning, forecasting, Workflow Analysis and process improvement techniques are examined and discussed. A key use has been in eliminating faults and problems, e.g. using the Six Sigma model, which is discussed through the use of case studies where champions and coaches identified key areas of work that needed to be developed and improved for customer satisfaction and/or better organisational performance.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Eight – Database Management
When we need to search for a service provided by the local council, we need to check their databases. Continuing on from module 5, a database management system (DBMS) is a computer program (or more typically, a suite of them) designed to manage, store and retrieve a large set of structured data, and run operations on the data requested by numerous clients e.g. locate trends in products bought. Typical examples of DBMS use include accounting, human resources and customer support systems e.g. it can check if an invoice has been paid. Originally found only in large organizations with the computer hardware needed to support large data sets, DBMSs have more recently emerged as a fairly standard part of any company back office. The different types of database management systems, how they are established, how they are utilized, how data is stored and managed, the concept of data warehouses and data structure is covered in depth. Security of DBMSs is key to their success.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Nine – Object Oriented Analysis and Design
This chapter is highly technological and discusses how models are developed and set to deliver a particular software system with an engineered specification setting and visual modelling to foster better stakeholder communication and product quality. In the most basic sense it discusses how software is developed to do a particular job like manufacturing salary cheques, it has to be aware of hours work, pay-scale, bonuses, absent days and other factors which need to be included in the model used to set and design the software for paying salaries. Object-oriented analysis and design applies object modelling techniques to analyse the requirements for a context (e.g., a system, system modules, organization, or business unit), and to design a solution. Most modern object-oriented analysis and design methodologies are case driven across requirements, design, implementation, testing, and deployment. Object-oriented analysis builds a model of a system that is composed of objects that communicate with each other or other sections of the software. The results of object-oriented analysis are concepts and relationships between concepts, often expressed as a conceptual model.
Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma Module Ten – Information Security Management
An information security management system (ISMS) is, as the name suggests, a system of management concerned with information security. The idiom arises primarily out of ISO/IEC 17799, a code of practice for information security management published by the International Organization for Standardization in 2000. ISO 17799 will be revised and re-issued in 2005.
Progression
This Level 3 Management Information Systems (B) Diploma course can be used to gain entry to a Level 4 Diploma or higher.