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Glossary of Terms
Information Systems common terms
Artificial intelligence
Science and technology to develop computers that can think and function in ways
normally associated with human intelligence, including reasoning, inference, learning
and problem solving
Automation
The replacement of human workers by machines; the automatic transfer and
positioning of work by machines, or the automatic operation and control of a work
process by machines, without significant human intervention or operation, in order to
improve performance
Business information system
Information system within a business organization that supports one of the traditional
functions of business such as marketing, finance or production
Business process reengineering (BPR)
The reinventing of processes within a business; the use of information technology to
bring about major changes and cost savings in an organization's structure
Business to business (B2B)
Transactions between two businesses, or companies whose customers are primarily
other businesses
Chief information officer (CIO)
A senior strategic-level management position that oversees all information
technology systems and personnel for a firm, concentrating on long-range
information system planning and strategy
Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools
Software that automates some or all steps in the systems development life cycle
Conversion
Moving from old system to new system. Plunge or direct cutover conversion
immediately replaces the old system with the new one. Parallel conversion uses both
until the new system performs correctly. Pilot or piecemeal conversion starts with a
small group or region. Phased conversion introduces the new system in stages.
Critical success factors
Factors critical to organizational success; the process of evaluating prospective IT
systems by comparing system costs with system benefits; a small number of key
factors that executives consider critical to the success of the enterprise, where
successful performance will assure the success of the organization and attainment of
its goals
Data
Unprocessed, unorganized information; raw facts or observations
Database
A collection of data or information stored in an organized way; a computer database
is a file that contains tables whose rows are records and whose columns are fields.
The database comes with software for data entry, queries and reports; tables in a
relational database are related by common fields
Database management system (DBMS)
A set of computer programs that controls the creation, maintenance and utilization of
the databases of an organization
Data mining
Use of software tools to query information in a data warehouse
Data warehouse
A logical collection of information, gathered from many different operational
databases, that supports business analysis activities and decision-making tasks
Decision support system (DSS)
A highly flexible and interactive IT system designed to support decision making
when the problem is not structured; an information system that utilizes decision
models, a database, and a decision maker's own insights in an ad hoc, interactive
analytical modeling process to reach a specific decision by a specific decision maker
Electronic business
Use of information technology for internal organizational management and
communication
Electronic commerce
Buying and selling goods and services electronically; commerce accelerated and
enhanced by information technology, especially the Internet, enabling customers,
consumers and companies to form powerful new relationships that would not be
possible without the enabling technologies
Electronic data interchange (EDI)
Exchange of business transaction documents between computers of two
organisations; the electronic transmission of source documents between the
computers of different organizations; direct computer-to-computer transfer of
transaction information contained in standard business document such as invoices and
purchase orders in a standard format
Electronic funds transfer
The development of banking and payment systems that transfer funds electronically
instead of using cash or paper documents such as checks
Electronic market
Exchange of information, products, services and payments using Internet, networks
and digital technologies, e.g. prices, purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices
Emerging technology
A new technology not yet fully exploited by businesses
Enterprise network
Hardware, software and media connecting information technology resources of an
organization
Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
Coordinated planning of all an organization's resources involved in production,
development, selling and servicing of goods and services
Enterprise software
A software suite with common business applications, tools for modeling how the
entire organization works, and development tools for building applications unique to
the organization
Executive information system (EIS)
An information system that provides strategic information tailored to the needs of top
management; a highly interactive management information system combined with
decision support systems and artificial intelligence for helping managers identify and
address problems and opportunities
Executive support system (ESS)
An executive information system with additional capabilities, including data analysis,
decision support, electronic mail, and personal productivity tools
Expert system
An artificial intelligence system that applies reasoning capabilities to reach a
conclusion; a program that works with knowledge and relies on a database of if-then
rules to draw inferences, in much the way a human expert does
Financial information system
Information system that supports financial managers in the financing of a business
and the allocation and control of financial resources; includes cash and securities
management, capital budgeting, financial forecasting, and financial planning
Firewall
Special security software to protect private networks such as intranets and extranets
Geographic information system (GIS)
A decision support system designed specifically to work with spatial information
Group decision support system (GDSS)
A decision support system which provides support for problem formulation and
solution and decision making by groups or teams of people
Groupware or workgroup support system
Communications software that supports collaborative efforts of a team
Hardware
The mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical devices comprising a computer
system, as the CPU, disk drives, keyboard, or screen
Hierarchical data structure
A logical data structure in which the relationships between records form a hierarchy
or tree structure; the relationships among records are one-to-many, since each data
element is related only to one element above it
Information
Data with meaning in a particular context
Information architecture
A conceptual framework that defines the basic structure, content and relationships of
the organizational databases that provide the data needed to support the basic
business processes of an organization
Information system (IS)
A set of people, procedures and resources that collects, transforms and disseminates
information in an organization; a system that accepts data resources as input and
processes them into information products as output; a system that uses the resources
of hardware, software and people to perform input, processing, output, storage and
control activities that transform data resources into information products; a
purposefully designed system that brings data, computers, procedures, and people
together to manage information important to an organization's mission
Information technology (IT)
Hardware, software, telecommunications, database management, and other
information processing technologies used in computer-based information systems;
computer-based tools used to work with information and support the information
needs of an organization
Internet service provider (ISP)
Organization with a direct Internet connection which sells Internet connections to
organizations and individuals
Intranet
An internal organizational Internet that is guarded against outside access by a
firewall; a private version of the Internet, using Internet technologies such as Web
browser and servers on local area networks
Knowledge
Facts, information, skills, awareness, or familiarity acquired through experience or
education; theoretical or practical understanding of a subject
Knowledge information systems
Information systems used by knowledge and data workers to produce, store and
disseminate knowledge
Management information system (MIS)
Planning, development, management and use of information technology tools to help
people perform all tasks related to information processing and management; an
information system that provides information to support managerial decision making;
can be an information reporting system, executive information system or decision
support system. Also the department responsible for computer systems
Office automation system (OAS)
A computer-based information system that collects, processes, stores and transmits
electronic messages, documents and other forms of office communications among
individuals, work groups and organizations; an office productivity application such as
word processing, document imaging or calendar
Operational information systems
Information systems that assist operational management with managing and directing
day-to-day operations and implementation of goals and strategies
Outsourcing
Delegating specific work to a third party for a specified length of time, at specified
cost, and at a specified level of service
Pilot study
In the development of an information system, the institution of the new system in
only one part of an organization; when that portion of the organization is satisfied
with the system, the rest of the organization then starts using it
Private network
Communications media owned or leased by an organization to connect its networks
or network components
Prototype
A working model; for an information system, includes tentative versions of user input
and output, databases and files, control methods, and processing routines; a working
system model that is functional enough to draw feedback from users
Public network
Network used by more than one organization
Relational data structure
A logical data structure in which all data elements within the database are viewed as
being stored in the form of simple tables; data elements from various tables are linked
through their common fields
Risk management
Identification of risks or threats, implementation of security measures, and
monitoring these measures for effectiveness
Software
the programs used to direct the operation of a computer
Source data automation
The use of automated methods of data entry that attempt to reduce or eliminate many
of the activities, people and data media required by traditional data entry methods
Strategic information systems
Information systems that provide a firm with competitive products and services that
give it a strategic advantage over its competitors in the marketplace; information
systems which promote business innovation, improve operational efficiency, and
build strategic information resources for a firm; information systems used by senior
managers to monitor long-term trends, make long-term plans and provide overall
direction and guidance
System
A group of interrelated or interacting elements forming a unified whole; working
together toward a common goal by accepting inputs and producing outputs; A
collection of components purposefully organized into a functioning whole to
accomplish a goal
Systems analysis
Analyzing in detail the components and requirements of a system; the information
needs of an organization, characteristics and components of current systems, and
functional requirements of proposed systems
Systems design
A blueprint, plan or model of a system; deciding how a proposed information system
will meet the information needs of end users; includes logical and physical design; it
should satisfy system requirements developed in the systems analysis
Systems development
Developing information systems by a process of investigation, analysis, design,
implementation and maintenance
Systems implementation
Putting a planned system into action; the stage of systems development in which
hardware and software are acquired, developed and installed, the system is tested and
documented, people are trained to operate and used the system, and an organization
converts to the use of a newly developed system
Systems life cycle
In information systems, the birth, development, use, and eventual abandonment of the
system
Systems maintenance
The monitoring, evaluating and modifying of a system to make desirable or necessary
improvements
Transaction
An exchange of goods, services or funds
Transaction processing system (TPS)
An information system that processes data arising from the occurrence of business
transactions; usually used for daily routine transactions and record-keeping,
especially sales, payroll, reservations, shipping, and worker tracking
Unstructured or nonstructured decisions
Decisions which must be made in situations where it is not possible to specify in
advance most of the decision procedures to follow; there may be several "right"
answers, and no precise way to get a right answer
Virtual private network
A public network that uses security techniques to simulate a private network,
generally slower in performance but lower cost
What-if analysis
Observing how changes to selected variables affect other variables in a mathematical
model
Work flow analysis
A study of the way documents and other information related to a process moves
through an organisation, in order to improve efficiency