Annotated Biliography - Role of Information Systems

Executive Summary

This study has been conducted to analyse the role of information systems in supporting decision making process. For this purpose, role of different types of information systems such as, Management Information System (MIS), Decision Support System (DSS), Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP), Executive Information System (EIS), specifically agent-based information systems have been analysed in the different aspects of decision making process. For this purpose ten highly relevant journal articles have been selected and the body of this report is based upon the literature of those articles.

From the research of this report, it is has been found out that different types of information systems facilitates managers working at different levels of organisations in making effective decision. It has been identified that organisations operate in highly vibrant and impulsive environment that changes rapidly. Based on these changes, executives and higher level managers have to make decisions accordingly. This decision making process requires a lot of subjective information about the external environment upon which decisions have to be made

Annotated Bibliography

1. Ucakturk, A. & Villardb, M., 2013. The Effects of Management Information and ERP Systems on Strategic Knowledge Management and Decision-Making. Social and Behavioural Sciences, Vol 99, pp. 1035 – 1043.

In this article, Ucakturk and Villardb have discussed the effects of management information and ERP systems on strategic knowledge management and decision-making processes of the organisations. From the research, they have intended to find that whether these management information systems contribute effectively towards the decision making and knowledge management processes. For this purpose, they have gathered the information about strategic advantages gained by managers with the by implementing Enterprise Resource Planning and management information systems and evaluated that gathered information with the help of 5-point Likert scale. They have identified particular advantages gained by managers with the help of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) are proficient alliances, shorter cycle inventory turnover and other cycles, enhanced flexibility and productivity, lower operating costs, and higher customer satisfaction etc. They have argued that organisations operate in highly vibrant environment these days. In order to tackle the rapid changes in external environment, managers need all the information that facilitates them in decision making process. Management information system (MIS) provides all the necessary information to make decision through correspondence with databases exterior the organization. Thus, these systems enable the managers to plan and make their decisions resourcefully and practically.

This article is useful the research topic because it directly addresses the issue under consideration that whether information systems assist in decision making process. However, the research of this article is limited to the usefulness of just two information systems that are Management Information System (MIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Thus the authors have indicated that organisations are required to develop fully incorporated information systems to trim down their operating costs and enhance their productivity and thus profits. In this regard, ERP systems facilities to incorporate the business and management processes and Management Information Systems enables the  managers working at different hierarchal levels of  an organization to critically evaluate the basic report and abstracts that are primed on the information gained stored in the system. Following the relevance of the article to research, it will not form the basis of the research but will provide useful complementary information for the research on role of information systems in decision making process.