Management Information Systems

Management information systems (MIS) is defined by Mays Business School as the study of people, technology, organizations, and the relationships among them. The term MIS is used in business schools as the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations evaluate, design, implement, manage, and utilize systems to generate information to improve efficiency and effectiveness of decision making, including systems termed decision support systems, expert systems, and executive information systems. Many business schools (or colleges of business administration within universities) have an MIS department, alongside departments of accounting, finance, management, marketing, and may award degrees (at undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels) in MIS. ("What is Management Information Systems?").

Today we use information systems at all levels of operation to collect, process and store data. Management aggregates and disseminates this data in the form of information needed to carry out the daily operations of a business. Today we use information systems at all levels of operation to collect, process and store data. Management aggregates and disseminates this data in the form of information needed to carry out the daily operations of a business. Everyone who works in any business, from someone who pays the bills to the person who makes employment decisions, uses information systems.

MIS professionals help organizations whether no matter the size realize its maximum benefit of investments in personnel, equipment, and business processes. MIS is people-oriented, with an emphasis on service. Although it is today increasingly built on computer hardware, software and networks, it does not necessarily have to be computer-based.

Management information systems are distinct from other information systems in that they are used to analyze and facilitate strategic and operational activities. Many businesses concentrate on the alignment of MIS with business goals to achieve competitive advantage over other businesses. MIS professionals create information systems for data management; examples include storing, searching