MIS and DSS

Management Information Systems and Decision Support Systems are integral parts to the ever changing business world. Now that technology has gripped companies and won’t let go, they need to keep pace with the ways that these new innovations and systems can aid their business. Management Information Systems encompass three main groups: decision support systems, expert systems, and executive information systems. [1] The primary function is to analyze the activities within an organization. They produce reports based on the data to identify any problems within the business. This allows companies to know their potential weaknesses and attempt to fix them. It can also show any data trends in customers which can also help the company improve their revenue. One example of this can be a store asking for your zip code at check-out, this way, they can gather data, and using this data, can identify what people in the area are buying and how much they are spending. This can in turn improve the inventory to fit what that areas customers may need, as opposed to a store in a different area.

Decision Support Systems are interactive computer systems that help decision makers in companies communicate, use data, analyze documents, and use other knowledge to solve problems. [2] Simply put, as the name implies, they are any system that helps the user solve and analyze a problem. They can use databases, models, and charts to display important information and assist in making decisions. Often times they are very user friendly, further improving the usefulness within a business. In days when money is tight and anything can be of assistance to businesses, Decision Support Systems are key components of the modern day workplace.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_information_system
2.Dssresources.com