Information systems: an introduction to informatics in organisations

Information Systems or Organisational Informatics is the bridging discipline interested in the application of information, information systems and information technology in organisations. This text provides an essential introduction to informatics and its application within organisations. The aim has been to present an integrated and holistic account of the field, founded in strong theory but with a practical emphasis. Information Systems: An Introduction to Informatics in Organisations is divided into ten major parts: Part 1 - Information and Systems - reviews the foundation concepts of information, systems, information systems, management/decision-making and the modelling of information systems Part 2 - Information Technology - provides a grounding in the component elements of information technology: hardware, data, software and communications technology. It also explains the architecture of contemporary IT systems Part 3 - Use and Impact - discusses the context of use for information systems and the impact of such use on organisations. It also considers the success and failure of information systems in organisations Part 4 - Organisation - considers the features of organisations that both impact upon and are impacted upon by information systems. These include organisation theory, structure, culture, strategy, processes and the informatics infrastructure Part 5 - Environment - considers the economic, social and political environments for organisations that affect information systems Part 6 - Development - considers key phases of the process of developing information systems for organisations. It also discusses the toolkit required by the IS developer Part 7 - Planning - considers the planning processes for information, information systems and information technology in organisations. It discusses the need for organisational analysis and the importance of formulating informatics strategy. A class of information systems known as strategic information systems are also considered Part 8 - Management - considers the process of implementing informatics strategy, organising the informatics service and conducting needed evaluations of information systems. The management of projects and knowledge in organisations is also discussed Part 9 - E-Business - considers the influence of informatics on intra-business and extra-business processes, particularly business-to-business and business-to customer electronic commerce Part 10 - Discipline - considers the academic field and the area of industrial practice. It also considers the issue of professionalism in informatics work and appropriate ways of conducting research in this area This text is designed primarily to be used on core modules of undergraduate degrees in information systems or business. It may also be used on supplementary modules within undergraduate degrees in software engineering or computer science. Instructors on commercial courses and practitioners within the information systems area will find it useful for its holistic view of the field