Manual
Information Systems VS Computerized Information Systems (MIS)
Data is the
bloodstream of any business entity. Everyone in an organization needs
information to make decisions. An information system is an organized way of
recording, storing data, and retrieving information.
In this
section, we will look at manual information systems vs. computerized
information systems.
Manual
Information System
A manual
information system does not use any computerized devices. The recording,
storing and retrieving of data is done manually by the people, who are
responsible for the information system.
The following
are the major components of a manual information system
1. People –people are the recipients of information system
2. Business
Procedures –these are
measures put in place that define the rules for processing data, storing it,
analyzing it and producing information
3. Data –these are the recorded day to day transactions
4. Filing
system – this is an
organized way of storing information
5. Reports –the reports are generated after manually analyzing
the data from the filing system and compiling it.
Advantages and Dis-advantages of a manual
information system
Advantages:
The
following are the advantages of manual information systems
1. Cost
effective – it is
cheaper compared to a computerized system because there is no need to purchase
expensive equipment such as servers, workstations, printers, etc.
2. Flexible
–evolving business
requirements can easily be implemented into the business procedures and
implemented immediately
Disadvantages:
The
following are some of the disadvantages of a manual information system.
1. Time
consuming –all data
entries need to be verified before filing, this is a time-consuming task when
done by humans. Retrieving data from the filing system also takes a
considerable amount of time
2. Prone
to error – the
accuracy of the data when verified and validated by human beings is more prone
to errors compared to verification and validation done by computerized systems.
3. Lack of
security – the
security of manual systems is implemented by restricting access to the file
room. Experience shows unauthorized people can easily gain access to the filing
room
4. Duplication
of data –most
departments in an organization need to have access to the same data. In a
manual system, it is common to duplicate this data to make it easy to
accessible to all authorized users. The challenge comes in when the same data
needs to be updated
5. Data
inconsistency – due
to the duplication of data, it is very common to update data in one file and
not update the other files. This leads to data inconsistency
6. Lack of
backups – if the
file gets lost or mishandled, the chances of recovering the data are almost
zero.
Computerized
information system
Computerized
systems were developed to address the challenges of manual information systems.
The major difference between a manual and computerized information system is a
computerized system uses a combination of software and hardware to record,
store, analyze and retrieve information.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a computerized
information system (MIS)
The
following are some of the disadvantages of a computerized information system.
Advantages:
The
following are the advantages of computerized information systems
1. Fast
data processing and information retrieval – this is one of the biggest advantages of
a computerized information system. It processes data and retrieves information
at a faster rate. This leads to improved client/customer service
2. Improved
data accuracy – easy
to implement data validation and verification checks in a computerized system
compared to a manual system.
3. Improved
security – in
addition to restricting access to the database server, the computerized
information system can implement other security controls such as user’s
authentication, biometric authentication systems, access rights control, etc.
4. Reduced
data duplication – database
systems are designed in such a way that minimized duplication of data. This
means updating data in one department automatically makes it available to the
other departments
5. Improved
backup systems – with
modern day technology, backups can be stored in the cloud which makes it easy
to recover the data if something happened to the hardware and software used to
store the data
6. Easy
access to information – most
business executives need to travel and still be able to make a decision based
on the information. The web and Mobile technologies make accessing data from
anywhere possible.
Disadvantages:
1. It is
expensive to set up and configure – the organization has to buy hardware and
the required software to run the information system. In addition to that,
business procedures will need to be revised, and the staff will need to be
trained on how to use the computerized information system.
2. Heavy
reliance on technology – if
something happens to the hardware or software that makes it stop functioning,
then the information cannot be accessed until the required hardware or software
has been replaced.
3. Risk of fraud – if proper controls and checks are not in place, an intruder can post unauthorized transactions such as an invoice for goods that were never delivered, etc.
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