What Is MIS

What is MIS? You probably have some experience with using computers and various software packages. Yet computers are only one component of a management information system (MIS). As shown in the slideshow figure, an MIS consists of five related components: hardware, software (applications), people, procedures, and collections of data. More importantly, an MIS is designed to solve problems for the entire business. The term information technology (IT) represents the various types of hardware and software used in an information system, including computers and networking equipment.

The physical equipment used in computing is called hardware. The set of instructions that controls the hardware is known as software. In the early days of

computers, the people directly involved in MIS tended to be programmers, design analysts, and a few external users. Today, almost everyone in the firm is involved

with the information system, but some specialized MIS employees are needed to create and manage the information systems. Procedures are instructions that help people use the systems. They include items such as user manuals, documentation, and procedures to ensure that backups are made regularly. Databases are collections of related data that can be retrieved easily and processed by the computers.