Editing Information system (section)

{{Short description|System that supports business decisions}}
{{Redirect|Business Information System|the Finnish government service|Business Information System (government service)}}
An '''information system''' ('''IS''') is a formal, [[sociotechnical]], organizational system designed to collect, process, [[Information Processing and Management|store]], and [[information distribution|distribute]] [[information]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Piccoli |first1=Gabriele |last2=Pigni |first2=Federico |title=Information systems for managers: with cases|publisher=Prospect Press |isbn=978-1-943153-50-3 |pages=28 |edition=4.0 |url=https://prospectpressvt.com/titles/piccoli-information-systems-for-managers/ |access-date=25 November 2018|date=July 2018 }}</ref> From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems comprise four components: task, people, structure (or roles), and technology.<ref name="Ohara et al.">{{cite journal |last1=O'Hara |first1=Margaret |last2=Watson |first2=Richard |last3=Cavan |first3=Bruce |title=Managing the three levels of change |journal=Information Systems Management |volume=16 |issue=3 |date=1999 |page=64 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220630523 |access-date=25 November 2018|doi=10.1201/1078/43197.16.3.19990601/31317.9 }}</ref> Information systems can be defined as an integration of components for collection, storage and [[data processing|processing]] of [[data]], comprising [[digital product]]s that process data to facilitate [[decision making]]<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|date=2020-11-12|title=Information Systems|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/information-system|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> and the data being used to provide information and contribute to knowledge.

A '''computer information system''' is a system, which consists of people and computers that process or interpret information.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/information-system.html| title=information system| work=BusinessDictionary.com| access-date=2014-09-21| archive-date=2020-08-11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811225424/http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/information-system.html| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Information Systems| work=Principia Cybernetica Web| url= http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ASC/INFORM_SYSTE.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia| url= http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/287895/information-system |title=Information system| encyclopedia=Britannica | author= Vladimir Zwass |date=2016-02-10}}</ref><ref>D'Atri A., De Marco M., Casalino N. (2008). "Interdisciplinary Aspects of Information Systems Studies", Physica-Verlag, Springer, Germany, pp. 1–416, {{doi|10.1007/978-3-7908-2010-2}} {{ISBN|978-3-7908-2009-6}}</ref> The term is also sometimes used to simply refer to a computer system with software installed.

"'''Information systems'''" is also an academic field of study about systems with a specific reference to information and the complementary networks of [[computer hardware]] and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create and also [[Distributed computing|distribute]] [[data (computing)|data]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-16|title=Information Technology vs Information Systems: What's The Difference?|url=https://www.cityu.edu/information-technology-vs-information-systems/|access-date=2021-11-13|website=CityU of Seattle|language=en-US}}</ref> An emphasis is placed on an information system having a definitive boundary, users, processors, storage, inputs, outputs and the aforementioned communication networks.<ref>Jessup, Leonard M.; Joseph S. Valacich (2008). ''Information Systems Today'' (3rd ed.). Pearson Publishing. Glossary p. 416</ref>

In many organizations, the department or unit responsible for information systems and [[data processing]] is known as "'''information services'''".<ref>{{cite web | title=What is Information Systems or Information Services (IS)? | website=Definition from Techopedia | url=https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1027/information-systems-or-information-services-is | access-date=6 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=What is IS (information system or information services)? | website=WhatIs.com | url=https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/IS-information-system-or-information-services | access-date=6 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.directory.gov.au/portfolios/agriculture-water-and-environment/department-agriculture-water-and-environment/enabling-services-group/information-services| title=Information Services| website=Directory| date=2 June 2017| publisher=[[Australian Government]]| access-date=6 March 2021| archive-date=27 March 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327213354/https://www.directory.gov.au/portfolios/agriculture-water-and-environment/department-agriculture-water-and-environment/enabling-services-group/information-services| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Information Services | website=Ramsey County | date=12 September 2015 | url=https://www.ramseycounty.us/your-government/departments/information-and-public-records/information-services| access-date=6 March 2021}}</ref>

Any specific information system aims to support operations, management and [[decision-making]].<ref>{{cite journal|date=2013|title= The first phase of creating a standardised international innovative technological implementation framework/Software application|url=http://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=55312|journal= International Journal of Business and Systems Research|volume=7|issue=3|page=250|doi=10.1504/IJBSR.2013.055312|last1=Bulgacs|first1=Simon|access-date=2015-11-02|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/03.reports/03tr002/03tr002glossary.html |title=SEI Report, "Glossary" |access-date=2013-04-02 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903115947/http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/03.reports/03tr002/03tr002glossary.html |archive-date=September 3, 2007 }}</ref> An information system is the [[information and communication technology]] (ICT) that an organization uses, and also the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes.<ref>Kroenke, D M. (2008). Experiencing MIS. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ</ref>

Some authors make a clear distinction between information systems, [[computer system]]s, and [[business process]]es. Information systems typically include an ICT component but are not purely concerned with ICT, focusing instead on the end-use of [[information technology]]. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes.<ref>O'Brien, J A. (2003). Introduction to information systems: essentials for the e-business enterprise. McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA</ref>

Alter<ref>Alter, S. (2003). [https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol12/iss1/23/ "18 Reasons Why IT-Reliant Work Systems Should Replace 'The IT Artifact' as the Core Subject Matter of the IS Field"], ''Communications of the Association for Information Systems'', 12(23), Oct., pp. 365–394.</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Alter | first1 = S | year = 2013 | title = Work System Theory: Overview of Core Concepts, Extensions, and Challenges for the Future | url =https://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=at | journal = Journal of the Association for Information Systems | volume = 14 | issue = 2| pages = 72–121 | doi = 10.17705/1jais.00323 | doi-access = free }}</ref> argues that viewing an information system as a special type of [[work system]] has its advantages. A work system is a system in which humans or machines perform processes and activities using resources to produce specific products or services for customers. An information system is a work system in which activities are devoted to capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying information.<ref>Alter, S. (2006) The Work System Method: Connecting People, Processes, and IT for Business Results. Works System Press, CA</ref>

As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bacon|first1=C. James|last2=Fitzgerald|first2=Brian|date=2001-04-01|title=A systemic framework for the field of information systems|url=https://doi.org/10.1145/506732.506738|journal=ACM SIGMIS Database: The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems|volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=46–67 |doi=10.1145/506732.506738|s2cid=15687595|issn=0095-0033|url-access=subscription}}</ref> An information system is a form of [[communication]] system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-[[formal language]] which supports human decision making and action.

Information systems are the primary focus of study for organizational informatics.<ref>Beynon-Davies P. (2009). Business Information Systems. Palgrave, Basingstoke</ref>