Editing Information system (section)

==Types==
[[File:Four-Level-Pyramid-model.png|thumb|A four level hierarchy |250px]]

The "classic" view of Information systems found in textbooks<ref>Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P. Management Information Systems, Macmillan, 1988.</ref> in the 1980s was a pyramid of systems that reflected the hierarchy of the organization, usually [[transaction processing systems]] at the bottom of the pyramid, followed by [[management information systems]], [[decision support systems]], and ending with [[executive information systems]] at the top. Although the pyramid model remains useful since it was first formulated, a number of new technologies have been developed and new categories of information systems have emerged, some of which no longer fit easily into the original pyramid model.

Some examples of such systems are:
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* [[Artificial intelligence]] system
* [[Computing platform]]
* [[Data warehouses]]
* [[Decision support system]]
* [[Enterprise resource planning]]
* [[Enterprise systems]]
* [[Expert systems]]
* [[Geographic information system]]
* [[Global information system]]
* [[Management information system]]
* [[Multimedia database|Multimedia information system]]
* [[Office automation]]
* [[Process control system]]
* [[Search engines]]
* [[Social information system]]s
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A computer(-based) information system is essentially an IS using computer technology to carry out some or all of its planned tasks. The basic components of computer-based information systems are:
* ''Hardware'' are the devices like the monitor, processor, printer, and keyboard, all of which work together to accept, process, show data, and information.
* ''Software'' are the programs that allow the hardware to process the data.
* ''Databases'' are the gathering of associated files or tables containing related data.
* ''Networks'' are a connecting system that allows diverse computers to distribute resources.
* ''Procedures'' are the commands for combining the components above to process information and produce the preferred output.

The first four components (hardware, software, database, and network) make up what is known as the information technology platform.
Information technology workers could then use these components to create information systems that watch over safety measures, risk and the management of data. These actions are known as information technology services.<ref>Rainer, R. Kelly Jr, and Casey G. Cegielski. Introduction to Information System: Support and Transforming Business Fourth Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2012. Print.</ref>

Certain information systems support parts of organizations, others support entire organizations, and still others, support groups of organizations. Each department or functional area within an organization has its own collection of application programs or information systems. These functional area information systems (FAIS) are supporting pillars for more general IS namely, [[business intelligence]] systems and [[dashboard]]s.{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}} As the name suggests, each FAIS supports a particular function within the organization, e.g.: accounting IS, finance IS, production-operation management (POM) IS, marketing IS, and human resources IS. In finance and accounting, managers use IT systems to forecast revenues and business activity, to determine the best sources and uses of funds, and to perform audits to ensure that the organization is fundamentally sound and that all financial reports and documents are accurate.

Other types of organizational information systems are FAIS, [[transaction processing system]]s, [[enterprise resource planning]], [[office automation]] system, [[management information system]], [[decision support system]], [[expert system]], executive dashboard, [[supply chain management system]], and [[electronic commerce]] system. Dashboards are a special form of IS that support all managers of the organization. They provide rapid access to timely information and direct access to structured information in the form of reports. Expert systems attempt to duplicate the work of human experts by applying reasoning capabilities, knowledge, and expertise within a specific domain.