Challenges of Information Systems
Uploaded by srheric on Apr 23, 2007
Challenges of Information Systems
When talking about the vast field of Information Systems there is not just one pressing issue, there are three: Accuracy, Usability, and Time. Without the combination of these three factors a business would go under in the matter of months.
The first of these three and probably the most important of these is the accuracy of the information. The information that you provide someone with in order to make vital decisions must be precisely accurate. If one piece of data is incorrect it could mean the difference between life and death, literally. For example, if a doctor receives false information about a patient’s allergies he may give that patient medicine that could eventually kill them. Another recent instance where inaccurate information caused a catastrophe is with Enron. They falsified financial information causing the company to collapse. If a news station were to give a report that was invalid, they would lose their credibility and respect from the people. Accuracy is a must when it comes to information that is provided to make decisions of any kind.
Another major issue involving information systems is the information’s usability. If the business uses software to access the information it has to be easy to use and understand for the end-user as well as the executives. The information needs to be easily accessible from the hardware where it is stored. Also, if the information is generated into a report form of some kind, the report must be made so that it can be interpreted effortlessly in order to make precise decisions. The information provided should have value to the decisions at hand.
The final of the three most significant challenges of the field of Information Systems is the time factor. As time progresses everything is built bigger and faster and people seem to be always operating at a faster pace, therefore information needs to be received at a faster rate. If a person or business does not get the information in time to make a prompt decision they could lose out on many opportunities. This concept all started when the phone was introduced and people could be connected to each other in an instant, instead of waiting a week for a letter in the mail. Now as the internet has...