BMATWT 353 - Business of Building

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Lecture Outline - Ch. 12 - Information Systems & E-Commerce

I. Information management: An overview

A. Information systems - Systems for gathering, organizing and distributing information.

Data - raw facts

Information - meaningful and useful interpretation of data

 

II. New business technologies in the information age

A. The expanding scope of information systems
B. Electronic business and communications technologies

i. Electronic information technologies

Conferencing - computer based & video

Groupware - Software that enables shared calendars, documents, other data.

ii. Data communication networks

a. The Internet & ISPs
b. The World Wide Web
c. Intranets - networking within a company
d. Extranets - networking with a select set of organizations/individuals outside the company (customers for example)

C. New options for organizational design

i. Leaner organizations - Think of outsourcing plan conversions with partners in Asia

ii. More flexible organizations - Dell Computer model - mass customization, build to order.

iii. Increased collaboration - Designer-Contractor-Owner collaboration.

iv. Telecommuting

v. Improved management & communications

D. User groups and system requirements

i. Managers at different levels - Senior, mid, line

ii. Functional areas and business processes - Accounting, Sales, HR, Production

E. Major systems by level

i. Knowledge level and office systems - CAD
ii. Management information systems
iii. Decision support systems
iv. Executive support systems
v. Artificial intelligence and expert systems

III. Databases and software for the information system

A. Databases and program software

i. Data and databases
ii. System programs
iii. Application programs
iv. Graphical user interface

IV. Telecommunications and networks

A. Multimedia communications systems

i. Communication devices
ii. Communication channels

B. System architecture

Produced and maintained by David T. Damery
Building Materials and Wood Technology
Department of Natural Resources Conservation
College of Natural Resources and the Environment
University of Massachusetts, Amherst.