Key Information
About the content
This MIS course will cover supporting tech infrastructures (Cloud, Databases, Big Data), the MIS development/ procurement process, and the main integrated systems, ERPs, such as SAP®, Oracle® or Microsoft Dynamics Navision®, as well as their relationship with Business Process Redesign.
Management Information Systems (MIS) are an integral part of today’s professional landscape. From customer relationship management (CRM) systems handling the day to day interactions with clients and prospects, to financial systems issuing invoices and paying bills, day to day working life is increasingly controlled by these systems that dictate what to do and how.
This course will focus on what MIS are, how they influence your current or prospective jobs, why they impose specific - and sometimes seemingly absurd - operational procedures, and how to use this knowledge to your advantage in your professional life.
Grasping the key concepts in MIS does not need to be daunting. We will use real world examples to illustrate key concepts, and strive to strike a proper balance between clarity / amenity and conceptual soundness. Join us on this stimulating journey that will allow you to better understand and perform in your current or desired job.
This course is also available in Spanish: "Introducción a los Sistemas de Información Gerencial (MIS): Una guía de supervivencia".
- Understand Management Information Systems (MIS) and their role in today’s organizations
- Identify how MIS shapes and controls current (or prospective) jobs and how to use this insight to improve your own job performance and satisfaction and and enhance your career prospects
- Become familiar with the major trends in MIS and MIS infrastructures (Cloud, Big Data, ERPs, outsourcing) and how these evolutions will affect workplaces and business strategies
- Bridge the MIS-related second “digital gap” that exists, after basic computer literacy, in most professional jobs
Prerequisite
Basic user-level computer literacy. Business awareness is recommended.
Syllabus
Week 1: MISs. Importance. Procurement
We will examine how modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming our world, and analyze what Management Information Systems (MISs) are and how do they fit within the overall ICTs environment. We shall then discuss how companies obtain their MISs, by either purchasing ready-made packages or by bespoke development, and explore the alternative offered by open systems.
Week 2: The Communications revolution – Distributed Information Systems
We will discuss how the trend towards globalization and continuous connectivity drives the need for distributed MISs supported by Telecommunication Networks. We will explore the various types of networks and distributed MISs architectures.
Week 3: Data, Databases, Big Data
Data is the raw material upon which information is built. We will discuss the role played by data (and, particularly, data structure) in MISs, and analyze the Database Management Systems used to manage data. We shall then explore the fast-evolving landscape of Big Data.
Week 4: Integrated Information Systems (ERP) and Integrated Business Processes
Integrated Information Systems are the “top predators” at the apex of the MIS world. We will introduce participants to the concept of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, and their relationship with Integrated Business Processes.
Week 5: Implementing and customizing ERPs and other major MISs. Who adapts to whom?
Implementing an ERP is a major project. It generally requires either modifying current business practices (through Business Process Reengineering) or customizing the ERP system. We shall discuss the challenges this implies.
Week 6: MISs in decision-making
In this last week we will turn our attention from the day-to-day operation of the business to the role played by MISs in information-driven decision-making. After discussing Decision Support Systems (DSSs) and the analytics used in Big Data environments, we shall conclude with a word about the future and a heartfelt farewell.
Instructors
Alfonso Durán Heras
Full Professor, Engineering Management / Catedrático, Ingeniería de Organización
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Content Designer
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is an innovative public university committed to the improvement of society through teaching of the highest quality and cutting-edge research in line with stringent international guidelines. UC3M has three degree-granting Schools, in addition to a School of Graduate Studies and a Doctoral School.
Established in 1989, UC3M develops its activities in four campuses and enrolls about 18.000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs (18% are foreign students). UC3M has a large offer of programs taught in English and is the 1st university in Spain and the 3rd in Europe in terms of undergraduate students taking part in the Erasmus student exchange programs. UC3M is included in the QS Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities established within the last 50 years.
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