What are the characteristics of MIS?

Answer 1

Characteristics of MIS:

1. Management oriented: The system is designed form the top to work downwards. It does not mean that the system is designed to provide information directly to the top management. Other levels of management are also provided with relevant information.

2. Management directed: Management orientation of MIS, it is necessary that management should continuously make reviews. For example, in the marketing information system, the management must determine what sales information is necessary to improve its control over marketing operations.

3. Integrated: The word 'integration' means that system has to cover of all the functional areas of an organization so as to produce more meaningful management information, with a view to achieving the objectives of the organization. It has to consider various sub-Systems, their objectives, information needs, and recognize the independence, that these sub-systems have amongst themselves, so that common areas of information are identified and processed without repetition and overlapping. For example, in the development of an effective production scheduling system, a proper balance amongst the following factors is desired:

I. Set up costs

ii. Overtime

iii. Manpower

iv. Production capacity

v. Inventory level

vi. Money available

vii. Customer service.

4. Common data flows: The integration concept of MIS, common data flow concept avoids repetition and overlapping in data collection and storage, combining similar functions, and simplifying operations wherever possible. For example, in the marketing operations, orders received for goods become the basis billing of goods ordered, setting up of the accounts receivable, initiating production activity, sales analysis and forecasting etc.

5. Heavy element: A management information system cannot be established overnight. It takes almost 2 to 4 years to establish it successfully in an organization. Hence, long-term planning is required for MIS development in order to fulfill the future needs and objectives of the organization. The designer of an information system should therefore ensure that it would not become obsolete before it actually gets into operation. An example of such a feature of MIS may be seen in a transportation system where a highway is designed not to handle today's traffic requirements but to handle the traffic requirements five to ten years.

6. Flexibility and ease of use: While building an MIS system all types of possible means, which may occur in future, are added to make it flexible. A feature that often goes with flexibility is the ease of use. The MIS should be able to incorporate all those features that make it readily accessible to wide range of users with easy usability.