What is System in MIS?

Introduction
In the Management Information Systems, the concept of the ‘Systems’ play a very essential and a defining role and it can be surely referred to as the backbone of the management Information Systems. The major concept of the systems involves basically the pattern or a way in which one thinks about managing optimally. In management Information Systems, it acts as the framework for the visualization and the analysation of the internal as well as the external environments and the factors affect these particular environments in a very integrated way or pattern.

The word systems refer to as the arrangement or the way of organizing some specific things in a particular way. So now a system can be defined as the regularly interacting interdependent group of the items ultimately leading to the formation of a united whole. Particularly for the management Information Systems, a system consists of certain specific set of elements that can be identified as the belonging together because of the common purpose, goal or the objective.

The features defining the system usually act as its boundaries, so it can be said that the system is inside the boundary and the environment is outside the boundary.

Each system is further made of the sub systems, which further consist of the other subsystems and one very important point to be kept in mind here is that all of these subsystems are defined specifically by its boundaries. Each subsystem itself actually acts as the system. The Interconnections and the various interactions that generally take place between the various subsystems are referred to as the interfaces.

These interfaces are generally known to occur at the boundary and usually take the form of the inputs and the outputs. A system is not at all arranged randomly but is arranged with the help of certain logic, which are governed by the rules, the regulations, the principles, the policies etc. Such an arrangement of a system is generally influenced by the objective which the system always desires to achieve.

In the management Information Systems, the concept of the system is very much important and one should have an in depth knowledge of it as with the help of this, one can easily have a look at the individual elements, subsystems in the larger perspective of the whole system leading to the optimal solutions and the synergy.

There are different types of the system and are generally found to be present in all the fields of the endeavor. There are systems like the social system, political system, economic system etc.
All the Systems must possess the following –
1. Goals
2. Components
3. Subsystems
4. Behavior
5. Boundaries
6. Life cycle

What are the Characteristics of the System
A System must be having or possessing the following characteristics –
1. System receives inputs with the help of the information, energy or the materials.
2. System processes inputs and also produces outputs or the results.
3. System has a particular structure.
4. System is very much interdependent in the nature.
5. System has an objective orientation.