What is Management Information System MIS?

Introduction to Management Information System
Everyone in today’s world wants quick access to information – as it is said that time waits for no one and as the time passes, it leaves a heavy load of changes behind. With the changing time, a lot of changes have come in the society – from barbarian to the agrarian society, further to the industrial society and from the industrial society to the service sector. All this accompanied with itself, a lot of changes in the thinking of the people.

Now we all are living in an era which demands everyone to think globally and act locally (Glocalisation), as the various business operations with time are becoming more and more complex in working.

The increase in the business complexities along with the management complexities has been observed due to the following reasons –

1. Revolution in the technological world.
2. Developments and the amount of working taking place in the research and development department.
3. Good availability of information.
4. Changes in the product and the product life cycle.
5. Onset of computers, which is accompanied with the information feedback system.
6. Decision making and management science technologies.

As an answer to all these complexities, it has become very necessary to depend on the strategic planning process. But in the decision making process, one thing which acts as an invaluable source, is the availability of information. Information, in management language is referred to as a resource because it is scarce in nature; it has a cost with alternative uses. Information is such a resource, which unlike other resources can be used again and again –also, it is not tangible in nature.

Definition of MIS
Management information system can be defined as the system that provides information to the right person, at the right place, at the right time, in the right form and also at the right cost.
According to Davis and Olson, “MIS is an integrated user machine system for providing information to the various support operations, management and decision making functions in an organization. This system also utilizes the computer hardware and software, manual procedures/models for the analysis, planning, control and decision making and database.”