Information technology combines technology with the
creation and use of information systems. A management
information system (MIS) is
'a computer system or group of systems which collects and presents management information for a business organisation thus servicing the organisation's need for co-ordination and control at strategic, tactical and operational levels'.
An MIS is different from a transaction processing system which processes routine operational data - orders, payslips, invoices, stock issues. A TP system often produces management information as scheduled reports but these are scheduled - derived from operational transactional processing. A MIS in contrast supports unscheduled, on-demand reporting giving the user-manager (decision-maker) freer access to stored information without requring the direct intervention of DP specialists.
In making strategic goals operational it is vital that progress can be monitored via the management information system otherwise progress may be invisible.
At the strategic management level we are interested in summary information to define current status and measure how well we are doing. This is long-term stuff usually relating to a rolling corporate plan which can be reviewed annually.
We implement tactical measures to secure strategic objectives. This means setting up allocating staff, devising reporting structures, authorising resources (budget) and emphasising certain approaches over others. We want to know in the medium term if the "tacticals" are working so that fine adjustments, on the basis of variances over plan, can be made between strategic reviews. The management information system should service such tactical adjustment.
Finally the line-manager will need operational information on a day-to-day basis to support operational running.
If a health authority adjusts funding to give more favour to community health services (preventative medicine) rather than hospital services (treatment) - how can it monitor the success of policy if there is an inadequate information system? Of course the cost of installing and maintaining the information system has to be compared with the value of the information obtained. Calculations will be necessary on data relating to resource allocation and the performance levels of units faced with reduced or increased allocation. The data will need to be synthesised in such a way as interpretation is possible.
Will the information system be adequate to support the move? Is it already available or will a new system need to be developed.
