Introduction
Information management systems refer to a complex and broad use of technology to efficiently transform an organization into relatively defined boundaries. They are always distinct from other systems since they are majorly used to facilitate and analyze strategic operations of whole organization. Most of the Information management systems are always specialized in specific area of operations, these includes management substructure, industrial and commercial sections(King, 2005).
Globally, the largest concept of information management system used is the internet. It is used to connect million of public and privately owned industries, as it enables the exchange of information on almost all types of transactions. Due to their extreme elasticity, today internet is utilized across all industries to optimize the firm’s productivity across the globe. It has become very critical in the strategic management of many organizations to exchange information or to perform transactions across the globe (Broadbent, 1995).
Curley &Pyburn, 1992 in their work, clearly showed that internet as a concept of Information management system has gone through a series of lifecycle over decades, these has made it to undergo subsequent era metamorphosis. According to these relevant sources, during the industrial revolution that is 1950s and 1960s, the system emerged in many organizations as agent activity automation. This made it a mechanical substitute for other resource for communication to produce more efficient, standard and regulated processes. This made many organizations to realign themselves to the technology and sufficiently achieve optimal production consequences. Therefore, from this period, internet in Information Management systems as been regarded as industrial technology
Majority of the organizations viewed the technology a set that is fixed to its functions and whose mandate is self evident. This provided much confidentiality with little risks and uncertainties in its implementation. Later, when these organizations realized that this was more than industrial technology but an intellectual technology, a better understanding associated with its adoption emerged (Akrich, 1992)
Information management system therefore, has a greater impact on the whole contextual environment they are deployed in; they act like chemical reagents to bring change. In order to have a better understanding of the phenomena, a more detailed focus study of the concepts involved in the system, that is the dynamic relationship between information technology and the and the organization.
Summary of the historical backgrounds shows that there have been significantly devoted efforts to the improvement of the structure from the earlier methods. These sophisticated aids have worked in conjunction to integrate data oriented systems for better management. However further analysis shows that the potential modern concepts have not been fully captured (Pabedenskaite, 2009).
Current use and attitude
The current view of the system shows that is one of the dynamic fields. With the global view of functioning infrastructure, majority of the companies have adopted a digital system to fully support their business and make them to have a competitive strategy. Most of them have thoroughly plan and manage their systems to be able to capture store and analyze, this has made them to capture reasonable returns from this system investments (Vaslash, 1997).
Reliable and effective management systems provide reliable presentations formats and accurate periods check ups required for the organizations operations. The MIS should be able to sufficiently meet the unique goals and objectives of the organization. Therefore a better MIS that is operational and informational should be adopted by the companies for efficiency. This has call for an increased interest particularly in the internet and data transmission concept (King, 2005).
Many organizations have been in the trend of increasing interest in assimilating several IT systems in their organizations. Assimilation refers to the process where stakeholders become one part with the system. This has been considered as the central function to its adoption and implementation. In cases of appropriate system implementation five subsequent stages are always followed. These include; awareness, selection of the package and preparation for implementation and operation (Broadbent, 1995).
Pros of the information management systems
Increasing flexibility of organizations
Majority of the companies have used internet to organize and operate more flexibly, this has accelerate their capacity to sense and respond to dynamic market changes and capture the new market opportunities. This has helped most of the organizations to operate efficiently despite their scale of operation. Almost all firms can now perform their processing bids and tracking f inventory using very few human resources (Vaslash, 1997).
This information management system software has also helped firms to achieve customization, the capacity to offer individual unique services according to their tastes and preferences. They have also been used to target tiny markets as they are able to pinpoint them in the micro marketing (Akrich, 1992).
Redefining organization boundaries
The improvement of internet in the firms enables these organizations to work across the boundaries by creating the environment to coordinate with other firm in far distances. Payments and purchases in most of these firms can be easily made electronically, thus reducing significantly the cost of obtaining goods and services across far external grounds (King, 2005).
The organizations also have the ability to share catalogs, email messages and data across the networks, this information shared continue to create efficiencies and cordial relationships among the organizations. Example is the collaboration between the Toyota Motor Company and the Dana Corporation in Ohio which supply them with automotive components (Bysinger, 1996).
New digital Relationship
Increased applications of the internet in business have provided a better business link thereby creating a vast place for market place. Internet has the ability to link the organization to its potential clients. They function as electronic intermediaries, where the transactions can be completed electronically, regardless of the location (Broadbent, 1995).
Through the internet, a wide range of goods and services are advertised as a global market. All types of these products are resent in the web. Moreover, extend has been made to provide electronic financing. This has fueled the e-commerce through their efficient management systems (King, 2005).
Cons of the system
Although the system is abundantly being utilized, it has not been a smooth movement; it has been confronted by the following key challenges.
The Information architecture and infrastructural complexity
According to relevant literature sources such as Locke and Lowe (2008), information management system is adversely comprehensive and more complex systems that require skilled individuals to operate. This has made most of the organizations to use the old legacy systems, which have resulted to most of them diffusing quite slowly and not reaping the full potential benefits. Most of the organization managers find it quite challenging to manage complex platforms of this technological power in their enterprise.
These companies have been crippled by the incompatible and fragmented computer networks, hardware and software sections, thus preventing the information from flowing off as expected from different parts of the organization. Meanwhile, the internet standards are striving to solve these issues and to create platforms that can be can increase the business link (King, 2005).
Exorbitant rate of investment on the system
Massive and powerful internet systems required by most of these organizations for implementation are always quite expensive to be bought, installed and configured to meet the company‘s criteria. Literature shows that a cost of about 30% to the total cost is usually incurred when hiring the consultants to install the software. This calls for accrual budgetary allocation by the financial executives to promptly install of the project. Otherwise they may experience a complete drain of corporate resources (Pabedinskaite, 2009).
The question of receiving the returns after installation of the software still remains at stalemate for most of theseoriginations. Majority are still balancing how they can obtain benefit from this expensive investment. This has prevented a bold investment by most of these firms (King, 2005).
Ethical and social responsibility challenge
Although internet Information systems have provided variant benefits, the question is it how ethically and socially is it responsible? Variant sources show that they have created several problems in the arena. This includes; automation that have rendered many people jobless, reduction of privacy as peoples details are always required for verification, implementers are always being coerced by the techno stress and other related health problems, finally the internet many a times have been use unscrupulous and malicious people to distribute illegal articles, copies of software, and books (Broadbent, 1995)
Managers are now forced to take stand on security and control measures to ensure most of their data are secure, accurate and reliable. This calls for a better information system that the quality and assurance standards can control and help the organizations from any corrupt practice (Akrich, 1992).
Globalization challenge
As much as there is rapid growth in the global economy, the call for an information management system that fit the international market is still a great challenge. This is because of the variation in the culture, language and political arena. This has resulted in frequent chaos and failure of on central system of management (Vaslash, 1997).
The prevailing view of the future on internet
The internets have gone a broad to revive a universal technology arena for almost all sorts of new goods, services and organization. It is in a forward trend to refocus on the daily view of the use of information management technology in the contemporary world. It has gone a head to eliminate the barriers that were created by the cost, geography and technical incapacities.
A greater percentage of the global companies are on the increasing trend to meet the global installation of the project. This can be observed in Japan, Europe, and Asia. Their core business operations are in quest for the better internet operations and standards; this is believed to be driven by the future certainty that is believed to depend on the efficiencies of this project (King, 2005).
Today the internet provides better communication and analytic power to most of the firms on the global scale. The globalization and need to reach the market cover is expected to increase the capacity to obtain a reliable and quality information systems
References
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Bysinger, B. and Knight, K., (1996) Investing in Information Technology, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, p. 83-84
Broadbent, M., Weill, M., & Clair, D. (1995).The role of information technology infrastructure in business process redesign Unpublished manuscript, Center for information systems research, King W. R. (2005) Ensuring ERP Implementation Success. Information Systems Management, Volume 22, Issue 3 June 2005
Pabedinskaitė, A. (2009) Successful Implementation of ERP system. In Proceedings of the 9 th International Conference, Liberec Economic Forum 2009“ pp. 275-283.technology.”
Vasilash, G., (1997)“How to — and How Not to — Implement,” Automotive Manufacturing & Production, pp109(8), 64,
