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DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE,

BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO-NIGERIA.

“Building Management Information Systems: The Requirement Analysis, System Design,

System Acquisition and, Implementation & Maintenance”

Muhammad Usman, Ilyasu Abdulkarim, Paul Okakwu, Patricia Emeh, Abubakar Shamaki, A.
Gwarzo
INTRODUCTION:

Every aspect of management in the modern age relies heavily on information to thrive. Nothing
moves without information and it is generally believed that information is power and that he who has
it has power. It is an important resource needed to develop other resources. Changing circumstances
and environments have necessitated the need for the proper dissemination of information at various
levels of management. The development and use of management information systems (MIS) is a
modern phenomenon concerned with the use of appropriate information that will lead to better
planning, better decision making and better results. W.B. Adeoti-Adekeye (1997)

Today it is widely recognized that information systems knowledge is essential for managers because
most organizations need information systems to survive and prosper. Information systems can help
companies extend their reach to faraway locations, offer new products and services, reshape jobs and
work flows, and perhaps profoundly change the way they conduct business. Laudon, K. & Laudon, J.
(2006).

In trying to understand the requirement, design, acquisition, implementation, and maintenance of

building management information systems, it is important to understand certain fundamental concepts
like Management, information, information and information systems. These concepts must be fully
grasped before the idea behind building MIS can be appreciated.

MANAGEMENT

It is the effective utilization of human and material resources to achieve organizational objective. It is
a process consisting of Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Co-Coordinating, Reporting,
Budgeting (POSDCORB)

According to F.W. Taylor – management is “Art of knowing what you want to do and then seeing
that it is done the best and cheapest way”.
To Henry Fayol – management means “To Manage is to forecast, to plan, to organise, to command, to
co-ordinate and to control”.
While Peter F.Drucker argued that ”Management is work and as such it has its own skills, its own
tools and its own techniques”.
In a sense, Management is the art of getting things done through and with people”

INFORMATION

The word „information‟ is used commonly in our day to day working. In MIS, information has a
precise meaning and it is different from data. The information has a value in decision making while
data does not have. Information brings clarity and creates an intelligent human response in the mind.

In MIS a clear distinction is made between data and information. Data is like raw materials
while the information is equivalent to the finished goods produced after processing the raw material.
Information has certain characteristics. These are:

 Improves representation of an entity

 Updates the level of knowledge
 Has a surprise value
 Reduces uncertainty
 Aids in decision making.

The quality of information could be called good or bad depending on the mix of these
characteristics. Devis and Olson defines information as a data that has been processed into a form that
is meaningful to the recipient and is of real or perceived value in the current or the prospective actions
or decisions of the recipient. Data is defined as groups of non-random symbols in the form of text,
images or voice representing quantities, actions and objects.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology can be most broadly defined as the entities, both material and immaterial, created by the
application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value. In this usage, technology
refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems. It is a far-reaching term
that may include simple tools, such as a crowbar or wooden spoon, or more complex machines, such
as a space station or particle accelerator. Tools and machines need not be material; W. Brian Arthur
(1992) defines technology in a similarly broad way as "a means to fulfill a human purpose"

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: Information management has been defined as the

organization-wide capability of creating, maintaining, retrieving and making immediately available
the right information, in the right place, at the right time, in hands of the right people, at the lowest
cost, in the best media, for use in decision making (Langemo, 1980). In the same vein, Best (1988)
defines information management as the economic, efficient and effective co-ordination of the
production, control, storage and retrieval and dissemination of information from external and internal
sources, in order to improve the performance of the organization.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS (IS)

An information system (IS) is a computerized database designed to accept, store, process, transform,
make useful, and analyze data and to report results, usually on a regular, ongoing basis. It is often
construed as a larger system including not only the database and the software and hardware used to
manage it but also including the people using and benefiting from it and also including all necessary
manual and machine procedures and communication systems Hevner et al. (2004).

According to O'Brien, J A. (2003) defined information system is a form of communication system in

which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also
be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MIS)

Managers make decisions all the time, there is an overload of information therefore, not all
information is useful. Anything which helps manager improve his/her decision making will obviously
lead to better result, this where MIS comes in. MIS is a system, where data is the input, which is
processed to provide output in the form of information reports, summaries, etc ., which aid the
manager‟s decision-making process. There is no universally accepted definition of MIS; however, the
term “Management Information System” can be seen as a database management system tailored to
the needs of managers or decision makers in an organization. MIS is a system using formalized
procedures to provide management at all levels in all functions with appropriate information based on
data from both internal and external sources, to enable them to make timely and effective decisions
for planning, directing and controlling the activities for which they are responsible (Argyris, 1991).

REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS

Based on the MIS functions and operations described in the previous sections, this part looks at the
concrete actions required for developing and establishing an operational MIS within an organization;
the kind of resources needed and the organizational steps to take in defining a legal framework,
mobilizing resources, and building capacity. The following are some the requirement for establishing
MIS in an organization:
Legal Framework: The establishment of MIS should be backed by the adoption of government
policies that clearly confer a legal status for the MIS to be an official information and reporting
system for a country corporate and learning centers. Such a legal status would on the one hand create
necessary conditions for organizations/institutions to take action to set up and operate the MIS. On
the other hand, this will encourage local authorities and partners to cooperate in providing political,
administrative and resources support. (UNESCO Bangkok, 2009.)

Human Resources: All persons who are involved in collecting, recording, processing, analyzing
and/or disseminating data and information contribute to the operations of the MIS.
The number and skill level of the human resources required to operate the MIS depend on the scale of
organisation‟s activities and the amount of data to be handled. The amount of work and the expertise
required to operate the MIS in an organisation are enormous, the capacity of these staff is very
important, therefore, specialized MIS staff is required particularly in a computerized environment.
((UNESCO Bangkok, 2009)

Financial Resources: NGOs, industries, businesses, and community bodies trying to build MIS
should be capable to fund and maintain the project. This is very important because implementing and
managing MIS is an expensive project.

Infrastructure and Material Resources: under this requirement resources needed for MIS include:
Provision of basic facilities: building/room, furniture, electricity, telephone line; User guidebook; ICT
handbook; training materials; Other necessary materials include: stationery; filing cabinet;
calculators; Reference documentation: policy, rules and regulations; tutorials, etc; Computer
hardware and software, Internet access. These resources are mainly required for MIS operations of
data storage, processing, production and dissemination. If funding is available, the equipment can be
purchased or rented.

Information Resources: Today, information is becoming an increasingly important resource

organizational development. The MIS relies on the supply of data and information, and in turn
disseminates information to units and stakeholders in need. MIS, information exchange and
networking help to share experiences, expertise and learning. Information is available and can be
obtained freely, but some will have to be recorded or collected. The adoption of MIS development
policies and legal status would give additional impetus and backing to the active mobilization and
acquisition of information resources for the MIS.

MIS Capacity-building: This include training provided to improve the competencies of specific
target groups at the management and staff levels, for instance managers, data collectors, facilitators
or relevant partners. Capacity-building is important for the MIS because the system must be managed
and operated in a systematic and technical manner.
SYSTEM DESIGN

To achieve success it is necessary to make plan first, Constructing MIS plan take information as
resource, Use proper data entry methods and plan can be made from proper resources of
organizations. In short, MIS plan should be flexible enough to deal with changing according to time,
situation, and adopt latest technology. The designer has to take number of strategic decision to
achieve goal and objectives of organization the strategy are:

a) Development strategy: An online, a batch, a real time. Technology platform

b) System development strategy: Any approach to the system development- operational versus
functional, Accounting versus analysis, database versus multiple databases

c) Resources for system development: In house versus external, customised development versus the
use of packages.

d) Manpower composition: Analyst, programmer skill and know-how. Feasibility studies can affect
planning of MIS, the hardware and software which is selected for MIS plan should be technically
sound and up to date, selection of proper hardware and software should be part of strategic level
decisions. Proper selection of hardware and software should link with goals and objectives of
organizations.

At the same time you have to develop process model, that is: Study business environment, Study
organization and structure, Identify missions and goal, Identify critical success factors, Identify
critical business applications, Ascertain the business strategy, Identify business decisions, Develop
key performance indicators, Determine MIS goals supporting business goals and Develop IT support
structure to meet data and information needs

SYSTEM ACQUISITIONS

Major system acquisitions include equipment, services, and intellectual property (e.g., Computer,
personnel, software, data, etc.) these are acquired by the organisation through purchase, construction,
manufacture, lease, or exchange and may also include improvements, modifications, replacements, or
major repairs. A complete system includes processes and people; integration, testing, logistics, and
training as well as the human operator, maintainer, supporter and trainer who are all components of
the overall system.

A business enterprise or an organization requires making a decision of choosing appropriate

information Technology (IT), as a vehicle, to handle the management information system. The
choice of IT is a strategic decision, making long-term impact on the effectiveness of the MIS of the
enterprise. The information technology affects the people, the processes and the productivity of the
organization.

The modern information technology offers a number of different system configurations, each
being a candidate, as a solution to satisfy the needs of the MIS. The information technology
decision, therefore, is a technical decision, where it is required to decide between the various
configuration alternatives made of a variety of hardware and software option. The configurations are
the LAN or the WAN, the Mini or the Superman, and the front end and the Back Office Systems,
Internet/Intranet, Client/Server Systems.
Another important factor which influences the information technology decision when it comes to
acquiring systems is the organization and its infrastructural arrangement of the offices,
warehouses, factories and the customers. Most organizations would demand hardware typical to
that particular location and also be able to communicate with other hardware-software platforms. In
such situations, the communication requirement becomes a dominating factor in choice of the
information technology.

Finally the information technology choice is governed by the requirement of the mission critical
application(s) of the organization. The hardware choice and its configuration in terms of memory,
disk and communication are decided on the base of processing needs of the mission critical
applications. The other requirement of the organization is to be fitted to this configuration.

IMPLEMENTATION OF MIS

Implementation of the MIS in an organization is a process where organizational transformation takes

place. This change can occur in a number of ways. The Lewin‟s model suggests three steps in this
process. The first step is unfreezing the organization to make the people more receptive and
interested in the change. The second step is Choosing a course of action where the process
begins and reaches the desired level, and the third step is Refreezing, where the change is
consolidated and equilibrium is reinforced. Many a times, this process is implemented through
an external change agent, such as a consultant, playing the role of a catalyst.

The significant problem in this task is the resistance to change. The resistance can occur due to three
reasons as factors:-

(1) the factors internal to the user of information,

(2) the factors inherent in the design of the system and

(3) the factors arising out of the interaction between the system and its users. The problem of
resistance can be handled through education, persuasion, and participation. This itself can be
achieved by improving the human factors, and providing incentives to the users, and
eliminating the organizational problems before implementing the system.

MAINTENANCE

After the new system is installed and conversation is complete, it must be maintained while it is in
production to correct errors, meet requirements, or improve processing efficiency. Burton and Dans
(2000).

Information systems (IS) have been known to aid organizational management in providing quality
services to their customers. However, if the (IS) used in organizations are not properly maintained,
the quality of the services provided may be regarded as poor. To properly adopt the right IS to
accomplish organizational goals, management should consider utilizing systems that can be
controlled and maintained. Kappos and Rivard (2008).

(IS) maintenance can be conducted through systems control, reliability, user participation, and
training (CRUT). These elements are selected because they are hypothetically and practically
significant in maintaining the IS quality used in organizations, Sharma & Yetton, 2007). Therefore,
we are going to use the CRUT model maintenance to analyze.

Control, Reliability, User Participation, and Training (CRUT) Model

As organizations become heavily involved in IS adoption, management is more likely to pay attention
to factors that would enable them to properly maintain the quality of the IS.

CRUT Model

The elements in the CRUT model for IS maintenance are connected with each other. Without the
element of control, the other elements would be inefficient. The element of control is also central
because without accurate control of IS, it would be difficult to determine the effectiveness of the
systems. The elements of reliability, user participation, and training are included because they
contribute to proper control of an organization‟s IS.

Control

IS control is the beginning of data preservation in an organization. Organizational management may

preserve the quality of their organization‟s IS by exercising control over the systems. Management
should consider exercising control to uphold roles and responsibilities and avoid scope divergence,
schedule slippages, and cost overruns (Subramanian, Klein, Jiang, & Chien-Lung, 2009).
Reliability

Reliability is defined as the ability of merchandise to work effectively under obligatory circumstances
for a pre-assigned time. Unreliable systems may result in unforeseen problems. For instance, systems
may not accomplish the intended tasks and information may be lost. Organizational management
may determine if the IS are dependable based on how quickly they detect problems regarding their
functions. IS that are unable to sense if a breach has occurred and has less security measures that
would protect information may be considered untrustworthy. (Agmon & Ahituv, 1987).

User Participation

User participation in the quality of IS is important for effective maintenance. Prior to the 1980s, the
terms user participation and user involvement had been employed interchangeably in IS examination
(Jun & King, 2008). IS user participation is the input of systems production services of the
individuals who make use of IS on a regular basis, for instance, employees, customers, etc. On the
other hand, IS user involvement is the activities contributed by IS users on the development of IS, for
instance, involvement in IS usage procedure manuals. Organizational management should not
relinquish their responsibilities for making decisions about IS functions to any employees; instead,
such responsibilities should be given to the IS specialists in the organization (Franz, 1985).

IS Training

Offering various training programs for IS employees would enable them to use the systems to achieve
the organizations‟ goals. An early study by Barki and Hartwick (1989) suggested that users‟
responsibilities and accountabilities should be categorized according to IS roles depending on user
involvement in the systems process. Barki and Hartwick (1989) further asserted that IS participants
should be accountable as users for their behavior and activities to achieve overall success on a
project. In addition, organizational leaders should be responsible in ensuring that their staffs are
informed as IS users through ongoing systems accountability training programs and the creation of
training manuals.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, to build management information system in an organization some requirements and

factors has to put in place to achieve effective MIS for better service delivery towards organizational
goals, however these factors and concept were mentioned above.

Finally the information technology choice is governed by the requirement of the mission critical
application(s) of the organization. The hardware choice and its configuration in terms of memory,
disk and communication are decided on the base of processing needs of the mission critical
applications. The other requirement of the organization is to be fitted to this configuration.

A profusion of technology is insufficient to implement effective MIS in organization without the full
utilization of human resources, infrastructure and material to develop such systems. The issue of fully
developing and utilizing available human resources is currently receiving careful scrutiny in the MIS
literature. One methodology for fully utilizing human resources has been maximizing productivity by
stressing team effort.
 REFERENCES (to be in alphabetic)

Laudon, K. & Laudon, J. (2006) Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 9th
ed. Prentice Hall: New Jersey

W.B. Adeoti-Adekeye (1997) The Importance of Management Information Systems Library Review,
Vol. 46 No. 5, 1997, pp. 318-327. MCB University Press, 0024-253

Best, D.P. (1988), “The Future of Information Management”, International Journal of Information
Management, Vol. 8 No. 1, March, pp. 13-24.

Argyris, C. (1991), “Management Information Systems: The Challenge to Rationality and

Emotionality”, Management Science, p. 291

Developing Management Information Systems for Community Learning Centres: A Guidebook

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Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2009

Dekleva, S. M. (1992). The influence of the information systems development approach on

maintenance. MIS Quarterly, 16(3), 355-372.

Kappos, A., & Rivard, S. (2008). A Three-Perspective Model of Culture, Information Systems, and
Their Development and Use. MIS Quarterly, 32(3), 601-634.

Swanson, E. Burton and Enrique Dans. System life Expectancy and the maintenance effort. MIS
Quarterly 24, no.2(June 2000)
Sharma, R., & Yetton, P. (2007). The contingent effects of training, technical complexity, and task
interdependence on successful information systems implementation. MIS Quarterly, 31(2),
219-238.

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