Case Summary:

A waiter takes an order at a table, and then enters it online via one of the six terminals located in the
restaurant dining room. The order is routed to a printer in the appropriate preparation area: the cold
item printer if it is a salad, the hot-item printer if it is a hot sandwich or the bar printer if it is a drink. A
customer’s meal check-listing (bill) the items ordered and the respective prices are automatically
generated. This ordering system eliminates the old three-carbon-copy guest check system as well as any
problems caused by a waiter’s handwriting. When the kitchen runs out of a food item, the cooks send
out an ‘out of stock’ message, which will be displayed on the dining room terminals when waiters try to
order that item. This gives the waiters faster feedback, enabling them to give better service to the
customers. Other system features aid management in the planning and control of their restaurant
business. The system provides up-to-the-minute information on the food items ordered and breaks out
percentages showing sales of each item versus total sales. This helps management plan menus
according to customers’ tastes. The system also compares the weekly sales totals versus food costs,
allowing planning for tighter cost controls. In addition, whenever an order is voided, the reasons for the
void are keyed in. This may help later in management decisions, especially if the voids consistently
related to food or service. Acceptance of the system by the users is exceptionally high since the waiters
and waitresses were involved in the selection and design process. All potential users were asked to give
their impressions and ideas about the various systems available before one was chosen.

Questions:

In the light of the system, describe the decisions to be made in the area of strategic planning,
managerial control and operational control? What information would you require to make such
decisions?

What would make the system a more complete MIS rather than just doing transaction processing?

Explain the probable effects that making the system more formal would have on the customers and the
management.

Solution of Management Information System in Restaurant Case Study:

1. A management information system (MIS) is an organized combination of people, hardware,

communication networks and data sources that collects, transforms and distributes information in an
organization. An MIS helps decision making by providing timely, relevant and accurate information to
managers. The physical components of an MIS include hardware, software, database, personnel and
procedures.

Management information is an important input for efficient performance of various managerial

functions at different organization levels. The information system facilitates decision
making. Management functions include planning, controlling and decision making. Decision making is
the core of management and aims at selecting the best alternative to achieve an objective. The decisions
may be strategic, tactical or technical. Strategic decisions are characterized by uncertainty. They are
future oriented and relate directly to planning activity. Tactical decisions cover both planning and
controlling. Technical decisions pertain to implementation of specific tasks through appropriate
technology. Sales region analysis, cost analysis, annual budgeting, and relocation analysis are examples
of decision-support systems and management information systems.
There are 3 areas in the organization. They are strategic, managerial and operational control.

Strategic decisions are characterized by uncertainty. The decisions to be made in the area of strategic
planning are future oriented and relate directly to planning activity. Here basically planning for future
that is budgets, target markets, policies, objectives etc. is done. This is basically a top level where up-to-
the minute information on the food items ordered and breaks out percentages showing sales of each
item versus total sales is provided. The top level where strategic planning is done compares the weekly
sales totals versus food costs, allowing planning for tighter cost controls. Executive support systems
function at the strategic level, support unstructured decision making, and use advanced graphics and
communications. Examples of executive support systems include sales trend forecasting, operating plan
development, budget forecasting, profit planning, and manpower planning.

The decisions to be made in the area of managerial control are largely dependent upon the information
available to the decision makers. It is basically a middle level where planning of menus is done and
whenever an order is voided, the reasons for the void are keyed in which later helps in management
decisions, especially if the voids are related to food or service. The managerial control that is middle
level also gets customer feedback and is responsible for customer satisfaction.

The decisions to be made in the area of operational control pertain to implementation of specific tasks
through appropriate technology. This is basically a lower level where the waiter takes the order and
enters it online via one of the six terminals located in the restaurant dining room and the order is routed
to a printer in the appropriate preparation area. The item’s ordered list and the respective prices are
automatically generated. The cooks send ‘out of stock’ message when the kitchen runs out of a food
item, which is basically displayed on the dining room terminals when waiter tries to order that item. This
basically gives the waiters faster feedback, enabling them to give better service to the customers.
Transaction processing systems function at the operational level of the organization. Examples of
transaction processing systems include order tracking, order processing, machine control, plant
scheduling, compensation, and securities trading.

The information required to make such decision must be such that it highlights the trouble spots and
shows the interconnections with the other functions. It must summarize all information relating to the
span of control of the manager. The information required to make these decisions can be strategic,
tactical or operational information.

Advantages of an online computer system:

Eliminates carbon copies

Waiters’ handwriting issues

Out-of-stock message

Faster feedback, helps waiters to service the customers

Advantages to management:

Sales figures and percentages item-wise

Helps in planning the menu

Cost accounting details

2. If the management provides sufficient incentive for efficiency and results to their customers, it would
make the system a more complete MIS and so the MIS should support this culture by providing such
information which will aid the promotion of efficiency in the management services and operational
system. It is also necessary to study the keys to successful Executive Information System (EIS)
development and operation. Decision support systems would also make the system a complete MIS as it
constitutes a class of computer-based information systems including knowledge-based systems that
support decision-making activities. DSSs serve the management level of the organization and help to
take decisions, which may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance.

Improving personal efficiency, expediting problem solving (speed up the progress of problems solving in
an organization), facilitating interpersonal communication, promoting learning and training, increasing
organizational control, generating new evidence in support of a decision, creating a competitive
advantage over competition, encouraging exploration and discovery on the part of the decision maker,
revealing new approaches to thinking about the problem space and helping automate the managerial
processes would make the system a complete MIS rather than just doing transaction processing.

3.   The management system should be an open system and MIS should be so designed that it highlights
the critical business, operational, technological and environmental changes to the concerned level in the
management, so that the action can be taken to correct the situation. To make the system a success,
knowledge will have to be formalized so that machines worldwide have a shared and common
understanding of the information provided. The systems developed will have to be able to handle
enormous amounts of information very fast.

An organization operates in an ever-increasing competitive, global environment. Operating in a global

environment requires an organization to focus on the efficient execution of its processes, customer
service, and speed to market. To accomplish these goals, the organization must exchange valuable
information across different functions, levels, and business units. By making the system more formal,
the organization can more efficiently exchange information among its functional areas, business units,
suppliers, and customers.

As the transactions are taking place every day, the system stores all the data which can be used later on
when the hotel is in need of some financial help from financial institutes or banks. As the inventory is
always entered into the system, any frauds can be easily taken care of and if anything goes missing then
it can be detected through the system.

Case Study: McDonalds Marketing Strategies

Data Processing Methods

The necessity and importance of Systems Design in Management Information System (MIS)
Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)

Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS, EHRMS), Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS),
HR Technology or also called HR modules, shape an intersection in between human resource
management (HRM) and information technology. It merges HRM as a discipline and in particular its basic
HR activities and processes with the information technology field, whereas the planning and
programming of data processing systems evolved into standardized routines and packages of enterprise
resource planning (ERP) software. On the whole, these ERP systems have their origin on software that
integrates information from different applications into one universal database. The linkage of its
financial and human resource modules through one database is the most important distinction to the
individually and proprietary developed predecessors, which makes this software application both rigid
and flexible.

“HRIS can be briefly defined as integrated systems used to gather, store and analyze information
regarding an organization’s human resources.” (Hedrickson, 2003, p.381).

Human Resource Information System refers to the system of collecting, recording, classifying,

presenting, processing, storing and disseminating various information, required for efficient and
effective management of human resources in an organization. In order to manage diverse, expensive,
and human resource information in complex environment, human resource department of various
organizations have increasingly used computer based human resource information system. Human
Resource Information System (HRIS) supports strategic and operational use of the human resources.

Human resource information system has become a part of all large organizations. It is a computerized
system that aids in the processing of information relating to human resource management. It is a device,
designed to fulfill the manpower information needs of the organization. HRIS is required for the
following purposes.

Planning human resource requirements of organization.

Employee training & development to increase efficiency.

Formulation of policies and programmes relating to human resources.

The Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is a software package that provides a complete
management system for human resource activities in small-to-medium-sized businesses. They help
streamline administrative procedures, manage employee benefits, reduce the need for paperwork and
manual records, and keep track of all personal and job-related employee data. The Human Resources
Information System is helpful for different organizations to set measurable benchmarks to acquire, train
and retain the best employees, co-ordinate employee job descriptions with areas of responsibility,
schedule training for recertification, safety, and revised work procedures, provide incentives to motivate
and improve employee performance, track accident statistics and implement corporate strategies to
improve overall health and safety. While the database provides quick access and track for the entire
work history, every employee can be able to view only their personal information over systematic
human resource information system.

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)  can handle management of benefits for both HR
personnel and company employees. HR directors can import payroll and benefits data into HRIS from in-
house and outside sources. This allows them to manage all facets of HR from a single location. It also
provides employees with self-service access to their accounts. With a secure system that requires a log
in ID and password for each user, employees can check vacation balances, review benefits data, and
update personal information without having to first contact HR staff.

How  Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) Works?

Human resource information system (HRIS) helps managers in decision-making in respect of

promotion, wage fixing, recruitment, training and development. The inputs of HRIS include the
information relating to employees, their abilities, qualifications, potentialities, creative instincts, age,
pay scales, various jobs in the organisation, their required skill and qualifications to do them, the
number of employees and executives manning various positions, organisational objectives, policies and
procedures etc. This information is loaded into the system. This data is processed into the most useful
information required by the managers.

This Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)  is not only prepared for an industrial, service or
government organisation but also for the entire city, district, state or country. In order to eliminate
human resource problem of any kind, HRIS comes to the rescue and provides the services of hiring
human resources, maintaining the complete record of human resources. It can at any moment show the
supply of human resources available. The figure below shows how the Human Resource Information
Systems (HRIS)  works.

Inputs:  The input of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)  includes information related to
employees such as education, age, experience, training, present status, present salary, whether
promoted or not, organisation’s policy past and present, procedures past and present and other
necessary detailed information relating to the human resources in the organisation. The computerized
human resource information system in all respect superior to manual system, which is time consuming
and not so cost effective. The most important benefit of the system is that the information is available
immediately as and when required.

Transformation:  The information fed to the computer can be transformed into more meaningful and
necessary information that is exactly required by the organisation. This is the conversion stage of
computerized HRIS. The information transformed into meaningful calculation is very useful to the
managers and organisation as well. This works as a decision support system, which aids in making
appropriate decisions.

Output:  Output refers to the printouts of the transformed material from the computer printer like
salary statement, report on performance of an employee, budget estimates, etc. All these can be had in
the form of printouts, terminal screens etc. A well knit HRIS acts as a worthy decision support organism
of a very high quality. The high quality output must be accurate, relevant, consistent, readable and
comprehensive.

Feedback and Control:  Whether the output obtained is relevant and useful or not must be known. The
method of ensuring it is known as feedback. Feedback establishes control over the system.

Basic Features of  Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)

In lieu of standardized paperwork, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)  allows employees to fill
out forms online, make changes based on life events, and get information on their benefits at any time.
Rather than “pulling an employee’s file,” HR personnel can refer any information about an employee
through the system, including personal information, benefits, number of dependents, emergency
contacts, and job history.

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)  includes both standardized and customized reports.
Standard reports feature templates for various administrative purposes including employee reviews,
record keeping, workers’ compensation, employment history, and absence tracking. Customized reports
are created that incorporate categories and information unique to business. Most HRIS applications
have a comprehensive tracking system. HRIS tracking capabilities can maintain grievances filed by or
against the employee stemming from discipline, disputes, and complaints.

Quick reference guides can be available relating to all areas of the Human Resources Information
System, including staff benefits, benefit contribution rates, calendars, personnel change reason codes,
and the payroll process flowchart. Detailed instructions regarding establishing and changing employee
benefit and deduction information, including retirement, pension, health care, flexible spending
accounts and employee selected deductions. Documentation on the human resource
accounting structure can be possible; including staff benefit calculations and charges, review and
correction of human resource accounts. Documentation is helpful for payroll issues, including time
reporting requirements, check and auto deposit distribution, taxable benefits, terminations, review and
correction of employee pay and leave, and tax forms. Instructions and forms for employees to establish
or change their employee information related to the Human Resources system, including name, address,
retirement, pension, and health care