Takudzwa Makumbe

Level 1.1

Foundations of information Systems: ISH113

Assignment 1.01

Munhumutapa School of Commerce

 1. During COVID-19 how did businesses service using information systems (20)

Information systems is an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, and processing data and
for delivering information, knowledge, and digital products. COVID-19 is a pandemic that affected a lot
of business across the continent ever since the first case was discovered. It affected businesses in many
ways both directly and indirectly as businesses where forced to shut down, the curfew, social distancing
and other regulations that restricted gatherings affected businesses. Most businesses used information
systems to servive as it store and analyse information, facilitate decision making and simplify business
processes. This essay is going cover how businesses servived using information systems during COVID-
19.

Information systems store and analyse information and this helped during covid 19. This is because most
information systems function as delivery vehicles for data stored in a database. Databases support the
operations and management aspects of a business. With a database the collected data is stored and
organised. Examples of databases include employee records and product catalogues. Collection and
availability of such information helped business to keep in check which products are available and also
the number of employees employed at the current time. When it came to analysing collections of stored
data, data warehouses are to be built by information systems from a number of data sources to analyse
the data. These archival data are also mined for relevant information to develop and launch new
products and to reach out to potential customers as well as to serve the existing customers with
accuracy and efficiency.This also helped solve the issues of decrease in sales and decrease in revenue
caused by COVID-19 since business could develop and launch new product as to market demand using
information provided by information systems.

Moreover, information systems helped businesses servive during covid 19 by facilitating in decision
making. In terms of decision-making, information systems such as group decision support
systems(GDSS), video conferencing and Internet-based networks assisted in connecting business owners
and stakeholders regardless of location. This helped since employees and employers were likely not to
meet during covid 19 due to tight lockdown ristrictions and other regulations which neglacted large
gatherings during the pandemic so this meant that important meetings were conducted through
platforms like Zoom or Google meet. This also helped businesses survive as decision making was
beginning conducted online. Therefore reducing the spread of the virus meaning to say no employee
could turn out sick affecting the smooth flow of the business and this also reduced chances of spreading
the virus which in the long run lad to the uplifting of lockdown restrictions. Moving on, as a sub-category
of information systems, management information systems (MIS) also aided in the decision-making
process by providing relevant, accurate and complete information. Basically, MIS is created to present
an overview of the situation or to highlight a missing piece of information and MIS features such as self-
checking and cross-checking can reduce errors. This helped Enterprises that used management
information systems during covid 19 by ensuring that all decision-makers work from the same set of
data together and make their decisions based on identical information. This also helped businesses
survive as proper decisions we made based on the right facts hence reducing errors in decision making
by a certain percentage. Moreover it benefited business owners who wanted to track performance
during covid 19 to see if it is aligned with present business goals by exploring all the features of
management information systems to know where the business stands among competitors in the same
marketplace. And also the emergence of digital technologies has significantly reduced the economic
costs of data search, storage, computation, transmission and enabled new economic activities during
the COVID-19 pandemic and a change in lifestyle thereby helping businesses servive.

Moving on information systems also helped businesses to servive during covid 19 by simplifying business
processes.The integration of information systems in a business enables easier management of certain
business processes so as to save on time and labour. For instance, buyers can have a seamless shopping
experience at an online retailer as they can select a particular product display based on best-selling
items, price range and customer ratings. This helped businesses sell their products during lockdown
since customers could instead buy products online at anytime of the day from the comfort of their
homes. This also helped increase sales and revenue for businesses during covid 19 since businesses
could now sell their products online instead of waiting to open after lockdown restrictions were uplifted
and also online businesses were not affected by curfews increasing longer working hours. With the help
of information systems, these products are neatly organised which enhances the shopping experience.
Besides that, business managers can utilise information systems for inventory management. That way,
they can determine the inventory needed, reorder with their suppliers in addition to track and receive
shipments in a timely and systematic manner and this helped businesses to survive during the covid era
by reducing chances of shortage of basic commodity. This is so because management could plan in
future terms since information systems provided accurate information for inventory management and
It also helped reduce supply chain disruptions.More efficient and productive incumbents are likely to
grow. Since the start of the pandemic, small and large firms, were able to create a platform based
ecosystem and have become a force of “creative destruction,” value creation, and value appropriation,
this is how information systems helped businesses survive during covid 19. And also online services
helped businesses reduce loss of key customers since customers could not physical visit their favorite
stores due to covid 19 restrictions.

However, information systems also benefited employees during covid 19 by creating employment and
also large-scale hiring. For example, on April 18, 2020, Walmart reported that it had hired 150,000 new
employees, with plans to hire 50,000 more (Nassauer, 2020). Information systems played a mojar role
since hires were made through Zoom eliminating any traveling costs and also reducing the risk of
catching the virus. Information systems also created employment as many businesses had online
retailers resulting in large scale hiring by door to door delivery companies as an effect of increase in
demand for such services. And also new products we created and launched using information systems
during covid 19 which gave consumers a variety of goods to choose from.

In conclusion information systems helped businesses survive during covid 19 to a great extend as it
provided services like it storing and analysing information, it facilitatited in decision making through
information systems such as group decision support systems(GDSS). It also provided services like video
conferencing and Internet-based networks like Zoom connecting business owners and stakeholders
regardless of location. Also it simplified business processes by providing online retailers and opening
online stores were customers would shop at anytime in the comfort of there homes.

Reference:

 Importance of InformationSystems for Businesses INTI International University & Colleges

 Economic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses, Maksim
Belitski, Christina Guenther, Alexander S. Kritikos, Roy Thurik