ACCA PM知识点：信息系统的类别

Categories of IS

Ensure that you understand and can distinguish between different types of information systems.While the latest developments in cloud computing,performance dashboards,and big data bring in new terminology and concepts,the following classic IS ideas form a starting place and are required knowledge for your PM exam.

Transaction Processing Systems(TPS)

These are systems used by operational staff to capture data and make processes more efficient,improving the accuracy and timeliness of information.Data will primarily be high frequency and short term.

At your local supermarket you end your shopping trips at the cashier,when your groceries are probably scanned,and your total bill is then automatically calculated.This is a classic example of a TPS.The data collected helps the supermarket produce an accurate sales receipt and is also used to track inventory and understand customer shopping patterns.

Large retailers are now using‘geo-analytic’software which tracks your movements through a large store by monitoring your smartphone’s wifi signal from various routers.This is another example of a TPS.

Starbucks is beginning to use high-tech coffee machines in their stores that communicate information via the cloud on the machine usage,maintenance,and even customer preferences–these are examples of the use of transaction processing,big data,and wireless technology.

Management Information Systems(MIS)

These are systems used for structured decision-making that help managers analyse performance and control the business.They draw mainly on summarised,internal information from a company’s existing operations.This summarised information may have been transferred from the organisation’s TPS.An MIS might help the manager of a supermarket to monitor inventory levels and determine reordering requirements;understand product profitability to determine how to allocate floor space and what products to stock and to set staffing schedules based on busy periods.

A modern MIS can access a variety of data types including using big data and presenting this information in real-time,with visualisations.An e-commerce company might build an MIS for a sales manager that monitors key performance indicators(KPIs)such as,‘site visit to purchase ratio,’‘regional sales status,’or‘sales by channel.’

Executive Information System(EIS)

These are systems that help senior managers analyse organisational performance,see trends,and make decisions with a highly summarised picture of the business.An EIS not only uses internal information but also brings in external information,like information related to the markets in which the company operates.A modern EIS is sometimes referred to as a‘dashboard,’where critical KPIs are presented with charts,tables,and other graphical tools,helping the manager to visualise performance.

Continuing with our supermarket example,a senior manager might use a performance management dashboard that compares the sales or profitability of different regions using a chart showing performance over time.This information,for example,may support strategic expansion plans which the company may be considering.The EIS might also show news headlines about the company from external sources,the company share price,and a real-time summary of customer feedback.

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems(ERPS)

This term describes a system where many diverse business functions of an enterprise,such as human resources(HR),sales,production and supply chain,are integrated under one database system.SAP is an example of such software.

Consider an airline:20 years ago,the airline might have had separate IT systems for passenger bookings,accounting,and HR.Now,SAP offers a specific ERPS product for the airline industry that integrates business processes such as fuel management,route performance management,catering,airplane maintenance,real-time customer feedback,and direct flight booking all under one unified system.It allows information to flow between all business functions and facilitates connections with external stakeholders,such as suppliers and customers.Such a tool greatly enhances control,data analytics and performance management,as KPIs from many business functions can be monitored on one dashboard.

An ERPS will also enable modern accounting practices,such as activity-based costing,as it will be easier to identify cost pools and cost drivers.

Customer Relationship Management Software(CRMS)

CRM software(which can also be contained as a module in an ERPS)is software that helps companies by centralising customer communications,purchasing history,sales leads and more into one database.This helps a company’s sales team become more productive,improve communication,automation of processes,and measure sales performance.

A retail company might use a CRMS and customer loyalty card information to automatically email customers about specific offers that they may be interested in,or drive a targeted social media advertising campaign.

If you’ve ever purchased anything using Amazon or other modern e-commerce companies,you have probably seen sections on the website,which say‘recommended for you,’or‘other people have also purchased…’The content in these sections stem from your purchasing history and these features are driven by CRM functionality.

New trends

The output of a MIS that can be viewed on a computer,tablet,or smartphone is often referred to as a‘dashboard.’This idea is similar to the purpose of dashboard in an airplane or a car which answers questions such as,‘How fast are we going?’,‘How much fuel do we have?’,‘Is the engine running at the right temperature?’An effective performance management dashboard answers critical questions like that for a business manager.

New tools are readily available,such as Microsoft Business Intelligence,that allows for the creation of highly customised dashboards for decision-makers at all levels of a company,drawing on many types of data(internal,external,financial,non-financial),to create customised performance metrics for any organisation.

翻译参考

信息系统的类别

确保您了解并能够区分不同类型的信息系统。虽然云计算、性能仪表板和大数据的最新发展带来了新的术语和概念，但以下经典的IS思想构成了一个起点，是您PM考试所需的知识。

事务处理系统(TPS)

运营人员使用这些系统来捕获数据并提高流程效率，从而提高信息的准确性和及时性。数据将主要是高频和短期的。

在您当地的超市，您在收银台结束购物之旅，这时您的杂货可能会被扫描，然后您的总账单会自动计算出来。这是TPS的经典示例。收集的数据有助于超市生成准确的销售收据，还用于跟踪库存和了解客户的购物模式。

大型零售商现在正在使用“地理分析”软件，该软件通过监控来自各种路由器的智能手机的wifi信号来跟踪您在大型商店中的活动。这是TPS的另一个示例。【点击免费下载>>>更多ACCA学习相关资料】

星巴克开始在他们的商店中使用高科技咖啡机，通过云传达有关机器使用、维护甚至客户偏好的信息——这些都是使用交易处理、大数据和无线技术的例子。

管理信息系统(MIS)

这些是用于结构化决策的系统，可帮助管理人员分析绩效和控制业务。它们主要利用来自公司现有业务的汇总内部信息。此汇总信息可能已从组织的TPS转移。MIS可以帮助超市经理监控库存水平并确定重新订购要求；了解产品盈利能力，以确定如何分配占地面积和库存哪些产品，并根据繁忙时段设置人员配备计划。

现代MIS可以访问各种数据类型，包括使用大数据并通过可视化实时呈现这些信息。电子商务公司可能会为销售经理构建一个MIS，以监控关键绩效指标(KPI)，例如“现场访问与购买比率”、“区域销售状态”或“按渠道销售”。

行政信息系统(EIS)

这些系统可帮助高级管理人员分析组织绩效、查看趋势并根据高度概括的业务情况做出决策。EIS不仅使用内部信息，还引入外部信息，例如与公司经营所在市场相关的信息。现代EIS有时被称为“仪表板”，其中关键KPI以图表、表格和其他图形工具呈现，帮助经理可视化绩效。

继续我们的超市示例，高级经理可能会使用绩效管理仪表板，使用显示一段时间内绩效的图表来比较不同地区的销售额或盈利能力。例如，这些信息可以支持公司可能正在考虑的战略扩张计划。EIS还可能显示来自外部来源的有关公司的新闻标题、公司股价以及客户反馈的实时摘要。

企业资源计划系统(ERPS)

该术语描述了一个系统，其中企业的许多不同业务功能，例如人力资源(HR)、销售、生产和供应链，都集成在一个数据库系统下。SAP是此类软件的一个示例。

考虑一家航空公司：20年前，该航空公司可能拥有单独的IT系统来处理旅客预订、会计和人力资源。现在，SAP为航空业提供了一种特定的ERPS产品，它将燃料管理、航线绩效管理、餐饮、飞机维修、实时客户反馈和直航预订等业务流程集成在一个统一的系统中。它允许信息在所有业务职能之间流动，并促进与外部利益相关者（如供应商和客户）的联系。这种工具极大地增强了控制、数据分析和绩效管理，因为可以在一个仪表板上监控来自许多业务功能的KPI。

ERPS还将支持现代会计实践，例如基于活动的成本核算，因为可以更轻松地识别成本池和成本动因。

客户关系管理软件(CRMS)

CRM软件（也可以作为一个模块包含在ERPS中）是一种帮助公司将客户沟通、采购历史、销售线索等集中到一个数据库中的软件。这有助于公司的销售团队提高工作效率、改善沟通、流程自动化并衡量销售业绩。

零售公司可能会使用CRMS和客户忠诚卡信息自动向客户发送电子邮件，告知他们可能感兴趣的特定优惠，或推动有针对性的社交媒体广告活动。

如果您曾经使用亚马逊或其他现代电子商务公司购买过任何东西，您可能已经在网站上看到过“为您推荐”或“其他人也购买过……”的部分，这些部分的内容来自您的购买历史记录和这些功能由CRM功能驱动。

新趋势

可以在计算机、平板电脑或智能手机上查看的MIS输出通常称为“仪表板”。这个想法类似于飞机或汽车中仪表板的用途，它回答诸如“我们的速度有多快？”、“我们有多少燃料？”、“发动机是否在正确的温度下运行？”等问题。'一个有效的绩效管理仪表板可以为业务经理回答诸如此类的关键问题。

新工具随时可用，例如Microsoft商业智能，它允许为公司各级决策者创建高度定制的仪表板，利用多种类型的数据（内部、外部、财务、非财务），为任何组织创建定制的绩效指标。

【ACCA PM例题：Relevant cost of machinery】