MIS - The factors of Success and Failure
Many organizations use MIS successfully, others do not.
Though the hardware and the software is the latest and has appropriate
technology, its use is more for the collection and storage of data and its
elementary processing. There are some factors which make the MIS a success and
some others, which make it a failure. These factors can be summarized as
follows:
If a MIS is to be success then it should have all the
features listed as follows:
§
The MIS is integrated into the managerial
functions. It sets clear objectives to ensure that the MIS focuses on the major
issues of the business.
§
An appropriate information processing technology
required to meet the data processing and analysis needs of the users of the MIS
is selected.
§
The MIS is oriented, defined and designed in
terms of the user's requirements and its operational viability is ensured.
§
The MIS is kept under continuous surveillance, so
that its open system design is modified according to the changing information
needs.
§
MIS focuses on the results and goals, and
highlights the factors and reasons for non achievement.
§
MIS is not allowed to end up into an information
generation mill avoiding the noise in the information and the communication
system.
§
The MIS recognizes that a manager is a human
being and therefore, the systems must consider all the human behavioral factors
in the process of the management.
§
The MIS recognizes that the different information
needs for different objectives must be met with. The globalization of
information in isolation from the different objectives leads to too much
information and information and its non-use.
§
The MIS is easy to operate and, therefore, the
design of the MIS has such features which make up a user-friendly design.
§
MIS recognizes that the information needs become
obsolete and new needs emerge. The MIS design, therefore, has a basic potential
capability to quickly meet new needs of information.
§
The MIS concentrates on developing the
information support to manager critical success factors. It concentrates on the
mission critical applications serving the needs of the top management.
Many a times MIS is a failures. The common factors which are
responsible for this are listed as follows:
§
The MIS is conceived as a data processing and not
as an information processing system.
§
The MIS does not provide that information which
is needed by the managers but it tends to provide the information generally the
function calls for. The MIS then becomes an impersonal system.
§
Underestimating the complexity in the business
systems and not recognizing it in the MIS design leads to problems in the
successful implementation.
§
Adequate attention is not given to the quality
control aspects of the inputs, the process and the outputs leading to
insufficient checks and controls in the MIS.
§
The MIS is developed without streamlining the
transaction processing systems in the organization.
§
Lack of training and appreciation that the users
of the information and the generators of the data are different, and they have
to play an important responsible role in the MIS.
§
The MIS does not meet certain critical and key
factors of its users such as a response to the query on the database, an
inability to get the processing done in a particular manner, lack of
user-friendly system and the dependence on the system personnel.
§
A belief that the computerized MIS can solve all
the management problems of planning and control of the business.
§
Lack of administrative discipline in following
the standardized systems and procedures, wrong coding and deviating from the
system specifications result in incomplete and incorrect information.
§
The MIS does not give perfect information to all
the users in the organization.
