Author: Christopher Altieri
Companies have been using computers to improve how they do business for many years. Initially, information systems were applied to simple tasks like transactional processing, employee management, and inventory tracking. Over time, businesses began to seek solutions for other aspects of industry including manufacturing and distribution. Large technology firms were happy to oblige business owners with complex and expensive machinery that would allow them to create more products and ship them out with less human labor costs.
Many of the consumer goods that the average person enjoys today have been sent through highly advanced systems in order to be created and delivered to the storefront. While most of these systems are designed to be integrated with machinery that is capable of performing tasks that used to be carried out by humans, some of the newer technology has found its way into the corporate office buildings where managers and executives strategize about the best business decisions. Individuals who graduate from management information systems degree programs will generally be working with managers and executives to apply the information that systems produce to real-world business scenarios.
There are generally four types of information systems that businesses use to inform the management process. These include transactional processing systems, management information systems, decision-making systems, and executive systems. Each of these systems is designed to process information about business performance so that individuals can assess how efficiently business operations are running and how things can be changed to reduce waste and increase profitability. The system that any one individual works with will generally depend on the level of education, experience, and amount of time spent working for the company.
The management information systems degree is a relatively new concept that was designed by colleges and universities to develop graduates who understand the technical components of computer systems and who have the skills necessary to effectively manage employees. These programs usually include courses from both the computer science department and the business administration department. Common coursework includes computer programming, database design, systems analysis, finance, marketing, supply chain management, and much more.
The combination of computer science courses and business administration courses was a concept that came about as a result of a need within the business community for individuals who have a basic understanding of both worlds. This is extremely important because computer technologists are not always good at applying their innovations to real-world business problems and business administrators do not have the technical knowledge required to create new and innovative computer systems that can help them with their daily operational challenges. Information systems graduates are able to serve as a middleman who is capable of communicating with technologists to guide their efforts in the direction of solving business problems.
Management information systems professionals can expect to enjoy strong job growth for the foreseeable future. Computer technology is always evolving and businesses must continually adopt new systems in order to stay up-to-date in today’s competitive business environment. This means that small and large businesses will always be looking to hire individuals who have a broad based understanding of information systems and administrative procedures. Another appealing aspect of this career path is the fact that graduates can expect to earn an average salary of somewhere between $75,000 and $125,000 per year.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/reasons-to-consider-an-information-technology-career-6554673.html
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Readers who feel that an MIS Degree might be the right career opportunity for them are encouraged to explore the industry in more depth. There are many different directions that a student can go in this major and they should try to evaluate which option best fits their career objectives and their personality.