How is MIS used in business?

Management Information Systems (MIS) is the study of people, technology, organizations, and the relationships among them. MIS professionals help firms realize maximum benefit from investment in personnel, equipment, and business processes. MIS is a people-oriented field with an emphasis on service through technology. If you have an interest in technology and have the desire to use technology to improve people’s lives, a degree in MIS may be for you.

MIS Professionals Make Business Better

Businesses use information systems at all levels of operation to collect, process, and store data. Management aggregates and disseminates this data in the form of information needed to carry out the daily operations of business. Everyone who works in business, from someone who pays the bills to the person who makes employment decisions, uses information systems. A car dealership could use a computer database to keep track of which products sell best. A retail store might use a computer-based information system to sell products over the Internet. In fact, many (if not most) businesses concentrate on the alignment of MIS with business goals to achieve competitive advantage over other businesses.

MIS professionals create information systems for data management (i.e., storing, searching, and analyzing data). In addition, they manage various information systems to meet the needs of managers, staff and customers. By working collaboratively with various members of their work group, as well as with their customers and clients, MIS professionals are able to play a key role in areas such as information security, integration, and exchange. As an MIS major, you will learn to design, implement, and use business information systems in innovative ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your company.

More Than Coding

A common misconception is that MIS only concerns coding (or writing computer code). While coding concepts represent some of the fundamental principles of information systems development, implementation, and use, many jobs in MIS do not utilize coding at all. A large portion of the MIS degree focuses on data analysis, teamwork, leadership, project management, customer service, and underlying business theories. These aspects of the degree are what set the MIS professional apart from a computer science specialist.

• Do you enjoy working with people?
• Would you enjoy the chance to work on global problems with people from all over the world?
• Do you enjoy analyzing and solving problems?
• Do you want to create innovative, cutting-edge technology solutions?
• Do you want to learn how to make businesses more efficient, effective and competitive?

Then you should consider as your major the field that is experiencing a critical shortage of professionally trained individuals. A field where demand is skyrocketing with projected growth rates of 38 percent – the fastest of any business discipline (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What kinds of people pursue MIS degrees?

The profiles of MIS professionals are varied, but in general, such individuals possess many of the following traits:

• good problem solving skills
• ability to effectively manage time and resources
• a clear vision of “the big picture” as well as the “small details”
• a desire to work closely with other people
• excellent communication skills
• ability to think strategically about technology
• a desire to take responsibility for developing and implementing their own ideas

What are typical career options for MIS professionals?

• IT Consultant
• Web Developer
• Information Systems Manager
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Network Administrator
• Business Application Developer
• Systems Analyst
• Technical Support Specialist
• Business Analyst
• Systems Developer

Why should I choose to major in MIS?

• Job satisfaction
• High placement rate
• High salaries
• Exciting field
• Challenging field
• Hands-on problem solving
• Innovation and creativity
• Global opportunities
• Great chance for advancement
• You can have an impact!

What is an average salary for an MIS professional?

MIS majors have one of the highest starting salaries of all the undergraduate degree programs in Mays Business School. The average starting salaries of our MIS graduates in 2019 was $65,679.

Management information systems (MIS) provide data to inform company decision making, reduce waste and increase profits. MIS in company management provides a broad picture of company performance, acts as a planning tool, emphasizes strengths and weaknesses, helps improve performance and illuminates levels of organizational efficiency. All levels of management, departments and even customers can use the information generated through various MIS data to inform decisions like buying, hiring, reorganizing, pricing, marketing and budgeting.

MIS Application in Business 

MIS application in business falls into several different categories that provide information on all forms of functioning within an organization. Executives and departments within an organization could obtain any of the following forms of data:

• Business Intelligence System: In BI, all levels of management and executives can print data and graphs showing information or trends relating to growth, costs, strategic control, efficiency, risk and performance. 
• Executive Information System: An EI system provides the same information as a BI system, but with greater attention to detail and more confidential information, designed to help top-level executives make choices that impact the entire organization. 
• Marketing Information System: MI systems provide data about past marketing campaigns so that marketing executives can determine what works, what does not work and what they need to change in order to achieve the desired results. 
• Transaction Processing System: TPS handles sales transactions and makes it possible for customers to sort search results by size, color or price. This system can also track trends related to sales and search results. 
• Customer Relationship Management System: Keeping up with customers is key to overall success, and CRMS helps companies know when and how to follow up with customers in order to encourage an ongoing sales relationship with them. 
• Sales Force Automation System: Gone are the days when sales teams must do everything manually. SFA systems automate much of what must be done for orders and to obtain customer information. 
• Human Resource Management System: HRM systems track how much employees are paid, when and how they are performing. Companies can use this information to help improve performance or the bottom line. 
• Knowledge Management System: Customers with questions want answers right away and knowledge management systems allow them to access frequently asked questions or troubleshoot on their own timetable. 
• Financial Accounting System: Financial accounting systems help to track accounts receivable and accounts payable, in order to best manage the cash flow of a company. 
• Supply Chain Management System: SCM systems record and manage the supply of finances, goods and data from the point of origin domestically or abroad, all the way to its destination in the hands of a customer. 

Who Uses MIS Business Applications? 

Whether you recognize it or not, you have probably used an MIS application in your day-to-day life as a customer. When you sort and filter your search on your favorite clothing site, you are actually using MIS. Nearly everyone in an organization uses MIS business applications, whether it is the salesperson using an order screen, the hiring manager choosing a new employee or the CIO making major reorganizational shifts to keep a company in the black. MIS in company operations makes business as we know it faster, more accurate and more profitable.

Improving MIS in Company Choices

The better a company's MIS business applications, the easier it is to make key decisions. In order to improve MIS in company decision making, examine what is working or not in your organization. If your MIS reports show increasing sales, but you are still in the red, try adjusting your supply chain management system. If human resources show low productivity, yet increased profit, consider removing parameters from the human resource management system. When in doubt, MIS consultants can audit your current systems to help you get the results you are hoping for.