Information as a necessary evil: – Information was regarded as a necessary evil, associated with the development, production and marketing of products or services. Information was thus merely considered as a by-product of transactions in the organizations.
As a result, information systems of 1950s were primarily designed with the aim to reduce the cost of routine paper processing in accounting areas. The term Electronic Data Processing (EDP) was coined in this period.
Information for General Management Support: – By mid-sixties, organizations began recognizing information as an important tool, which could support general management tasks. The information systems corresponding to this period were known as management information system (MIS) and were thought of as system processing data into information.
Information for decision –making: -In early eighties, information was regarded as providing special-purpose, tailor-made management controls over the organization. Decision support systems and executive support systems were important advancements, which took place during this period. The purpose of such information systems was to improve and speed-up the decision-making process of top-level managers.
Information as a strategic resource: – In the revolutionary change pattern, the concept of information changed again by the mid-eighties and information has since then been considered as a strategic resource, capable of providing competitive advantage or a strategic weapon to fight the competition. Latest information systems which are known as strategic systems, support this concept of information
Dinesh Thakur holds an B.C.A, MCDBA, MCSD certifications. Dinesh authors the hugely popular