* Module/Week 1 Lecture Notes * Topic: Why Management of Information Systems (MIS)

Welcome to the introductory course in the Management Information Systems program. Whether you are taking course as a Business Elective or your required BMIS core, you may find, as the text author states, “Introduction to MIS is the most important class in the business school.”

I must agree. An understanding of how Information Systems support a business by helping to build competitive advantage is critical to everyone in today’s technology driven, global business environments.

In this module/week, you will be learning about four nonroutine critical skills that make MIS professionals some of the most valuable employees a business has. These four skills are: Abstract Reasoning, Systems Thinking, Collaboration, and Ability to Experiment.

Don’t panic at this point thinking you don’t have these skills. Over the period of your BMIS program you will learn these skills. It just happens often without you knowing it. MIS professionals are different than other people. We bridge the gap between technologist (who speak “technobabble”), and users (who speak “businobabble”). That gap widens at a rapid rate, so prepare yourselves for a wild ride.

Additionally, this module/week introduces the five-component Information Systems Framework. This provides your first step in learning about Abstract Reasoning and Systems Thinking. It puts information into a “model” (Abstract Reasoning) that helps you visualize how technology, processes, and people need to work in a system (Systems Thinking) to have an effective and efficient information system.

These two key knowledge points provide an excellent foundation for your BMIS studies and growth.

* Questions addressed in chapter 1:
Q1: Why is Introduction to MIS the most important class in the business school?
Q2: What is MIS?