Artificial Intelligence

By Sandeep Kumar

Introduction:
 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent. The ability to create intelligent machines has intrigued humans since ancient times and today with the advent of the computer and 50 years of research into AI programming techniques, the dream of smart machines is becoming a reality. Researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought, understand speech, beat the best human chess player, and countless other feats never before possible.
 

AI is considered to be the branch of Computer Science than that of General Science. There have been many research and development in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The area of research include speech and pattern recognition, natural language processing, learning from previous experiences (learning by making and correcting mistakes!), reasoning under the situations providing limited or incomplete information etc.
 

AI is practically applied in the field of computer games, expert systems, neural networks, robotics and many other fields of science and technology.
 

Different approaches are used to create intelligence. Including

• Neural Networks and Parallel Computation
• Top down Approaches

Examples:
 

Following are some examples of the applications in which AI techniques are used.

• Computer Games
• Missile Evasion
• Image Recognition
• Stock Market
• Auto-Pilot in Airplanes and Ships
• Biggest User is BMD(Ballistic Missile Defense) System
• Satellites
• Space Launch and re-entry
• Data Mining and Data Warehousing

Evolution of Information Technology

By Mohtashim Nomani

Information Technology has helped the process of collaboration across an organization and also helped company to become a market innovator and has increased the productivity of Organization.

Let us have the attached Pictorial example of the firm which is self explanatory where HR department has been evolved due to Information Technology.

Earlier when everything was dependent on paper work and there was no proper way to organize the data; stack of files used to be on table along with many helping material and it was quite cumbersome to handle the things in an efficient manner.

With the advent of information technology, processes have become more streamlined. Electronic mails have replaced most of the paper work. Remote location meetings and educations have been replaced by use of video conferencing and people are more up to date with the latest information and they are managing things online. 

An ERP Guide to Driving Efficiency

By Kapil Dev Rathi

Improving business efficiency is a continuing alarm for any company that hopes to achieve “best-in-class” operations. Businesses that reduce operating costs and successfully improve efficiency stand to reduce while improving the effectiveness and profitability of their operations. They also gain time to offer to strategic planning. While many companies employ soiled applications and manual business processes, best companies are more likely to fully deed ERP technology.

This article describes how ERP technology can improve proficiency by:

Automating and standardizing and business processes—locally as well as across multiple locations and countries—to accelerate business operations.

Offering a fully integrated suite of business management applications that share a common database and extending these applications over the Internet, allowing visibility and cooperation across departments, as well as with suppliers, partners, customers, and remote users.

Providing flexible and modifiable reporting to improve business reporting, analysis, and insight.

Conclusion

 
For best class companies look to feat ERP solutions to improve their operational efficiency to reduce costs, improve operational effectiveness to enhance profitability, and make more resources available for strategic planning. These organizations are turnoff to ERP applications to meet these objectives. By optimizing their use of ERP solutions, organizations have the opportunity to automate key business processes for more consistent, streamlined operations.

Firm or companies can more effectively share information across departments, locations, and even countries to eliminate duplicate data entry and improve visibility. And they got flexible tools to evaluate operational data to proactively manage business exemptions and improve strategic planning.

 

Career in Management Information Systems

By Arsalan Akhtar

The 21st Century is the Century of technology and the demand of MIS is considered to be the topmost among all. With the growth of technology the need of professionals of IT has been raised. There is a wide range of career for MIS graduate to select.

System Analyst
System Analyst job is to examine the business processes and  the problems related to the user needs. System Analysts are often seen working in team. The other job title for system analyst is also known as business analyst.

Programmer

Programmers as the name itself suggest is responsible for writing the program codes as per the requirement specified by the system analyst. Computer Science department in hands with Management Information Systems is the best option for those students who wish to opt for programming field. Programmer’s job type differs in its working form from individual to team environment depending on the organizational setup and assignments. Programmer field is further included in the fields like programming and web development.

Programmer Analyst
Programmer analyst is basically a mixture of both programmer and system analyst. Thus programmer analyst is responsible for both analysing problems involved in business and then writing of programming codes.

Network Administrator
The network administration is responsible for dealing with the activities of user connectivity like data, voice, video, etc in the organization itself. They are responsible for  designing the network architecture, wiring network ports, installing file servers, maintaining user names and passwords, and trouble-shooting telecommunications problems.

Database Administrator
The database administrator is responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining the database systems of the organization, determine policies and procedures for security, management, and maintenance. Data administrators need to work with information systems programmers, system administrators as well as end users.

Business Analyst
Business Analysts are responsible for solving client’s problems. Business Analyst can also be known as consultant. The job profile of business analyst includes trainings, user support specialists, and technical support specialists, project group experts in a particular technology or method. The skills required for business analyst include excellent communication skills and the ability to quickly identify and define a problem.

The job title and positions differ with different organizations however the ones mentioned above are the entry level job positions that are in highest demand in the organizations today. The skills required by the Information technology professionals apart from holding a degree include communication skills, analytical, technical, and managerial skills. These skills play a prominent role in problem solving which is required for almost all MIS positions.

MIS in Services Sector

By Saad Ali

Services sector is a part of economy, which consists of Individuals and Businesses, which contribute to the production of services/employment, thus contributing to GDP.  Services are different from generation of goods that may be used in the service sector. 

Services sector is related with one-on-one interaction of the customers, for this purpose service demands are dynamic and changing, this is often due to Socio-Economic situation of customer that is often determined from the levels of his/her needs and expectations.

Due to its dynamic nature, competition, and to maintain competitive edge, Managers strive to model distinctive services, in order to satisfy its customer and fulfill their demands. This means services sector includes some of the major areas, which, when looked after smartly can produce better results, and also prove as competitive edge.

Following are the principles of the distinctive service as stated by Tom Peters.

Tom Peters in “The Service Edge” states five principles of a distinct service

1. Listen, understand and respond to the customers.
2. Define a superior service and establish a service strategy.
3. Set the standards and measure the performance.
4. Select, then train and then empower the employees to work for the customers.
5. Recognize and also reward the accomplishments.

In today’s world, the main goal of service organizations is to maximize profit. For this purpose they struggle on creation of distinct services, along with that, there also exists competition of marketing products.

Services sector includes Hospitals, Education, Hotels, Airlines and Banking sector etc.

Hospitals are run as a business with a mission of providing health care facilities. Therefore, MIS can be used in hospitals to monitor patients’ checkup, treatment, recovery and services availed history so as to entertain the customer accordingly on their subsequent next visits.

Banking sector is responsible for providing financial/monetary services. MIS in this sector should be implemented in order to keep record of customers, as well as services to the account holders, special offers or promotions.

In Hotel Industry, MIS can be used to keep track of customer profiles, there wants and needs of services asked for or availed during their visits, so as to treat them accordingly on their subsequent visits, it can also be used for managing current resources, planning for future/needed resources, monitor occupancy level, providing special services to special people etc.

Airline Industry is a major, quick and safe source of mobility of People and Goods. In this industry MIS can be used to keep track of various aspects of customer information, information about the aviation, flight schedules, operations, special offers etc.

MIS in Education industry can be used to maintain record of students, teachers or instructors, monitor their progress, planning of resources, staff information, admission systems etc.

Is IT systems really required in any business?

By Ozair Qazi

Information Technology has grown in power and ubiquity, companies have come to view it as evermore critical to their success, their heavy spending on hardware and software clearly reflects that assumption. Chief executives routinely talk about information technology's strategic values, about how they can use IT to gain a competitive edge. But scarcity, not ubiquity, makes a business resource truly strategic, and allows companies to use it for a sustained competitive advantage. You gain an edge over rivals only by doing something that they can't. IT is the latest in a series of broadly adopted technologies, think of the railroad or the electric generator, that have reshaped industry over the past two centuries. For a brief time, these technologies have created powerful opportunities for forward-looking companies. But as their availability increased and their costs decreased, they became commodity inputs. From a strategic standpoint, they no longer mattered. That's exactly what's happening to IT, and the implications are profound. Summary of this article suggests that IT management should, frankly, become boring. It should focus on reducing risks, not increasing opportunities. For example, companies need to pay more attention to ensuring network and data security. Even more important, they need to manage IT costs more aggressively. IT may not help you gain a strategic advantage, but it could easily put you at a cost disadvantage.

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