Page 74 - Using MIS

42 Chapter 2 Collaboration Information Systems

These four purposes build on each other. For example, making a decision requires that team
members be informed. In turn, to solve a problem, the team must have the ability to make de-
cisions (and become informed). Finally, to conduct a project, the team must be able to solve
problems (and make decisions and become informed).
Before we continue, understand you can use the hierarchy of these four purposes to build
your professional skills. You cannot make good decisions if you do not have the skills to inform
yourself. You cannot solve problems if you are unable to make good decisions. And you cannot
manage projects if you don’t know how to solve problems!
In this question, we will consider the collaborative nature of these four purposes and de-
scribe requirements for information systems that support them, starting with the most basic:
becoming informed.

Becoming Informed

Informing is the first and most fundamental collaboration purpose. Recall from Chapter 1 that
two individuals can receive the same data but construct different interpretations or, as stated in
the terms of Chapter 1, conceive different information. The goal of the informing is to ensure, as
much as possible, that team members are conceiving information in the same way.
For example, as you read in the opening scenario, the team at AllRoad has been assigned
the task of investigating the 3D printing opportunity. One of the team’s first tasks is to ensure
that everyone understands that goal and, further, understands the basics of 3D printing technol-
ogy and what is required to implement it.
Informing, and hence all of the purposes of collaboration, presents several requirements
for collaborative information systems. As you would expect, team members need to be able to
share data and to communicate with one another to share interpretations. Furthermore, be-
cause memories are faulty and team membership can change, it is also necessary to document
the team’s understanding of the information conceived. To avoid having to go “over and over
and over” a topic, a repository of information, such as a wiki, is needed. We will say more about
this in Q5.

Making Decisions

Collaboration is used for some types of decision making, but not all. Consequently, to under-
stand the role for collaboration we must begin with an analysis of decision making. Decisions
are made at three levels: operational, managerial, and strategic.

Operational Decisions
Operational decisions are those that support operational, day-to-day activities. Typical op-
erational decisions are: How many widgets should we order from vendor A? Should we extend
credit to vendor B? Which invoices should we pay today?

Managerial Decisions

Managerial decisions are decisions about the allocation and utilization of resources. Typical
decisions are: How much should we budget for computer hardware and programs for depart-
ment A next year? How many engineers should we assign to project B? How many square feet of
warehouse space do we need for the coming year?
In general, if a managerial decision requires consideration of different perspectives, then
it will benefit from collaboration. For example, consider the decision of whether to increase
employee pay in the coming year. No single individual has the answer. The decision depends on
an analysis of inflation, industry trends, the organization’s profitability, the influence of unions,
and other factors. Senior managers, accountants, human resources personnel, labor relation-
ships managers, and others will each bring a different perspective to the decision. They will