The Essay Explores The Information Age And The Distinctions Among Data, Information, Business Intelligence, And Knowledge.

Introduction to Information Age

The information age is classified as a stage in personal history described by shifting from the traditional business to wealth based on automation. This period of history helps to access the difficult knowledge to find.

Data is referred to as different pieces of information that can explain the characteristics of the actions or matters. The managers are used to collecting and analyzing data before the information age so that the organization gets few insights regarding how to run the business (Baltzan 2017). Based on the case study of McDonald’s, the raw data are included about the customers, such as the total number of visits, type of customers, peak hours and others.

The information is termed as meaningful context to convert the data. There is a difference between data plus information, which is that computer devices need data as facts plus figures while humans need information. The data is processed and organized to make useful information, as it provides context for the data (Baltzan 2017).

Business intelligence is defined as supporting and facilitating the better decisions of the business. It allows the business organization to access the data that is to be critical for success in various areas like sales, marketing and finance (Baltzan 2017). Based on the case study of Mc Donald’s, the data of the customers, external data of the business competitors, and marketing events are the data used to make business-related decisions. The business decisions are taken for McDonald’s regarding adding value through business innovation, making the process to visit less routine and prohibited, and enhancement of the in-house experiences.

Knowledge is defined as sympathy added from side to side to the learning or the experience. It is the body of the facts and principles that are being acquired through the experiences of the human (Baltzan 2017). The workers are the knowledge employees, and they utilize business intelligence to make business decisions supported by the information. Based on the case study of McDonald’s, the business is attracted to customers those are ages range from 25-to 39 years addition, they are mainly female customers. McCafe is designed to propose a position to assemble with friends, enjoy quality coffee experiences, and keep the entertainment for the children.

System thinking is a path of checking the whole system by overseeing various inputs coursed to create the business outputs while meeting advice on every division of the business department (Safiullin et al. 2019). It is the approach to focus on ways that the system is part and how the MIS system is working overtime in the context of the large systems.

Differences among Data, Information, Business Intelligence and Knowledge

The MIS is the production function that shifts the information about products, processes, and people crossways various company units to ease decision-making along with problem-solving (Talón-Ballestero et al. 2018). MIS is used for McDonald’s business to solve the issues with the information silos. McDonald's uses MIS for recording the daily attendance of the employees and recording the monthly finances for the business. The business combines the data in one database to quickly update data, get reports on monthly sales, and print reports besides mailing labels. The restaurant is using an access database to avoid any errors in the supply of raw materials, reduce chances of lost documentation and make the process automated. Developed MIS helps McDonald to reduce the time required to search for information related to raw materials, suppliers, employees and products (Aydiner et al. 2019). By means of using the MIS, McDonald's shortens the time for their services by eliminating delays of the drivers at cashier’s windows. The business looks for the right criteria for performance, monitors it and works to improve the information silos issues. The business comes up with innovative ideas by introducing computing technologies to improve customer services and gain a competitive advantage.

McDonald’s is using point of sale to make sure that orders are done quickly and the cashier can know the amount due for the customers. The touch interface ordering system helps McDonald’s to order foods by minimizing the labor costs and solving problems of information silos. It results in shortened waiting times for the customers in the queue and delivers faster experiences for the customers. It enhances accuracy for reducing the likelihood of human errors (Martins et al. 2019).  McDonald’s serves various types of customers and therefore, it is required to maintain records of the customers like sale purchase data. MIS helps to record the data and ensures proper management of the services and products of the company. MIS is also used to keep records of the transactional data to understand the profits and losses of the business and this data helps to take proper business decisions.

Based on the case study of MC Donald’s, if a customer is placing an order to the cashier and the cashier is not conveying the order details to the cook, the customer will not get the order on time. Miscommunication among the employees (cashier and cook) is negatively impacting the productivity, performance, and finances of the business of MC Donald’s. In order to minimize this type of communication issue, MIS is used to keep check-in addition to balance the productivity of the staff, order details of the customers are taken on time and efficient management of information among employees (Köksal and Tekinerdogan 2019). MIS helps to enable business communication at MC Donald’s as the cashier uses the information system to keep the cooks in the kitchen updated with the computer's screen messages regarding the orders placed by the customers. It is used at their outlet to make sure that the orders given by the customers are displayed on the screens of the cashier and the kitchen staff. The cashier will get receipts, and the cook will get ideas to get the orders on time and proper orders are served to the customers (Tummers, Kassahun and Tekinerdogan 2019).

System Thinking and Management Information System (MIS) Solves Issues with Information Silos in McDonald's

McDonald’s is using a decision support system for efficient business communication by implementing wireless internet in the restaurant. It helps in gathering data about various categories like the length of stay at the restaurant, sales level as well as customer practice to come up with the decisions that help in the betterment of the restaurant. MIS helps in managing business communication by storing data related to the quantity of each product sold and the hours an item was being sold. It helps in forecasting plus preparing for another similar day. It plays a key role in better business communication among front couriers plus kitchen staff (Mayer et al. 2019). McDonald’s is playing a significant role in business communication with the stakeholders to provide better customer services and not to become stock out of the items. In order to communicate with the stakeholders, the business uses an internal communication team to convey the purpose of the MIS in the internal business operations.

It assists in expanding the informational level of the understudy. Aptitudes can help to improve when the individuals are working with TMA. It helps develop habits of reading and learning on the standard professional level.

The course concept helps me get knowledge of various information systems that help the business manage its business functions. The information system is the achievement of business success so that competitive advantage is being achieved. Strategic initiatives are developed to implement the competitive advantage, and measurement of the initiatives helps to support the business performance. This course helps me understand that information is valuable as a strategic asset and organizational success for the business.  

References

Aydiner, A.S., Tatoglu, E., Bayraktar, E. and Zaim, S., 2019. Information system capabilities and firm performance: Opening the black box through decision-making performance and business-process performance. International Journal of Information Management, 47, pp.168-182.

Baltzan, P., 2017. Business driven technology. MsGraw Hill.7^th edition.

Köksal, Ö. and Tekinerdogan, B., 2019. Architecture design approach for IoT-based farm management information systems. Precision Agriculture, 20(5), pp.926-958.

Martins, J., Branco, F., Gonçalves, R., Au-Yong-Oliveira, M., Oliveira, T., Naranjo-Zolotov, M. and Cruz-Jesus, F., 2019. Assessing the success behind the use of education management information systems in higher education. Telematics and Informatics, 38, pp.182-193.

Mayer, N., Aubert, J., Grandry, E., Feltus, C., Goettelmann, E. and Wieringa, R., 2019. An integrated conceptual model for information system security risk management supported by enterprise architecture management. Software & Systems Modeling, 18(3), pp.2285-2312.

Safiullin, R., Marusin, A., Safiullin, R. and Ablyazov, T., 2019. Methodical approaches for creation of intelligent management information systems by means of energy resources of technical facilities. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 140, p. 10008). EDP Sciences.

Talón-Ballestero, P., González-Serrano, L., Soguero-Ruiz, C., Muñoz-Romero, S. and Rojo-Álvarez, J.L., 2018. Using big data from customer relationship management information systems to determine the client profile in the hotel sector. Tourism Management, 68, pp.187-197.

Tummers, J., Kassahun, A. and Tekinerdogan, B., 2019. Obstacles and features of Farm Management Information Systems: A systematic literature review. Computers and electronics in agriculture, 157, pp.189-204.