Types of information systems What is an information system? School information system. Unified information system. City cadastral information system

Various types of information systems involve the use of a PC as the main technical means by which any information is processed. Computers, which contain specialized software, represent the technical basis and are also the main tool of such systems.

What it is?

All types of information systems are a specialized software and hardware complex, the main purpose of which is to ensure the reliability of data stored in a computer, as well as to perform a number of functions that are specific to a particular subject area. In addition, such complexes provide the user with an extremely convenient and at the same time easy-to-learn interface.

Today, various types of information systems are used in almost all areas of modern society, including:

  • Government agencies.
  • Financial and credit institutions.
  • Production areas.
  • Science.
  • Education and many other areas.

During the creation of various types of information systems, a wide variety of problems may arise related to the formal algorithmic or mathematical description of the problem being solved. The efficiency of its operation, as well as the degree of automation, determined by the degree of human participation when making certain decisions based on the information received, directly depends on how well this system is created.

The more accurate the mathematical description of the problem, the more opportunities there will be to ensure complete processing of all information using a computer, and the less direct participation of the person himself in all these processes will be. This is what determines the degree of automation of various tasks.

Structured

This type of information systems is a task in which absolutely all the elements are known, as well as how they are interconnected. In structured problems, there is the possibility of expressing their content in the form of a mathematical model, which has an extremely accurate solution algorithm. It is worth noting that in the vast majority of cases such tasks have to be solved several times, and they are of a routine nature. The main purpose for which these types of information systems are used in an organization is to highlight the solution of structured problems, as well as ensuring complete automation of their solution, that is, when the role of a person in the entire process is practically absent.

Unstructured

Such tasks make it impossible to isolate certain elements or establish a certain connection between them. Due to the fact that these types of information structures do not provide for the possibility of creating an initial mathematical description and, accordingly, the subsequent development of an algorithm, their solution is associated with a number of difficulties. Possible applications in in this case information system are insignificant, that is, in most cases in such situations, the decision is made directly by the person himself, who is based on own experience, as well as various data that he received from various sources.

Expert

Expert Information system and its types are a program that behaves like an expert in a certain field. In other words, such a system is often strictly specialized, and all its solutions correspond to the area under consideration.

Among the typical examples of the use of such expert systems It is worth highlighting the solution of problems such as localizing faults in various equipment, for example, in medical diagnostic devices.

Other types

Also, the classification and types of information systems offer several more basic options:

  • Manual. In such systems there are completely no modern technical means that would ensure data processing, and all actions are carried out directly by the person himself. For example, in this case, we can consider the activities of a manager in a company in which there are no hand-held computers, and a specialist works with just such an IS.
  • Automatic. These are by far the most optimal information systems. The structure and classification of such systems provides for the performance of any operations related to data processing and is carried out without direct human participation.
  • Automated. In the functioning of such information systems, information processing is carried out with the participation of both the person himself and various technical equipment, but the main role still falls on the computer. In the modern interpretation, when considering the types of support for information systems, the concept of an automated system is also necessarily considered. It is equipped with a number of specialized modifications. At the same time, there are also different types automated information systems, which are divided among themselves according to the scope of use or the nature of data processing.

Scope of application

Information systems are initially designed to ensure fully automatic execution of certain tasks assigned to different structural units.

Among the main functions that are performed by various types of management information systems, it is worth highlighting:

  • Operational control and regulation of processes.
  • Operational and long-term planning.
  • Accounting.
  • Supply and sales management and many other tasks.

Process control

The main types of process control information systems are used to automate various functions that this moment assigned to production personnel. Such systems are quite actively used today in the organization process. They help support the technological process in the modern engineering and metallurgical industries.

Computer-aided design

Concept and types of information systems computer-aided design provide for automation various functions, which are entrusted to architects, designers, designers or design engineers carrying out the creation new technology or various technologies. Among the main functions that such systems undertake, it is worth highlighting the carrying out of engineering calculations, the generation of design and graphic documentation, as well as detailed modeling of currently designed objects.

Integration

These systems are designed to fully automate all functions of the company, and therefore they cover the entire cycle of work, from design to subsequent sales of products. It is worth noting that the creation of such systems is quite complex, since in this case a careful approach is required from the point of view of the main goal, for example, making a profit, conquering a certain sales market and much more.

It is worth noting the fact that this method can provoke significant changes in the structure of the company itself, and not all managers decide to do this.

Information retrieval

Initially, it is worth considering how the problem is stated in general form in this case. To do this, you need to answer three questions:

  • What to look for? (what exactly sources of information are needed).
  • Where to look? (where these sources may be located).
  • How to search? (what tools can be used).

If we consider what the main sources of information on the Internet are used, then here the types of data in information systems will be all kinds of www documents, articles located in news groups or lists, mailings, various library files, directories of address information and many other sources.

In this case, you can search for information manually, that is, find out addresses from various specialized magazines or use all kinds of paper directories that contain data classified into categories. On the Internet, the most important thing is to learn how to use special tools, the main purpose of which is to collect information about resources, as well as provide users with extremely fast search services.

What is such a system?

An information retrieval system is a full-fledged software and hardware complex that has its own web interface, and also allows you to quickly find this or that information on the Internet. The software part of the search engine is a basic engine that includes a whole range of programs. In most cases, it represents the strictest trade secret of the organization that developed the search system.

The main task facing such a system is a thorough search for various data that are relevant to the information needs of certain users. In this case, it is extremely important not to lose anything in the process of searching for information, that is, to identify absolutely all documents that relate to the user request, but do not provide anything unnecessary. It is for this purpose that a characteristic is used that determines the quality of the search procedure performed, and it is called “relevance”.

Metasearch engine

This format of information systems is a specialized tool that sends the user’s request to several search engines and directories at once, and sometimes to a hidden virtual space, in which the data is collected. As a rule, they are not indexed by the vast majority of traditional search engines. By collecting the necessary results, such a system completely erases any duplicate links, after which, in full accordance with the algorithm established by it, it combines and groups the results, thus forming a common list.

Unlike individual directories, metasearch types of information system structures do not require a database, but at the same time they save a huge amount of time, since there is no need to enter queries in various search engines. It is for this reason that in most cases the search results are relevant to the highest degree. Metasearch engines are most often used by webmasters who are trying to find out whether their site is in the top results of major search engines, what its current ratings are, and how popular the links are.

Information system concept

Under system understand any object that is simultaneously considered both as a single whole and as a collection of heterogeneous elements united in the interests of achieving set goals. The systems differ significantly from each other both in composition and in their main goals.

In computer science, the concept of “system” is widespread and has many semantic meanings. Most often it is used in relation to a set of technical tools and programs. The hardware of a computer can be called a system. A system can also be considered a set of programs for solving specific application problems, supplemented by procedures for maintaining documentation and managing calculations.

Adding the word “information” to the concept of “system” reflects the purpose of its creation and operation. Information systems provide collection, storage, processing, retrieval, and issuance of information necessary in the decision-making process of problems from any area. They help analyze problems and create new products.

Information system- an interconnected set of means, methods and personnel used for storing, processing and issuing information in the interests of achieving a set goal.

The modern understanding of an information system assumes the use of a personal computer as the main technical means of information processing. In large organizations, along with a personal computer, the technical base of the information system may include a mainframe or supercomputer. In addition, the technical implementation of an information system in itself will not mean anything if the role of the person for whom the information produced is intended and without whom its receipt and presentation is impossible is not taken into account.

Attention! By organization we mean a community of people united by common goals and using common material and financial means to produce material and information products and services. In the text, two words will be used on an equal basis: “organization” and “company”.

It is necessary to understand the difference between computers and information systems. Computers equipped with specialized software are the technical basis and tool for information systems. An information system is unthinkable without personnel interacting with computers and telecommunications.

Stages of information systems development

The history of the development of information systems and the purposes of their use at different periods are presented in the table below

Period of timeInformation Use ConceptType of information systemsPurpose of use
1950 - 1960Paper flow of settlement documentsInformation systems for processing settlement documents on electromechanical accounting machinesIncreasing the speed of document processing

Simplifying invoice processing and payroll processing

1960 - 1970Basic assistance in preparing reportsManagement information systems for production informationSpeeding up the reporting process
1970 - 1980Management control of sales (sales)Decision support systems

Systems for senior management

Sampling the most rational solution
1980 - 2000Information is a strategic resource that provides a competitive advantageStrategic Information Systems

Automated offices

Survival and prosperity of the company

The first information systems appeared in the 50s. During these years, they were intended for processing invoices and payroll calculations, and were implemented on electromechanical accounting machines. This led to some reduction in costs and time for preparing paper documents.

60s are marked by a change in attitude towards information systems. The information obtained from them began to be used for periodic reporting on many parameters. Organizations needed this day computer equipment wide-purpose, capable of serving many functions, and not just processing invoices and calculating salaries, as was previously the case.

In the 70s - early 80s. Information systems are beginning to be widely used as a means of management control, supporting and accelerating the decision-making process.

By the end of the 80s. The concept of using information systems is changing again. They become a strategic source of information and are used at all levels of any organization. Information systems of this period, providing the necessary information on time, help the organization achieve success in its activities, create new goods and services, find new markets, secure worthy partners, organize the production of products at a low price, and much more.

Processes in the information system

The processes that ensure the operation of an information system for any purpose can be roughly represented in the form of a diagram consisting of blocks:

  • entering information from external or internal sources;
  • processing input information and presenting it in a convenient form;
  • outputting information for presentation to consumers or transfer to another system;
  • Feedback is information processed by people of a given organization to correct input information.

An information system is defined by the following properties:

  • any information system can be analyzed, built and managed on the basis of general principles for building systems;
  • the information system is dynamic and developing;
  • when building an information system, it is necessary to use a systematic approach;
  • the output of the information system is information on the basis of which decisions are made;
  • an information system should be perceived as a human-computer information processing system.

Currently, there is an opinion about an information system as a system implemented using computer technology. Although in the general case, an information system can also be understood in a non-computer version.

To understand the operation of an information system, it is necessary to understand the essence of the problems that it solves, as well as the organizational processes in which it is included. For example, when determining the capability of a computer information system to support decision making, consideration should be given to

  • the structure of the management tasks being solved;
  • the level of the company's management hierarchy at which the decision must be made;
  • whether the problem being solved belongs to one or another functional area of ​​the business;
  • type of information technology used.

The technology of working in a computer information system is understandable to a specialist in the non-computer field and can be successfully used to control and manage professional processes.

What can you expect from the implementation of information systems

the introduction of information systems can contribute to:

  • obtaining more rational options for solving management problems through the introduction of mathematical methods and intelligent systems, etc.;
  • exemption of workers from routine work due to its automation;
  • ensuring the reliability of information;
  • replacing paper data carriers with magnetic disks or tapes, which leads to a more rational organization of information processing on a computer and a reduction in the volume of documents on paper;
  • improving the structure of information flows and the document flow system in the company;
  • reducing costs for the production of products and services;
  • providing consumers with unique services;
  • finding new market niches;
  • tying buyers and suppliers to the company by providing them with various discounts and services.

The role of the management structure in the information system

General provisions

The creation and use of an information system for any organization is aimed at solving the following problems.

1. The structure of the information system and its functional purpose must correspond to the goals facing the organization. For example, in a commercial company - effective business; in a state enterprise - solving social and economic problems.

2. The information system must be controlled by people, understood and used in accordance with basic social and ethical principles.

3. Production of reliable, reliable, timely and systematized information.

Building an information system can be compared to building a house. Bricks, nails, cement and other materials placed together do not make a house. A project, land management, construction, etc. are needed for a house to appear.

Similarly, to create and use an information system, you must first understand the structure, functions and policies of the organization, the goals of management and decisions made, and the capabilities of computer technology. The information system is part of the organization, and the key elements of any organization are the structure and management bodies, standard procedures, staff, subculture.

Construction of an information system should begin with an analysis of the organization's management structure.

Organization management structure

Coordination of the work of all divisions of the organization is carried out through management bodies at different levels. Under management understand the achievement of the set goal, subject to the implementation of the following functions: organizational, planning, accounting, analysis, control, stimulation.

Let's consider the content managerial functions:

Organizational function consists in developing an organizational structure and a set of regulatory documents: staffing schedule for a company, department, laboratory, group, etc. indicating subordination, responsibility, sphere of competence, rights, responsibilities, etc. Most often, this is set out in department, laboratory, or job descriptions.

Planning (planning function) consists of developing and implementing plans to accomplish assigned tasks. For example, a business plan for the entire company, a production plan, a marketing research plan, a financial plan, a research and development plan, etc. for various periods (year, quarter, month, day).

Accounting function consists in developing or using ready-made forms and methods for recording company performance indicators: accounting, financial accounting, management accounting, etc. In general, accounting can be defined as the receipt, registration, accumulation, processing and provision of information about real business processes.

Analysis or analytical function is associated with studying the results of the implementation of plans and orders, identifying influencing factors, identifying reserves, studying development trends, etc. The analysis is performed by different specialists depending on the complexity and level of the analyzed object or process. Analysis of the results of a company’s economic activities for a year or more is carried out by specialists, and at the workshop or department level by a manager at this level (chief or his deputy) together with a specialist economist.

Control function most often carried out by the manager: control over the implementation of plans, the expenditure of material resources, the use of financial resources, etc.

Stimulation or the motivational function involves the development and application various methods stimulating the work of subordinate employees:

  • financial incentives - salary, bonus, shares, promotion, etc.;
  • psychological incentives - gratitude, certificates, titles, degrees, honor boards, etc.

In recent years, the concept of “decision making” and the systems, methods, and decision support tools associated with this concept have become increasingly used in the field of management.

Decision-making- an act of purposeful influence on a control object, based on an analysis of the situation, determination of a goal, and development of a program to achieve this goal.

The management structure of any organization is traditionally divided into three levels: operational, functional and strategic.

Levels of Management(type of management activity) are determined by the complexity of the tasks being solved. How more difficult task, especially high level management is required to solve it. At the same time, it should be understood that a much larger number of simpler problems that require immediate (prompt) solutions arise, which means that they require a different level of management - a lower one, where decisions are made promptly. When managing, it is also necessary to take into account the dynamics of the implementation of decisions made, which allows us to consider management from the angle of the time factor.

The figure below shows three levels of management, which are correlated with such factors as the degree of increase in power, responsibility, complexity of the tasks being solved, as well as the dynamics of decision-making for the implementation of tasks.

Operational (lower) level management ensures the solution of repetitive tasks and operations and a quick response to changes in current input information. At this level, both the volume of operations performed and the dynamics of management decision-making are quite large. This level of management is often called operational due to the need to quickly respond to changing situations. At the level of operational (operational) management, a large volume is occupied by accounting tasks.

Functional (tactical) level management provides the solution to problems requiring preliminary analysis of information prepared at the first level. At this level, such a management function as analysis becomes of great importance. The volume of tasks to be solved decreases, but their complexity increases. However, it is not always possible to develop the right solution quickly, additional time is required for analysis, comprehension, collection of missing information, etc. Management is associated with some delay from the moment of receiving information to making decisions and their implementation, as well as from the moment of implementing decisions to receiving a reaction to them.

Strategic level ensures the development of management decisions aimed at achieving the long-term strategic goals of the organization. Since the results of decisions made appear after a long time, such a management function as strategic planning is of particular importance at this level. Other management functions at this level are currently not fully developed. The strategic level of management is often called strategic or long-term planning. The legitimacy of a decision made at this level can be confirmed after a sufficiently long time. Months or years may pass. The responsibility for making management decisions is extremely high and is determined not only by the results of analysis using mathematical and special apparatus, but also by the professional intuition of managers.

Examples of information systems

Information system for finding market niches. When purchasing goods from some companies, the information system registers data about the buyer, which allows:

identify buyer groups, their composition and needs, and then focus your strategy on the largest group;

send potential buyers various offers, advertising, reminders;

provide regular customers with goods and services on credit, at a discount, with deferred payments.

Information Systems, accelerating the flow of goods. Suppose a company specializes in supplying products to a specific institution, such as a hospital. As is known, to have large reserves products in the company's warehouses are very unprofitable, and it is impossible not to have them. In order to find optimal solution To solve this problem, the company installs terminals in the serviced institution and connects them to the information system. The customer directly from the terminal enters his wishes according to the catalog provided to him. This data enters the order accounting information system.

Managers, making selections based on incoming orders, make operational management decisions to deliver the desired product to the customer in a short period of time. In this way, huge amounts of money are saved on storing goods, the flow of goods is accelerated and simplified, and customer needs are monitored.

Information systems to reduce production costs. These information systems, tracking all phases of the production process, contribute to improved management and control, more rational planning and use of personnel and, as a result, reduction in the cost of manufactured products and services.

Information systems automation technology(“concessions management”). The essence of this technology is that if the company’s income remains within the profitability range, the consumer is given different discounts depending on the number and duration of contracts. In this case, the consumer becomes interested in interacting with the company, and the company thereby attracts an additional number of customers. If the client does not want to interact with this company and switches to service from another, then his costs may increase due to the loss of previously provided discounts.

Structure and classification of information systems

Information system structure

Types of supporting subsystems

Structure An information system is a collection of its individual parts, called subsystems.

Subsystem- this is a part of the system, distinguished by some characteristic.

The general structure of an information system can be considered as a set of subsystems, regardless of the scope of application. In this case they say about the structural feature of classification, and the subsystems are called supporting. Thus, the structure of any information system can be represented by a set of supporting subsystems

Among the supporting subsystems, information, technical, mathematical, software, organizational and legal support are usually distinguished.

Information Support

Purpose of the subsystem information support consists in the modern formation and issuance of reliable information for making management decisions.

Information Support- totality unified system classification and coding of information, unified documentation systems, patterns of information flows circulating in the organization, as well as methodology for constructing databases.

Unified documentation systems are created at the state, republican, sectoral and regional levels. The main goal is to ensure comparability of indicators in various spheres of social production. Standards have been developed that establish the following requirements:

  • to unified documentation systems;
  • to unified forms of documents at various levels of management;
  • to the composition and structure of details and indicators;
  • to the procedure for implementation, maintenance and registration of unified forms of documents.

However, despite the existence of a unified documentation system, when examining most organizations, a whole range of typical deficiencies are constantly revealed:

  • extremely large volume of documents for manual processing;
  • the same indicators are often duplicated in different documents;
  • working with a large number of documents distracts specialists from solving immediate problems;
  • there are indicators that are created but not used, etc.

Therefore, eliminating these shortcomings is one of the tasks facing the creation of information support.

Information flow diagrams reflect the routes of information movement and its volumes, the places of origin of primary information and the use of resulting information. By analyzing the structure of such schemes, it is possible to develop measures to improve the entire management system.

Construction of information flow diagrams that allow identifying volumes of information and conducting its detailed analysis ensures:

  • exclusion of duplicate and unused information;
  • classification and rational presentation of information.

The methodology for constructing databases is based on the theoretical foundations of their design. To understand the concept of the methodology, we present its main ideas in the form of two successively implemented stages in practice:

Stage 1 - examination of all functional departments of the company with the aim of:

  • understand the specifics and structure of its activities;
  • build a diagram of information flows;
  • analyze the existing document flow system;
  • determine information objects and the corresponding composition of details (parameters, characteristics) describing their properties and purpose.

Stage 2 - construction of a conceptual information and logical data model for the field of activity surveyed at stage 1. In this model, all connections between objects and their details must be established and optimized. The information logical model is the foundation on which the database will be created.

  • a clear understanding of the goals, objectives, functions of the entire management system of the organization;
  • identifying the movement of information from the moment of its occurrence to its use at various levels of management, presented for analysis in the form of information flow diagrams;
  • improvement of the document flow system;
  • availability and use of a classification and coding system;
  • knowledge of the methodology for creating conceptual information and logical models that reflect the interconnection of information;
  • creation of information arrays on computer media, which requires modern technical support.

Technical support

Technical support- a set of technical means intended for the operation of the information system, as well as relevant documentation for these means and technological processes

The complex of technical means consists of:

  • computers of any models;
  • devices for collecting, accumulating, processing, transmitting and outputting information;
  • data transmission devices and communication lines;
  • office equipment and automatic information retrieval devices;
  • operating materials, etc.

The documentation covers the preliminary selection of technical means, the organization of their operation, the technological process of data processing, and technological equipment. Documentation can be divided into three groups:

  • system-wide, including state and industry standards for technical support;
  • specialized, containing a set of techniques for all stages of hardware development;
  • normative and reference used when performing calculations for technical support.

To date, two main forms of organizing technical support (forms of using technical means) have emerged: centralized and partially or completely decentralized.

Centralized technical support is based on use in the information system mainframe computers and computer centers.

Decentralization of technical means involves the implementation functional subsystems on personal computers directly at workplaces.

A promising approach should be considered, apparently, a partially decentralized approach - the organization of technical support based on distributed networks consisting of personal computers and a mainframe computer for storing databases common to any functional subsystems.

Math and software- a set of mathematical methods, models, algorithms and programs for implementing the goals and objectives of the information system, as well as the normal functioning of a complex of technical means.

To the means software relate:

  • management process modeling tools;
  • typical management tasks;
  • methods of mathematical programming, mathematical statistics, theory queuing and etc.

Part software includes system-wide and special software products, as well as technical documentation.

TO system-wide software These include software packages that are user-oriented and designed to solve typical information processing problems. They serve to expand functionality computers, control and management of data processing.

Special software is a set of programs developed during the creation of a specific information system. It includes packages application programs(PPP), implementing developed models of varying degrees of adequacy, reflecting the functioning of a real object.

Technical documentation for the development of software must contain a description of the tasks, a task for algorithmization, an economic and mathematical model of the problem, and test examples.

Organizational support

Organizational support- this is a set of methods and means that regulate the interaction of workers with technical means and with each other in the process of development and operation of IS.

Organizational support implements the following functions:

  • analysis existing system managing the organization where the IS will be used and identifying tasks to be automated;
  • preparing problems for solution on a computer, including technical specifications for the design of an IS and a feasibility study of its effectiveness;
  • development of management decisions on the composition and structure of the organization, methodology for solving problems aimed at increasing the efficiency of the management system.

Organizational support is created based on the results of a pre-project survey at the 1st stage of database construction.

Legal support

Legal support- a set of legal norms that determine the creation, legal status and functioning of information systems that regulate the procedure for obtaining, transforming and using information.

The main purpose of legal support is to strengthen the rule of law.

The legal framework includes laws, decrees, regulations government agencies authorities, orders, instructions and other regulatory documents of ministries, departments, organizations, local authorities. IN legal support One can distinguish a general part that regulates the functioning of any information system, and a local part that regulates the functioning of a specific system.

Legal support for the stages of development of an information system includes regulations related to contractual relations between the developer and the customer and the legal regulation of deviations from the contract.

Legal support for the stages of operation of the information system includes:

  • information system status;
  • rights, duties and responsibilities of personnel;
  • procedure for creating and using information, etc.

Classification of information systems based on the structure of tasks

The concept of task structuring

When creating or classifying information systems, problems inevitably arise related to the formal - mathematical and algorithmic description of the problems being solved. The degree of formalization largely determines the efficiency of the entire system, as well as the level of automation, determined by the degree of human participation in decision-making based on the information received.

The more accurate the mathematical description of a problem, the higher the capabilities of computer data processing and the less the degree of human participation in the process of solving it. This determines the degree of automation of the task.

There are three types of tasks for which information systems are created: structured (formalized), unstructured (not formalized) and partially structured.

Structured (formalizable) task- a task where all its elements and the relationships between them are known.

Unstructured (not formalized) task- a task in which it is impossible to identify elements and establish connections between them.

In a structured problem, it is possible to express its content in the form of a mathematical model that has an exact solution algorithm. Such tasks usually have to be solved many times, and they are routine in nature. The purpose of using an information system to solve structured problems is to completely automate their solution, i.e. reducing the human role to zero.

Types of information systems used to solve semi-structured problems

Information systems used to solve semi-structured problems are divided into two types: those that create management reports and those that are primarily focused on data processing (search, sorting, aggregation, filtering). Using the information contained in these reports, the manager makes a decision;

Information Systems, creating management reports, provide information support to the user, i.e. provide access to information in the database and its partial processing. Data manipulation procedures in the information system must provide the following capabilities:

  • compiling combinations of data obtained from various sources;
  • quick addition or exclusion of a particular data source and automatic switching sources when searching for data;
  • data management using the capabilities of database management systems;
  • logical independence of data of this type from other databases included in the information support subsystem;
  • automatic tracking of information flow to fill databases.

Information Systems, developing solution alternatives, can be model and expert.

Model information systems provide the user with mathematical, static, financial and other models, the use of which facilitates the development and evaluation of solution alternatives. The user can obtain the information he needs to make a decision by establishing a dialogue with the model during its research.

The main functions of the model information system are:

  • the ability to work in the environment of standard mathematical models, including solving basic modeling problems such as “how to do so?”, “what will happen if?”, sensitivity analysis, etc.;
  • fairly fast and adequate interpretation of simulation results;
  • prompt preparation and adjustment of input parameters and model limitations;
  • the ability to graphically display the dynamics of the model;
  • the ability to explain to the user the necessary steps in the formation and operation of the model.

Expert information systems ensure the development and evaluation of possible alternatives by the user through the creation of expert systems associated with knowledge processing. Expert support for user decisions is provided at two levels.

The work of the first level of expert support is based on the concept of “standard management decisions”, according to which problematic situations that often arise in the management process can be reduced to some homogeneous classes of management decisions, i.e. to some standard set of alternatives. To provide expert support at this level, an information fund is created for storing and analyzing standard alternatives.

If the arisen problematic situation is not associated with the existing classes of standard alternatives, a second level of expert support for management decisions should come into play. This level generates alternatives based on the data available in the information fund, transformation rules and procedures for evaluating synthesized alternatives.

Other classifications of information systems

Classification by degree of automation

Depending on the degree of automation of information processes in the company’s management system, information systems are defined as manual, automatic, automated

Manual ICs are characterized by the lack of modern technical means of information processing and all operations are performed by humans. For example, about the activities of a manager in a company where there are no computers, we can say that he works with a manual IS.

Automatic ICs perform all information processing operations without human participation.

Automated ICs involve the participation of both humans and technical means in the process of information processing, with the main role assigned to the computer. In the modern interpretation, the term “information system” necessarily includes the concept of an automated system.

Automated IS, taking into account their wide use in the organization of management processes, have various modifications and can be classified, for example, by the nature of the use of information and by the scope of application.

Classification by the nature of information use

Information retrieval systems They enter, systematize, store, and issue information at the user’s request without complex data transformations. For example, an information retrieval system in a library, in railway and air ticket offices.

Information decision systems carry out all information processing operations according to a specific algorithm. Among them, one can classify them according to the degree of influence of the generated resultant information on the decision-making process and distinguish two classes: managers and advisers.

IS managers produce information on the basis of which a person makes a decision. These systems are characterized by the type of tasks of a computational nature and the processing of large volumes of data. An example would be a system for operational production planning and an accounting system.

Advising information systems produce information that is taken into account by a person and does not immediately turn into a series concrete actions. These systems have a higher degree of intelligence, since they are characterized by processing knowledge rather than data.

Classification by area of ​​application

Information Systems organizational management designed to automate the functions of management personnel. Considering the widest application and diversity of this class of systems, often any information systems are understood precisely in this interpretation. This class includes information systems for managing both industrial companies and non-industrial facilities: hotels, banks, trading companies, etc. The main functions of such systems are: operational control and regulation, operational accounting and analysis, long-term and operational planning, accounting, management sales and supply and other economic and organizational tasks.

Process control system (TP) serve to automate the functions of production personnel. They are widely used in organizing to maintain technological process in the metallurgical and mechanical engineering industries.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) IC designed to automate the functions of design engineers, designers, architects, designers when creating new equipment or technology. The main functions of such systems are: engineering calculations, creation of graphic documentation (drawings, diagrams, plans), creation of design documentation, modeling of designed objects.

Integrated (corporate) IS are used to automate all functions of the company and cover the entire cycle of work from design to product sales. Creating such systems is very difficult, since it requires a systematic approach from the standpoint of the main goal, for example, making a profit, conquering the sales market, etc. This approach can lead to significant changes in the very structure of the company, which not every manager can decide to do.

Documentary information systems

Unlike factual information systems, a single data element in documentary [information systems] is a document unstructured into smaller elements. In the vast majority of cases, unstructured documents are, first of all, text documents, presented in the form of text files, although the class of unstructured documented data may also include sound and graphic files.

The main task of documentary information systems is the accumulation and provision of documents to the user, the content, subject matter, details, etc. of which are adequate to his information needs. Therefore we can give the following definition of a documentary information system- a unified document repository with tools for searching and selecting the necessary documents. The search nature of documentary information systems has historically determined another name for them - information retrieval systems (IRS), although this term does not fully reflect the specifics of documentary information systems.

The correspondence of the found documents to the information needs of the user is called pertinence.

Due to theoretical and practical difficulties with formalizing the semantic content of documents, pertinence refers rather to qualitative concepts, although, as will be discussed below, it can be expressed by certain quantitative indicators.

Depending on the implementation features of the document repository and search mechanisms, documentary information retrieval systems can be divided into two groups:

  • indexing based systems;
  • semantic navigation systems.

IN semantic navigation systems documents, placed in the repository (database) of documents, are equipped with special navigation structures that correspond to the semantic connections (references) between various documents or separate fragments of one document. Such constructions implement some semantic* (semantic) network in the document database. The method and mechanism for expressing information needs in similar systems consist in the user's explicit navigation through semantic references between documents. Currently, this approach is implemented in hypertext information retrieval systems.

IN indexing based systems the source documents are placed in the database without any additional transformation, but at the same time the semantic content of each document is displayed in a certain search space. The process of mapping a document into the search space is called indexing and consists of assigning each document a certain index coordinate in the search space. A formalized representation (description) of a document index is called a document search image (DOI). The user expresses his information needs using the means and language of the search space, forming a search query image (SQI) to the document database. The system, based on certain criteria and methods, searches for documents whose search images correspond or are close to the search images of the user’s request, and produces the corresponding documents. The correspondence of the found documents to the user's query is called relevance. The general principle of the design and functioning of documentary information systems based on indexing is illustrated schematically in Fig.

Rice. General principle of the design and functioning of documentary information systems based on indexing

A feature of documentary information systems is also that their functions, as a rule, also include tasks information alert users according to all new documents entering the system that correspond to the user’s predetermined information needs.

The principle of solving problems of information notification in documentary information systems based on indexing is similar to the principle of solving problems of searching for documents by queries and is based on mapping the user’s information needs into the search space in the form of so-called search user profiles (SPP). The information retrieval system, as new documents are received and indexed, compares their images with user search profiles and makes a decision on the appropriate notification. The principle of solving problems of information notification is schematically illustrated in Fig.

Rice. The principle of solving problems of information notification in documentary information retrieval systems based on indexing

The search space, which displays search images of documents and implements mechanisms for information retrieval of documents in the same way as in the DBMS of factual systems, is built on the basis of document database languages, called information retrieval languages ​​(IRL). Information retrieval language is a certain formalized semantic system designed to express the content of a document and queries to search for necessary documents. By analogy with database languages ​​of fact-based systems, IPL can be divided into structural and manipulative components.

Structural component IPS (search space) of documentary IRS based on indexing is implemented by indexes in the form of information retrieval catalogues, thesauruses and general indexes.

Information retrieval catalogs are traditional technologies for organizing information retrieval in the documentary collections of libraries and archives and represent a classification system of knowledge in a specific subject area. The semantic content of a document in information retrieval catalogs is displayed by one or another class of the catalog, and indexing of documents consists of assigning to each document a special code (index) corresponding to the content of the class (classes) of the catalog and creating a special index on this basis.

Thesaurus is a specially organized set of basic lexical units (concepts) of the subject area (dictionary of terms) and a description of the paradigmatic relationships between them. Paradigmatic relations are expressed by semantic relations between vocabulary elements that are independent of any context. Independence from context means the generality (abstraction) of semantic relations, for example, the relations “genus-species”, “object-whole”, “subject-object-means-place-time of action”. Just as in information retrieval catalogues, in systems based on thesauruses, not the entire text of the document is displayed in the information retrieval space, but only the semantic content of the document expressed by means of the thesaurus.

General index (concordance)(global dictionary-index) in general form is a listing of all words (word forms) available in the documents of the repository, with an indication (references) of the coordinate location of each word (document number - paragraph number - sentence number - word number). Indexing of a new document in such systems is carried out through the addition of coordinate references of those word forms of the general index that are present in the new document. Since the search space in such systems reflects the entire text of a document (all words of the document), and not just its semantic content, such systems are called full-text information retrieval systems.

In the specialized literature, such systems are sometimes called systems without lexical control, that is, without taking into account the possible synonymy of individual groups of word forms, the unification of individual groups of word forms into common semantic groups, and the semantic relationships between word forms.

Structural component The IPL of semantic navigation systems is implemented in the form of a technique of semantic references in the texts of documents and a special navigation interface for them and is currently represented by hypertext technologies.

Search (manipulation) component of IPY implemented by descriptor and semantic query languages. IN descriptor languages documents and queries are represented by sets of some lexical units (words, phrases, terms) - descriptors that have no connections with each other, or, as they also say, do not have a grammar. Thus, each document or request is associated, or better said, represented by a certain set of descriptors. The search is carried out by searching for documents with a suitable set of descriptors. The descriptor elements are either elements of a dictionary of key terms or elements of a general index (a global dictionary of all word forms). Due to the lack of connections between descriptors, the set of which for a specific document and a specific request expresses, respectively, the search image of the document - POD or the search image of the request POS, such languages ​​are used primarily in full-text systems.

Semantic languages contain grammatical and semantic structures to express (describe) the semantic content of documents and queries. The whole variety of semantic languages ​​is divided into two large groups:

  • predicate languages;
  • relational languages.

IN predicate languages The elemental meaningful construction of a statement is a predicate, which is a multi-place relation of a certain set of grammatical elements. The plurality of a relation means that each element of the predicate plays a specific role for the group of lexical elements as a whole, but does not have specific relationships with each element of this group separately. An analogue of a predicate statement in natural language is a sentence that states a certain fact or describes a certain event.

IN relational languages lexical units of utterances can only enter into binary (with each other), but not into joint, i.e., not multi-place relationships.

The lexical units of semantic languages ​​are functional classes of natural language, the most important of which are:

  • concept-classes (a general definition of a set of homogeneous elements of the real world that have a certain characteristic set of properties that allow one concept-class to be separated from others);
  • action concepts (a lexical element expressing the dynamics of the real world contains a universal set of features, including the subject of the action, the object of the action, the time of action, the place of action, the instrument of action, the goal, etc.);
  • state concepts (lexical elements that record the states of objects);
  • names (lexical elements identifying class concepts);
  • relations (lexical elements that serve to establish connections on a set of concepts and names);
  • quantifiers (universality, existence, etc.).

Semantic languages ​​constitute the language-manipulation basis of information retrieval catalogues, thesauri and semantic-navigation (hypertext) information systems, using their own means to describe the catalogues, thesauri, semantic networks themselves and express the semantic content of documents and queries.

Performance indicators

The main indicators of the effectiveness of the functioning of documentary information retrieval systems are the completeness and accuracy of information retrieval.

Completeness of information search R is determined by the ratio of the number of found persistent documents A to the total number of persistent documents C available in the system or in the studied set of documents:

Information Retrieval Accuracy P is determined by the ratio of the number of found persistent documents A to the total number of documents L issued to the user’s request:

The presence of irrelevant documents among those selected for a user's request is called information noise of the system. Information noise factor k, accordingly, is determined by the ratio of the number of irrelevant documents (L–A) issued in response to the user to the total number of documents L issued in response to the user’s request:

Ideally, the completeness of information retrieval and the accuracy of information retrieval should approach one, although in practice their values ​​range from 60 to 90%.

Literature

1. Danilevsky Yu.G., Petukhov I.A., Shibanov V.S. Information technology in industry. - L.: Mechanical engineering. Leningr. department, 1988.

2. Information technology, economics, culture / Sat. reviews and abstracts. - M.: INION RAS, 1995.

3. Information systems in economics / Ed. V.V. Dick. - M.: Finance and Statistics, 1996.

An information system (IS) is any organized system for collecting, storing and transmitting information. More to the point, this is the creation additional sources, which people use to retrieve, filter, and distribute data.

The definition of “information systems” is related to computer technology. In other words, it is a kind of complex that involves the work of people and computers, as a result of which information is processed or interpreted. The term is sometimes used in a more limited sense to refer to the software required to run computer base data, or as a definition of a computer component.

But the emphasis is usually on information systems, the definition of which includes the final surface layer - users, processors, inputs, outputs and the aforementioned communication networks. Any given IS aims to support operations, management and decision making.

The definition of an information system can be simply that of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) that different organizations use and the way in which people interact with these technologies to support business processes. Some researchers make a clear distinction between information and computer systems and business processes. ICs typically include a computer component, but are not directly related to them.

Information systems, the definition of which we will consider later in the article, differ from business processes in that they only help control the effectiveness of the latter.

Some scholars have argued for the benefits of IS as a specific type of work process. However, it is a system in which people or machines perform specific functions and activities, using resources to produce specific products or services for customers. While an information system is, as already mentioned, an intellectual complex whose activities are devoted to the collection, transmission, storage, search, processing and display of information.

Information system - what is it?

Thus, ISs are closely related to data transmission systems on the one hand and work process systems on the other. They represent a form of reciprocal communication in which data is represented and processed as a form of social memory. An information system (we discuss the basic concepts and definitions associated with it in the article) can also appear as a semi-official language that supports the creation of human decisions and actions. It is a major research area for organizational informatics.

Basic concepts, definitions, classification of information systems

There are different types of ICs, for example:

  • transaction processing;
  • decision support;
  • knowledge or learning management;
  • database management.

Information technologies are of decisive importance for most information systems, intended, as a rule, to perform tasks for which human brain doesn't fit very well. For example, processing large amounts of information, performing complex calculations and managing multiple simultaneous processes.

Information technology is a very important and malleable resource available to managers. Many companies today introduce the position of chief employee on these issues. The technical director can also serve in this role.

Equipment

The definition of “the essence of an information system” implies the presence of six components that must be combined to create it. And the first of them is equipment.

This term refers to technology. And this means the computer itself, which is often mentioned as central processor(CPU), and all associated hardware to support the operation. Among the auxiliary equipment needed to create an IC are input and output devices, data storage and communications.

Software

The next component is the software. This term refers to computer programs and the guidelines (if any) that support them. Exist computer applications, machine-readable instructions that guide electrical diagram inside the hardware of the system and cause it to function in such a way as to produce useful information from the received data.

Programs are usually stored on some machines, sometimes on removable media.

Data

Another component is data - facts that programs use to obtain useful information. Like programs, data is typically stored in machine-readable form on a disk or other storage device until the computer needs it.

Defining the concept of “information systems” is not possible without taking into account the presence of facts that are processed and systematized.

Procedures

Another component that defines the essence of the definition being described is procedures. This term refers to the policy that governs the work computer system. These may be certain requirements and rules on the basis of which the IP operates and develops.

People

Every system also needs people if it is to be useful in any way. Moreover, people are often the most important element. And it is probably the component that most influences the success or failure of information systems. This includes not only users, but also those who operate and maintain computers, maintain data and networks, etc.

Feedback

Another component of the IS is feedback (although it is not necessary for operation).

As already noted, data is a kind of bridge between hardware and people. This means that the information we collect is only scattered information until it is systematized. At this stage, data becomes information and falls into the definition of an information system.

The use of information systems directly depends on their types.

Pyramid

So, classic look IS is often described in various textbooks. In the 80s, it was presented in the form of a pyramid, which reflected the hierarchy of the organization.

Typically, transaction processing systems were at the bottom of the pyramid, with information systems management just above that made decisions to support the system, and the model ended with executive IS at the top.

This pyramid model remains useful today because it pioneered a number of new technologies, but some of its components may not be relevant, although they fall under the modern information systems that we are trying to define. Examples of such IS may be the following:

  • data warehouses;
  • enterprise resource planning schemes;
  • expert;
  • search engines;
  • geographic information;
  • global information system;
  • office automation.

Computer ICs

Computer information system created using computer technology to complete some or all of the scheduled tasks. Its main components are:

  1. A piece of hardware that includes a monitor, processor, printer, and keyboard that work together to receive, process, and display data and information.
  2. Software - programs that allow hardware to process data.
  3. Databases, which are a repository of related files or tables containing relevant data.
  4. Networks are a connecting system that allows a variety of computers to share resources.
  5. Procedures, which are a set of commands designed to combine the above components for the purpose of processing information.

Information systems, the definition of which is presented in the article, classify the first four components (hardware, software, databases and networks) into one complex, which is known as an information technology platform.

IT workers can then use them to create information systems that monitor security controls, risks, and data management. These activities are known as information technology services.

Information systems development

Information technology departments in large organizations tend to have a strong influence on the development, use, and application of information technology. A number of techniques and processes can be used to develop and use IS. Many developers now use an engineering approach called the software life cycle (SDLC), which is a systematic process for developing an information system through stages that occur in a specific sequence.

IS may be developed within the organization or by an external source. This agreement can be achieved by outsourcing certain components or the entire system. A technologically implemented environment for recording, storing and distributing linguistic expressions, for drawing conclusions from such expressions - all this includes the concept of “information systems”.

Terms and definitions related to IP are quite complex and do not have a narrow focus, so they can be used in almost any field. But there are also specific areas of their application.

Geographic Information Systems: Definition

Examples of narrower classifications are geographic information systems (GIS) and earth information systems. They allow for the collection, storage, analysis and graphical visualization of spatial data. Their development is carried out in several stages, which include:

  1. Problems of recognition and specification.
  2. Collection of information.
  3. Specification requirements for the new system.
  4. System design.
  5. System architecture.
  6. Implementation.
  7. Review and maintenance.

Academic discipline

The field of study of the concept of IS covers various topics, including systems analysis and design, computer networks, information security, database management and decision support systems.

The definition of “classification of information systems” currently does not have a uniform interpretation. It involves some data management operations, with practical and theoretical solutions to the problems of their collection and analysis. Depending on the field of activity, this may include means of increasing the productivity of business applications, programming and implementation of software, e-commerce, use of electronic media, data mining and decision support.

Information systems (the definition of this concept was given earlier) serve to combine economics and computer science. They are a field for the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, software and hardware designs, applications, and their impact on society. Many modern scholars have discussed the nature and foundations of information systems, which have their roots in other reference disciplines - such as computer science, engineering, mathematics, management, cybernetics, etc.

IS can also be defined as a collection of hardware, software, data, people and procedures that work together to produce quality information. They are directly related to information technology, computer science and business. The study of theory and practice related to social and technological phenomena that determine their development, use, and impact on human life is an area of ​​interest for those who study information systems.

The definition that this article focused on is also used to describe the organizational function that applies this knowledge to industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. They often come down to interactions between algorithmic processes and technologies.

The field of IS study includes the study of theory and practice related to the social and technological phenomena that shape the development, use, and impact of information systems in organizations and society. In a broad sense, the term "information systems" refers to the scientific field of study that examines the strategic, managerial and operational activities involved in the collection, processing, storage, dissemination and use of information and related technologies in society and organizations.

The term information systems is also used to describe the organizational function that applies this knowledge to industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. IS is often reduced to the interaction between algorithmic processes and technologies. This interaction can occur within or across organizational boundaries. An information system is a technology that various organizations use for their own purposes.

Information system (IP) - a system designed to store, retrieve and process information, and the associated organizational resources (human, technical, financial, etc.) that provide and distribute the information (ISO/IEC 2382:2015).

The information system is designed to provide the right people with the right information in a timely manner, that is, to meet specific information needs within a certain subject area, while the result of the functioning of information systems is information products- documents, information arrays, databases and information Services.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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    The concept of an information system is interpreted differently depending on the context.

    A fairly broad understanding of an information system implies that its integral components are data, hardware and software, as well as personnel and organizational activities. The federal law of the Russian Federation “On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection” broadly interprets the concept of “information system”, meaning by an information system the totality of information contained in databases and the information technologies and technical means that ensure its processing.

    Among Russian scientists in the field of computer science, the broadest definition of IS is given by M. R. Kogalovsky, according to whom the concept of an information system, in addition to data, programs, hardware and human resources should also include communications equipment, linguistic tools and informational resources, which together form a system that provides “support for a dynamic information model of some part of the real world to meet the information needs of users”:59.

    A narrower understanding of an information system limits its composition to data, programs and hardware. The integration of these components allows you to automate the processes of information management and targeted activities of end users aimed at obtaining, modifying and storing information. Thus, the Russian standard GOST RV 51987 defines an information system as “an automated system, the result of which is the presentation of output information for subsequent use.” GOST R 53622-2009 uses the term information computing system to denote a collection of data (or databases), database management systems and application programs operating on computing resources as a single whole to solve specific problems.

    In an organization's activities, an information system is considered as software that implements the organization's business strategy. At the same time, it is good practice to create and deploy a unified corporate information system that satisfies the information needs of all employees, services and departments of the organization. However, in practice, creating such a comprehensive information system is too difficult or even impossible, as a result of which an enterprise usually operates several various systems solving separate groups of problems: production management, financial and economic activities, electronic document management, etc. Some tasks are “covered” simultaneously by several information systems, while some tasks are not automated at all. This situation is called “patchwork automation” and is quite typical for many enterprises.

    Classifications of information systems

    Classification by architecture

    According to the degree of distribution they are distinguished:

    • desktop (desktop), or local IS in which all components (DB, DBMS, client applications) are located on one computer;
    • distributed (distributed) ICs in which components are distributed across several computers.

    Distributed information systems, in turn, are divided into:

    • file-server IS (IS with file-server architecture);
    • client-server IS (IS with client-server architecture).

    In file server IS, the database is located on the file server, and the DBMS and client applications are located at workstations.

    In client-server IS, the database and DBMS are located on the server, and only client applications are located on workstations.

    In turn, client-server ISs are divided into two-link And multi-link.

    Classification by the nature of data processing

    Based on the nature of data processing, information systems are divided into:

    • information and reference, or information retrieval information systems, in which there are no complex data processing algorithms, and the purpose of the system is to search and provide information in a convenient form;
    • Data Processing IC, or decisive IP, in which data is processed using complex algorithms. Such systems primarily include automated control systems and decision support systems.

    Classification by area of ​​application

    Since ISs are created to satisfy information needs within a specific subject area, each subject area (field of application) has its own type of IS. It doesn’t make sense to list all these types, since the number of subject areas is large, but you can give them as an example following types IS:

    • Economic information system is an information system designed to perform management functions at an enterprise.
    • Medical information system is an information system intended for use in a medical or treatment-and-prophylactic institution.
    • Geographic information system is an information system that provides collection, storage, processing, access, display and dissemination of spatially coordinated data (spatial data).

    Classification by task coverage (scale)

    see also

    Notes

    1. :

      Information processing system
      One or more data processing systems and devices, such as office and communication equipment, that perform information processing.
      Data processing system
      One or more computers, peripheral equipment, and software that perform data processing.

    2. ISO/IEC 2382:2015 Information technology - Vocabulary:

      Information system
      An information processing system, together with associated organizational resources such as human, technical, and financial resources, that provides and distributes information.

    3. : “Information system is a set of hardware, software, data, human, and procedural components intended to provide the right data and information to the right person at the right time.”
    4. GOST 7.0-99. System of standards on information, librarianship and publishing. Information and library activities. Bibliography. Terms and Definitions
    5. Since the concept of information technology itself can be considered quite broadly.

    leadership

    The management process is based on the processing of information circulating in logistics systems. A necessary condition for the coordinated operation of all parts of the LC is the presence of information systems that, like the central nervous system, are able to quickly and economically bring the required signal to the right point at the right moment. One of the most important conditions for the successful functioning of production as a whole is the presence of an information system that would make it possible to link together all activities (supply, production, transport, warehousing, distribution, etc.) and manage it based on the principles of a single whole.

    At the current level of development of social production, it has become obvious that information is an independent production factor, the potential of which opens up broad prospects for strengthening the competitiveness of firms. Information flows are the connecting threads on which all elements of the logistics system are strung.

    Information logistics organizes the flow of data. Engaged in the creation and management of information systems (IS), which technically and programmatically ensure the transmission and processing of logistics information. The subject of the study of information logistics is the features of the construction and functioning of information systems that ensure the functioning of drugs. The goal of information logistics is the construction and operation of information systems that ensure the availability of: 1) the necessary information; 2) in the right place; 3) at the right time; 4) required content (for the decision maker); 5) with minimal costs.

    With the help of information logistics and the improvement on its basis of planning and management methods in companies in leading industrial countries, a process is currently taking place, the essence of which is the replacement of physical inventories with reliable information.

    1. Information system. Types of information systems

    Information is the main logistics and production factor. Main types of information:

    1. Internal, i.e. the flow of information within an object between departments and levels of the organizational structure.

    2. External - the flow of information between this organization and others projects, outside its limits. The flow of external information includes:

    1) planning

    2) coordination

    3) service

    At the base of the functional pyramid of a logistics information system is a system of operations between the links of the logistics system, which determines the relationship between the functional divisions of the company (in terms of implementing logistics functions), logistics intermediaries and consumers of the company's products. At the level of analysis, logistics regional or administrative managers of a company mainly use information for tactical purposes for marketing, forecasting financial and operational performance indicators. Finally, on the top strategic level Logistics determines management strategy and is linked to strategic corporate planning and the firm's mission.

    The characteristics of the system levels of the functional structure of the logistics information system are associated with the achievement of certain strategic and tactical goals of the company and competitive advantages.

    The organizational structure of a logistics information system can be broadly formed from four subsystems: management of order procedures, scientific research and communications, support of logistics decisions and generation of output forms and reports. These interconnected subsystems provide information and computer support for all functions of logistics management and communication with the micro- and macrologistics external environment.

    In the organizational structure of the logistics information system, the subsystem for managing order procedures is identified as one of the main subsystems, which is due to the direct contact of this subsystem with consumers in the processes of processing and fulfilling orders. Of great importance here is the use of the concept of “electronic data interchange” and the standards based on it.

    The subsystem of scientific research and communication reflects the influence of the external and internal environment of the company on the process of logistics management and interacts between the links of the logistics system and management functions through:

    Integration of logistics planning with corporate planning;

    Interaction of logistics management with other corporate functions;

    Strategic guidelines for the organizational structure of the logistics system and personnel;

    Information technology integration;

    Preparation or purchase of technological solutions and use of intermediaries;

    Adaptation of forms to the conditions of the company supply chains, channels and networks, as well as management functions;

    Focusing on productivity and quality of services in logistics.

    The subsystem under consideration plays an important role in reflecting changes and requirements of both the external and internal environment of the company. A logistics manager can use this subsystem to scan the firm's micro and macro environment in four ways:

    1) indirect consideration based on a general analysis of the information received, when there is no specific target;

    2) direct consideration, when information about the external and internal environment of the company is actively analyzed with a pre-formulated goal;

    3) informal exploration of relatively limited and unstructured data;

    4) formal research using a pre-designed plan, procedures and methods for processing and analyzing the information received.

    To optimize the results of assessing the influence of the external and internal environment of the company on the behavior of the logistics system, the logistics manager must use key information sources of the subsystem in the monitoring process. There are two aspects to consider here. Firstly, the use of information by company personnel to evaluate the effectiveness of their logistics decisions. For example, accounting information or information on prices for finished products of competitors can provide a comprehensive answer about the effectiveness of management; information on the size of cargo shipments can be used by the company's transport departments, etc. Secondly, the company's logistics partners, such as suppliers of material resources, resellers, carriers and consumers of finished products can also use the subsystem information to improve coordination and reduce their own costs. An important place in the subsystem under consideration belongs to forecasting, in particular, to such aspects as collecting initial information, assessing accuracy, reliability, and using the most effective forecasting methods.

    The third component of the logistics information system is the logistics decision support subsystem, which is an interactive computer information system that includes databases and analytical models that, as a rule, implement optimization tasks that arise in the process of logistics management. The subsystem generates, updates and maintains variously structured, centralized and distributed databases for four main file types:

    Basic files containing external and internal information necessary for making logistics decisions;

    ° critical factors that determine the main actions, goals and limitations when making decisions;

    Policies/parameters containing basic logistics operating procedures for key areas;

    Decision files that store information about previous (periodic) decisions for various logistics functions.

    This subsystem uses a large number of economic and mathematical models and methods (in particular, forecasting to support decisions made by logistics management). All these models and methods can be divided into classes: optimization, heuristic and simulation. Optimization models decision making are based on methods of operational calculus: programming (linear, nonlinear, dynamic, stochastic, integer), mathematical statistics (correlation-regression analysis, theory of random processes, identification theory, theory statistical models decision making, etc.), calculus of variations, optimal control, queuing theory, graphs, schedules, etc. In particular, the following tasks can be specified for various logistic functions:

    Optimal dispatching in production, transportation, cargo handling;

    Optimal placement of facilities in production, distribution, warehousing;

    Construction of optimal logistics chains, channels, networks;

    Construction of an optimal organizational structure of the logistics system;

    Optimal routing;

    Determining the optimal duration of the components of logistics cycles;

    Optimization of procedures for collecting, processing and fulfilling orders;

    Optimization of parameters of inventory management systems;

    Optimal choice of carrier, forwarder, supplier, etc.

    In the subsystem under consideration, interactive (dialogue) procedures for information support for decision-making by logistics management are widely used.

    The fourth element of the organizational structure of the logistics information system is the subsystem for generating output forms and reports."

    The information support system in logistics to perform the above functions must be organized accordingly. The specificity of this system is that in the course of its activities it must be able to influence all functional subsystems of the logistics organization. Based on this, there are three possible ways of organizing it: centralized, decentralized and specialized.

    With a centralized method of organization, information support activities are concentrated in one department (division) and report directly to the top management of the organization through the vice president (deputy director) for information systems (technology). The advantage of this method of organization is to ensure high efficiency of work on the implementation of new information systems and technologies. The disadvantages include the high costs of maintaining the management apparatus.

    With a decentralized method of organizing an information support subsystem, specialists from different functional departments perform the functions of managing information flows in their subject area. The advantage of this method of organization is the high level of knowledge of the subject area of ​​the information systems manager; the disadvantage is the duplication of similar tasks and functions in different departments of the organization.

    With a specialized method, the organization does not have departments for information systems (technologies). If it is necessary to develop and implement a new information system, these organizations turn to specialized companies and perform work on a contractual basis (outsourcing).

    This is typical for small organizations that cannot have their own full-time IT specialists and resort to the services of consultants. Advantage this method organization of the information support system is a high level of scientific and methodological developments, the disadvantage is the difficulty of taking into account the specific features of the object.

    The choice of one or another method of organizing an information support system depends on many factors, primarily on the size of the organization, the business processes existing in it, and the availability of available funds. Note: the information support system has currently reached such a level of specialization that it requires attention to its organization - this is understood modern leaders. Therefore, any small organization includes information services. The information system necessary for the adequate performance of logistics functions must meet the following requirements:

    Information flows must be informationally compatible;

    Internal relationships and interdependencies of information flows must be cause-and-effect in nature;

    The hierarchical subordination of information flows must be clear;

    The information system must have the property of integrability.

    3. Principles and levels of information logistics system

    The basis for building a logistics information system should be based on the following principles:

    1. Completeness and suitability of information for the user. The logistics manager must have the necessary and complete (sufficient) information to make decisions, and in the form he needs. For example, information about inventory or customer orders often needs to be pre-processed and is usually not located where the logistics manager makes decisions.

    2. Accuracy. The accuracy of the source information is of fundamental importance for acceptance right decisions. For example, information about inventory levels in the distribution network in modern logistics systems allows no more than 1% error or uncertainty to make effective decisions in physical distribution, inventory creation and customer satisfaction. The accuracy and reliability of the initial data for forecasting demand, planning needs for material resources, etc. is of great importance.

    3. Timeliness. Logistics information must enter the management system on time, as required by many logistics technologies, especially those based on the just-in-time concept. Timely information is important for virtually all complex logistics functions. In addition, many tasks in transportation, operational management, order and inventory management are solved in real time (“on line”). This is also required by numerous logistics monitoring tasks. The requirements for timely receipt and processing of information are implemented by modern logistics technologies of scanning, satellite navigation, bar coding, and the introduction of EDI/EDIFACT standards.

    4. Orientation. Information in the logistics information system should be aimed at identifying additional opportunities to improve the quality of products, services, and reduce logistics costs. Methods for receiving, transmitting, displaying and pre-processing information should help identify bottlenecks, resource saving reserves, etc.

    5. Flexibility. Information circulating in the logistics information system must be tailored to specific users and have the most convenient form for them. This is casa-. This includes both company personnel, logistics intermediaries and end consumers. Paper and electronic document management, intermediate and output forms, reports, certificates and other documents should be maximally adapted to the requirements of all participants in the logistics process and adapted to a possible interactive mode for many users.

    6. Suitable data format. The data and message format used in computer and telecommunication networks of the logistics information system must make the most efficient use of the performance of technical means (memory capacity, speed, bandwidth, etc.). The types and forms of documents, the location of details on paper documents, the dimension of data and other parameters should facilitate machine processing of information. In addition, information compatibility of computer and telecommunication systems of logistics intermediaries and other users is required in terms of data formats in the logistics information system.

    The formation of an information system in logistics is carried out according to a hierarchical principle, and in logistics information systems the numbering of levels starts from the lowest. This principle was adopted in order to ensure the possibility of building up an information system to higher ranks and its inclusion as a subsystem in generalizing systems and networks of higher levels. high order, if necessary.

    In accordance with this structural decomposition in information systems in logistics, three levels are distinguished:

    1. The first level is the level of the workplace (in a broad sense), for example, a storage place, a machine for performing mechanical processing, a place or installation for packaging and labeling, etc. At this level, one or another logistics operation with managed material is carried out flow, namely its element (part, unit package, desktop satellite or some other cargo unit) is moved, reloaded, packaged, undergoes one or another processing.

    2. The second level is the level production site, workshop, warehouse, etc., where the processes of processing, packaging and transportation of cargo units take place and workplaces are located.

    3. The third level is a system of transportation and movement of cargo units throughout the entire production and distribution system as a whole, from loading raw materials, materials and components to delivery of finished products to consumers and payments for them.

    The levels of the production and marketing system and management, to which their information system levels correspond, determine the functional and operational completeness of the information subsystems.

    On upper level information system, a planning information subsystem is implemented. Here, logistics management of the overall material flow is carried out in order to organize production and sales activities aimed at most effectively meeting the needs of the market.

    At the second level of the information system, the so-called dispositive (disposite - place, dispose) information subsystems are presented. These subsystems detail the plans drawn up at the top level and bring them to the level of individual production sites, workshops, warehouses mechanized to varying degrees and other production units, etc., and also determine the methods of action of these units.

    At the lower level of information systems, the so-called executive information subsystems are located. They convey tasks, rules and instructions to specific workplaces and performers, also monitor the progress of the technological process at workplaces and provide feedback, generating primary information from these workplaces.

    Note that the planning, dispositional and executive subsystems are connected by direct and reverse vertical information flows.

    Separate sets of tasks within the specified functional subsystems are connected by horizontal information flows.

    4. MAIN DIRECTIONS OF INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR LOGISTICS SYSTEMS

    As a result of the logistics construction of the information and technical aza with the system managed, I must allow analysis and at taking control actions on b ect under the conditions of given goals and established information processes.

    The main factors associated with the construction information And He n o - logistics and systems are:

    1) Conditions for the interaction of systems with each other and the environment.

    The logistics system of management organization establishes an order in which information and the information that develops on its basis and sf ora qi O nny These flows between individual organizational units are the nature of information advance. Target character ahead of time th information allows you to carry out objective research within the framework of management thematic analysis sieve ac th and make the necessary decisions. Sa and aboutъ projects and management objects, being in the process of functioning in a target, informational and organizational relationship, image they are united histically y process control system.

    At present, depending on the nature of the relationship between ek T ami, management structures, as well as their characteristics, the following have developed basic e types of hierarchical organizational structures.