TABLE OF CONTENTS Matthew Hinton
Organizations are increasingly dependent on information. However, they must first be able to get at information when it is needed, where it is needed and in the form it is needed. Moreover, this information has to complement the gathering, analysing and communication stages of the information management process. The purpose of the four chapters in this section is to discuss the main ways organizational data are managed, prior to decision-making activity. Of course, the choice of approach to the management of information is driven, in part, by the sorts of decisions being undertaken. Nevertheless, the storage, processing and communication of information are critical to the operation of all business functions. Accordingly, the provision of the information systems needed to achieve this is central to the activities of the information management function.
In Chapter 7, entitled Generic types of information systems, Hinton briefly explains the range of systems that are to be found within organizations. A classification of these types is offered which makes sense of how different systems support different forms of information management role and business functions. Specific attention is paid to key generic types which form the building blocks for successful information management. The chapter starts by describing the role databases play. Databases are a significant component in most information systems. Particular attention...
