Business Processes and Business Process Management:

A business process is a collection of related activities that produce a product

or a service of value to the organization, its business partners, and/or its customers.

Business process management is a management technique that includes methods and

tools to support the design, analysis, implementation, management, and optimization

of business processes.

Information Systems, Concepts and Definitions:

Data Item: Elementary description of things, events, activities and transactions that are recorded, classified and stored but are not organized to convey any specific meaning.

Information:  Data organized so that they have meaning and value to the recipient.

Knowledge: Data and/or information organized and processed to convey understanding, experience, accumulated learning and expertise as they apply to a current problem or activity.

Information Technology Architecture: A high-level map or plan of the information assets in an organization, which guides current operations and is a blueprint for future directions.

Information Technology Infrastructure: The physical facilities, IT components, IT services and IT management that support an entire organization.

The Global, Web-Based Platform:

n  Best represented by the Internet and the World Wide Web

n  Enables us to connect, compute, communicate, collaborate, and compete everywhere and anytime

n  Operates without regard to geography, time, distance, and language

Business Pressures, Organizational Responses, and IT Support:

Why Are Information Systems Important to You?

n  Information systems and information technologies are integral to your lives

n  Information systems offer career opportunities

n  Information systems are used by all functional areas in an organization