Answer

Management Information Systems within a Construction Company

Information systems have increasingly found a place in virtually all spheres of human life. This implies that modern societies are surrounded by information systems including organizations. Construction firms, in particular, have witnessed a transformation as information systems in different activities and process to accelerate effectiveness as well as productivity.

 The following is a proposal to increase the use of information system at a construction firm.

            Transaction processing: it is proposed that transactions at the construction firm to involve software to help with computations, and thus raise effectiveness via accuracy, timeliness, and completeness. At the construction firm, this will include such tasks as payment or payroll processing, and monitoring and control, human resource management, as well as materials or stock management (Sun & Howard, 2004). Bottom level workers as well as top-level managers/supervisors at the construction firm will use this part of the information system.

            A management information system is also proposed to the construction firm to oversee utilization of information to ensure appropriate business management. This would involve use of information to generate regularly scheduled reports that are based on data processed out of the construction firm’s transactions. The reports would feed middle as well as operational level supervisors at the construction firm, and thus leading to appropriate business management practices. Among other functions, the management information system would help the construction firm with control of construction activities, property information database, and communication or collaboration (Lee & Yu, 2012). This implies that the construction firm will get support in structured decision-making by managers and supervisors.  

            Office automation system is proposed to the construction firm to help staff members with different tasks and processes. These systems are crucial to automation of tasks to accelerate efficiency. Some of the tasks staff members will be able to complete with relative ease includes emailing different stakeholders in the construction firm, group tasks, and printing. These are some of everyday tasks often done by staff members, and office automation would improve the efficiency in which they are undertaken.

            Group support systems are proposed to the construction firm to help workers in the groups. In particular, these systems would ensure groups’ effectiveness is improved via increased connectivity as well as sharing of resources including information.

            Intelligent support system is also proposed to the construction firm to be used by knowledge workers in such crucial tasks as decision-making in different areas including area or land surveying. These systems make use of artificial intelligence to explore solutions to various challenges construction firms face. Artificial intelligence involve machines programmed with instruction to oversee efficiency of a task or procedure, and supervisors/managers at the construction firm would utilize the system to refine their knowledge.

            Expert system is also proposed to emulate human expert decision-making and advice managers on reaching the best decision. Construction firms are met by complex problems such as project management, and expert systems are handy because they would help to reason about knowledge. Expert systems are part artificial intelligence, and the construction firm would likely have to purchase new laptops because these systems require advanced electronic systems. This is because heavy computations are involved in expert systems.

            Decision support system is proposed to the construction firm to support managers as well as analysts in such areas as construction material selection and site selection process. These systems would help top-level personnel at the construction firm with decision-making.

            Executive information system is proposed to the construction firm to assist executives with planning as well as forecasting. The systems would guide executives with predicting the future of the construction firm. This underlines their significance to an organization because they can help it look at future scenarios and act accordingly.