信息系統(tǒng)的一些基本問題【外文翻譯】

1、<p><b>　　外文翻譯</b></p><p><b>　　原文</b></p><p>　　INFORMATION SYSTEMS:Some Basic Considerations.</p><p>　　Material Source: Management Review.

2、Author: George Soule</p><p>　　Managers have always used information to aid them in their decision making. But it is only recently--with tire advent of EDP-that there has been so much talk about the informati

3、on problem. The computer has made it possable to process much more data than ever before, yet paradoxically the man ager may be starved for infomation. </p><p>　　To discuss the information problem and its so

4、lution meaningfully, we must define what we mean by information. Information is data that has been processed in some way directly by a person or indirectly by him through the camputer. Unprocessed facts and figures are

5、data, not infarmation. </p><p>　　Aspects of the problem</p><p>　　The information problem results frorn the blizzard of data generated by today's information explosion that threatens to bury

6、 the decision maker, avalanche of figures and reports he cannot possibly digest fast enough to do hirn any good. the problem has many aspects:</p><p>　　Although the excutive is surrounded by data, he often l

7、acks the infornnation he needs. </p><p>　　The manager is unable to re-trieve relevant information quickly, and at random and to hold back irrelevant information. </p><p>　　The manager cannnot re

8、trieve information within the response time permitted him by either his customer or his competition. </p><p>　　To get information for decision making, the manager must misuse another must important and costl

9、y commodity he has at his disposal-other managers. </p><p>　　Once the manager has in fact obtained the desired information at an outrageous an probably disproportionatc cost to its value, be immediately lose

10、s it again, because the only accessible repository for the information is the individual who dug it up for him and this individual may not always he available or else has replaced the information stored in his limited me

11、mory with other information. </p><p>　　In short, an information problem exists when an organization is unable to furnish the executive with up-to-date, pertinent information he requires to plan, control, and

12、 manage using cost effective re-sources. </p><p>　　Management information systerns attempt to solve the information problem by providing relevant information in the right form to the right person at the righ

13、t time. </p><p>　　Dr.A.F.Goodman, a retrieval expert, pictures a good information system as "an accessible and rapid conveyor belt for appropriate high-quality information from its generator to its user

14、. "</p><p>　　An information system is a means to an end and not an end in itself. The system's docunnents, figures, and pictures should be used as a means to manipulate, to index, and to display inf

15、ormation. such a system gives what is asked of it;it does not make judgments regarding the use or quality of its cantents. This determination is the user's job. </p><p>　　Information Needs</p><

16、;p>　　When discussing information systems, it is necessary to distinguish the real information needs from socalled aspiration needs. The real needs are those being filled now, perhaps inadequately, but nevertheless fil

17、led Ihcse are the needs that must be satisfied on a first priority by any contemplated information system. Aspiration needs are those that will develop tomorrow. Satisfying today's information system needs must be ac

18、complished with tomorrow's needs very much in mind. If this is not done </p><p>　　A company should be concerned with basic systems before going on to something more sophisticated. However, it must make c

19、ertain that the shape of the basic huilding blocks that are going to be used for the network have been designed to be cozxapatible with the desired long-range results. </p><p>　　When evaluating information s

20、ystems, you must take into account information levels. Information needs can he categorized into three major levels:</p><p>　　The operational level should be considered for the initial system because it take

21、s care of day-to-day needs and is most useful in assessing status at the lowest organizational level. </p><p>　　The tactical information level is perhaps the most useful for main line activities, such as maj

22、or operaring arganizations. Falling into this castegory would be information supporting engineering, manufacturing, procurcment, quality control, and so on. </p><p>　　The strategic infotmation level plays it

23、s important role in planning activities. These. activities deal with the most, difficult problems that promise the biggest payoff, information systems that support any simulation activities would be found under this cate

24、gory because in the long run the strategic level will influence the other levels. </p><p>　　The information system should provide the required interaction between user and information and can be described as

25、 a vehicle of confrontation. To provide the desired interactiony it must provide both inward as well as outward extension of information awareness. </p><p>　　User Groups</p><p>　　An information

26、system cannot be successful unless it is designed around the direct needs and with full involvement and participation of the user. Systems people think they know what the real needs for planning, control, and management

27、are. Often they do know, but even when they are right, the system is doomed to failure without the users’ direct involvement. This is because the viewpoint of the information user is different from that of the systems ma

28、n, and a successful system must be built arou</p><p>　　The information user and his needs fall into three general groups:</p><p>　　The user is tire one whose needs are unpredictable, which, of c

29、ourse, requires a large storage of information. Staff organizations. support, functions, and, troubleshooter are general users. This kind of user is probably the most difficult to satisfy in terms of database, question f

30、ormulation, and retrieval techniques. </p><p>　　The mission-oriented user is probably the easiest to satisfy. His needs are limited and he can define them pretty well. Information formating;and retrieval can

31、 be. Achieved without too much trouble compared with the needs of the general user. </p><p>　　The managenal user is characterized by the urgency he must impose on the availability of the information. Decisio

32、n-supporting information must be quickly accessible and great depth of supporting information is also required. There of some similarity between the needs of the general user and the needs of general user. </p>&l

33、t;p>　　Survey of Need</p><p>　　The higher the pcsition of the user, the more general are his interests and, therefore, the more difficult it becomes to satisfy his needs. For this reason, it is mandatory t

34、hat the high-level user participate in the system's design. If he does, he will understand the limitations of the system before he tries to use it. Such understanding will keep his"limitation frustrations"t

35、o a minimum. </p><p>　　To determine into which category the information system user belongs and how the system must be structured to suit. his needs, a user study must precede any system design. </p>

36、<p>　　Such a study would examine purpose, identification, methodology of operation, and analysis of anticigated reults of the user. Perhaps the most direct and useful approach is the one called "critical incide

37、nce". Under this technique, the user's needs are determined by asking him to:</p><p>　　List all decisions he has rnade over a period of time. </p><p>　　Specify what information he neede

38、d to support these decisions. </p><p>　　Disclose where he obtained the required information and how long it took to obtain in the desired form. </p><p>　　Describe the faults he found in the info

39、rmation he received or explan how valid he thought it was and why. </p><p>　　Before installing an information system management will want to know what it will cost and what benefit it will bring. It's ea

40、sy to estimate the costs. However, putting a dollar figure on the henefits is much more difficult because many of them are intangible. </p><p>　　The case for information systems in today's competitive an

41、d cost-effective industrial and business environment can be stated rather simply:An information system is no longer the peak of sophistication to be used as a showpiece of progressive management projection, but it is an

42、indispensable tool for decision making without which there is no long-range business survival or growth. </p><p>　　Technology has mastered the art of saving time, bnt not the art of spending it. </p>

43、<p><b>　　譯文</b></p><p>　　信息系統(tǒng)的一些基本問題</p><p>　　資料來源: 管理刊物 作者：喬治·蘇爾 </p><p>　　管理者一直運(yùn)用信息來幫助他們制定決策。但是最近，隨著電子數(shù)據(jù)處理的到來，有關(guān)信息問題的討論才多起來。計(jì)算機(jī)已

44、經(jīng)使比以前處理更多的數(shù)據(jù)變?yōu)榭赡?，然而矛盾的是，管理者也可能?huì)因?yàn)樾畔⒌目萁叨萑肜Ь场?lt;/p><p>　　為了更有意義地討論信息問題及其解決方案，我們必須界定我們所說的信息的意思。信息是一種被某個(gè)人通過某種方式直接或者利用電腦間接地處理過的數(shù)據(jù)。未經(jīng)過處理的事實(shí)和數(shù)字只是數(shù)據(jù)，而不是信息。</p><p><b>　　問題的方面</b></p>&l

45、t;p>　　信息問題的結(jié)果正如來自暴風(fēng)雪一樣的數(shù)據(jù)，這些數(shù)據(jù)是由今天的信息爆炸所產(chǎn)生的，它幾乎將決策者掩埋在如雪崩一樣的數(shù)據(jù)和報(bào)告里，而這些數(shù)據(jù)和報(bào)告不可能讓決策者能夠足夠快的消化而對(duì)他沒有任何好處。而這個(gè)問題是多方面的：</p><p>　　1. 雖然執(zhí)行者周圍都是數(shù)據(jù)，但是他經(jīng)常會(huì)缺少他所需要的信息。</p><p>　　2. 管理者無法很快地獲取相關(guān)的信息以及隨意的阻擋不相關(guān)的

46、信息。</p><p>　　3. 管理者無法在他的客戶或他的競爭者所允許他的反應(yīng)時(shí)間內(nèi)獲取信息。</p><p>　　4. 要獲得決策信息，管理者必須濫用另一個(gè)最重要的和昂貴的，也是在他曾處理過的其他管理者那里的商品。</p><p>　　5. 一旦管理者用一個(gè)非常離譜甚至和它的價(jià)值不相稱的代價(jià)獲取了他所需的信息，他也會(huì)馬上失去這個(gè)信息，因?yàn)檫@個(gè)可進(jìn)入的信息庫是屬于

47、一個(gè)為自己而挖掘出來的個(gè)體的，并且這個(gè)個(gè)體并不總是可用的，或者也會(huì)被儲(chǔ)存在他有限的和其他信息共存的記憶里的信息所代替。</p><p>　　簡而言之，一個(gè)信息問題存在于當(dāng)一個(gè)組織無法提供給經(jīng)營者最新并且相關(guān)的信息時(shí)，而這些信息正是經(jīng)營者計(jì)劃、控制和管理使用成本的有效資源所需要的信息。</p><p>　　信息管理系統(tǒng)試圖通過在正確的時(shí)間向正確的人用正確的方式提供相關(guān)信息來解決這個(gè)信息問題。

48、</p><p>　　A. F. Goodman博士，一個(gè)檢索專家，描繪了一個(gè)很好的信息系統(tǒng)，“一種為合適的高質(zhì)量信息方便和快速的傳送帶，而這種信息來自使用者的發(fā)生器?！?lt;/p><p>　　信息系統(tǒng)是一種達(dá)到目的的手段而不是目的本身。該系統(tǒng)的文件，圖表和照片應(yīng)作為一種手段來操縱，索引，并顯示信息。這樣的系統(tǒng)只是給出問的是什么，它不會(huì)做出判斷使用或質(zhì)量有關(guān)的內(nèi)容。而這個(gè)檢測是用戶的工作。&

49、lt;/p><p><b>　　信息需求</b></p><p>　　當(dāng)談及信息系統(tǒng)的問題時(shí)，我們一定要將真實(shí)信息需求和所謂的期望需求相區(qū)別。真實(shí)需求指那些當(dāng)下并不充分但必須被滿足的要求。它們必須得到任何一個(gè)預(yù)期信息系統(tǒng)的優(yōu)先滿足。期望需求指的是那些將在未來得到發(fā)展的需求。滿足今天的信息系統(tǒng)需求而同時(shí)也必須牢記滿足明天的需求。如果在設(shè)計(jì)信息系統(tǒng)時(shí)這個(gè)工作沒有做好，那么這個(gè)

50、系統(tǒng)甚至?xí)谒_始運(yùn)行之前就成了廢棄的了。</p><p>　　一個(gè)公司在進(jìn)行一些更加復(fù)雜的工作之前得考慮好基本系統(tǒng)。然而，必須確定的是將要被用來為網(wǎng)狀系統(tǒng)服務(wù)的基礎(chǔ)控制中心的形態(tài)已經(jīng)被設(shè)計(jì)好了以使能和期望中的長遠(yuǎn)結(jié)果相吻合。</p><p>　　當(dāng)你評(píng)估信息系統(tǒng)時(shí)，你得考慮信息層次。信息需求可以歸為三大類：操作層面當(dāng)被視為初始系統(tǒng)，因?yàn)樗湛慈粘Ｐ枨?，而且在評(píng)估最底層組織的狀況時(shí)也是最有

51、用的。戰(zhàn)術(shù)信息層次對(duì)于干線活動(dòng)可能是最有用的，如主要的操作組織。伴隨著這個(gè)種類的就是信息支持工程，像制造，采購，質(zhì)量控制，等等。戰(zhàn)略信息層次在策劃活動(dòng)上發(fā)揮重要作用。這些活動(dòng)處理最困難的問題，這些問題許諾會(huì)有最大的回報(bào)。支持任何模擬活動(dòng)的信息系統(tǒng)將會(huì)歸為這一類，因?yàn)閺拈L遠(yuǎn)來看，戰(zhàn)略層次系統(tǒng)將會(huì)影響其他層次的信息需求。</p><p>　　信息系統(tǒng)應(yīng)當(dāng)提供在使用者和信息之間所必需的相互作用，從而能被描述成對(duì)抗的工具

52、。為了提供期望的相互作用，它必須具備內(nèi)在的和外在的信息意識(shí)。</p><p><b>　　用戶人群</b></p><p>　　信息系統(tǒng)不可能成功，除非它是就直接需求而設(shè)計(jì)的而且有使用者的充分參與。在這樣的系統(tǒng)里，人們認(rèn)為他們自己知道計(jì)劃，控制，管理的真正需求。通常他們是知道這些的，但即使是當(dāng)他們是正確時(shí)，如果沒有使用者的直接涉入，這個(gè)系統(tǒng)也是注定要失敗的。這是因?yàn)樾?/p>

53、息使用者的觀點(diǎn)與信息人的觀點(diǎn)是不同的，而一個(gè)成功的系統(tǒng)必須圍繞使用者而建并且需要他們的參與。</p><p>　　按信息用戶及其需求分類有以下三種：</p><p>　　1. 一般用戶的需求是不可預(yù)知的，這就要求存有大量的信息。工作人員組織，支持功能以及檢修人員都是一般用戶。這種用戶最可能對(duì)資料庫，提問方式和檢索技術(shù)感到不滿。</p><p>　　2. 任務(wù)型用戶大

54、概是最容易滿足的。用戶的需求有限，并且會(huì)恰當(dāng)使用信息。與一般用戶相比，此類用戶可以無誤使用信息格式化和檢索功能。</p><p>　　3. 管理型用戶的特點(diǎn)是要求速成，即信息必須可以立即使用。決策支持信息和較復(fù)雜的信息也應(yīng)當(dāng)可以被快速提取?？梢?，管理型用戶和一般用戶的需求還是有一些類似的。</p><p><b>　　用戶需求調(diào)查</b></p><

55、;p>　　職位級(jí)別越高的一般用戶對(duì)信息的要求就越高，從而越難滿足。所以，就必須使高層用戶自身參與信息系統(tǒng)設(shè)計(jì)。如果他參與了設(shè)計(jì)，他就能在使用前了解該系統(tǒng)的局限性，因此，那些“信息系統(tǒng)的失望”值可以降到最低。</p><p>　　要制定適合不同類型用戶的信息系統(tǒng)，則要先研究用戶需要什么。這樣的研究將要對(duì)用戶操作目的和方法進(jìn)行調(diào)查，分析出用戶預(yù)期結(jié)果。最直接有效的方法或許就是“關(guān)鍵事件法”。這個(gè)方法是向用戶提出

56、下列要求來得知用戶的需求：</p><p>　　1. 請用戶列出在一段時(shí)期內(nèi)所做出的決定。</p><p>　　2. 請用戶詳述他需要什么信息來支撐這些決定。</p><p>　　3. 請用戶說明信息的來源以及所花費(fèi)的時(shí)間。</p><p>　　4. 請用戶描述這些所得信息的錯(cuò)誤之處或者他認(rèn)為有用的信息并闡釋其原因。</p>&

57、lt;p>　　用戶希望在安裝信息管理系統(tǒng)之前知道安裝此系統(tǒng)的費(fèi)用以及它帶來的好處。對(duì)于花費(fèi)，這顯然是容易估算的，然而，投資它所能帶來的好處卻是難以一時(shí)評(píng)定的，因?yàn)樗性S多無形的因素在起作用。</p><p>　　在當(dāng)今以符合成本效率競爭激烈的商業(yè)環(huán)境下，這樣的信息系統(tǒng)案例及其容易發(fā)生：雖然信息系統(tǒng)不再是先進(jìn)管理設(shè)想精密頂峰，但是長期內(nèi)不會(huì)有可以取而代之的工具來幫用戶作出決定。. </p>&l