Accessing and Sharing Information

Information technologies are letting companies communicate, share, and provide data access to workers, managers, suppliers, and customers in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago. Three types of information technologies are used by managers and workers inside organizations to access and share information: executive information systems, intranets, and corporate portals. Information technologies like electronic data interchange, extranets, web services, and the internet let companies easily share data with external groups like suppliers and customers. Companies have also begun using information technologies to capture and share the knowledge of consultants, specialists, and experts with other managers and workers by using decision support systems and expert systems. Business managers are exposed to reams of information every day, some useful and some not, which in turn impacts the actions they take, the behaviors they exhibit, and the decisions they make. This course discusses the main ways that businesses and managers access and share information internally and externally.