What is the role of information systems in business?

A successful
business has the need to know.  It needs to know where its revenues come from and how to
increase them;  it needs to know how its money is being spent, ways to save money, and how to
cut costs if necessary;  it needs to know if it's making a profit and how to utilize its
resources efficiently; it needs to be able to hire a sufficient workforce, encourage that
workforce to perform through incentives and motivational tools; and it needs to promote the
company's products and services through clever marketing and advertising tactics.

In today's technological world, all this is accomplished through the company's
information systems, computer-based software and hardware that enables recording, storage, and
retrieval of pertinent data.  Most all companies have multiple computers networked together for
the sharing of data and for efficient operational capabilities.  In addition, most all have
their own technical support team and software programmers to insure all systems are running as
they should.

In retrospect, a modern day company cannot operate properly
without well-organized, well-managed, and efficient information systems.