T1.5 Systems

As I have mentioned a few times in assignments and telling a little bit about myself, I have a job at Panera Bread. Working at this business, I have seen various ways that information is used to benefit the business through the flow of input, processing, output, and feedback. Already from taking this class, I have been able to get a better understanding and reasoning for the way that things are done at Panera. One of the most important aspects of information systems, that is explained in our textbook, is understanding the difference between data and information. Before this class, I honestly thought that they were the same thing. However, after reading the difference, I was able to notice examples within my work environment to help me understand this better. For example, when inventory is done, the counting of all of the items in the store would be the data (raw facts). The transformation process is then use to turn this into information (additional value beyond facts), which would be the list of what the store needs to order to send it off to our suppliers. Since Panera uses mostly the Information System of E-commerce, I decided to further my understanding of E-commerce. Through research, I have noticed that E-commerce has become extremely popular since the establishment of the Internet. The World Wide Web was first invented in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee. Throughout this first decade, the internet was mostly used for basic information and communication. However, by the end of 2000, E-commerce was considered to be "the ability of purchasing various goods through the Internet using secure protocols and electronic payment services" (1). This knowledge furthered my understanding of E-commerce as an Information System and gave me an understanding as to how the system came about and became popular. Seattle University, at just about the start of the millenium, took notice to this trend and offered to their students the option of the major "E-Commerce and Information Systems" (ECIS). The University states "As the Internet is becoming widely available to the masses, E-commerce on the internet is on the verge of becoming the most important market activity in the world economy" (2). It was interesting to see that the University predicted and recognized this trend, giving their students the opportunity to be a part of this revolutionary and expanding Information System. Further researching Information Systems, I came across a chart that explained the security measures of Information Systems. I found this very important to apply to the discussion of E-commerce, since the Internet is public. People are able to hack into computers and get access to private information. The security measures of an information system are listed as 1. Identify Threats. Businesses should know of any threats to the security of their system. In the case of E-commerce, an example of a threat would be a hacker. 2. Establish Controls. Businesses must have a secure way, such as specific passwords and numerous measures to make it extremely difficult for information to be exposed. 3. Perform Audits. Businesses should audit all transactions and aspects of their systems to discover any breach of security (3). E-commerce involves trusting a company with personal information, such as credit card numbers. Businesses must protect this information by taking the necessary security measures within their E-commerce system. (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce (2) http://ecis.seattleu.edu/first_page.htm (3) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/287895/information-system