Information Systems and Software Applications Software applications and information systems help businesses to manage every area of their business affairs. In a company it is extremely important to have not only an appropriate information system, but also the appropriate software applications that will allow one to conduct daily tasks. It will determine how successful a business can be. Businesses that take the time to invest these types of software can help take an accurate snapshot of where their business has been and where they are going. Usually, the different departments within an organization will have different information systems; however, they may have similar applications or a package of application on a system. Human resources, Finance, and Accounting are three departments in an organization that usually depend on reliable information systems (IS) and must have Software applications that support the duties and help them conduct day-to-day business. In this paper I will discuss these three departments and the system they would benefit from as well as applications that they may require. One of many tasks that the human resources departments has is keeping records of new, current, future, or potential employees. Two information systems compatible with their duties are the office automation system, and the decision support system. The office automation systems would allow human resources employees to support activities for individuals and input data regarding each employee’s performance reviews or salary increases. A decision support system will allow human resources employees to know when company resource allocation need to change, whether it be adding or reducing employees. Some applications that the HR department would need are personal information management application to keep track of employee anniversaries, or review dates on Microsoft outlook or IBM lotus notes. They would also benefit from word processing applications like Microsoft office. Information systems that a Finance department would need are, transactions processing system, and Expert System. Transactions processing system can help keep track of the money coming in as well money going out because it can store the data from day-to-day financial transactions. The expert system would help the Finance department because it would ensure that all the transactions being input in to the transactions processing system are accurate and can help determine if there may be any fraudulent transactions. The expert system could also help make tough decisions that could be more accurately made by an information system than by an employee. Some applications that will help support employee tasks are personal finance applications as well as spreadsheet applications. Finance applications like Quickens or Microsoft money will allow them to manipulate and input data, to keep an accurate track of company finances. In my next paragraph I will address the management department. Accounting software is used to help with payroll processing, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. It helps to manage billing clients and keeping up with debt collection. It helps to manage the money in the department. They can use different reports to see how the business is doing with income and expenses. It can help them to maintain a budget and keep them on financial track. It also helps accounting departments by maintaining records that control the movement of funds within the company and produces financial statements. Information systems and applications make work easier for companies and also for people who are not technically knowledgeable. A company would usually also benefit from purchasing a package of applications rather than purchasing them individually. Most companies have been able to manage their business better because of these information systems and applications.

Reference
Bricklin, D. (2007 Sept). Was VisiCalc the first spreadsheet. Retrieved from http://www.bricklin.com/firstspreadsheetquestion.html
Rainer, R. K., & Turban, E. (2008). Introduction to information systems (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.