Explain the types of modern information systems and their role in organisations?

Modern Information Systems is a term that typically refers to the storage and subsequent retrieval of data in an organization. Many companies that have existed since before the beginning of the digital age (circa 2000) will have stored most of their documents relating to all aspects of their business on paper in physical files.

With today's technological advances, the physical medium of document storage is clearly the less practical option! Advantages of digital storage are:

• More secure files

Only those granted access can view confidential data, with no need to employ a security guard or spend money on physically securing documents.

• More space on the premises

Businesses that have been around for decades would have thousands of documents stored, which means there needs to be a place for them to be. With everything condensed down to the size of one hard drive, a business suddenly has a lot of free space which can be used to increase productivity.

• Quicker access

Databases of documents stored digitally mean a computer-based search can return relevant information within seconds, without the need to go searching through huge physical volumes. In most cases, it also means it's more or less impossible to misplace an important document.

There are companies which specialize in helping firms transfer to modern information systems. Preview Services in Hampton, UK, has been operating for a number of years, and offer a complete service which scans physical documents, saves a digital form and then destroys the original document to prevent data protection related issues.