Lean management information systems - P5

Management information system (MIS) is a system to convert data from internal and external sources into information and to communicate that information, in an appropriate form, to managers, enabling them to control the business.

Lean thinking originated from Toyota. Lean production/Toyota Production System has a goal of "to get the right things to the right place at the right time, the first time, while minimising waste and being open to change". Lean techniques can also be applied to service environment.

Since inaccurate information and the difficulties of accessing information can create waste, they must be solved. Lean thinking aims to create value to the information provided by the system, and there are three levels at which it can do this:
1. Lean can enhance the value of the data in the system and how it is organised, exchanged and retrieved.
2. Lean thinking can add value to information by virtue of how the information is organised and presented, eg. not including unnecessary detail.
3. Enabling information to flow to the users more efficiently; by addressing the processes of exchange, sharing and collaboration between the management accountants and the managers in a business.

Therefore, we can know whether the MIS are lean by looking at the efficiency, productivity and quality of information provided by the systems.