one, and once implemented it may be difficult to alter. Therefore, a prototype system would certainly aid the task finding flaws and indicating what the final system will need to function optimally.
2.) Models, as useful representations of something that exists in reality, can help determine design strategy for information systems. Two examples of this can be found in mental models and mathematical models.
Mental models encapsulate the unwritten beliefs and assumptions people use when they consider a specific subject. Mental models may include generalizations or certain if-then criteria. For example, a managerÆs mental model may be phrased to say: ôif a salesperson has no experience, then he or she will be easily adapted to company standards and methods regarding how to make a sale." Because our mental models prompt us to seek out certain information, they reflect directly upon the information systems available to us. Thus, if it is understood that the example above does in fact pertain to a manager at a given company, it is then imperative for an information system to provide the relevant informationù in this case, for an information system to be adequate it should include data regarding the sales experience of prospective employees.
Mental models are obviously vague, and they serve to reveal the general ways in which variable factors interact. Mathematical models are more precise, making it easier to think through the consequences of decisions. A mathematical model describes precise relationships between variables using graphs or equations, and ultimately produce more precise conclusions. Mathematical models help to organize an analysis, creating information by evaluating tentative decisions and responding to what-if questions. Mathematical models also make it easier to explore the effect of many alternative assumptions about key variablesù they compensate for human inabilities to keep track of hundreds of ...