Measuring the effectiveness of Management Information Systems used for decision making in Mpumalanga TVET Colleges

Abstract

Small and large businesses are found to be using information systems to manage their businesses and information. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges are no exception. For that reason, information is becoming more and more expensive, and businesses are willing to pay high prices to access information since it is important for decision making and competitive intelligence. Vital information must meet certain requirements, such as reliability, accessibility, relevance and recent for it to be usable. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of information systems in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges in the Mpumalanga Province. The research will provide the background of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges, the different types of Management Information Systems, the influence of the relevant legislation, the benefits of using the system and the influence of technology and innovation in the decision-making process. The TAM Model was used to explain how people accept technology, and from the study conducted it was revealed that in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges people see technology as a sure way to profitability. It was also evident that Management Information Systems are important tools that play an important role in collecting, analysing and providing information to different departments internally, different stakeholders both internally and externally, and managers to be assigned for different purposes, such as report writing and forecasting. The findings further revealed that there is a shortage of skills and resources that hinder the effectiveness of the system. As businesses are choosing the information system suitable for their use, they need to ensure that the correct choice is made. It must be provided by a reliable service provider who will be willing to assist whenever they experience problems and have technical problems. Secondly, it should be able to provide what the organisation needs, regarding the format of the information, availability of information whenever needed, and to the level of the users regarding technicality. If not, it will be of no use, and it will not achieve the objectives of a Management Information System in the organisation. As mandated by the legislation, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges are required to use management information systems, having multiplicities to choose from. They range from College Technical System (COLTECH), Integrated Tertiary System (ITS), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETMIS) and many others. They will ensure that services are improved, clients’ needs can be met and satisfied fully; information will be submitted to the department in time, is more accurate than before and presented in the format they expect it to be. The recommendations of the study will be available to the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges and the department. It was recommended that for future research, a study could be done to investigate the level of skills in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training College’s employees and its use. The influence of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges are emphasised.