Management information systems (MIS) refers to the practices and processes centered on the relationships between organizations, technology, and people. In business, a management information system is all the tools that executives and employees use in data research, business support processes, competitive intelligence, and information technology. Put simply, MIS tools help companies manage and move data and information. It's a closely related business discipline to both enterprise resource planning and information technology management.
MIS is used to analyze how people gather, study, and use the data accumulated in work processes, such as data-driven reports to help companies make timely decisions on strategy. Management information systems help companies use data to decide on a strategic direction. For instance, retail companies can see customer purchases in use databases to know which of its clothing products sell better than others. Technology companies use management information systems to plan, develop, manage, and track actions made by its user base.