Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

What is the main purpose of an office automation system?

1. Process day-to-day business event data

2. Provide access to databases for decision-making

3. Support individuals and small groups in predefined activities

4. Support interaction between firms and customers

The correct answer is: Support individuals and small groups in predefined activities

The main purpose of an office automation system is to support individuals and small groups in predefined activities. This type of system is designed to improve productivity by enabling users to perform specific tasks more efficiently, which can include managing communications, scheduling, document preparation, and data handling. Office automation systems streamline routine office tasks, allowing teams to collaborate effectively while maintaining structured workflows. In contrast, processing day-to-day business event data typically falls under operational systems or transaction processing systems, which handle routine transactions and operations rather than focusing on the predefined activities of individuals or groups. Providing access to databases for decision-making aligns more with management information systems (MIS) or decision support systems (DSS), which concentrate on analyzing data for strategic choices rather than directly supporting day-to-day predefined tasks. Supporting interaction between firms and customers is primarily the realm of customer relationship management (CRM) systems or similar platforms, which focus on enhancing the customer experience and engagement rather than the internal workflows of an office environment. Thus, the character of office automation systems is centered on enhancing individual and team efficiency in their routine operations, making it the correct choice.