• First, you will benefi t more from your organization’s IT applications because you willunderstand what is “behind” those applications (see Figure 1.1). That is, what you seeon your computer screen is brought to you by your MIS department, who are operating“behind” your screen.• Second, you will be in a position to enhance the quality of your organization’s IT applicationswith your input.• Third, even as a new graduate, you will quickly be in a position to recommend—and perhapshelp select—the IT applications that your organization will use.• Fourth, being an informed user will keep you abreast of both new information technologiesand rapid developments in existing technologies. Remaining “on top of things” willhelp you to anticipate the impacts that “new and improved” technologies will have on yourorganization and to make recommendations on the adoption and use of these technologies.• Fifth, you will understand how using IT can improve your organization’s performance andteamwork as well as your own productivity.• Finally, if you have ideas of becoming an entrepreneur, then being an informed user willhelp you use IT when you start your own business.Going further, managing the IS function within an organization is no longer the exclusiveresponsibility of the IS department. Rather, users now play key roles in every step of thisprocess. The overall objective in this text is to provide you with the necessary information tocontribute immediately to managing the IS function in your organization. In short, the goal isto help you become a very informed user!