Formal and informal flows MIS

 The MIS can be used to gather information from both formal and informal flows of information

·    A formal flow of information is one in which a procedure is adopted, e.g. the downloading of sales figures from several branches first thing on a Monday morning.  External data can be collected using specialised data collection agencies such as Dun and Bradstreet who produce economic data for academic and commercial organisations.  Formal flows can also come from people working on the same document at several locations, or by use of e-mail, or by use of company intranets.

·    Informal information flows come from chance meetings, reading magazines or newspapers, or watching the news on TV.