"Up-to-date" and "effective" information systems

Abstract

In texts dealing with information systems as well as in everyday's wording the attrlbutes "up-to-date" and "effective" are to be applied very carefully. In using these words the definitions usually given in terminologies are not sufficient.
Relevant literature shows that there is no strict and uniform definition of the efficiency of information activitiee. The reasons are, among others:
whereas costs of information can be evaluated, results appear with a time-lag behind costs and their evaluation is extremely complicated because they manifest themselves not directly but on the level of social development;
the social character of information services (similar to education, public health etc.).
Therefore the concept of efficiency as used in economics is not applicable in relation to information systems. These do not mean that the economic efficiency of information systems is to be neglected. Prior to decisions concerning information systems it should be investigated whether the needs of the society (i.e. not to lose existing knowledge but to make it available) are met by the information system and what is the structure and the amount of resources to be used for this purpose.
Consequently, efficiency related to information systems has to be considered as a social category (social efficiency) because the maintainance of information channels and of the flow of information, the collection, storage and dissemination of information and the transfer of knowledge are social objectives. The attainment of which allows to meet social aims and to fulfil social needs.
The concept of "up-to-dateness" is closely linked with these ideas. An information syatem which forms obviously part of the non-productive aphere of society is indispensable for the society. The development of an information system is influenced by at least two factora:
the limitations of the available resources and the efforts made to raise the organizational quality of information work.
Therefore, only those information systems could be described as up-to-date which are socially effective and wich collect, store and process knowledge and disseminate information acoording to the needs of the society for socially acceptable costs optimated at the level of information services.