A Generalized Model for Analyzing Management Information Systems

This paper points out that, in spite of the potential power of the Lieberman model for integrated business systems, (Lieberman, I. J. 1956. A mathematical model for integrated business systems. Management Sci.2(4) 327–336) its application to practical cases is hampered by the fact that most systems can be described only in a series of matrices which are not compatible for multiplication. Two methods of finding the “product” in such cases are described. The second method offers the advantages that only one matrix need be constructed to describe the entire system, that only elementary column operations are required to yield a solution, that the ordering of the system components need not be considered, and that components which are system inputs, system outputs, and those which are outside the scope of the study are immediately identified. A proof of the mathematical validity of the second method is given.