Are Routine Manual Systems Genuine Information Systems?

The information systems literature describes many systems — both computerised and manual — that are commonly accepted to be information systems (IS). However, there is also a group of systems found in the literature, which will be called routine, manual systems, that appear to provide participants with cues for action but which do not have the hallmarks of traditional information systems. These systems contain elements that are both stored and manipulated in ways that are different to what is observed in traditional data processing. This paper asks whether or not these systems in fact share common characteristics with traditional IS and which would allow us to call them information systems. It is found that, in using terminology from general systems theory and the semiotics literature, it is possible to find common ground between these systems and traditional IS, thus making the term ‘information system’ a legitimate label for such systems. Answering this question is an important first stage in a larger research project that examines what makes routine, manual systems function effectively.