When Danielle Dillinger entered college, she had “no clue” what major she would pursue. By chance, during her sophomore year, she picked general business and took a class called Introduction to Management Information Systems (MIS). It was there she began learning about how enterprise resource planning systems made businesses more efficient and innovative. Immediately, she was hooked.
Dillinger thrived in the program and graduated with a B.B.A. in management information systems from the University of West Georgia — and later, with an MBA focused on business intelligence and cybersecurity. She found internships immediately out of college and today works as a data analyst II at SMC3, a company that uses technology to translate transportation pricing and transit detail into data-centric solutions.
The digitization of the U.S. economy has caused professionals like Dillinger to be in high demand. That’s because technology innovation has created a scenario where business executives now have access to reams of information about how their business is performing. In an instant, they can see inventory levels, cash flow information and up-to-the minute sales forecasts. MIS professionals help organizations make sense of that data so they can use it to make sound business decisions.
Jobs in this field are expected to grow 11% from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than average. Reports also show that Atlanta is the second-most active market in the U.S. for tech hiring.
To help meet this growing demand, the University of West Georgia’s Richards College of Business has been focused on the growth of its B.B.A. in management information systems. It prepares students for careers such as business systems analyst, database administrator, network administrator, or cybersecurity analyst. Additionally, students can focus their studies in one of UWG’s two concentrations: Enterprise Systems and Data Analytics or IoT, Networking and Cyber Security. The university also encourages students to pursue professional certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and CyberOps or the SAP and UiPath certification.
Dillinger and Jeannie Pridmore, associate professor at the Richards College of Business, recently talked with the Atlanta Business Chronicle about the fast-growing MIS program, how the college is helping employers meet the demand for these professionals and trends in the industry.
What’s behind the faster-than-average job growth for MIS positions?
Pridmore: It started in 2007 with the growth of smart devices. From that, there was a sudden growth in data. More recently, the pandemic caused many companies to try to figure out how to maintain operations, but in a completely virtual way. There’s no way you can do that without technology. These MIS positions are key for companies as they go along their digital transformation journeys.
Dillinger: Some companies went completely remote [during the pandemic], and working from home brings different complications, like protecting at-home devices and the installation of virtual private networks. Technology was evolving before Covid, but the pandemic gave a boost to the IT side of the business.
We’re in a tight labor market. What are you hearing from employers about the need to fill these positions? Why are these positions so valuable to companies in today’s digital world?
Pridmore: Companies are having a hard time finding the right skill sets. It’s not that people aren’t applying. They are, but they don’t have what companies are looking for. Companies are embracing data analytics and are looking for innovative people willing to take the initiative. Because of the tight market, we’re seeing more robotic process automation of tedious work functions.
So many connected digital devices these days are constantly gathering and transmitting data. There’s a wealth of data available. Enterprise systems and lights-out processing speeds means all the data we’re collecting can be seen in real time. The MIS positions help companies manage all of this data and use it to further their business goals.
Finally, every company has valuable data, and cybersecurity attacks are on the rise. Cybercrime has become a huge industry and attacks have become increasingly sophisticated. It’s not just a hacker in a basement anymore. Cybersecurity analysts can help companies establish a baseline knowledge of how to operate safely and conduct business in an increasingly online world.
Dillinger: Cyber professionals also are getting a big boost from more companies expecting the vendors they work with to become SOC 2 compliant. It’s a voluntary standard with a goal of ensuring the safety and privacy of customers’ data.
What are the advantages of students pursuing professional certifications such as Cisco CCNA, CyberOps, SAP and UiPath?
Pridmore: [When they see the certification on a resume], the people recruiting these students know they have the baseline knowledge a company needs. We try to offer the right mix of theory and practice. We want students to learn the why, the theory of data analytics and cyber, but also to have hands-on skills from those certifications and digital badges. It helps students get their resume to the top of the pile and get an interview.
Danielle, how are you applying the skills you learned at UWG in your career?
Dillinger: In June, I’ll celebrate three years with my current employer, and I’ve already been promoted. I have a variety of job functions. Some include developing new procedures, programs and processes to create and modify data for customers, staying current on software to create our products and data content and assisting the electronic data interchange team with troubleshooting failed EDI [electronic data interchange] transactions. I also teach others about ERP systems, explain customer relationship management and help with databases. My education was a direct result of [Pridmore] and her team spending a lot of time with companies to figure out what they truly want in a MIS professional. Having a program with those two concentrations increases the odds students will find a business home at the end of the day.
Learn more about the University of West Georgia’s Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management Information Systems.
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer with The Business Journals Content Studio.
