Final answer:
An operating information system is the first level of a management support system, providing managers with decision-making information based on summary data from transaction processing systems. It is crucial for facilitating human-software interactions in complex automated environments and is essential for organizational and economic stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the first level of a management support system is an operating information system, which utilizes summary data sourced from the transaction processing system. This data is pivotal for providing managers with the necessary decision-making information. It emphasizes the efficiency of human software interactions in complex automated systems, especially for workers' decision-making processes supported by the software system.
In effect, it forms a foundational component of the support systems needed for economic sustainability, which includes critical infrastructure such as power, communications, transportation, water, sanitation, and education systems. As per Essential Knowledge 1.A.1, a system is essentially an entity or a collection of entities with no internal structure being considered for the simplification of analysis, which in this context, refers to the operating information system as an entity aiding managerial decisions.