3.2 INFORMATION & SYSTEMS3.2 INFORMATION & SYSTEMS

Specification

UNDERSTAND THIS FIRST...UNDERSTAND THIS FIRST...

What is information?

• What is data?

• Information is data that has been processed to give it meaning

NOW UNDERSTAND THIS...NOW UNDERSTAND THIS...

What is information?

• What is data?

• Information is data that has been processed to give it meaning

Information in Organisations

• Think of an organisation e.g. Bank, hotel, school

• Think what internal and external information flows through this organisation daily, weekly, monthly and annually.

• E.g. A hotel

• Reservations: internal/external - daily

• Accounting: internal/external - daily, weekly, quarterly, annually

• Hotel Point of Sales (Restaurant, Bar, Room Service, House Keeping or any other outlet): internal - daily

• Payroll: internal & external - daily, weekly, monthly and annually

DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS HAVE DIFFERENT HAVE DIFFERENT

INFORMATION NEEDSINFORMATION NEEDS

Cause EffectType of organisation Type and style of information

• Public sector organisations (http://bit.ly/eFEaVq)

• Not controlled by individuals, voluntary or private organisations

• Includes national, local government firms e.g. NHS

• Require information transparency as they are accountable to facets of the government and public

• Other types of organisations

• Private organisation

• Public limited organisation

Cause EffectScale of organisation Type and style of information

• Small organisation on one site

• Informal methods of distributing information internally

• If the owner is involved day to day in the operations less need for daily progress or sales reports e.g. Might gather this through verbal reports and weekly summary

• Large organisations spread out geographically

• More formal reporting mechanisms

• More staff at different levels each require information specific to their needs and in an appropriate format (see slide.....)

Cause EffectNature of organisation Type of information

• A charity

• Requires information such as donar details, monies taken in and out

• Does not need extensive information about customers, volunteer staff, collections etc.

• A bank

• Will need copious amounts of information about customers, investments, product sales, staff etc.

• Different departments will use this information for varying purposes

DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WITHIN ORGANISATIONS WITHIN ORGANISATIONS

HAVE DIFFERENT HAVE DIFFERENT INFORMATION NEEDSINFORMATION NEEDS

Different activities within organisations have different information needs

• Activites

• Internal - style of information is self-imposed

• External - conform to external entity's requirements for style, format and delivery method

• Customer Support

• Sympathetic interface

• Information must be accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant

• Customer relations department may require a combination of internal systems to ensure the customer gets the right information

Different activities within organisations have different

information needs• Ordering

• Information must be accurate

• Went sent to suppliers must be in the right format

• Payroll, personnel, finance

• Uses personal and corporate data

• Information must be valid, accurate and formal

• This will ensure it meets the requirements of the law

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TASK DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TASK HAVE DIFFERENT HAVE DIFFERENT

INFORMATION NEEDSINFORMATION NEEDS

The Levels

• 3 Levels

• Each have specific information requirements

• Each served by different information systems

Supermarket Example

• Operational - check out operators, make small decisions

• Tactical - Middle Management e.g. Store Manager, mid-long term planning

• Strategic - Regional Manager / Managing Director, set strategic, long term planning

DIFFERENT PERSONNEL HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONNEL HAVE DIFFERENT INFORMATION DIFFERENT INFORMATION

NEEDSNEEDS

External PersonnelE.g. Customers, suppliers, legal bodies

• Customers

• Need information if purchasing goods or services

• Presented in many ways e.g. Paper, website, email, SMS

• Think of the information a customer would need if he/she was having something delivered. How would this information be presented.

• Think of the information needed by all parties that the customer wouldn't need e.g. Internal codes, manufacturer details

External PersonnelE.g. Customers, suppliers, legal bodies

• Suppliers

• Require only the precise ordering information e.g. Item, Quantity, delivery date and address

• Large organisations have automated reordering

External PersonnelE.g. Customers, suppliers, legal bodies

• Legal bodies

• Many information requirements e.g.???

• Income tax, customs & excise, visa, pensions, health insurance

• Nature of information might be personal or corporate

• When providing this information it will always be in a set format, internal systems must meet these needs

• Exchanging this information, consider

• Privacy (DPA)

• Security (Encryption, crypto-security, transmission security, emission security, traffic flow security andvphysical security)

SYSTEMSSYSTEMS

What is an ICT System?

• Consists of hardware, software, information, procedures and people

• Systems are needed in order to make things work e.g. Respiratory System :-)

• Organisations need systems in order to operate. Makes the business run more smoothly and efficiently.

Past Paper Questions

Past Paper Questions