Chapter 3.

7 – The Use of Systems and Data

What are the features that make electronic storage of data valuable to an organization?

1. Accuracy

Data can become inaccurate due to data entry errors and for not updating the data when a
change has occurred.

For example, if some employees have changed their telephone numbers during the past year
and the changes have not been updated in the HR department’s database, the employees’ data
will not be valuable to the organization.

2. Up to date

(a) Data in an inventory system is valuable to the organization

1. If the system can inform the current stock level
2. If the system can signal the stockroom manager when the stock level falls below the
reorder level and even send a purchase order automatically to the supplier.

(b) Data in a sales department is valuable to the organization if the selling prices of the
products are up to date.

3. VANS (value added network services)

The data will be valuable to an organization if a group of people can add data relevant to the
specific field to the database so that every one of the group will have access to data of a wider
perspective.

Example: A group of real estate agents entering the details of potential customers from his
geographical area to the database. This will help all the agents to attract potential
customers from a wider geographical area.

4. Data mining

Data will be valuable to an organization if data mining can be carried out easily by software
which can sift the data to extract useful information.

Examples: (a) To find people who are most likely to respond to ‘junk mail’
(b) To find products which get sold together in a supermarket
(c) To find people who are likely to live longer

5. Security

Data will be valuable to an organization if the security to the data is assured as unsecured data
may have been changed or corrupted by unauthorized users.
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Why standardization is needed in modern computer systems?

Standardization is necessary so that the computer systems can communicate with each other.

Examples of standardization in computer systems

1. Hardware standards such as common access ports. For example port 80 used to access the
World Wide Web.

2. Standards in communication methods such as ISDN, ADSL etc

3. Standards in communication protocols such as HTTP, FTP

4. Standards in common file formats such as:

(a) Text files – These are used to hold characters represented by the ASCII code. Text files are
used to transfer data quickly between application packages. The data contains no
formatting. These files are more likely to be readable by many other software.

(b) Comma separated variable files – In these files each field is separated by a comma. These
files are used to transfer tabular data between applications.

(c) Tab separated variable files – In these files each field is separated by a tab character. These
are used to transfer tabular data between applications.

(d) Rich text format files – This are a complex file format used to store data from a word
processor. They include information about fonts, sizes, colors ad styles.

(e) Picture files – These represent pictures in digital format. Examples are BMP (bit mapped),
JPEG (Joint Picture Experts Group), GIF (Graphical Interchange Format), MPEG (Moving
Picture Experts Group). JPEG and MPEG also contain compression techniques.

(f) Sound files – These represent sound in digital format. Example WAV files.

5. Standards in the Use of layered protocols such as OSI reference model – This is a set of
protocols which specifies the rules for transmitting data between computers within a network.
These rules are divided into seven layers.

How standardization can become disadvantageous in modern computer system?

1. It may be time consuming for an organization to convert the data files into a different format

2. It may be costly for an organization to change the software it uses, particularly when the
software has been custom built.

3. It may be costly for an organization to change the hardware it uses.

4. It may be costly for an organization to change its communication protocols

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5. It may be costly for an organization to change its units of measurements. For example to
change from the British system to the metric system may be costly as it involves redesigning
their plant and machinery, retraining the employees, deviating from the ad hoc industry
standards etc.

Examples of the use of computers in communication

1. Accessing voice mail where spoken messages are digitized and stored on disk. When the
recipients access the messages later the digital data is converted back to sound.

2. Accessing databases stored in computers by using the telephone system, such as the Internet
and various other networks. Users can access these databases to find their bank account
balances, to search for products at ecommerce Web sites, to check flight details, to
check the stock market information etc.

3. Use of mobile phones which rely on computers to route calls.

4. Use of electronic data interchange (EDI) which allows users to send and receive order details
and invoices electronically. EDI is different from email in that the data is highly structured into
fields such as sender’s name, recipient’s name, order number, quantity, product code etc.
whereas email is completely unstructured in that it is simply text.

5. Teleconferencing which allows a group of people in different parts of the world to

communicate by talking to each other using computers, telephone lines and email.

6. Videoconferencing which allows a group of people in different parts of the world to

communicate by seeing and talking to each other using computers, satellites, cameras, speakers
and email.

7. Using the Internet, computers, telephone system, satellites and various other transmission
media to provide services such as news, advertising, bulletin boards, world wide web etc.

What are the new businesses that have been created as a result of using computers?

1. Selling and purchasing of goods online through ecommerce

2. Selling information through Web sites such as medical advances

3. Selling software through the Internet

What are the ways that people get trained in using computer systems?

1. Young people are growing up in an IT environment and self learn the skills.

2. Older people have to be taught from the basics by an instructor

3. Employees of an organization get trained in the software that they use at work through the
training programs conducted by the organization.
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4. Employees of an organization are also helped to learn IT skills at work by the help desk staff of
the organization by helping them through answering their queries.

Why people like to learn from printed notes rather that through on-line help?

Most people prefer to have their notes in printed form. This is because they need to look at their
work and their notes at the same time. Adjusting the size of the window so that the work and the
notes are both on the screen at the same time is often unsatisfactory. Also learners like to flick
back and forth through their notes and this is much easier when the notes are on paper.

Why users have to be continually trained in IT?

1. Since IT is ever-changing

2. Application packages are continually being upgraded

3. New applications are being created daily

What are the changes in work patterns which have occurred as a result of introducing
computers?

1. Workers are supervised more closely because of electronic spying

2. Workers get less trade union power because they do not work as a unit

3. Has created clean and well paid jobs

4. Workers need to get trained continually in the use of new technologies

5. Can conduct meetings through videoconferencing

6. Can use email and other electronic messaging systems to communicate with customers and
Coworkers

7. Dangerous tasks are made safer such as handling radioactive material using robots

8. Created new job types such as network administrators, system analysts and computer
programmers

9. Allowed more work to be done in a given amount of time

10. New information storage facilities have emerged such as hard drives, CDs, flash drives etc.

11. Can work from home

What are the benefits to the worker in working from home?

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1. Quality of life improves

2. Can work around other commitments

3. More time can be spent with family

What are the disadvantages to the worker in working from home?

1. Loses social interaction

2. Distractions from family members such as children

3. May need training in the use of technology

What are the benefits to the businesses due the workers working from home?

1. No need of large and expensive office space

2. Will have lower utility bills such as gas, water and electricity

3. Can have a happy work force

4. Can have world wide workforce

What are the disadvantages to the businesses due to the workers working from home?

1. Greater security issues relating to the data and information

2. Difficult to monitor what workers are doing

3. Difficult to make sudden decisions about work

4. Incur costs in training programs

5. Group work becomes difficult

What are the advantages to the society due to the workers working from home?

1. Less traffic on the roads

2. Implies less need for infrastructure

3. Less pollution

4. Creates closely knit families

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5. Can provide work for disabled

What are the disadvantages to the society due to the workers working from home?

1. Creates a society with less social ties

2. Non-availability of trade unions which leads to dictatorship by the employers

An example of how computerization would affect the work patterns of a business

A company designs, manufactures and fits kitchen furniture. Before the company computerized
their systems, a typical commission would be

• Customer sees and advertisement in a magazine and calls the firm to arrange for a home visit

• A sales representative travels into regional office to collect the appointments for the day

• The sales representative delivers plans created for their customers

• A number of appointments would be held at the customer’s house. Each time the
representative would go away to draw up plans and the likeness of what the finished kitchen
will look like.

• When the customer is in agreement with the plans, the representative takes the plans into the
office

• The plans are sent to the factory where the units would be made according to stock
availability

• After the kitchen is fitted an invoice is sent to the customer

Discuss how computerization would affect the above business

1. The company advertises in the Internet

2. Enquiries come in immediately from the Internet

3. The sales rep downloads his schedule of appointments form the computer at the regional office

4. Sales representative records his appointments in his electronic diary (PDA)

5. Kitchen is designed during the first visit using CAD software. Any changes to the design can
be made there itself and a three dimensional view is also shown to the customer. The final
design may also be able to come up with

6. Kitchen views printed out for the householder to study

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7. The design and the requirements are sent to the factory as an email attachment using the sales
rep’s laptop

8. Orders are placed to the suppliers of building materials using the mobile phone

9. Customer can pay an advance using his credit card