BTEC level 3

1. BTEC level 3 Learning Aim F

2. Pre Topic Task • Find out what an online service is • Create a list of online services • Explain how businesses use them effectively to be more productive. • This could help you • Convenience • Security • Ease of use • Speed • Flexibility

3. Impact of IT Systems

4. Online services • How do the features of online services meet the needs of individuals or organisations? How does the internet help? Does exposing ourselves online mean anything for our data? • What online services can you think of? • What data do they need? • Can we avoid using them?

5. Online services • TASK – below are a list of industry sectors, in your books write down what services these sectors provide online • Retail • Financial services. • Education and training • News and information • Entertainment and leisure • Productivity • Booking systems

6. The features and implications of using online services • Retail – Most items can now be purchased online from a variety of shops, the products can be delivered to suit ours needs. It also means products can be bough which are not regulated by government standards. The risk of buying unregulated products before they arrive is also exposed. • Financialservices – e.g. mortgages, advice, investments, banking, debt and loans. The UK’s financial services are regulated but because we now have global access not all services can be guaranteed as authentic. We now have popular providers such as PayPal who are becoming a dominant force on the internet. • Educationandtraining – Now a days a lot of CPD courses which employees take are based online and even university courses use online providers. With the advancement of technology students now use devices to connect to the internet for their research. However there are examples of fake research and unregulated online courses. • Newsandinformation – It is suggested that we are bombarded with the content of the equivalent of over 200 newspapers per day. This is due to the ease of accessibility and range of tech that allows us access the news. News spreads quickly because people are able to capture the story there and then. For example the 9/11 bombings or the Shoreham air disaster. Because news is readily available, staff productivity can be affected as well as ensuring news is correct and not biased.

7. The features and implications of using online services • Entertainmentandleisure – with the emergence of smart phones, smart televisions, TV on demand, Netflix etc TV is now accessible all throughout the day and this can occupy more time in peoples lives. The watershed is no longer a factor as TV programmes can be streamed at any time. However it is possible to put safety locks on certain channels. People do not have to go to the casino to gamble as online services allows people to do it at home, all this issues and more have affected peoples leisure time. • Productivity – there are some positive tools for example remote desktop which provides flexible working hours, cloud storage which allows collaboratively. However it could be argued that work can be intrusive into someone's personal life because they are expected to check communication from work in their own time. Social media has affected work productivity as people want to be up to date with the latest news. Some business confiscate mobiles or do not allow them in the workplace as it affects the companies productivity. • Bookingsystems – No longer do we receive tickets to travel with, or need to print out paper copies for confirmation. Online services allow us to search and compare for the cheapest deals and book travel, holidays, sports tickets etc. of course there is always a security risk using online services as they will need to collect personal data.

8. The uses, impact and implications of online services • TASK – Make notes of these 3 areas in your book. Use the internet or pages 59-60 in the textbook • Transactional data – data when a transaction is made. • Targeted marketing – how business use transactional data to target marketing at their customers. • Collaborative working – how do online services help individuals work together.

9. Impact on organisation • How does technology affect organisations? • E.g. online shopping, social media, borrowing money, travel and accommodations, medical consultations, internet dating • What do office buildings look like (inside)? • How can this all have an impact on business? • TASK - List some advantages and disadvantages

10. Keywords • CAD – computer aided design software which is used for detailed technical drawings. Used to help design cars and buildings. • QR codes – quick response codes which provide direct links to, for example, websites or make a payment. • Viral - unsolicited and infectious marketing tactics using social media to attract interest.

11. Features and implications of IT systems used by organisations • Why has the use of IT systems dramatically increased in the past decade? • How has the internet helped? • What IT systems do businesses use? • TASK – Research (pages 61-63)– Stock Control / Data logging / Data analysis / General office tasks / creative tasks / advertising / manufacturing / security. • What are they? • What are the advantages for a business? • What are the implications for a business?

12. Keywords • CRM – customer relationship management system • MIS – management information system • SAP – systems, applications and product is a data processing system • CAM – computer aided manufacturing is done by machines that use software to operate tools and machinery for manufacturing, so providing greater precision and accuracy.

13. The impact of using IT systems • What is the impact of using IT systems in relation to these concepts…. • User experience • Employee and customer needs • Cost • Implementation • Replacement or integration with current systems • Productivity • Working practice • Staff training needs • User support • Security TASK – Using these concepts above, you are going to sell to a company a product of your choice.

14. Keywords • Datacleansing – ongoing checking of data for accuracy, currency and completeness • Inputmask – a database instruction which restricts or control the type, format or amount of data entered. • Amortise – gradually write off the initial cost of an asset over a period of time, because regular payments are made. • CSV – comma separated values if a file type which stores records in a line and presents data in plain text as individual fields, where each field is separated by a comma.

15. Using and manipulating data • What is data? • Primary data – data the organisation has collected or produced itself • E.g. list of customer details • Secondary data - data which someone else has ‘bought in’ or collected by someone else. • E.g. research articles, government reports etc • What is the source of the data? How does it first appear? • Data comes in a raw format and must be given context and analysed in order for it to become useful. • Task in your books research and answer the following • How do you ensure that the data is reliable?

16. How is data collected? • Task – use this table to explain how data can be collected. • Quantitative – numerical data, generated into statistics • Qualitative – gain an understanding and the underlying reasons

17. Data Accuracy • Why is the accuracy of data vital? • What are the consequences? • How can you ensure data is entered probably? • Verification – checking with its original source • Validation – if the parameters meet the inputmask, data only accepted if its meets the criteria • Task – Explain the importance of ensuring that data is accurate and reliable. • Why may data be inaccurate? • Careless data entry • Misheard or misread data • Duplications • Inadequate datacleansing • Omissions (gaps)

18. Exam Style Question John is going to open a new store and wants to collect the opinions of potential customers He is considering using online IT systems to form a focus group to conduct the research. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conducting a focus group is this way. (6 Marks)

19. Mark Scheme • Answers will be credited according to the learner’s demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the material, using the indicative content and levels descriptors below. The indicative content that follows is not prescriptive. Answers may cover some/all of the indicative content but should be rewarded for other relevant answers. Disadvantages  Time-consuming to set up and carry out.  Reliance on participant’s IT capabilities.  May be a restricted/skewed demographic of participants (as they need IT capability).  May not be suitable for sensitive information opinions.  Need an effective system for recording/summarising the main points of the discussion.  Collating feedback from multiple groups can be difficult/timeconsuming.  May limit the type of activity/interaction that can be used. Advantages  Participants do not need to travel to a meeting.  No need to organise a physical meeting room.  Provides tools to record the meeting for later playback (and analysis).  Recordings could be easily shared with others (employed by the supermarket chain).  Reduces the cost of setting up the meeting (venue cost, refreshments, etc.).

20. Methods to extract and sort data • Data that is extracted comes in a raw format, digital database can be used to extract and sort the data with ease. E.g. A-Z or Z-A. • Data can be filtered using queries using a single data criteria.

21. Numerical data modelling • Numerical modelling – the process of producing a mathematical model to perform predetermined actions. E.g. personal finances, business forecast sales / manage cash / project future growth. • Data modelling – creating a conceptual image of the meaning of data, modelling the data helps to evaluate usefulness and justify decisions. E.g. databases can store data and provide access the data through the use of searches. Through the use of relationships data can be sorted and linked. • Presenting the data – the tables contain raw data, this is where the data is stored, these tables are usually protected and do not allow for data entry. Databases present data using reports, forms and graphical representations i.e. graphs.

22. Exam Style Question John runs a chain of four supermarkets. He employs 150 supermarket staff and 10 warehouse staff. The chain uses a number of IT systems, including PCs, for general office tasks, data and numerical modelling and an EPOS system to keep track of stock. 2 (a) Explain two ways John could use numerical and data modelling in running his chain of supermarkets.

23. Mark Scheme • Award 1 mark for each identification and up to 2 additional marks for each appropriate expansion, up to a maximum of 3 marks each. • Analyse data relating to stock levels/buying trends at individual stores (1) to model changes to services and products offered and prices (1), to determine which option would be most profitable (1). • Analyse data relating to the supermarket chain customer profiles (1), in order to model potential new services and products that are offered to the target customer base (1), to identify efficient opportunities for expansion. (1)

24. Implications of user interfaces and data collection and processing systems • TASK – Go through and make notes on how this areas below can have a implication upon how data is collected and processed by an IT system. E.g. Ease of Use – are the questions clear? Are they linked to how the data is going to be presented. • Ease of use • Accessibility • Error reduction • Intuitiveness • Functionality • Performance, usability and cost • Compatibility

25. Exam Style Question • (c) John wants to start a loyalty card scheme for the supermarket. Customers sign up using an online form that will have multiple screens. Each screen will capture different information. The table shows part of a data dictionary for screen 1. • Draw a suitable user interface for screen 1 of the application process • (6marks)

26. Mark Scheme • Learners provide a diagram of a user interface for a data entry screen, for a given data set. Award 1 mark for inclusion of each of the following in the design, up to a maximum of 5 marks: • all six fields included shown with label and data entry field • at least one appropriate method to ease data entry (e.g. dropdown menu/radio buttons for title field, date picker/calendarforDOB, input mask for postcode/DOB) • at least one accessibility feature included (e.g. option toincrease/decrease font size‘listen to this page’ feature) • onscreen instructions/prompts/example data entry to help users • button/navigation to move to next screen. Award 1 additional mark for suitable layout/design showing all ofthefollowing, good use of layout and screen space, and data entry fields that are sized appropriately for their purpose.

27. This would gain 6 marks, it contains all the correct information needed and have drop down menus to ease data entry. They have included buttons to aid navigation and text to help the user.

28. Exam Style Question Katalog is a large catalogue retailer with stores around the UK. Goods can be purchased in store or via the company website. Goods purchased online are delivered from a central warehouse. The company uses an automated stock control system throughout its stores and the central warehouse. • (b) The company uses an automated stock control system in the central warehouse for sales to online customers. • Analyse how the features of an automated stock control system will impact on the company and on online customers. (6 Marks)

29. Mark Scheme • Implications for customers Customers must have accurate, up-to-date information, therefore it is essential the system must operate in real time. The system must record how many of each item is currently in stock in the warehouse. Have a record of outstanding orders of a specified product and the expected delivery date, which will then inform customers of their expected delivery dates if they pre-order/reserve. • Implications for the company The company must ensure that they do not hold too much stock as this will have financial implications such as paying for storage space/financial investment in the stock held. However, understocking can also have implications, e.g. if customers find that they have to wait for goods they are likely to take their business elsewhere. An efficient automated system will allow for ‘just in time’ (JIT) ordering, items will only be ordered as they are needed. The system will record minimum, maximum and reorder stock levels. If the minimum/maximum stock level is reached the system must automatically alert the company so that action can be taken. When reorder stock levels are reached automatic reordering will be triggered. The system needs to be able to predict the stock levels needed based on previous sales and also take into account that certain items of stock may be seasonal. Some sales are triggered by other factors such as the weather, which can be hard to predict, and this may need workers to be able to override the system.