Unit 02

1. Unit 02 Information Systems LO3 – Know the features and functions of information systems

2. Assessment Criteria P1 – Explain how organisations use Information P2 – Discuss the Characteristics of Good Information M1– Assess the improvements which can be made to an identified organisation’s Business Information Systems P3 - Explain the issues related to the use of information D1 – Compare Legal, Ethical and Operational issues that may affect organisations. P4– Describe the features and functions of Information Systems P5– Identify the information systems used in a specified organisation M2 – Illustrate the input and output if Information within a specified functional areas of an organisation D2 – Analyse the legal and ethical implications of the illustrated inputs and outputs. P6– Select Information to support a business decision-making process P7 – Use IT tools to produce management information. M3 – Explain the value of a management information system.

3. LO1 – Assessment Criteria P4 - Evidence could be presented in the form of a report or presentation and learners must describe the generic features and functions of information systems including reference to specific types of systems that could be used. P5 - Evidence could be made in the form of a report or presentation. A business scenario must be provided to the learner to enable them to identify potential information systems used. The learner must clearly identify the business and information processes, and describe the information system, its purpose and how it works. M2 - Evidence of at least a minimum of two DFDs must be provided to illustrate two complete processes within a specified functional area of the organisation. Free software from the internet for DFDs are available for download onto the learners own computer to draw out the DFDs, hand drawn alternatives are also acceptable and could be scanned into a report or presentation. The learner must check each process to ensure that they have used the industry recognised symbols. The learner must ensure they check and correct any errors. D2 - This is an extension of the work evidenced in M2. Learners must analyse the legal and ethical implications on the data flows that they have identified in their diagrams. Their diagrams could be annotated to identify these and/or a separate detailed report used.

4. LO1 - Scenario Know the features and functions of information systems • The tutor should deliver information relating to all the features of information systems. Tutors should compare and contrast the features and functions with the learner as part of a group discussion to identify differences in requirements for information system. Using an example of an organisation and departments having to merge for example Sales moving into Marketing rather than separate departments would give opportunities for the tutor to encourage discussion on what the IT administration would need to consider once the department has merged. Learners could be in groups with different companies with merging departments or a department disappearing. How will the company’s information systems function? • The tutor should select an organisation to explore with the learners, taking into account the company’s systems. The tutor needs to describe the system and how it works, giving examples of the systems using Data Flow Diagrams to illustrate the input and output of information. Using free software such as “SmartDraw” the DFD can easily be created with industry recognised symbols for the learner to be familiar with. Splitting the learners into groups and letting them work on a DFD of a certain procedure for example, the student enrolment process. Later, take into account the legal implications relating to the storage and flow of the learners information as discussed within the group.

5. P4.1 – The Nature of Information Information comes in many different forms with a variety of data types, and how that data is transferred into information depends on the nature and technical probity of the hardware and software involved. Systems such as Sims and Epos all transfer the raw data into manageable chunks, and that information is then disseminated to the individuals who will use that information or take the raw data and use it themselves. For instance, a sale goes through the checkout in a Tesco’s store. The Epos system then uses that bar code information as it passes through the counter to different departments, all who use the information for a different purpose and all with an different analysis and end goal in mind. • Warehousing takes the information and uses it against stock control to measure if there is enough stock left. • Marketing take the sale and decide if there is room for marketing, promotions, discounting etc. • Stores take the information to put a replacement on the shelf. • Accounts take the sale and place the money into the bank. • HR take the sale and measure it against the amount of staff there is on the floor in case there is too much staff and not cost effective. • And then there is R&D, Management, Promotions and others in the line who will use the same information for other purposes. With a school this information will cross the hands of double this amount of staff before it is finally discarded or updated.

6. P4.1 – The features of Information The features of that one sale and the number of handlers would seem like a huge burden but this is how data is broken down within businesses. Date Features: • Data – the raw file with the different sections, depending on the days, separated into data fields and data types. How this is input and what it contains can have an impact on how it is analysed and interpreted and finally used. • People – The different job titles of people will dictate what kind of information is used and processed. Marketing will likely needs sales information but not bar code numbers, store people will not need calorie counts but will require weight and storage information. • Hardware – the types of machine for storage, processing and management of information can have an impact of the type of information gathered and how it is manipulated. Hotmail has almost unlimited storage and can therefor not restrict down the information and collected whereas a local garage mechanic might just store the customers car details, address and MOT status for their customers. • Software – The type of software for editing and manipulating information can restrict the kind of information and the features of that information. Access is good, good enough for a small business but cannot manage information like Sims can, it cannot cross thread, it cannot share beyond Microsoft products.

7. P4.1 – The features of Information • Communication flows – How the company transfers the information from one department to the other in terms of Data protection needs, in terms of speed, in terms of post processing can have an impact on the features of the data that can be transferred. In a company the warehousing does not need to know who bought that can of beans so the data needs to be filtered, but they cannot send their information after filtering back to Human resources without there being bits missing that might be necessary, so Human Resources might need the information from sales instead. Each time something gets lost in the flow the company needs to step back to a more raw version of the information. • Task 1 – P4.1 – With reference to a specific type of information processing system (Epos, Sims, JStore, Alice, Api, Netloan, Janet), describe the features of Data and how it is used by companies.

8. P4.2 – The functions of Information How the information is collected and how the information is processed once it has been collected can determine who gets what information and how much use they can make of the information. The people who are responsible for collecting the data rarely have anything to do with its use afterwards. • Data Input – How the information is collected. Questionnaires and sales are just a few of the tools, there is electronic readers (bar code scanners), PDA’s (like the postman with the signature PDA), traffic and speed cameras, card readers (turnstiles and swiping), Forms, Registers, Census’s etc. All these have their purposes and all of them have their limitations on the amount and type of information that is gathered. • Data Storage – Location is everything but the location of public and private information needs to be a consideration ion the type and amount of information that is allowed. Students can see a certain amount of information on the school network but there are things they cannot see so these are stored in a separate location, either a split network drive or a different server. Whatever is more secure. Security and storage can limit the amount of information. Think of the consideration of the DPA and the need for measures.

9. P4.2 – The functions of Information • Processing of Data – What can be gained from the processing of data depends on how the data is linked, whether there is a common thread, whether the information has similarities. A flat database is a table with one set of information only, not linked to other information. Relational databases are cross linked, look at information from other files and come back with comparative results. • Reporting of Data – How the data is feed back to the other users can have an impact on the functions of the information. Show a chart of company progress and increased profit and things look rosy, show that this is down from last year’s figures by comparing it and things are not so rosy. Producing single form reports versus linked reports, each serves its purpose and each is directed at a target audience that is best suited for the informational needs. • Analysis of Data – All companies will analyse data to some point, there are tools within any good database program to make this easier. Information that is processed on a open system and sent to a department elsewhere will need a different range of informational needs reviewed. Think of a sales department reviewing sales information, beans sell well on a Sunday for Monday customers, this is linked and analysed against bread sales. Using this information, if there is a consistent pattern, will allow shops to stock up on beans on a Friday and Bread on Saturday. The same is true for any piece of information, analysis of information leads to increased sales and productivity.

10. P4.2 – The functions of Information • Closed and Open Systems – A system that interfaces and interacts with additional instructions and data to alter and improve is called an open system. A database that adds additional categories, merges with new information and expands with new ideas are readily absorbed, allowing for improvements and new ideas. Because of this they can adapt more quickly to changes in the users demands in which they operate. Doing so gives the system a stronger probability for survival. • Examples of open systems: Business organisation, Hospital systems, College or University systems like Sims and Janet. • Alternatively, a closed system is more prone to resist incorporating new ideas, that can be deemed unnecessary to its purpose but risks growing defunct. By not adopting, a closed system may cease to properly serve the users when something better comes along. • Task 2 – P4.2 – With reference to a specific type of information processing system (Epos, Sims, JStore, Alice, Api, Netloan, Janet), describe the functions of Data and how it is used by companies.

11. P4.3 – The changing nature of Information Within one of your companies, when the company decides to downsize or change the structure of the company by merging departments, the access to both sets of information changes the rules. For instance sales might merge with marketing, distribution with warehousing, human resources with administration. This can either be through the same staff doing both jobs or two members of staff working in the same department. With this merge the IT administration would need to consider certain difficulties once the department has merged including: • Legal status of staff with access to private information • The IT problems of merging systems. • Learning new systems or replacing old ones. • Training, standardising and Protocols Task 3 – P4.3 – State and explain the information sharing needs of two merging department in terms of legal access to information, merging of databases, and how will the company’s information systems would need to function?

12. What is a DFD? Data flow diagram(DFD) is a diagram of the movement of data between external entities and the processes and data stores within a system • May look similar to a flow chart • Shows that there is a flow of data between the two components (one-way or a two-way flow) • Component sending data can send multiple sets of data along several connections • In fact, a DFD node can be a component that never ends Rules • In DFDs, all arrows must be labelled • The information flow continuity, that is all the input and the output to each refinement, must maintain the same in order to be able to produce a consistent system.

13. Task List Task 1 – P4.1 – With reference to a specific type of information processing system (Epos, Sims, JStore, Alice, Api, Netloan, Janet), describe the features of Data and how it is used by companies. Task 2 – P4.2 – With reference to a specific type of information processing system (Epos, Sims, JStore, Alice, Api, Netloan, Janet), describe the functions of Data and how it is used by companies. Task 3 – P4.3 – State and explain the information sharing needs of two merging department in terms of legal access to information, merging of databases, and how will the company’s information systems would need to function? Task 4 – P5.1 – Explain and identify a range of information systems used within your selected business. Task 5 – P5.2 – Explain and identify a range of information needs within your business for the three tiers of decision makers. Task 6 – P5.3 – Explain what a Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) are Task 7 – M2.1 - Present Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) for 2 of the following scenarios, showing how your business’s information system works and information flows through the different areas of the business Task 8 – P5.3 – Based on a specific information system used within your selected business, produce a report that includes and references the 3 levels of the DFD, when outlining the following areas: Task 9 - D2.1 – Analyse the legal implications that need to be considered when dealing with information/data within your businesses system (inputs/outputs) Task 10 - D2.2 - Analyse the ethical implications that need to be considered when dealing with information/data within your businesses system (inputs/outputs)