1. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 1 Section 1: Information Data and information

2. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 2 Definitions An organisation can be defined as “a group of people formed into a society, union or especially a business.” An organisation has a purpose, whether that is to raise money for a charity, put on a show, sell food to customers or discuss books people have read. Most organisations use computers. They put data into the computer systems. The computer system processes the data and presents it as information.

3. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 3 3 Data Data, as you will remember from AS level, is raw, unprocessed letters and numbers, recorded facts or transactions. Examples:  Account numbers from credit cards  Customer details filled in on web forms  Images from a digital camera  Sound samples from a concert  Exam responses on a multiple choice OMR form.

4. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 4 From data to information Most organisations produce lots of data, but they don’t always get the best information from it. Example – You could decide which shops need to improve their performance by looking at thousands of these …

5. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 5 From data to information, continued...but it’s much easier viewed like this!

6. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 6 From information to decisions If data is processed effectively, the information it produces can be used to help the managers in the organisation make better decisions.

7. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 7 Exchanging data and information Organisations have relationships with other individuals and organisations, varying with the type of organisation they are.

8. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 8 Methods of exchanging information electronically WebsitesEmailSMS Web adverts Task: Make a list of the sort of information that might be exchanged using each method.

9. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 9 Electronic Data Interchange Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) structures information to be exchanged electronically between businesses, organisations, government bodies and other groups. If the organisation is paying staff salaries, it instructs the banks automatically how much to pay to each employee using BACS (Bankers' Automated Clearing Services) rather than sending lots of emails about each payment. BACS can also be used to make payments through direct debit. You can find out more from its website by clicking here.here BACS is secure and the data arrives ready to be processed by the organisation that receives it.

10. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 10 Section 1: Information Levels of task

11. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 11 Levels within an organisation Level of authority

12. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 12 Levels affect information requirements Length of decision Long term planning and policy making Level of detail Summarised overview Short term planning Great detail

13. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 13 Structured decisions follow a clear set of rules, and can often be automated, for example car insurance quotations. Semi-structured decisions fall somewhere between the two. Unstructured decisions have few definite rules. They are complicated judgements based on many factors, such as the decision to start up a new business. Management Information Systems can support these decisions, but the human being makes the final decision. Types of decision

14. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 14 Decisions in a supermarket chain Degree of structure Unstructured decisions Should we be opening stores abroad? How many staff do I need? Should we increase our product range? How much do I charge the customer? Structured decisions

15. Section 1 Information AQA ICT A2 Level © Nelson Thornes 2009 15 Summary Operational level staff: make structured decisions on short term issues need detailed information. Tactical decisions: are semi-structured longer term require a considerable degree of summary. Strategic decisions: are often unstructured and affect the organisation in the long term require information that is highly summarised so that large amounts of data can be assessed effectively.