INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

INFORMATION PROCESSING
 DATA & INFORMATION

• Data is raw facts and figures that may not make much
sense on their own, such as a series of digits entered into a
computer.

• Information is the usable result you get after data has

been processed, when the digits that were entered have
been processed into a table you can read.
 Information Processing
Information processing describes the many ways that data is
gathered and Interpreted. The output depends on the
interpretation of the input. For example, an alarm system uses
sensors to detect movement in a room. If there is movement,
this data is processed to set off a siren.
 Advantages Of Information Processing
• It makes a lot of tasks easier and faster. For example, you are able to pay bills online
or at a supermarket, which saves you going to the place that issued the bill.

• A lot of data is stored during information processing. Stored data is quick and easy
to access and it does not have to be processed or examined again.

• It results in automation.

• It enables sharing and analysis of information. Information is easy to pass along and
stored information is easy to access and analyze.

• Once an information processing system has been set up, it is often easy to maintain.
Disadvantages Of Information Processing
• It can be very expensive to set up initially because of the hardware, software and
technical requirements.

• Hardware and software must be replaced and kept up to date, and specialists are
often needed to operate these systems.

• We are very reliant on information processing systems. When they fail or do not
work properly, it can cause disruption and disorder. If an automatic teller machine
(ATM) is not working, people will be unable to withdraw money and complete
other transactions.
 Control Systems
Information is processed in several ways. Control systems regulate
themselves or other devices.

Control Systems are widely used in:

• Household appliances, such as microwaves and washing
machines, use control systems to sense when they should start
operating, how they should operate and when to stop.

• Traffic lights are programmed to control the flow of traffic. Apart

from timers, "smart" or "intelligent" sensor-based traffic signals rely upon
a system of sensors to detect when vehicles are present. When a vehicle
on a side road arrives at the intersection, a sensor will detect it and change
the lights to allow traffic on the side road to pass through.
 Control Systems
• Alarm systems use heat and motion sensors to determine
whether an intruder is in a room.
• Thermostats sense when the temperature is below a set value
and switch the heating on. They switch off when the temperature
reaches another set value.
 Commercial Information Processing
• Businesses use point-of-sale (POS) systems and bar code scanners to read prices on
items and keep track of stock.

• Businesses use databases to store records about customers, employees and

suppliers.
 Commercial Information Processing
• Payroll systems are very important to calculate employees’ salaries and print pay
slips.

• You can do banking at ATMs without entering a bank. The ATM (automated teller
machine) reads your personal ATM card and your secure personal identification
number (PIN) to activate a session. The PIN prevents other people from using
your card.
 Commercial Information Processing
• Electronic banking is a very useful information processing system. Many banks offer an
internet banking service, which allows you to conduct many transactions from your bank
account over the Internet.

• You can also do an electronic funds transfer (EFT). EFT transfers money from one
account to another without using cash or cheques. Many people pay for purchases at
shops using their bank cards. This is a form of EFT. The customer’s card is inserted into a
POS terminal and funds are transferred from the customer’s bank account to the shop’s
bank account.
 Industrial Information Processing
• Information processing is a very useful and important tool in manufacturing and
production industries. Computers automate tasks and do them more efficiently and
effectively than humans. They control robots to package products or assemble cars
and electronics.

• Computer Aided Design – designing products

• Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) & Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)– using
special software to develop and test products
 Scientific Information Processing
• Weather forecasting systems collect weather data all over the world
and use the data to predict weather patterns.

• Health-care professionals use automated processing systems to keep

track of patient records.

• They also use robots to perform heart and eye surgery.

• Laboratories have machines that can read and process data from
samples. For example, a blood chemistry analyzer can analyze a blood
sample and find its blood type.
 Source Document
A source document is a document used to capture information
by writing it down. Source documents are human-readable, which
means that a person will read and enter information into that
document. The best example is a form, which may be a hard copy
(printed copy) or electronic copy (soft copy).

A form contains spaces and blocks that allow a person to enter

relevant details. The data is then entered into a computer. Forms
are used for surveys, censuses, opinion polls, applications and
market research, among other things.
 Turnaround Document
A turnaround document is human-readable and machine-
readable document. A turnaround document is
a document that has been output from a computer, some
extra information potentially added to it, and then returned to
become an input document.

• Examples are utility bills, such as water bills, multiple choice

bubble sheets, lottery number cards etc
 Information Retrieval & Management
Data has to be captured before it can be processed. Data from source and
turnaround documents must be entered into a computer. This can be
done using direct methods or indirect methods.

Direct methods of data capture are when a computer uses sensors or

peripherals to capture the data directly from the document. Turnaround
documents are designed for direct data capture. Data can be captured in
several ways:
• optical mark recognition
• magnetic ink character recognition
• bar codes
• optical character recognition.
 Errors
Deliberate errors are errors made on purpose, usually for gain or to cause disorder. For
example to get a bigger loan, someone may enter false information about their salary on
a loan application.

Accidental errors are errors that are not made on purpose.

§ A transposition error is a data entry error that is caused by inadvertently switching
two adjacent numbers. ... For example, the number 63 is entered as 36. Another
accidental error is when someone transpose characters to get, say, 1893 instead of
1983.

Transmission errors, which is when the data received by a computer or system is not the
same as what was sent by another computer. These types of errors can be caused by
electrical faults and faulty cabling.
 Data Verification
Data verification ensures that data entered into a computer contains no errors
at all. It is a very thorough way of making sure the data entered is correct. Two
methods of data verification are double-entry and proofreading.

• Double-entry is where the same data is entered twice, sometimes by different people. If the
data differs between the two entries, it does not get processed. It can be expensive and time-
consuming to use this method, but it does ensure very accurate data capture.

• Proofreading checks the data entered against the data on the original source document. The
person entering the data reads the source document and checks that it matches what he or she
has entered into the computer. Sometimes a second person will check the entered data. This is
very time-consuming.
 Data Validation
Data validation uses a variety of checks to make sure that data is as accurate and
complete as possible. It does not check the complete accuracy of data, but it does help
ensure that fewer mistakes are made. If data does not pass the checks, the program may
return an error or the field will not be filled in. The checks compare the user-entered
data against a rule.

Range checks
A range check ensures that numbers entered fall within a specific range. If you are
entering times of the day, you may need to check that the values for hours cannot go
higher than 24. If someone enters 25:00 HRS by mistake, that value will not compute.
 Data Validation
Reasonableness checks
Reasonableness checks ensure that data is reasonable – not completely unrealistic. If you are
entering salary information into a payroll system, a reasonableness check will ensure that you
do not enter extra zeros by mistake.

Data type checks

Data type checks, or character checks, ensure that the right type of data has been entered.
They ensure that only numbers have been entered or that only symbols and letters have been
entered. A field that captures the age of person may have a character check that rejects the
input of letters or symbols.

Consistency checks
Consistency checks compare data you have entered against other data you have entered. If you
enter a person’s year of birth and their age in separate fields, a consistency check will ensure
that the two fields correspond with each other. Consistency checks can be used to make sure
that false or dishonest data has not been entered.
 Data Validation
Presence checks
Documents and forms have required fields and optional fields. A required field is one that has
to contain a value whereas an optional field can be left blank. In an application for a bank
account, your identity number and address will be required fields and your cell phone number
may be an optional field. A presence check is used to ensure that the required fields contain
data.

Length checks
A length check determines whether the entered data is the correct length – the right number
of digits. Area codes and phone numbers usually have a fixed length. If a number is entered
that is longer or shorter than this length, the program will return an error. An easy way to
ensure that data is the correct length is to create a field that will not allow the user to continue
unless all the spaces for digits have been filled in.
 Question time
1. A local agent leaves a catalogue and order sheet for homeowners, and
checks on the order a week later. The agent sends the details of the goods
ordered to the Head Office where they are processed. The completed order
is returned to the agent who distributes the goods and collects payment.
a) Describe an error that may occur in capture the order of the home owners.
b) Operators at Head Office enter the orders, where they are validated and
verified.
i. Explain how the orders can be verified.
ii. Describe briefly TWO validation checks that might be carried out on an
agent’s order
 QUIZLET EXERCISE
• Join quizlet class using the link: https://quizlet.com/join/PwXeDHqYB
• Use the study set labelled Information Processing to help you concretize and
clarify concepts.