SCC 130 - Part 1

The combination of hardware, software and telecommunications networks in order to collect, create, process, filter and distribute data within an organisation

The emphasis is on information technology embedded in organisations and its importance and the understanding of hardware, software and networks.

An information system is a social system which has embedded in it information technology but is the human activity that enables organisations to deploy information technology to acheive their goals.

Interaction of the social and technological view. Focused on how technology is changing the nature of work, how it is organised and how it is carried out.

How activities and work processes can be performed and supported by technology and how we can automate and optimise work flows.

• Transaction processing
• Decision support
• Knowledge management
• Learning management
• Database management
• ERP - enterprise resource planning
• GIS - geographic informaton systems
• Data warehouses
• Enterprise systems - CRM

A transaction is a single event that changes something. It's an activity that changes stored data.

Examples include: payroll, order processing, reservations, employee records, accounts payable. 

System gathers transactions over a period of time and then process them all at once.

Payroll for employees.

The system process the transaction in real-time.

When you book a seat on a flight, that seat is reserved in real time - no one else can select it.

Databases recording the day to day operational activities

Examples: airline bookings, bankong systems, shopping online and in supermarkets

Features

• Need extensive data control and availability
• High multi-user throughput
• Require a fast response time
• Normally used by clerical users rather than managers

Data from OLTP is used to aid in decision making - such as reports and summaries drawn from the operational data to inform decision making

Features:

• Trend analysis and forecasting
• Uses summarised historical data
• Entails complex queries, often building very large tables
• Read-intensive
• Decisions it informs are strategic so response time is critical
• Users are analysts

Shows decline in agricultural employment brought on by the industrial revolution (early and middle 19th century). Increase in % in workforce in manufacturing, peaked in early 20th century. Decline in management taken up by information sector.