You can now enter data and commands directly and easily into a computer system through pointing devices like electronic mice and touch pads, and technologies like political scanning, handwriting conviction, and voice recognition. These developments have made it unnecessary to always record data on paper source documents (such as sales order forms, for example) and then keyboard the data into a computer in an additional data entry step. Further improvements in voice recognition and other technologies should enable an even more natural user interface in the future. Pointing Devices: Keyboards are still the most widely used devices for entering data and text into computer systems. However, pointing devices are a better alternative for issuing commands, making choices, and responding to prompts displays on your video screen. They work with you operating systems graphical user interface (GUI), which presents you with icons, menus, windows, buttons, bars, and so on, for your Continue reading
Management Information Systems
Data Mining – Meaning, Steps and Business Applications
Data mining or knowledge discovery is the process of analyzing data from different perspectives & summarizing it into useful information. This information can be used to increase revenue & cut cost or both. We know that data mining software is one of a number of analytical tools for analyzing data. It allows users to analyze data from many angels & categories it. It also summarizes the relationship identified. Technically speaking data mining is the process of correlations among dozens of fields in large relational database. In other words it is the process of sorting through large amount of data & picking out important information. It is often use by business intelligence organizations & financial analysts. It is also used in the sciences to extract information from the data set generated by modern experiment & observational methods. Data mining in relation to Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) is the statistical & logical Continue reading
Concept of Data Processing
Data is defined as any collection of facts. Thus, sales reports, inventory figures, test scores, customers’ names and addresses, and weather reports are all examples of data. Note that data may be numerical (e.g, inventory figures and test scores) or they may be numerical (e.g. , names of students and addresses, drawings). Data processing is the manipulation of data into a more useful form. It is the modern name for paperwork and involves the collecting, processing, and distributing of facts and figures to achieve a desired result. Data processing includes not only numerical calculations but also operations such as the classification of data and the transmission of data from one place to another. In general, we assume that these operations are performed by some type of machine or computer, although some of them could also be carried out manually. Data processing system refers to the equipment or devices and procedures Continue reading
Management Information and Control Systems (MICS) Installation
The decision to establish a formal Management Information and Control System (MICS) becomes almost inevitable in today’s business climate. The accelerating needs for uniform, concise and timely information by all levels of management dictates the establishment of such a system. The results can be better control of and greater profitability from the enterprise. Essentially the functioning of a MICS involves transmission of all pertinent data necessary to the conduct of a business to one or more management information centers, where it is maintained mid then disseminated in discrete form to all levels of management. This description provides no reference to computers or any other specific type of data processing equipment. This is to emphasize that possession of data processing equipment is not a pre-requisite for Management Information and Control Systems. Computers, punched card equipment, data collection and transmission equipment, etc., are excellent tools that can, if costs and volume warrant, Continue reading
Information System Activities
The major activities of an information system are; 1. Input of Data Resource Data about business transactions and other events must be captured and prepared for processing by the input activity. Input typically takes the form of data entry activities such as recording and editing. End uses typically record data about transactions on some type of physical medium such as paper form, or enter it directly into a computer system. This usually includes a variety of editing activities to ensure that they have recorded data correctly. Once entered, data may be transferred onto a machine-readable medium such as a magnetic disk until needed for processing. For example, data about sales transactions can be recorded on source documents such as paper sales order forms. (A source document is the original formal record of a transaction). Alternately, salespersons can capture sales data using computer keyboards or optical scanning devices; they are visually Continue reading
ERP Tutorial
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation needs lot of attention and dedication from all the concerned. The top management role is generally limited to the approval of the ERP package and taking care of ERP budgets. The top management identifies a person as ‘Champion’ to take the decisions as required. Once the company decides to go for a specific ERP, all the employees who are likely to be affected shall be taken into confidence and each of the end user shall be provided with ERP tutorial for their function. While there are more than one standard ERP tutorial, it may be better for the consulting company or the company’s IT department to device their own tutorial. While ERP application is being customized, the concerned are consulted and their inputs are taken. Once the customization is done, the system integration and testing are done. At this point of time the users are Continue reading