I woke up with the intent of creating this database we need for Database Design Concepts. Well, I say need, but it turns out we might not actually have to hand it in. Because I thought it was integral to my learning, I sat through it and slowly knocked up a few tables following the instructions letter by letter.

When it started explaining, in great detail, how to change the freaking font of a label I gave in. Not only was it offending me, but flicking through the book I can’t see anywhere where it’s telling me to hand the finished database in. Even if it did, what would be the point?  You can’t vary from the obnoxious instructions; even if one person created the database and then gave a copy to everyone in the class the person marking it would never know. They’re all identical.

So, I gave in with that. I’m pretty sure there’s more work to be done, so I asked Laura. Apparently we have a Systems Analysis assignment that we’ve not been told about yet.

The final assignment we have is from Computer Tech, to create a website. I’m not sure why I can’t just give him the URL to one of the many websites I’ve designed and coded to prove my work, but meh. I have to create a guide about Leicester for freshers of DMU, which I’m okay with actually. I might even be able to make some money from it. Even if I do feel slightly underestimated.

Why can’t university be as hard as I actually expected? Why do people walk into a degree with zero knowledge of the course? There are people that have blatantly never even used a computer before on my course; wtf? Just make A Level Computing a requirement of the course entry, and teach with that as a foundation. Don’t freaking teach it me again! Grr.

I’d switch to Computer Science if I wasn’t so worried my math would let me down.

This lecture is about the impact of information, and the new ways it’s become important, on businesses.

Information in business

Information is probably one of the most valuable pieces of information on Earth, especially for businesses. The reasons for that are endless.

The biggest thing a company can do with brilliant information is make the best decisions. If a company needs a new, high quality printer for their offices, they wouldn’t just go out and buy the first one they see in PC World. Most likely they’d look around for the best quality printers, or the printers that can make the most of it’s ink before it needs to be refilled again, or a printer with the best support. They’d gather all that information and make a much better choice when buying the new hardware.

Businesses need information like the exchange rate, relevant laws, and the market place in order to compete in a global market. Without it they’d run into all sorts of problems and ultimately end up losing money rather than making it.

Information on the market helps hugely too (do people really want our new product? how much is a good price to sell at?).

Business find information so important some of them simply live to find out more – imagine how much money Google could make from selling it’s entire database, or how much Facebook can make from knowing all of your addresses and phone numbers? Most businesses keep the information they have as secret as possible though.

Information systems

Back in the day businesses could either develop their own systems, or use a standard, off the shelf package. These days though, there’s way many more choices than those.

To manage their finances a business could either design and write their own software, or go out and buy SAGE. Now though, there’re websites which offer just the same services as both of those options. Or they can outsource their accounting to an accountant.

Each of those have their benefits and disadvantages, which is why it’s important for a business to look ahead and really think about what they actually need, rather than just jumping at the first or cheapest option. When a business decides how to solve their problem before they actually now what the problem really is, they run into problems.

Analysts use something called Business Processing model to work out the problem, and what they actually need.

Here’s the quote we’re given to explain what a business model is:

A business model is a graphical representation of one or more business processes that a company performs

–Systems Analysis and Design, by Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman, Harry J. Rosenblatt

To explain a business profile:

A business profile is an overview that describes a company’s overall functions, services, products, customers, suppliers, competitors, constraints and future direction

–Systems Analysis and Design, by Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman, Harry J. Rosenblatt

Basically, analysts use both of those to try and understand the business better.

Figure 1: An example of a business model. Unsourced, but I suspect it's from Shelly's book. I got it from presentation, so copyright DMU unless I hear otherwise.

That diagram basically shows one event in the business that they have to deal with, and then highlights what processes would need to take place. That shows the analyst what type of information systems they’ll need.

Transaction processing and the Internet

These are the most important and most used systems used each and everyday. These are just transactions that the businesses does each day; someone buys something, producing an invoice, paying employees. With the internet now, e-commerce enables businesses to take ten fold more orders because of how streamlined the system can be.

Businesses are able to have a much wider range of stock than ever before because they usually don’t even have to pre-order the stock. For most products, a business can just phone up a reseller to order a single item, rather than having to have every possible item in stock which takes up a lot of expensive real estate.

Because of how fast the internet can be updated, market data is now available as soon as it’s created. It no longer takes days for a business to order wholesale goods, but seconds instead. People can find out about the stock market as the changes happen rather than waiting for them to appear on the news.

In summery, because of how the speed of the world has increased with recent technology breakthroughs, businesses can also increase their speed. That means they can generate money faster, and expand exponentially over night.

I’ve kinda of resorted to business studies again… but the point is that old systems are no longer viable.

As always, the first lecture was mostly admin, so I’m actually starting this post from slide 11.

The first thing we’re given is an explanation of what a system is.

An information system is a collection of interrelated components that collect, process, store and provide as output the information needed to complete a business task.

–Satzinger, 2004

Basically, everything you do with your computer is evoking a system. You’re inputting data, the computer processes it, stores and gives confirmation on that. I wouldn’t even say an “information system” had to be a business task.

For every system there needs to be some bare minimal things:

• A goal: something that needs to be achieved
• Elements: Some type of hardware or software that does something
• A way to input data that needs to be processed
• A way to output the results

The flow of data within a typical system. DMU holds copyright, even if it is a feeble image.

Every system has a boundary. In this case it’s a closed boundary, meaning the processes and entities of the system are all internal. That means that all the data is modified using internal systems only. The environment is all the external things that could have an influence on how the system acts, including the inputs from the user.

An input could be the user typing in some data, or automatic data from a … weather beacon. The output would be however the data should be formtated so it’s more helpful information. The process inside is what every manipulation of data there is to be done.

I’ve honestly no idea what control flows and controls are, so if anyone could comment here telling me, I’d be really happy. It doesn’t seem to be a big thing anyway, so I’ll move on.

Inside that boundary there’s only one system going on, but in reality you’d probably have sub-systems too. The more sub-systems, the more complex the operation is. For instance, we imagine the library as one big system. The boundary would probably be the building itself, since all operations here can be done from inside. However, there are many different processes all going on at once within the library; lending books, letting “users” to use a computer, etc.

All systems have the following:

• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• Processes
• People

We know what hardware and software are; the things that the user can manipulate to use the system. Data is the raw material that we feed into the system. The processes are the things that manipulate the data. Users are the end users who will benefit from the system.

That’s pretty much it for that lecture. It was just basically introducing us to what a system is.

The library online catalogue says the course book has eight copies availiable, but I can’t find them anywhere where they’re supposed to be, so I’m using a book on the same topic, but by Thomson Course Technology.