Basic Computer Concepts
Information Systems

Information System
v a particular discipline or branch of learning
that is concerned with the application of
information to organizational needs

Information
“a measure of the quantity of data in a
message” (information theory context)
v “any data that is relevant or has some
value” (information systems concept)
Data
v “any sign, symbol or measure, which is in a
form that can be directly captured by a
computer or machine”
v

Information Systems Concepts
Basic Computer Concepts
Information Systems

Information Systems
v
v

study of information production, flow and
use within organizations
a combination of hardware, software,
people, procedures and data that provides
data processing capabilities for a business
or organization
Information Technology
v
the development, installation and
implementation of computer systems and
applications
Information Systems Concepts
Basic Computer Concepts
Capabilities of
Information Systems

Input


Processing
Output

Information Systems Concepts
Feedback
Basic Computer Concepts
Manual VS Computer-Based
Information Systems

Manual Payroll System
v The Payroll Clerk
1. receives time sheets from supervisors
2. retrieves each employee’s record file
from the filing cabinet
3. calculates the gross wage manually with a
calculator
4. manually calculates all deductions to get
the net wage
5. manually types the pay cheque and stub
6. updates the payroll register (stores every
detail of wages paid, deductions made,
etc) study of information production, flow
and use within organizations
Information Systems Concepts
Basic Computer Concepts
Manual VS Computer-Based
Information System

Computer-Based Payroll System
v
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Payroll Clerk
processes the stored time-sheet details
retrieves each employee’s record from
database file
calculates the gross salary
calculates deductions
prints the pay cheques
updates the payroll register
Information Systems Concepts
Basic Computer Concepts
Function-based VS Integrated
Information System

Function-based Integrated System
v
v
v

intended for the exclusive support of a
specific application area
has its own set of database files, which
start out being the same
database files easily become different as
one is updated but the other ones aren’t
Integrated Information System
v
v
v
share a common set of database files
only one database file implies 0%
redundancy and 100% data integrity
Database Management System software is
used as a tool to integrate data and
information flow through an organization
Information Systems Concepts
Basic Computer Concepts
Benefits of Using Integrated
Information System




Better control as data redundancy can be
eliminated.
Allows different departments within the
organization to coordinate their activities
more efficiently.
Greater access to information as everyone on
the system has access to the latest up-to-date
information.
More efficient software development as
programmers have to deal with only database
file structure for each database file.
Information Systems Concepts