Data A2 Module Heathcote Ch. 43

Methods of Data Entry  Basic manual method Keyboard  Direct data capture Bar code readers Magnetic stripe readers Smart cards MICR  EDI – electronic data interchange Transfers data already entered from one organisation to another

Using bar codes  Management is provided with very detailed up to date information, enabling decisions to be made quicker and with more confidence. For example: Fast-selling items can be identified quickly and automatically reordered to meet demand; Slow-selling items can be identified, preventing a build-up of unwanted stock; Effects of repositioning a given product within a store can be monitored, allowing fast-moving more profitable items to occupy the best space; Historical data can be used to predict seasonal fluctuations very accurately.

Other uses of bar codes  Warehousing for containers of raw materials stored in racks of bins which are also bar coded  Transport and distribution freight carriers: individual packages are bar coded as are depot consignments  Manufacturing accurate data on work in progress obtained using bar codes as for data entry  Marketing polling companies: for multiple choice questionnaires to enter data quickly and accurately

Other uses of bar codes 2  Medical to identify blood and other samples, and patients’ records  Libraries to record loans and provide information on stock  Banking, insurance and local government for accurate document control and retrieval

Data collection methods  Bar codes  Magnetic stripe cards widely used for applications ranging from railway cards to customer loyalty cards  Electronic data interchange (EDI) transmission of business data from one firm’s computerised information to that of another firm

Data collection methods 2  Smart cards cards containing a microchip are likely to replace cash over the next five years  Keying in data keyboard still widely used for data input in spite of the drawbacks inaccurate data transcription comparatively slow data entry risk to health (RSI)

Usefulness of data  Data is of poor ‘quality’ if it is:  Inaccurate  Incomplete  Out-of-date  To be useful, data must be: Accurate Complete Up-to-date

Collecting and analysing data  Data may be collected for a specific purpose (direct)  Or it may be collected for one use and then used for another (indirect) Store loyalty cards Information gained can influence shop layout It may determine the type of vouchers that you receive  Junk mail Information derived from credit card sales used for marketing purposes  Every time you use a credit card or answer a survey a further profile is being created of you and stored on computer

Coding value judgements  What is a value judgement? A subjective opinion ICT lessons are c**p! Liverpool FC are good? Very good? Excellent! Anne Widdecombe is better looking than Anna Kournikova  If you have ever filled in a questionnaire on which you were asked to tick a box rating something from ‘Poor’ to ‘Excellent’ you will know how difficult it can be.  Try the example on page 41 of Heathcote