BSBCMN205A Use Business Technology Session 1 1 Select and Use Technology

Types of computer equipment Laptops PCs Ipod e.g Touch/Iphone Digital Cameras Modems USB Keys 2 Screens Hard drives Printers Scanners Back-up systems

Types of Software 3 Word processing packages Spread sheet packages Accounting packages Database packages Presentation packages Internet Inventory Property Management Systems (Front Office) Training

Types of Information Systems 4 Operational Information Systems (OIS) Management Information Systems (MIS) Decision Support System (DSS) Executive Support System (ESS) Expert System Office Information System (OIS)

Common Information Systems 5 Accounting Payroll Stock control Inventory Customer loyalty systems Human Resource Management

Common information systems continued... 6 Energy/Security/Fire Leisure and Entertainment Communication Training Property Management System (PMS)

How do you source the information 7 The process of computerisation of the establishment is going to be expensive in terms of both money and time. Most businesses will need a combination of industry software for the specialist information sub systems and some general software such as spreadsheets; word processing and communication programs. The general packages can be found in general computer stores. However the software that is a little more specialised will take a little more effort to locate.

Finding Software 8 The following can be used as a starting point. Internet - ie Shows and Exhibitions Trade magazines Consultants Colleagues in the industry Yellow Pages Industry bodies Other suppliers

Selection Criteria 9 1. Reports 2. Operating system 3. Interface 4. User friendliness 5. Industry standard 6. Speed 7. The software company size 8. Support

Selection criteria continued Help systems 10. Training Sources 11. Local conditions 12. Robustness 13. Do the programs communicate 14. Other user’s comments are useful 15. Special Interest Groups (SIG)

Custom designed 11 In some cases an off-the-shelf solution is not possible. This may be because the information or operational needs are unique, the scope of the program is unique, or the establishment requires a one program solution to suit a variety of information sub systems. It is therefore necessary to hire a developer or programmer to write the software that will collect the data and produce the necessary information.

How do you assess what you need? 12 The best starting point is the current information system. If the business is new then the task becomes a little more complicated. The current reports provide a good starting point. What are the good points and what are the bad points about the current reports? Are there any new reports required? Are all reports used? Where is the data collected in the current system?

How do you justify what you need? 13 Accuracy of information Decentralised data entry Reduced operational costs Improved presentation of information Expanded range of services Improved communication system

Considerations against computer systems 14 Set up costs Maintenance costs Training and re-training System monitor and control

Few Operating Systems VISTA Windows XP Unix Linux Mac OS X Palm OS Windows CE 15

Activity Research a few different brands of computer equipment (refer to slide 2). List the features and prices for each. Take the printout and keep it for the project. 16

Basics kinds of computers A computer is a programmable machine (or more precisely, a programmable sequential state machine). There are two basic kinds of computers: analog and digital. Analog computers are analog devices.. An analog computer can represent fractional or irrational values exactly, with no round-off. Analog computers are almost never used outside of experimental settings. Digital computer is a programmable clocked sequential state machine. A digital computer uses discrete states. 17

Memory Main storage is also called memory or internal memory (to distinguish from external memory, such as hard drives). 18

RAM Random Access Memory, and is the basic kind of internal memory. RAM is called “random access” because the processor or computer can access any location in memory 19

ROM Read Only Memory (it is also random access, but only for reads). ROM is typically used to store things that will never change for the life of the computer, such as low level portions of an operating system. 20