Data & Information Unit 2 Topic 2

A doctor will order various tests on a patient (data). The results from the tests will give the doctor information about the patient. The doctor will need to use her knowledge about medicine to interpret the results and make a decision based on the available information. Data, Information & Knowledge ProcessingDataInformation

Nature of Data Where does data come from? What type of data can be collected? –Consider: recorded facts and figures, events and dates, monetary transactions.

Sources of Data Data can be collected for processing directly or indirectly. What is a Direct source and an Indirect source of data? Consider: a worker clocking in and out of work, a borrowed library book, a supermarket loyalty card, a credit card. Are there any other cases where data is collected for a specific purpose and used for another.

According to the information collected from the supermarket computer system there should be 30 tins of Baked Beans on the shelf, but when a shop assistant checks, there are only 25. What could be the reason for this discrepancy?

Quality Of Data To be useful data must be: –Accurate –Up-to-date –Complete How can data held be accurate? How can data be kept up-to-date? How can it be known that data is complete? Data held by organisations has been collected using time and money, how can they know that the data collected will be relevant tomorrow? Would it be sensible to date stamp every entry?

Date Stamping The manager wants a stock check. Meanwhile sales are still being made so the stock list is out-of-date. New stock is delivered that day. All information should be date stamped so that management decisions are made in the knowledge of a date and time. A bank statement contains the date so that all transactions up to that date are recorded.

Encoding of Data When information is collected on certain items/people it may be stored. To store it in a meaningful way it needs to be encoded. Long comments, and lines of information can be marked and graded to a specific standard. How does this affect the quality of information the next time it is accessed? Will it be accurate, up-to-date, and complete?

Encoding Data may lose accuracy. A police database of criminals will allow data stored to be stored as eye colour, but there may only be blue, green or brown to choose from. Blue/green eyes could be stored as blue. When the information is needed for identification at a later date the blue/green colour is lost for ever. With so much data being collected, it has to be kept on computer, so it can be searched and found.

Value Judgement When encoding of data is being done it has to rely to some extent on value judgements that may be different for different people. One person may code a colour differently to another. Character references will be coded differently by different people. Punctuality may be graded from 1 to 5, for never late, occasionally, occasionally and no excuse, regularly, invariably.

Value Judgement Are value judgements needed for the person entering the following data: –a person’s date of birth, –a baby’s weight at birth, –a person’s intelligence (low, medium, high), –road conditions (poor, average, good), –number of sick days taken this year, –the current VAT rate.

Usefulness of Data Companies that sell products by mail order need to keep up-to-date lists of name and addresses of customers who may be interested in making a purchase. This data is very valuable and can be sold to other ‘like’ companies. What would make this list become of little value? What could be added to the data so that it can be kept up-to-date? Is the cost of keeping data up-to-date, accurate, and complete worthwhile to the company?

Importance Of Information Information has become a valuable resource, just as much as capital infrastructure and people. Name some organisations where the collection of data is essential for their continued running? Information is collected on any amount of different items and used by managers to make strategic decisions concerning the organisation. Can you think of a situation where information was not used wisely and an organisation has suffered the consequences?

Importance Of Information Information technology is fundamental to the success of any business The information that is collected and/or assembled in any business is as valuable a resource as capital or people Information may cover: –Market trends –Buying preferences –Customer profiles It may be processed, summarised, and analysed by computers before being used by managers as the basis for decision-making As discussed earlier, information must be: –Accurate –Complete –Up-to-date

The Value of Information How does the following information have a value: –a list of current account customers whose customers have a large credit balance, –a list of customers who have bought new cars from a garage over the past three months, –an on-line database on CD ROM of all the post-codes in the UK, –a list of credit card customers who have not kept their accounts in order (late payers etc).

Information as a Commodity Have you or your family been targetted for particular mail advertisements? –Consider: making a credit card purchase, a mail order purchase, a telephone order purchase, information about you and the product you buy goes into a database. The information can be used to target you with advertisements on products that you are most likely to buy! Why may you get advertisements from many other different organisations?