Data refers to facts and figures that are generally unusable due to their large volume and unrefined

nature. Data is often obtained as a result of recordings or observations, and comes in many forms like numbers, words, and symbols. Data relates to transactions, events and facts. On its own data it is not very useful. Thus, data is a "raw material and needs to be processed before it can be turned into something useful. There is therefore the need for "data processing". When Freeway Ford sells a car, for example, the data that would be collected include the total number of cars sold daily, the type of car that has the highest demand in a month, and the number of customers who require after sale service. Information, on the other, is data that has been processed in such a way as to be meaningful to the person who receives it. Thus it is not enough for data simply to be processed. It has to be of use to someone. When data are arranged in meaningful manner, they become information. This means information is a collection of data organized so that they have additional value beyond the value of the individual facts. For example, the monthly sale generated by each sales representative at Freeway Ford is data. When this data is to be collected, a system or person monitors the daily sale and records it. Finally when it is to be converted into meaningful information, the patterns in the sales are analyzed and a conclusion about the sales is arrived at. So information obtained is a result of analysis, communication, or investigation. Such information would be the total sales generated by the company in a month. Data that should be processed into information include the following: y The number of people who visit the sales outlets to make enquiries y The number of customers who request for regular maintenance

y The names and telephone numbers of customers y Daily sales generated y The number of complaints received from customers in a month