PHASE 3 :

SYSTEM DESIGN

LESSON 9
REPORT AND OUTPUT DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
In the previous lesson, we have learned how to design a database. Database is a place where
all the information system’s data are kept as records and will be accessed again for the
system’s used. In this Lesson 9, we will explain how to design report and output for the system
design. Outputs present information to system users Output design focuses on the user needs
for output. This lesson consists of two sections:
 overview of report and output design
 types of output
 guidelines for report and output design

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to :
 define the importance of output design
 list and explain several types of output
 explain and design the output based on guidelines for report and screen output design

TERMINOLOGY
No Word Definition
1 Bias A condition where output will affects users in a way of how it’s presented
2 Output Whatever a system returns to its environment in order to fulfill its
purpose
3 Report A document contains predefined data from many records or transaction

9.1 OVERVIEW OF REPORT AND OUTPUT DESIGN

Output is information produced from an information system delivered to users. Output design is
the second activity involved during the system design as depicted in Figure 9-1. Some data
require processing before they become an output, or it just retrieved from data stored in a
database. Output can take many forms. Typically, most of the information system use report as
an output to present the output. Output is the most visible components of an information system.
 System
Planning

System
Analysis

Files and Database System

√ Output Design Design
Input Design
User Interfaces Design
System
Implementation

System
Maintenance

Figure 9-1: Output Design Activities in the System Design Phase

9.2 TYPES OF OUTPUT

This section will discuss various types of outputs available for information system. Output can
be classified by two categories:
 Internal output
Internal output is purposely prepared only for the system owners and system users
within its organization. Internal output is important in order to support day to day
business operations or management monitoring and decision making. Top management
used internal report to assist them to make a decision or introduced any changes within
the organization.
 External output
External output is an output that leaves the organization; they are purposely prepared for
customers, suppliers, partners and regulatory agencies. They usually give a report on
business transactions. Examples of external output are invoices, billing orders, account
statement, and flight ticket.
Some outputs can fall under both internal and external output. This output leave the
organization as an external output but it return back into organization as an internal output.
Turnaround output is an external output that eventually reenters the system as input. This
following section will discuss several types of outputs available such as report, screen output,
email and others. Before we start our discussion on types of output, we assume that now, you
are familiar with different common types of output devices such as printers, plotters, computer
output on microfilm and PC display monitor.

9.2.1 Report
Report is the most widely used in any form as output. Report is a business document that
contains only predefined data. It can be two approaches of report; printed report or viewed on
screen report. Today, most organization chooses to prepare a report by viewing it on a screen
and users can choose either to print it or not. Printed reports are convenient and sometimes are
necessary in some situation. Sometimes, printed form also used in turnaround documents.

Whether printed or viewed on screen, reports should be attractive and easy to understand.
Sometimes, management used reports prepared to make a judgment or decision based on the
reports. A report should provide information needed by a user. When designing report, it’s
important to make sure that it contains the user’s specific information needs. There are three
types of reports. All this three types of report are under internal reports.
 Detailed reports
Detailed reports present information with little or no filtering or restrictions as in Figure 9-
2. A detailed report produces one or more lines of output for each record processed.
Each line of output printed is called a detail line. A well designed detailed report should
provide totals for numeric fields. The control field can be used in order to control the
output.

 Summary reports
Summary reports categorize information for upper-level managers who do not want to go
through details. Upper-level management normally wants to see total figures but do not
want to see any supporting details. The higher position, less information is needed.
Generally, a report used by top level management in the organization includes less
detail than reports used by low-level employees. The data for summary reports is
typically categorized and summarized to indicate trends and potential problems.
 Sometimes the use of charts and graphs on summary reports is also good since they
can see it in a clearer picture and more easy for them to analyze. Figure 9-3 shows an
example of summary report.

 Exception reports
An exception report displays only those records that meet a specific condition. It is useful
when the user wants information only on records that might require action, but does not
need to know the details. Sometimes, different types of users may require different types
of information. So, instead of listing all the information which will make it crowded, it’s
more efficient to list only require information. Exception reports filter data before it is
presented to the manager. Figure 9-4 shows an example of an exception report.

Figure 9-2: A Detail Report with One Printed Line for each Course and Student

Figure 9-3: An Exception Report that Shows Part Time Works for Clerk
 Figure 9-4: A Summary Reports List Subtotals and Total

9.2.2 Screen Output

Currently, the fastest growing medium for information system output is the online display of
information on a visual display of information on a visual display device, such as a CRT terminal
or PC monitor. Screen output provides the system user with convenient access to information
although the information displayed is only for temporary basis. When a user leaves the screen,
information is lost unless the users revisit the screen again. Screen output also can be
represented in type of graphical formats. Graphical output is the use of a pictorial chart to
convey information in ways that demonstrate trends and relationships is not easily seen in
tabular output Bentley et. al., 2007). Sometimes, representing an output by using graphic is
more efficient more than using numeric output. It’s because an interpretation is easy by using a
graphic.

9.2.3 Point-of-Sale Terminal

Today, many retail and consumer transaction are enabled by using point of sale terminals. The
common point of sale terminal is the automated teller machine (ATM). Point of sale terminal can
be considered as both input and output devices. For example, ATM displays the account
balances and prints the transaction receipt being done at that time.

9.2.4 E-Mail
E-mail is not only used in communicating each other, but also in delivering the output to system
users. New information system is expected to be message-enabled. When we purchased item
from an online store, normally, we’ll receive an automated email output to reconfirm the order.
This email is considered as follow up email to reconfirm the purchase. It may contains
information such as booking reference and item details. It is also considered as an output.
9.2.5 Exercises
Answer TRUE or for FALSE for each of the questions below.
1. There are two approaches of presenting report; printed report or viewed on screen report.
TRUE
2. Detail reports categorize information for upper-level managers who do not want to go
through details. FALSE
3. Information appears when display in a screen in is lost when users leaves the screen. TRUE
4. Automated teller machine (ATM) is an example of point of sale terminals. TRUE
5. Most of the information systems today combine more than one type of outputs. TRUE

9.3 GUIDELINES FOR REPORT AND OUTPUT DESIGN

Designing reports and output is a user-focused activity that typically followed a prototyping
approach. When designing an output, there are several guidelines need to be considered during
the activity. This sub topic will briefly explain the main guidelines.

9.3.1 Keeping the Reports Simple and Attractive

Printed reports and screen output should be attractive and easy to read and understand. Good
reports design such as should consider the report header and footers, columns heading
alignment, column spacing and field order. Every report should have a report header; which
appears at the beginning of the report, identifies the report and contains report title, date and
other necessary information. Report footer appears at the end of the report can include grand
total of the numeric fields or any other end-report information. Other than that, every report
should have page header. Page header appears at the top of the pages and includes column
headings that identify the data. Column heading is a caption used referring to a column, and we
should space the columns carefully. If the information listed in a report contains more than
values, it’s good if the detail lines is grouping based on a control field. Figure 9-5 shows how to
represent a report layout. The report should be easy and simple. The presentation of the reports
should be consistent with uniform formats.
 Group
Footer

Figure 9-5: Guidelines for Report Layout

9.3.2 Understanding the Reports Usage

The important principle in designing reports is to understand the report usage. Reports can be
used for many purposes. In most cases, reports have been used to identify specific items as
references in finding information; so it’s needed to classify the items based on categories
depending on users’ need. This should be applied when designing a web-based or electronic
report for information system. These types of reports planned to be read from beginning to the
end and should be represented in one long scrollable page. If the report is used to find any
specific information, it should be broken into multiple pages with a separate link. The frequency
of report prepared also affected when designing a good reports; such as real time report and
batch reports. Real time report is a report which provide data that are accurate and changes in a
second or minute such as stock market data meanwhile batch reports contains historical
information that may be in month, days and often provide additional information such as total,
summaries and others.

9.3.3 Managing Information Load

Different levels of users need different categories of data with a different amount of data. Most
managers need information but they prefer in graphical format, so it’s easy for them to
understand, summarize and make decision from the graphic. The goal of well-designed report is
to provide all the information needed to support the task for which it was designed. This report
shouldn’t have all the information but only information required by certain users. Some reports
display the most important information generally should be presented first in the top of the
report. Other way we can use is by highlighting the most important information needed in the
report.

9.3.4 Minimizing Bias

Whatever forms it takes, output is not only just a neutral product that is subsequently analyzed
and acted upon by decision makers. Output will affects users in many different ways of how it’s
presented. Bias is present in everything that humans create. In Kendall et. a.l, 1999), there are
three main ways in which presentation of output are unintentionally biased :
1. How information is sorted
2. Setting of acceptable limits
3. Choice of graphics

How information is sorted

Bias is introduced by the way in which data are sorted. It’s because when users read a report,
those data appearing first in a list may receive more attention compared to those appearing
later. Because of that most data are displayed in alphabetical order, chronological and cost. So,
there is no bias.

Setting of acceptable limits

A second major source of bias in output is the predefined of limits for particular values being
reported. Many reports generated on an exception basis only, meaning that when limits on
values are set beforehand, only exceptions to those values will be output.

Choice of graphics
Bias can occur in the selection of the graphic size, color, scale used and types of graphics.
Graphic size must be proportional, so that the user is not biased as to the importance of the
variables that are presented. Figure 9-6 shows an example of biased graph where the scale
shown for number of students are fixed for 50 people per scale.
 Figure 9-6: Unbiased Graph

9.3.5 Exercises
Answer TRUE or for FALSE for each of the questions below.
1. When designing reports, issues related to a user’s experience, skills, motivation, education,
and personality should be considered. TRUE
2. Good report designs such as should consider the report header and footers, columns
heading alignment, column spacing and field order. TRUE
3. The frequency of report prepared is not affected when designing a good report. FALSE
4. Top management needs less information and they prefer in graphical format report. TRUE
5. Bias is a condition where output will affects users in a way of how it’s presented. TRUE

SUMMARY
This is the end of lesson Nine. In this lesson, we have learned :
 overview of report and output design
 types of output
 guidelines for report and screen output design
In the next lesson, we will discuss the third activity involved during the system design; form and
input design. A form serves as a source documents for information system. Most of the
information systems use a form as an input medium.

SELF ASSESSMENT
Fill in with the correct answer

1. ________________________ is information produced from an information system delivered

to users. Output

2. A ________________________ is a business document that contains only predefined data;

it is a passive document used only for reading or viewing. report

3. ________________________ are intended for the internal system owners and system
users within an organization. Internal outputs

4. Examples of ________________________ are invoices, billing orders, account statement,

and flight ticket. external output

5. ________________________ filter data before it is presented to the manager as

information. Exception reports

6. ____________________ output is most suited to the pace of today's economy that requires
information on demand. Screen

7. Many of today's retail and consumer transactions are enabled or enhanced by

________________________________. point of sale terminals

8. ________________________ and ________________________ should be attractive and

easy to read and understand. Printed reports; screen output

9. ________________________ is a report which provide data that are accurate and changes
in a second or minute such as stock market data. Real time report
10. ________________________ is a condition where output will affects users in a way of how
it’s presented. Bias