Ch11

Ways of presenting your data

(Summary & Worksheet)
A kitchen company uses virtual reality for showing customers what their
new kitchen will look like when it is installed in their home.
a) Explain what is meant by virtual reality.
b) Explain two advantages of using virtual reality for this purpose.

a) Computer technology which creates a simulated multidimensional environment for

the user.

b) Customers can virtually view the design of their kitchen from different angles.
Changes can be made to the kitchen and then viewed to see the effect.

A. Output from a computer on paper is often referred to as

_______ _______.

B. Printouts have the advantages that they can be ____________.

C. The service that involves passing electronic messages from one

computer to another is called ______________ _________.

D. A mixture of text and graphics with motion and sound is an

example of ___________.

E. All computers contain a ________ in order to be able to output

sound through speakers or earphones.

A. Hard copy
B. Posted
C. Electronic mail
D. Multimedia
E. Sound card
 Ch12
How to describe an information system
(Summary & Worksheet)
1. How would the item code normally be input into the system?

A barcode is read using a scanner.

2. Give two reasons why an item accepted signal is used in this situation rather than an
itemrejected signals
I. Need to know that item has been accepted.
II. Items could be missed if the rejected signal were used.
3. These are the fields in the stock file:
a. Item Code
b. Type
c. Description
d. Size
e. Quantity in stock
f. Minimum stock level
g. Reorder quantity
h. Supplier code

Which field in a stock record would be changed when an item is sold?

Quantity in stock
4. The stock file is also used by an automatic reordering system. This produces orders
likethe one shown above. Another file called the supplier file is used. Five three
fields the supplier record will have to contain to allow the order to be produced.

Any three from: supplier code (the primary key field); supplier name; fax
number; address.

5. The transaction log file is kept on tape.

a. What data would be written to the transaction log file?
b. What is the purpose of this file?

(a) Item code

(b) To provide a backup to the master file should it become damaged.

1. You can play a recording or live sound into the _ of your computer.
CSV
Sound Card
Buffer
2. One common file format is
CSV
Polling
Buffer

3. A is a temporary storage space.

Interrup
tPolling
Buffer

4. Another type of system is used, called a _ system

Interrupt
Polling
Digital

5. Most people use _ computer

Word Processors
Data
Digital

6. can either be analogue or digital

Word Processors
Data
System

7. The most common file type of file transfer is between different _ _.

Word Processors
Data
System

8. An _ _ is a signal to the processor from the peripheral device.

Interrupt
Data
Digital
 Ch13
Systems analysis
(Summary & Worksheet)
Page 83 to 91

The steps involved in the systems analysis:

1- Fact finding
2- A feasibility study
3- An analysis phase
4- System design
5- Implementation
6- Testing
7- Documentation
8- Evaluation
1- Fact finding:

Fact finding is concerned with finding out about existing system.

There are four ways of finding out about existing systems:

1. Asking questions (interviewing people)

2. Getting people to fill in carefully designed questionnaires
3. Sitting with various people to observe how the job is done at the moment.
4. Inspecting any bits of paper, screen displays and files which are used in the present system
2- Feasibility study:

Looks at the chances of being able to solve a particular problem at a reasonable cost. It ends when a
decision has been reached whether or not to proceed with the project.

The following are usually included in a feasibility study:

1. A description of what the system is required to do.

2. Some preliminary design so that the costs may be estimated.
3. Some alternative designs.
The feasibility report:

It is a written report given to the directors and is a summary of the results of the feasibility study.

The feasibility report includes the following:

1. A brief description of the business and any problems with existing system.
2. Details of what part of the business is being looked at.
3. The objectives of the proposed system.
4. A list of some of the alternative solutions.
 5. A plan for implementation.
3- Analysis phase:

The analysis phase includes some points:

1- Objectives of the proposed system

2- Facts about the old system being replaced.
3- Any constraints on the system
4- System design

The next step after making sure that the new system will be worth having.

It includes the design of:

- Inputs
- Outputs
- Code design
- File design
- Hardware configuration
- Software used
5- Implementing
- Direct implementation
- Phased implementation
- Parallel running
6- Testing
a- System is tested with data that contain no errors.
b- All errors will be picked up.
c- Check for any extreme data
7- Documentation

User documentation

Technical documentation

8- System evaluation

System should be reviewed periodically to make sure that it is still meeting the objectives.
 Questions & answers
Going on from this, she will then perform a ........... .............. which will look at whether an
alternative system would be feasible.

feasibility study
She looks at the manual system in terms of three stages: input, process and ..........................

output
To begin with, she will perform a .................. .............. in order to find out a variety of facts
about the business.

fact find
A .................................. is the person who looks at the manual system to see which parts to
computerise.

systems analyst
When she has competed this, she will submit a .......... ............... to the directors o the company.

feasibility report
Detailed systems ..................... then follows, where outputs, inputs, files, software and so on are
all decided.

analysis
If the directors are happy with the report, they will give the go-ahead for the system and the
analyst can start to ................... the system.

design
The personnel involved with the new system will need to be ............................

trained
The personnel involved with the new system will need to be ............................

analysis
trained
There are three ways that a system can be implemented: ........................... running, phased
implementation and direct implementation.

parallel
After a system has been in use for some time, it needs to be ......................... to make sure that the
objectives of the system are still being satisfied.

evaluated
Also, ................. will need to be written.

documentation
A new system is to be introduced into a school of pupils to pay for their dinners using computer cards.
Describe the steps taken in the analysis and design of this system.

(a) Fact finding about the existing system. Identification of problems with the existing
system. Finding what the user requirements are. Producing a feasibility study.
(b) Detailing how the system will match the user’s requirements. Determination of the
input and output requirements. Identification of the files needed. Determining the
hardware and software requirements. Working out the data structures/database design.
(c) Installation of the new system/writing of the programs needed.
(d) Upgrades to hardware and software. Writing patches in software to cope with changes in user
requirements.