BIT221 / BIT 121

DATA AND INFORMATION

MANAGEMENT

BY MRS. R. MUMBA
 General Information

BIT 221 : DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT .

Instructor : Mrs. Rebecca L. Mumba

BSc Computer Science, MSc Pro. Mgt, PGDip. Exam and Supervision of
Research Projects

Phone : +260-966-474029

Email : rebecca.mumba@unilus.ac.zm
 GRADING POLICY
• The final course grade will be computed as follows:
•
One Assignment/ Test: 10%
Mid Semester Examination: 20%
End of Semester Examination: 70%
Total: 100%
 Data and Information Concepts

• What is data?
• Data are raw, unorganized facts and figures that need to be processed. Data
can be something simple and seemingly random and useless until it is
organized
• What is information?
• Information is data that is processed, organized, structured or presented in
a given context so as to make it useful.
 Data and Information concepts

Information can also be defined as

• Data that has been processed so that they are meaningful
• Data that have been processed for a purpose
• Data that have been interpreted and understood by the recipient
 Categories of Data

Structured Data Vs Unstructured data

• Structured data is sometimes thought of as traditional data, consisting
mainly of text files that are very well-organized
• structured data is comprised of clearly defined data types whose pattern
makes them easily searchable and easy to analyse
• Unstructured data “everything else” – is comprised of data that is not
structured and is usually not as easily searchable, including formats like
audio, video, and social media postings.
 Structured Data Vs Unstructured data
key Differences
• Structured data is clearly defined and searchable types of data, while
unstructured data is usually stored in its native format (rich media, text, social
media activity, surveillance imagery). 
• Structured data is quantitative, while unstructured data is qualitative.
• Structured data is often stored in data warehouses (repository of structured,
filtered data),  while unstructured data is stored in data lakes (pool of raw data).
• Structured data is easy to search and analyse, while unstructured data requires
more work to process and understand.  
• Structured data exists in predefined formats, while unstructured data is in a
variety of formats. 
 Structured and Unstructured

• Both types of data are vital in the modern digital enterprise, but they must
be managed differently.
• Data analysts and business stakeholders rely on data to produce actionable
insights, so learning the ins and outs of each type of data is paramount to
understanding the best practices with which data collection, archiving, and
data discovery can be done.
 Transaction data vs master data
• Transactional data: data relating to the day-to-day transactions. Transactional
data describes business events such as buying products from suppliers, selling
products to customers, shipping items to customer sites, hiring employees,
managing their vacations or changing their positions.
•  Master data: data that remains unchanged over a period of time, such as
personal attributes that can be stored in various standard infotypes as records.
Master Data is key business information that supports the transactions.
Master Data describes the customers, products, parts, employees, materials,
suppliers, sites, etc involved in the transactions. It is commonly referred to
as Places (locations, geography, sites, etc.), Parties (persons, customers,
suppliers, employees, etc.) and Things (products, items, material, vehicles, etc.).
 Role of Data and Information in
organisations

• Data is the foundation of a business’ information, knowledge,

and ultimately the wisdom for correct decisions and actions.
• If this data is relevant, complete, accurate, meaningful, and
actionable, it will help in the growth of the organization.
 Role of Data and Information in
organisations
Planning:
• A business needs to know what resources it has.
• It needs information about the markets in which it operates and the actions
of competitors.
Controlling:
• Information is needed to help identify whether things are going better or
worse than expected, and to spot ways in which corrective action can be.
Role of Data and Information in organisations

Measuring :
• Information is used as the main way of measuring performance.
Decision Making:
Information used for decision-making is categorised under
• Strategic Information
• Tactical Information
• Operational information
 INFORMATION

• Strategic Information: used to help plan the objectives of the business as a

whole and to measure how those objectives are being achieved.
Examples
• Profitability
• Size, growth and competitive structure
• Investments
 INFORMATION
• Tactical Information: This is used to decide how the resources of the
business should be employed. Examples:
• Information about business productivity
• Profit and cash flow forecasts in the short term
• Pricing information from the market.

• Operational information: this information is used to make sure that specific

operational tasks are carried out as planned/ intended
 Qualities of Good Information

• There are essentially 10 qualities of good information:

• It must be relevant
• It must also be clear
• There must be sufficient accuracy
• The information must be complete
• The information must also be trustworthy
 Qualities of good information
• It must be concise
• Information must be provided in a timely manner
• It must be communicated to the right person
• It must also be communicated via the right channel
• Information must be less costly than the value it provides
Improving information management in an organisation is a simple matter of addressing the
activities involved in producing the information that impact the 10 criteria above
 Information Management

• Information is a valuable asset to businesses today

• It can either be an asset or a liability depending on the adopted information
strategy.
• Information management is the management of organizational processes
and systems that acquire, create, organize, distribute, and use information.
 Information Management

• Information management is the function of planning, controlling, and

delivering data effectively in an organization.
• Information management includes the following functions: practicing the
disciplines in the development, execution, and supervision of plans,
programs, policies and practices that protect, control, deliver and enhance
the quality and value of data and information in the organization.
BENEFITS OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IN ORGANISATIONS

Efficiency Improvements
• If data is properly managed, updated, and enhanced, its
accessibility and organizational efficiency will increase
exponentially. However, If the data is inaccurate,  mismanaged or
error-prone, it can waste tremendous time and resources.
BENEFITS OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IN ORGANISATIONS

Protection From Data Related Problems and Risks:

• Security of data is very important and proper data/information
management helps in ensuring that vital data is never lost and is protected
inside the organization.
• Data security is an essential part of information management.  It protects
employees and companies from various data losses, thefts, and breaches.
BENEFITS OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IN ORGANISATIONS

Data Quality Improvement

• Proper data/ information management helps in improving data quality and
access. Therefore, better search results are obtained in a company with
better and faster access to the organization’s data, which can aid in decision
making.
BENEFITS OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IN ORGANISATIONS
Minimized Errors:
• Effective data/information management helps in minimizing potential
errors and reducing the damages caused by bad data.
• The greater occurrence of processes like copy-paste, drag and drop, and
linking of documents, the greater the likelihood of data errors. Therefore, an
effective data management strategy and data quality initiative must be
implemented to better control the health of a business’ most valuable asset
 Consequences of poor
data/information management
• Data Redundancy: This is where data becomes duplicated and stored at several locations in
more than one file.
• Data Inconsistency: This is similar data that is stored in different formats in multiple
locations
• Poor data availability: This is when data becomes isolated and sharing of data and its
visibility to employees becomes reduced.
• Poor data Security: Data spread across the business in various forms and in locations
reduce ability of a business to set proper security controls and ensure authorised access to
information.
• Error Prone Data: When data exists at different locations it becomes more vulnerable to
human errors and mistakes go unnoticed.