Advance Productivity Tools

(Information system)
Data, information, and knowledge
• Data are raw facts. Data is isolated values which by themselves do not
have much significance. Data may be numbers, letters or characters,
image represented as graphic images and pictures, audio or video. It
represents something in the real world. Data forms the raw material
for the production of information. Data is not organized and does not
convey a meaning. For example, the data elements like ‘8th’, ‘Aug’
2008’, ‘China’, and ‘Olympics’ just represent values
Data, information, and knowledge
• Information is processed, manipulated, and interpreted data. It is the
collection of data organized in such a way that they have value beyond
the data itself. Information is created by defining and organizing
relationships among data. For example, ‘The Olympics are being held
in China from 8th Aug 2008’. The processed data gives us information
which can be used for different purposes.
Data, information, and knowledge
• Information is processed, manipulated, and interpreted data. It is the
collection of data organized in such a way that they have value beyond
the data itself. Information is created by defining and organizing
relationships among data. For example, ‘The Olympics are being held
in China from 8th Aug 2008’. The processed data gives us information
which can be used for different purposes.
Data, information, and knowledge
• Knowledge is an inference or conclusion drawn from the information.
For example, a person from India who wishes to go to China can use
the information ‘The Olympics are being held in China from 8th Aug
2008’. to enhance his knowledge so that this person can plan his trip to
China accordingly.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INFORMATION
Information that is meaningful for the people and the organization must have
certain characteristics. The characteristics of the information are listed as follows:
1. Accurate: Information must not contain any errors. It must be accurate.
2. Accessible: Authorized users should be able to access the information
whenever required.
3. Complete: Information must contain all important and related data.
4. Economical: Information should be economical to produce both in terms of
time and cost.
5. Format: Information should be available in the desired format.
6. Flexible: Information should be flexible enough to be used for different
purposes.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INFORMATION
7. Reliable: Information is dependable and is generated using correct data.
8. Relevant:. Information must be relevant so that it can be used by the
organization.
9. Secure: Unauthorized users should not be able to access the information.
Access is allowed only to authorized individuals.
10. Simple: Information must be easily understandable and usable. Complex
information is difficult to use and may not serve its purpose.
11. Timely: Information must be available when it is needed. Late or
outdated information is of no use.
12.  Verifiable: There should be a means to cross check the available
information
INFORMATION SYSTEM (IS)
• A system is a set of components that work together to achieve a
common goal. A system accepts input, processes it, and produces an
output (Figure 11.2). A system is composed of one or more
subsystems. A system may be a closed system or an open system. A
closed system is a standalone system that does not interact with other
systems. An open system interacts with other systems.
INFORMATION SYSTEM (IS)
• Information System (IS) is a set of inter-related components that (1)
collect data, (2) manipulate
• data, (3) disseminate data and information, and (4) provide feedback to
meet an objective. An
• information system uses resources like people, hardware, software, data,
and networks to
• perform input, processing, output, storage, and control activities. Some
examples of IS are
• ATMs, railway reservation system, and movie ticket reservation
systems.
Components of Information System
An IS consists of four main components—
Input, Process, Output, and Feedback (Figure
11.3). Input is the activity of gathering and
capturing raw data. A process converts or
transforms data into useful output. During
processing, the input data is manipulated into
information using mathematical, statistical,
and other tools. Output is the generation and
presentation of useful information, usually in
the form of documents and reports. Feedback
is an output that is used to make changes to
the input, or the processing activities.