Exchanging Information

For information to be successfuly exchanged between businesses it must be at certain standard. For example word processed files written in Microsoft Word conform to a standard so that most other word proccessors can read them to making it possible to exchange files easily.

A 'defacto standard' is a standard of file where most organisation either have the program itself or software that can read files from that program. For example Microsoft Word is a defacto file standard, most organisations have either Microsoft Word or software that is able to read Microsoft Word files.

However, not all data can be stored using in the format of everyday office software. There are some simple standards that have been brought about to make it easier for data to be prepared on one computer system and processed further by another. This makes it easy for data to be moved between computers using different 'platforms' such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and Apple.

Here are some examples of data that is exchanged between organisations:

• Exam results are passed from the exam board mainframes and to universities
• Orders for goods are passed from a supermarket to a supply company
• Schools make exam entries and send in coursework marks online

CSV (common separated values). This is when each data item is separated from the next one by a marker, usually a comma is used for this purpose.

Presenting Information

Information can be presented in lots of ways, for example:

• Items bought at a supermarket can be presented as an itemised bill


• Hotel booking confirmation can be presented as email notification


• Concert tickets can be presented as printed and personalised tickets


• Tax demand can be presented as a paper form


• Bank statements could be presented on paper or on screen


• A credit card balance enquiry could be presented using voice output over telephone


• An announcement of the next station on a train can be presented using voice output and visual matrix display.

Planning for the Future

For the future, most businesss need to considder:

• Possible expansion
• New areas of business
• New ways of doing business
• Keeping costs down

Operational tasks are the things that staff have to do every day in order to keep things running. For example every day a teacher has to deliver lessons.

However, because things are changing all the time there have to be people who think ahead and plan, these people are called directors. They do something called called a strategic activity - this means planning where the company is going and it is an extremely important job, if they do something wrong there could be severe consequences and lots of people could lose their jobs.

Management need processed data that shows trends in the company, they want the big picture however they do not need all the details. The data is usually considderably processed and has its origins at lower levels.

Transactional Web Site - Argos

The URL of the transactional web site I will be looking at is http://www.argos.co.uk/. This web site is for the shop 'Argos' which sells a vast range of products from all sorts of different categories. The purpose of the web site is to sell goods. The web site allows you to search for items by word or catelogue number (all most if not all items from the web site can also be found in the catalogue), this search facilitiy is necessary for a web site with such a vast range of products and is very useful.

The products available from the web site are also available in argos stores, where the customer chooses a product from the catelogue and takes the catalogue number to a till where they are sold the product.

Overall first impressions of the site were very good. The layout is clear and easy to follow, the page is not to cluttered and it is not too squashed. There are clear sections of the web site that split up the products into different catergories making it easy to find the right items. The only negative point is that the page is quite boring, however in many ways this is actually a positive thing because it means the web site is nice and simple making navigation and dipping in and out of sections much easier.

How It Is Structured

The web site is very well structured making it clear and easy to follow.

There are different ways of finding items on the web site. Firslty, the user can navigate usign the headings along the top of the screen, for example 'sports and fitness' and 'toys and games', this is useful for customers who do not know exactly what they want to buy and would like to view all items within a particulary category. When you click on one of these categories, a list of different types of product available within that catergory appears narrowing down the search. Once one of these is selected another screen appears with options on what to 'search by', for example when looking at toys and games, the user can search by type, age, brand or character. Although this may seem like a very long and drawn out process to find a game, it actually saves the user a lot of time because it will only show products that are relevant to their requirements.

It is very easy to get between pages because the main navigation bar showing all of the different categories remains at the top of all pages on the web site, as does the search facility, therefore it would be very difficult to get lost on the web site! Everything is very easy to find. Ther is also always a link to the home page at the top of each page just in case, that way it would be easy to get 'un-lost'.

The Goods And/Or Services It Offers

It is very easy to see what types of goods are available on the web site from the very beginning as there are options at the top of the screen showing the different categories of products that are availalbe. Also down the left hand side of the page there is a list of types of product within certain categories with examples of products within that type underneath, for example it says 'Kitchen and Laundry' and underneath it says 'washing machines, heaters...'. This helps the user to get a better idea of the products available on the web site.

The web site also offers a delivery service which it makes clear to the user by displaying two icons next to each product stating whether or not it is available for home delivery or in store pickup.

Here is a list of item categories available at Argos:

• Garden, DIY and leisure
• Sports and fitness
• Personal care and bathroom
• Kitchen and laudry
• Furniture and furnishings
• Baby and nursery
• Office, PC and phones
• Sound and vision
• Photography
• Video games
• Toys and games
• Jewellery and watches
• Chirstmas gifts

I think the web site is very successful in showing the types of product that it sells, which is not an easy thing to do considdering there is such a variety of items available. It is very clear to the user what products are available to them.

The Product Information Provided

Argos generally provides very detailed information about all of the products that are available to make up for the fact that the customer is unable to see or handle the goods before buying them. For example when looking at a digital camera, information is given about the brand, pixels, screen sixe, optical zoom, digital zoom and thememory card, price, design style, size and weight. There are also pictures of the items so the user knows what they look like. There is also an option to 'compare' products to others similar, this then produces a table showing the selected products with a table containing all of the details that are comparable. This helps the user to decide between them as it is made obvious which features are better on which product. The information given varies depending on the product, for example different product information will be given about a watch that a digital camera because differenet features need to be specified.

Types of Transactions that can be Made

A transaction is an interaction with a database management system.

Transactions vary in complexity, a transation could simply be clicking on an image to check if a certain item is in stock or it can be more complex, for example when buying goods entering details into an order form, especially for a new customer because the company need to capture all of their details.

The system needs to collect a number of different details from the customers, for example credit card number and other details used to validate the card and name and address of the person paying the bill and the delivery address. Text boxes are most commonly used as a way of interacting with the page, the user types in information into the text boxes. Another method that can be used is drop down menus, this is when a choice is given to the user in a menu, they select the option they want to use.

On many web sites the customers can track their orders and check if items are in stock or not. Most web sites allow users to become members by registering with the web site, they can then log in to the web site in the future which makes ordering goods much easier because their details will all be stored in an database and they will not have to enter them every time they want to purchase something in the future, they just have to log in. It is usually possible to edit your customer details if necessary.

The Argos web site uses both text boxes and drop down menus to get information from customers. This is good because it means that where there are drop down menus error is less likely to occur, obviously it is not possible to have menus for fields such as 'name' as there are too many different possibilities.

The Methods Used To Capture Customer Information

There are many different ways web sites capture information from customers. Obvious and open methods of data capture are called 'overt' methods. When these methods are used the customer knows that the information is being captured. An example of an overt method of data capture is a data capture form that the customer fills in, this way they know exactly what information is being taken. Argos use a form on their web site to collect the delivery details of the customer, for example it says 'first name' followed by a text box, the customer knows that if they fill this in they will know that the company are collecting information on their name. They know exactly what details are being taken from them because they enter them into a form.

However quite a lot of information is taken without the customer realising, these methods of data capture are called 'covert' methods. It is possible for web sites to log the IP address of a customers computer when they are taking their credit card details or making another transaction. This can then be tracked to a particular computer because IP addresses are allocated to cetain computers by the ISP (however this information is only useful to the company at the time the user is connected to the Internet).

Another method of collecting data is to put a code on a web site that leaves 'cookies' on the user's computer. There is code on the cookie that identifies a computer when it returns to the web site. This enables a company to see how often you visit the web site, what pages you look at, how long you stay on the site for and other information.

Code used on web sites can also log statistics such as what search engine referred them to the web site and what words they put in the search to call it up - they can even see what browser is being used and the computer's operating system.

The Techniques Used To Engage, Retain and Entice Customers

Web sites need to use special techniques to attract customers and help to retain them as there are no salespeople to build up relationships with customers and pursuade them to buy things.

Advertisement is very important

Types of Information Required by Business

Production

Many different businesses sell a product, in the process of making the product there is the production process, this is either mass production, batch production, continueoues production or one-off production, with a good IT system the production is kept going and the supply under control if this supply was not kept under control then for example a car manufacturer may run out of components and th eproduction line will come to a standstill, either though the workers are getting paid for this.Batch Production- is when there is a small amount around 1000 being producedMass production- when there is huge amount being produced like car manufacture like FordOne-off production- is when a product is made only once like a conecpt gadgetContinueous production- is when the production line is running 24/7 like making aluminiun cans.

Finance – Any department within a company/organisation needs budgets to prevent them from becoming bankrupt. This is because if a company spends more than they earn they get themselves into debt. It is important that every organisation, even those that are non-profitable such as schools and hospitals, keeps track of their finances.Main Categories of Expenditure in a School· Staff wages· Text books and stationary· Equipment for technology, art, cookery etc.· School trips· Student Insurance· Internet Connection· Extra curricular activities (clubs)· Maintenance· School Food

Human Resources

Human resoursces (HR):Large organisations have a whole department that looks after recruiting new staff and looking after existing workers. They have to make sure that promotions are dealt with, applicants of the right qualifications and that interviews are conducted according to set rules. They need information about the applicants and about the staff who are already working at the company. IT systems are vital here.Activity:A PC retail outlet wants to hire some sales staff:what information will they need before they call an applicant to an interview?
CV - especially name and phone number so the applicant may be contacted.
Their communication skills because they will be sales staff and these skills are vital here. the applicant must be a confident person.
Qualifications needed for the job e.g. maths, english, etc. etc.
An idea as to whether the person may be right for the job. what extra information will they need if they appoint someone?
Criminal record check.
Previous job records.
National Insurance number
Uniform size

Finance

Any department within a company/organisation needs budgets to prevent them from becoming bankrupt. This is because if a company spends more than they earn they get themselves into debt. It is important that every organisation, even those that are non-profitable such as schools and hospitals, keeps track of their finances. Main Categories of Expenditure in a School are:
· Staff wages
· Text books and stationary
· Equipment for technology, art, cookery etc.
· School trips
· Student Insurance
· Internet Connection
· Extra curricular activities (clubs)
· Maintenance
· School Food

Data Processing

There are 3 different types of data processing:

Batch processing

Transaction processing

Real time processing

If somebody wants to buy a book on amazon, it would involve transaction processing because this keeps records of stock and the information is kept as up to date. It does not have to be in real time because if they run out of that book the order will be put on hold and just say that the customer has to wait for extra time. The customer will still get the book, they will just have to wait longer so it is not urgent and therefore does not need to be in real time.

If somebody wants to buy a ticket to the V Festival it woudl involve real-time processing. This is because the data is kept as accurate as posible with real-time as the database is updated immediately. This is important for bookings such as this because it stops the next customer from booking the same thing, otherwise they would not know how many tickets were left. Another example of real-time processing is when using PayPal as it is necessary to check that the person actually has the money in their account before items are sent to them.

If somebody wants to pay their gas bills it would involve batch processing because human involvement is not necessary and there isn't really a product at the end, only a piece of paper that can be printed off automatically and sent to the customer. It does not need to be in real time because as long as it is paid by a certain date the gas supply will not be cut off. Another example of this is teachers marking work.

Automated Data Capture

Automated data capture is when hardware devices are used to collect data that is needed instead of humans to avoid human error. Here are some examples of automated data capture methods:



Bar Codes


Bar codes are used in most grocery stores to help keep track of the items in store and also to help reduce shoplifiting (as it is more difficult to switch the price tag from a lower priced item onto a higher priced one). Bar codes can also be used to track the movement of objects, for example hire cars and airline luggage.


Magnetic Strips


Magnetic strips are used in identity cards, credit cards and driving liscence (only in the USA). They hold relevant data on the strip which is then attatched to the card and can be read by a special device.


Smart card chips



Optical mark recognition

An example of when OMR is used is in multiple choice exam papers. An HB pencil must be used by the candidate to colour in the 'bubble' with the letter they think represents the correct answer, a machine then reads the exam paper by shining a light on it and using the reflection to establish which bubble is coloured in.

Magnetic ink character recognition

MICR is when magnetic ink containign iron oxide is used to print something such as the number at the bottom of a cheque, this can then be read by a special machine. The characters can be read even if they have been printed over with something like a stamp. MICR is more successful than OMR with fewer errors.

Capturing and Processing Data

Data, Information and Knowlege

Data – A collection of facts that we store with no context or meaning. Nowadays it is stored on computers. Data is processed to get knowledge. For example ‘green’.

Information – Information is data with meaning. For example ‘the traffic light is green’

Knowledge – Knowledge is when information is applied, for example ‘the traffic light is green so I can go’.

Computers need data because they cannot process information – you have to type something in or click on something for it to understand.

As humans we look around and put together information. We need to do something called data capture to get data that is suitable to put on a computer. For example on reality TV programs such as the X Factor people have to phone in to vote, each person has a different phone numbers.

Humans make mistakes when entering data which could dramatically affect people’s lives.

Paper Forms

Some advantages of paper forms are:
· Force a structure on the data being collected
· Collect the fields of data from everyone they are given to making them easy to process
· Can restrict the answers that people write by giving options – restrict what people write back using tick boxes.

Paper forms also have many disadvantages:
· They can be easily lost
· Handwriting can be hard to read
· They cannot be backed up very easily

Screen Forms

Some advantages of screen forms are:
· You can delete mistakes easily
· Validation – makes sure the information is relevant and makes sure it fits the correct format – e.g. text, numbers, date etc.

Some examples of possible validation rules are:
· No is longer than 15 letters
· Non name surname has numbers in it
· A post code must start with one or two letters
· A date of birth must be between 21 and 65 years ago (e.g. this could be used for job applications)
· A price must be between the lowest and highest possible (e.g. this could prevent entering negative values)

Companies need validation to save them time and money, it makes them more efficient. However validation can not stop all mistakes, it can only make sure that data is of the right type. Humans can still make mistakes in data entry, for example there could be a validation rule that no name has numbers in it, but there could still be a typing error in the name as long as it did not involve a number.

Transactional Web Sites

Transactional web sites are web sites where a business provides a service or goods on the Internet that the customer can buy. They collect details and payment from the customer. (A purchase is a transaction carried out between the customer and the company providing the goods or services.)

They have to be able to collect the payment – credit cards or pay pal (safer and quicker) are effective for this. Electronic transfers.

Why do databases play a vital role in these websites?
· Store customer details such as name address and payment details.
· Purchasing history
· Product information, e.g. books – genre, author, title, price, how many in stock

3 different databases that might be used by a transactional website:
· Customer detail
· Purchase history
· Stock

Information Needs of Organisations

Organisations need information to function. It used to be stored on hard copies such as paper records. This meant that people called clerks had to be employed to record them manually, for example it might be someone’s job just to copy information from one piece of paper to another one. In the past this had to be done manually because there were no computers, now it can be done automatically which is much faster.

Companies like ‘Amazon’ might need information for the following:
· What’s in stock and what they need to order.
· Customer email addresses and other customer details.

Information is vital, for example it is vital for ‘PayPal’ because if information on credit card details was lost the whole system wouldn’t work.

Information is also vital for the police because when they are investigating something they may need to look at people’s records – if the police database crashed they would not be able to check up on whether or not somebody has committed previous offences which would affect the decisions they make.

Attitude Clothing Web Site

Features

On the web site http://www.attitude.uk.com/ you can search by band, brand or product or type in a search criteria in order to find an item you want to buy. All of the products matching this then appear on the screen. There is a picture of each product with information about the product beneath them including the price, product code, the name of the product and the brand. If there are lots of products matching your criteria they appear over several pages, to view the next page you have to click 'next' at the top of the screen or select a page number to skip pages you do not want to see. You can click on the pictures of the products to find out more information about them. Below the product picture is a drop down menu which allows you to choose a size (if the size is not available it does not appear on the list of options). Once a size is selected you can click the 'buy' button which will add it to the 'cart'. From the cart you can either pay for the product or continue shopping.

Down the left hand side of the web page are different types of clothing to choose from - another method of searching for a product, for example, 'Punk Clothing', 'Streetware', 'Footware' and 'Accessories'. When you hover over one of these categories a list of brands that make clothes for that type appears to choose from.

On the home page there are large pictures advertising some of the brands in stock. These links then take you to the page designated to that brand.

To buy items on the site you must be a member. The option to register appears automatically if you try to buy an item without logging in. In order to register you must think of a username and password and give your full name and address. Once an account is created you can buy items. When you continue to the checkout to purchase the items in your cart it asks for additional information including daytime phone number of delivery address and details of the card you are using to pay.

The web site also has a news section which gives information such as when bands are touring with links to merchandise below.

Another feature of the web site is a 'quick shop' option. This is for if you already know what you want to buy. It allows you to give the product ID, item size and quantity and then add it straight to the cart. This could save a lot of time looking through endless pages trying to find the right item.

Positive Things

This site has many useful features, the 'quick shop' option is very useful for customers who do not have much time and already know the product they want to buy. Also the navigation on the site makes it easy to use because it is very clear so you can find your way around easily. However in some ways the navigation is not particularly good, for example on the column down the left hand side where you hover over the type of clothes it is difficult to then select a brand without it disappearing.

The search tool is very useful because it helps customers who do not know exactly what they are looking for find something to suit their needs quickly and easily. It is also very useful that there are so many differnet categories to search by.

The web site does not store users' card details along with other details that it saves such as address; although this can be a nuisance because it slows down the checkout proccess it makes using the web site much safer because it is more difficult for your details to get into the wrong hands.

The web site uses special offers to attract customers. For example, on the home page there is a message at the top of the screen saying 'Free UK standard delivery when you spend over £50 online!'. This encourages customers to spend more money on the site.

Negative Things

A negative aspect of the web site is that you cannot filter out either male or female clothing (whichever you do not want), this makes finding an item a very long process because there are so many items to look at, whereas if you could filter out clothing for one gender this time would be roughtly halved. However it could be quite difficult to do this as some items could be considdered unisex, for example certain shoes and accessories.

Another negative point is the way the items are displayed accross several pages. This can be irritating and it would be much easier for the user to just scroll down to view an item rather than having to click next to go onto a new page. This also slows you down because the pages usually take quite a long time to load.

Attitude do not have an ordinary store, it is entirely internet and catelogue based. This is good in a way because having the web site makes it easy for people to buy items from them, however it would probably be better if there was a store as well as a web site and catelogue because not everybody has the internet and it is sometimes difficult to tell whether or not you like an item if all you see is a picture of it on a computer screen. For example you cannot try things on so it is virtually impossible to tell if they will fit you or not (this is made more difficult where sizes are only given as 'small' 'medium' or 'large' and not as specific sizes), this could make the company lose money because people will find it easier to buy clothes from a high street shop where they can try them on and will not have the hassle of having to return them if they do not fit.

Attitude does not have a very good method of advertising, it does not advertise on the Internet as far as I am aware, neither does it use media such as television or radio to advertise. However it does advertise by giving away free 'Attitude' catelogues with music magazines such as 'Kerrang!'.

Overall

Overall the Attitude web site is very good, the navigation is quite good and so is the layout, however it does have some annoying features.