1 Business information needs (special thanks to Geoff Leese)
Post on 04-Jan-2016
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Business information needs
(special thanks to Geoff Leese)
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Data & Information
Data-the raw figures Information-structured,
meaningful data
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Categories of information
Strategic -long-term planning, imprecise,
external Tactical
-medium-term e.g. departmental sales forecasts
Operational -short-term, immediate goals,
precise
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Levels of information
International information, National information, Corporate information, Departmental information, Individual information,
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Features of information
Appropriate detail Degree of precision required Timeliness Task& person-directed Value
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Possible data storage locations
local database e.g. Access on desktop PC
LAN database company-wide database groupware product such as lotus
notes Intranet-closed Internet-open
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Management reports
Reports provide information for decision-making
based on data underlying data stored in a
database extracted by software e.g.
Reports
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Types of management report
Analyses Forecasts Optimizations Regular cyclical reports e.g.
payroll Exception reports Decision support
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Analyses
Summary e.g. sales figures last year
Should offer typical default reports Should allow custom reports for
specific data requirements The higher the level, the less
detailed and the more summarized the information
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Forecasts & Predictions
Predictions take historical data and project the future on their basis, e.g. time series predictions
Forecasts based on subjective, conjectural data rather than historical data
The further into the future the forecast or prediction, the less reliable it is
Important not to get blinded by sophisticated mathematical techniques
Need to consider the assumptions made
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Optimization reports
Concerned with choosing the ‘best’ mix
Need to consider what is meant by ‘best’
Optimizing one factor is usually at the expense of other factors, e.g. time versus cost
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Examples of optimization techniques
Linear programming Inventory modelling Resource allocation techniques Queuing theory Simulation Decision theory Replacement theory e.g. Goal Seek in Excel
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Exception Reporting
‘No news is good news’ principle
‘management by exception’ how to decide what is
exceptional? parameters have to be
continually reviewed
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Decision support systems
Goal is to provide information to help decision-making
Best where there are a number of possible alternative actions
may include automated OR or statistical techniques
often built on database queries or expert-systems
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Systems security and auditing
Preventing errors data controls
Guard against hardware and software failure backup and security procedures
Prevention of fraud and abuse security
To allow auditing
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Data controls should be exercised over:
* input * file processing * output
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Input controls
minimising transcription e.g. using bar codes
designing out errors using clerical checking procedures
such as the re-calculation of totals use batch methods of input which
allow the use of batch control totals
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Software validation techniques
Size Checks Range Checks Format Checks Consistency Checks Check Digit
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File Processing Controls
Header Records File Validation Checks New Record checks-no duplicate
primary keys Deleted Record-referential
integrity Data Consistency Checks Data Integrity
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Types of audit
Statutory e.g. required by the UK Companies Act
1989 a ‘true and fair view’ of the companies
affairs Private Internal Management ‘audit’ Quality ‘audit’
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Auditors are primarily concerned with the following:
The organisation’s system of internal controls
The validity of the values placed on the organisations assets and liabilities and its future viability
The potential for fraud of the organisations systems
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Typical problems picked-up by auditing:
addition, deletion and alteration of input transactions
changes to master files changes to programs improper computer operations
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Control totals
data or document loss accidental or deliberate
(fraudulent) insertion of records or data
fraudulent alterations to data errors during processing
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Reading
Clifton, Ince, Sutcliffe, 2000, Business Information Systems, FT-Prentice-Hall sections 1.2-1.4, 8.7
Bott et al section 3.11
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