AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY

Objectives of lecture

• At the end of the class students will be able to:(a)Critique the function of an integrated information

system.(b)Outline the implementation process of the integrated

information system.(c) Analyze the subsystems of an integrated information

system (originating, processing, communication, storage) and their interrelationships.

Objectives of lecture – cont’d

(d) Describe the capture and retrieval of information in internal and magnetic storage.(e) Discuss electronic records storage, retention, disposition.

Integrated Information System

• An integrated information system is a group of automated subsystems working together and communicating with each other to process information, distribute it to the appropriate persons in a timely manner, store information (records) for efficient retrieval, and dispose of stored information (records) when it is no longer needed..

Network of Sub-systems Comprising the Integrated Information System

Originating

Storage

Processing

Communica-tion

Function of the integrated/automated system

• Processes information.• Distributes information to the appropriate

persons in a timely manner.• Stores information for efficient retrieval.• Disposes of stored information (retain or

destroy).

Goals of an Integrated Information System

• To improve the productivity of office employees.

• To decrease the duplication of effort existing in many

office tasks.

Implementation Process

• Obtain approval for the system from top-level management

• Design the system• Install the systemRevolutionary approach (all one time)Evolutionary approach (in phases)

Implementation Process – Cont’d

• Maintain the systemContinuous reviewUpgrade as neededEmployee feedbackEducation & training

ORIGINATING SUBSYSTEM

• The means of putting information into the integrated information system.

Creating PhasePerformed at the executive and administrative

levels.Performed by administrative support

personnel.

ORIGINATING SUBSYSTEM - CONT’D

Some Input Methods/Devices• Keyboarding• Retrieving of information from disks• Touch screen• Hand-held pen-controlled computer• Voice input device• Scanner (flat bed, document feeder)• Bar codes• Optical character recognition (OCR)• Radio frequency identification (RFID)• Facsimile• Digital camera

The blackberry

The iPhone

Flat-bed scanner

Scanner with document feeder

Scanner with optical character recognition

Bar code readers

Samsung Multi-View Digital Camera

PROCESSING SUBSYSTEM

• Means of manipulating data within the information system to achieve desired results.

• Records management software programmes are used in the processing subsystem.

COMMUNICATION SUBSYSTEM

• Means of getting information to users in a timely manner.• Communication within the Organization – LAN (Local Area

Network).• Communication to remote locations – WAN (Wide Area

Network).

An electronic whiteboard

STORAGE SUBSYSTEMMeans of storing, retrieving, and disposing of information

according to the organization’s needs.Electronic storage

Primary storage – on-line electronic records are stored on magnetic or optical disk drives within a computer.Secondary storage – data are migrated or moved from on-line storage to off-line or off-site storage.

Capture & Retrieval of Information

• Information capture is done through input devices.• Indexing is a very important aspect of capture and retrieval of

information.• Indexing provides the means to locate, group, retrieve, and

manage documents.• Indexing involves planning and making decisions such as what

to index and which index terms to use.

CAPTURE & RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION – CONT’D

• Like paper-based records, indexing a computer record is the mental process of deciding the name or code by which it will be stored and retrieved.

• Coding is entering the record identifier code or filename for storage.

RETRIEVING INFORMATION FROM INTERNAL STORAGE

• Calling up information on the computer screen (using the index).

• Giving commands to a printer which provides a hard copy.

RETRIEVING INFORMATION FROM MAGNETIC MEDIA

• Manually retrieving the magnetic media (removable storage media, eg. floppy disk).

• Computer retrieving the information from magnetic media (hard disk).

Active Records StorageElectronic Records•Storage copies need to be differentiated from working copies which are intended for on-going information processing and reference requirements.•Storage copies are created to satisfy retention requirements.•Active/working copies are usually stored where they can be quickly accessed (e.g. hard drive, flash drives, CDs, optical disks).

Inactive Records Storage Records are transferred to inactive files or archives

using standard filing procedures.Storage copies, sometimes called master copies, of

electronic records are usually recorded onto removable magnetic or optical media.

Because magnetic records can be damaged by extreme temperature or proximity to magnetic charges, vital records should be stored on a more permanent medium (e.g. microfilm) for archival storage.

INActive Records Storage - CONT’D

Optical disks have a life expectancy of approx. 100 years, however retrieving records from optical disks storage requires computer equipment and software that can become obsolete.

Obsolescence affects retrieval of records created on that hardware and software.

Newer versions of some software and hardware accept earlier versions and save the records in the new version.

RETENTION• Electronic records must be included in an

organization’s records retention schedule and destroyed according to the schedule.

RETENTION – Cont’d• Storing duplicate copies of the same information is

called information redundancy. • Documents may be created on a computer and

revised and edited through several versions before a final document is produced. These versions may be retained to provide a history of the development of the document.

• Consequently, one document may be available in several versions and formats (redundant information).

RETENTION – Cont’d• Media compatibility refers to how well the media and

the equipment needed to access information stored on the media work together.

• Records created in an obsolete or discontinued software programme may no longer be accessible.

• New software that provide backward compatibility with older versions help overcome some software upgrade problems.

• Current media may not be compatible with future equipment or software.

RETENTION – Cont’d• Media Stabiity refers to the length of time the media will

maintain its original quality so that it can continue to be used.

• The useful life of electronic media depends on the number of times the media is accessed.

• Migration is the process of moving data from one electronic system to another, usually in upgrading hardware and software, without having to undergo a major conversion or re-inputting of data.

• Electronics records should be inspected and migrated regularly.

RETENTION – Cont’d• On-line retention reflects the length of time the data

should remain on primary storage devices, usually magnetic disks. On-line retention period may be a few days, weeks, or months, but rarely more than a year.

• Near-line retention reflects the length of time data needs to remain on-site but off-line in secondary storage devices, usually optical media. Nearline retention also is usually a short period of time, a few months or a year or so.

RETENTION – Cont’d

• Off-line retention reflects the length of time the data needs to be off-line, usually off-site, and usually on magnetic tapes.

• Retention periods should be assigned according to the records series stored on the tape.

• A total retention period, required for most records retention schedule, reflects the length of time the data should remain in computer-processible form.

• After that time has expired, all data should be purged from all storage devices supporting the system.

DISPOSITION• To dispose of information on a magnetic disk, the

files must be deleted from the disk, and the space the files occupied must be overwritten to make recovering the information almost impossible.

• When users delete files, the space is marked for re-use, but the information is not physically removed or erased from a disk.

• With the help of commonly used utility programmes, a user may restore deleted files that have not been overwritten.