UNIT 8 ICT SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS A STUDENT’S GUIDE You will be tested on this on a weekly basis.

UNIT 8 ICT SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS

A STUDENT’S GUIDE

You will be tested on this on a weekly basis.

BCS Keywords: The Business Environment

Aims and Objectives(Students should understand the objectives of businesses.)

•Survival•Expansion•Maximisation of Profits •Maximising Sales Revenue (Sales Turnover)•Maximise market share•Provide a good product or serviceApply these to sole traders, partnerships, limited companies


Measuring Success of a Business(Students should understand the criteria for judging the success of a business. Students should understandwho stakeholders are and the influence they have)

•Making/increasing profits•Job creation•Expansion•Increased market share•Good Reputation (Ethical Practices)

•Apply this knowledge to local, regional, national and multi-national organisations


Stakeholders(Students should understand who stakeholders are and the influence they have)

•Customers•Owners•Managers•Employees•Suppliers

•Apply this knowledge to organisations. What conflicts/tensions might exist?

BCS Keywords: Business Administration

• How does administration support the mainbusiness functions?• The importance of accuracy in the preparation, storage and retrieval of information• Job roles• Routine and Non-routine tasks• Routine and Non-routine decision-making• Prioritising and Planning.

BCS Keywords:Work place Organisation

• Different kinds of working environment (Open plan vs cellular offices)• Advantages and disadvantages of differentoffice layouts• Impact of modern developments on workingPractices e.g. Hotdesking, flexitime, video conferencing etc. • ergonomics• sustainability.

BCS Keywords: Health and Safety at Work

• Health and Safety at work act• Display Screen Regulations

• Be able to apply knowledge of these acts to the workplace. What reponsibilities does an employee and an employer have under the UK law?

BCS Keywords: ICT Data Systems

• Primary vs secondary sources of data

• Main input devices• Manual input (Keyboard,

Optical Mouse, Controller, Scanner, Web cam etc)

• Direct input devices (Magnetic stripe, MICR, OMR, OCR, Bar Code Reader)


• Main storage devices• CD ROM• DVD• Magnetic Tape• Floppy Disk• Hard Drive• USB Memory Stick


• Main output devices• TFT screen/ Monitor• Speakers• Printer• Plotter• Buzzer• Motor• LED

BCS Keywords: Security of Data

• Responsibilities outlined under the Data Protection Act

• Keeping Data safe• Virus protection• Firewalls• Passwords• Encryption• Screen savers• Levels of access

BCS Keywords: Recruitment and Selection

Main Methods of advertising for staff•Internal vs external recruitment•Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of recruitment including:-

Job Centres Agencies Notice Boards Newspaper advertising Trade Press Internet


Understanding the recruitment process•Job analysis•Job Description•Person specification•Job advert and where to advertise – (see previous section)•Long Listing•Short Listing•Interview•CV vs Application form


Employment Contracts

•What goes in an employment contract? (Main features)•Why have an employment contract?•Temporary vs Permanent

BCS Keywords: Employment Rights and Responsibilities

•Equal opportunities legislation• Sex discrimination act• Race relations act• The Employment Equality Act (Age)

Regulations 2006 • The Disability Discrimination Act

BCS Keywords: Rewarding Staff

•Methods of remuneration and reward• Time rate• Piece rate• Salary • Bonuses• Commission• Fringe Benefits• Perks

BCS Keywords: Training

• On the job training (In house/internal)

• Off the job training (external)• Induction training (content)• Identify benefits to training

individuals (to the business and the employee)

BCS Keywords: Internet and e-commerce

• How does a business use the internet?• Source new products• Sell on-line (e-commerce)• Research new

markets/products

BCS Keywords:The Purpose of Communication

• Why is communication (Clarity/Accuracy) important in Business?

• What are the benefits of effective communication?

• Process of Communication • (Sender, Message, Channel of

Comm., Medium, Receiver, Feedback)

• Barriers to communication

BCS Keywords: The Importance of ICT in Business Communications

• Why is one piece of software more appropriate than another?

• Identify the features of software used and explain the uses of main types of software

Answers


Aims and Objectives(Students should understand the objectives of businesses.)

•Survival (Many smaller businesses such as Sole Traders and Partnerships aim to survive. This means to keep the business going. Many small businesses fail within the first year.)

•Expansion (Some businesses may aim to expand. This means to grow bigger. They can do this by taking on new staff, increasing the size of their premises or by introducing new products/services.)

•Maximisation of Profits (Some businesses aim to make as much profit as possible. Profit is equal to Sales Revenue – Cost of Sales. PLCs often have this as an aim in order to satisfy their shareholders. )

•Maximising Sales Revenue (Sales Turnover) (Some businesses aim to maximise their Sales Revenue. This is the money they make from selling their products or services. No of items sold x Selling price = Sales Revenue.)

•Maximise market share (Some businesses aim to get as many customers as they can. This means trying to increase the % of customers in a particular market over a given period of time)

•Provide a good product or service (Some businesses aim to provide a good product or service. Smaller businesses often have this as an aim in order to differentiate themselves from other businesses. This can lead to a good reputation and repeat trade)

Apply these to sole traders, partnerships, limited companies


Measuring Success of a Business(Students should understand the criteria for judging the success of a business. Students should understandwho stakeholders are and the influence they have)

•Making/increasing profits (Successful businesses make profits. Profit is the money left after subtracting Cost of Sales from Sales Revenue. Typically, businesses want to improve their profits year upon year.)

•Job creation (If a businesses if doing well and growing, it will need to expand its operations. More people will need to be employed to keep up with the demand. Therefore, job creation can be seen as a measure of the success of a business)

•Expansion (Successful business grow and get bigger. They may expand into new premises. They may expand their actual premises. They may take on new employees or they may expand the products/services they sell (product range)

•Increased market share(If a business if doing well, it will attract more customers. Some of these will come from the business’s rivals. Some of these customers may be new to the market. If more customers are coming to the business compared to their rivals, the market share will increase.

•Good Reputation (Ethical Practices) (If a business if doing well, customers will talk about them. A good reputation is a sign that over a period of time, customers have built up trust in a business. One way to develop a good reputation is to develop ethical practices. This means making business decisions that are in the best interests of the local community/environment/wider world.)

•Apply this knowledge to local, regional, national and multi-national organisations


Stakeholders•Customers (Customers are interested in the business because they usually want the best possible product at the lowest possible price. They are interested in value for money)

•Owners (Typically, the owners of the business want to maximise the return on their investment) One way they could do this is by raising prices and cutting costs.

•Managers (Managers in a business are usually set targets. They are usually interested in meeting their targets so that they can receive a bonus)

•Employees(Most employees want a fair days pay for a fair days work. This might be at odds with what the owners want)

•Suppliers(Suppliers are interested in a business because they want to know that the business will be able to pay them for their products. They will also want to get the maximum price for the products they supply. This may conflict with what the owners or managers want.)

What are Stakeholders? Can you give some examples of different Stakeholders?Stakeholders are people or groups who have an interest in what a business does and whether or not it is successful. Examples of stakeholders include: the owners or shareholders, employees, managers, suppliers, customers, the government and the local community. Why might different Stakeholders want different things from a business?While all stakeholders are keen for the business to do well they may still want different things. For example, the owners of a business want to make money, one way to make more money might be to pay lower wages. This would obviously be against the interests of the employees who are another set of stakeholders.


• How does administration support the mainbusiness functions?

- The administration department controls all the paperwork and supports the other departments by servicing their needs for secretarial work eg. Filing, mailing, handling information.


Routine and Non-routine tasks- Routine jobs are jobs that are done on

a regular basis. An example might be completing sales invoices. Non-routine jobs are jobs that occur from time to time.• Routine and Non-routine decision-making

- Routine decision making refers to decisions that have to be made on a regular basis.


What is an Open Plan office?An open plan office is a large room where lots different people will work at the same time.

What are cellular offices?A cellular office is a smaller room with only up to 4 people in it.

What are the advantages of Open Plan offices?The advantages of using Open Plan offices include:• It promotes teamwork and makes communication easier within the office.• Employees enjoy the social aspect of working with others.• Equipment can be shared e.g. printers or telephones.• People can see what other people within the business do.• Managers are easily seen by their team• Managers can check that work is being done.• It is cheaper than having a series of small rooms for individuals.


What are the disadvantages of Open Plan offices?The disadvantages of using Open Plan offices include:• It can be noisy and people can get distracted.• No privacy for working with confidential information.• Employee may think they are always being watched.• It is easier to lose important documents.• People may not feel like the office belongs to them and is

impersonal.

What are the advantages of Cellular offices?The advantages of cellular offices are:• A quite and private place to work in.• Meetings can be held privately with customers.• Confidential information can be easily dealt with.• Documents and other information are less likely to go missing.• The office can be personalised making the workers feel more comfortable.


What are the disadvantages of Cellular offices?The disadvantages of cellular offices are:• Employees cannot be constantly supervised so may not be working.• An employee could feel isolated and not know what id going on elsewhere in the business.• May need more equipment, e.g. a printer for

every office rather than one shared by lots of people.What factors affect how a business will set out its workplace?How the work place is set out will depend on the type of job being done, and involve things such as noise, data security and the confidentiality of information.


What are some of the modern developments in how people work?Modern developments in working include “hot-desking”, teleworking, flexible working and job sharing.What is Hot Desking?Hot desking means that employees do not get their own desk but share working space with other people. This could be because the other people are there at different times or when they have different tasks to do.What is teleworking?Teleworking is working away from the office, usually at home, and keeping in touch with the work place by telephone and email.


What are the advantages of Teleworking?

The advantages of Teleworking include:• The employee saves time & money travelling to work.• There maybe fewer distractions on the employee.• There is time to concentrate on a specific

project.• Work can be combined with family matters such as dropping kids off at school.• The employee needs less formal work clothes.


What is flexible working?Flexible working allows the employee to choose what hours they work. There will often be a core time when the employees have to be there, often between 10am & 4pm. The rest of the time can be done when it suits the employee, for example work 10-6 or 8-4.

What is Job Sharing?Job sharing is when two employees divide the work and the hours they work between them.

What are the advantages of job sharing?The advantages of job sharing include:• A business has two employees for the cost of one, so the staff has the energy of two part time workers, rather than one tired one.• If one employee is off sick at least half the job still gets done.• The two employees can cover each other’s holidays.

What are the disadvantages of job sharing?The disadvantages of job sharing are:• One might work harder than the other.• One may be better organised and efficient than the other.• The company has legal responsibility for two members of staff

What is ergonomics?Ergonomics is the design of an object so that it easy and comfortable for people to use efficiently. For example, a mouse is designed to suit the size of a hand.

What are the disadvantages of teleworking?

The disadvantages of using Teleworking include:• It can be lonely and the employee may not be motivated which could lead to unproductive

days• There are other distractions at home that

could stop people working.• It is easy to lose touch with what is happening at work.• People work later because there is no difference between home & work. This can lead

stress.


What is flexible working?Flexible working allows the employee to choose what hours they work. There will often be a core time when the employees have to be there, often between 10am & 4pm. The rest of the time can be done when it suits the employee, for example work 10-6 or 8-4.

What is Job Sharing?Job sharing is when two employees divide the work and the hours they work between them.

What are the advantages of job sharing?The advantages of job sharing include:• A business has two employees for the cost of one, so the staff has the energy of two part time workers, rather than one tired one.• If one employee is off sick at least half the job still gets done.• The two employees can cover each other’s holidays.

What are the disadvantages of job sharing?The disadvantages of job sharing are:• One might work harder than the other.• One may be better organised and efficient than the other.• The company has legal responsibility for two members of staff

What is ergonomics?Ergonomics is the design of an object so that it easy and comfortable for people to use efficiently. For example, a mouse is designed to suit the size of a hand.

What is Job Sharing?Job sharing is when two employees divide the work and the hours they work between them. What are the advantages of job sharing?The advantages of job sharing include:A business has two employees for the cost of one, so the staff has the energy of two part time workers, rather than one tired one.If one employee is off sick at least half the job still gets done.The two employees can cover each other’s holidays. What are the disadvantages of job sharing?The disadvantages of job sharing are:One might work harder than the other.One may be better organised and efficient than the other.The company has legal responsibility for two members of staff


• Which are the main laws about Health & Safety in the workplace?

The main health & safety laws include:- The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974- The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992- Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992


What responsibility does an employer have with Health & Safety?Under the Health & Safety at Work Act employers must make sure the following things take place:• All entries & exits are safe to use• There must be a safe working environment and

suitable facilities such as toilets & drinks• Equipment must be well maintained• Protective clothing and equipment should be provided where needed• Clear instructions and training should be given to ensure safety.


What must employees do about Health & Safety?

Again under the Health & Safety at Work Act employees must do the following:• Make sure they are working in a safe manner.• Take responsibility for the safety of those they work with.• Make sure they always use any safety equipment provided• Follow any health & safety rules or instructions set by the employer.


What are they key aspects of the Display Screen Equipment Regulations?

This law covers the use of all computers at work, the key aspects of the law include:• Make sure that all desks, chairs are adjustable and suitable for use.• Allow users to have regular breaks.• Give proper health & safety training.


• Types of Primary Data What Are Some of the Differences Between Primary & Secondary Data?

• Primary data is information collected by the researcher directly through instruments such as surveys, interviews, focus groups or observation. Tailored to his specific needs, primary research provides the researcher with the most accurate and up-to-date data.

• Secondary data, on the other hand, is basically primary data collected by someone else. Researchers re-use and repurpose information as secondary data because it is easier and less expensive to collect. However, it is seldom as useful and accurate as primary data.

BCS Keywords: ICT Data SystemsWhat are the most common data storage devices used on computer?What do they do?Floppy Disk – small magnetic disk for storing files. Cannot hold much information, also easy to damage and lose what is saved. Not used very often now. 1.44 MBCD – optical disk used to store audio or digital information.CD-R – recordable cd, can only be recorded on once.CD-RW – rewritable cd, can be recorded, erased and then recorded on again. 650-700MBDVD – works in a similar to a cd, but can contain more information, such as a film, or more files. Like CD can be either recordable or rewritable. Approx 5 GBUSB Memory Stick – Often known as flash drives or pen drives. Offers secure storage as well as being small and easy to use. Hard Drive – Most computers have an internal hard drive. Storage space measured in GB or TB.


Direct input devices •Magnetic stripe(Bank cards used Magnetic Stripe cards until they

were replaced by chip and pin cards. Store cards still contain magnetic stripes that allow the card to store around 250 characters of information.)

•MICR(Magnetic ink character recognition. Used in banks to read and sort cheques quickly)

•OMR(Optical Mark Recognition. With OMR technology, marks are read by a machine by

shining a light on the paper)

•OCR (Optical Character Recognition. Software is used to recognise characters that have

been scanned into the computer by a scanner)

•Bar Code Reader (EPOS systems in supermarkets use bar code

readers to scan items at the electronic point of sale (checkout). 1 item is deducted from the database’ stock inventory. The manager simply has to set re-order levels and the system will re-order stock once it becomes low


What are the most common input devices used on computer?What do they do?

Keyboard – Used to enter text and numbers into a computer.Mouse – A pointing device that move the cursor round the computer screen.Digital Camera – Takes high quality pictures and records them in a digital form that can be used on computer. Images can then be used Webcam – Takes pictures that are uploaded on to a website.There are also automatic ways of getting information into a computer system that are often used in business, the most common are barcodes that are on products in shops.


What are the most common output devices used on computer?What do they do?

Monitor – The display screen that shows text, numbers, images etc. Almost all monitors are now flat LCD screens.Inkjet printer – prints by using small droplets of ink to create text and images. High quality printing that can include photographs.Laser printer – uses a laser to transfer the image onto paper. More expensive than inkjet.Plotter – A pen and an arm are used together to draw technical drawings L.E.D – Light emitting diode. A light that might be used to indicate whether a device is on or off.Buzzer – Emits a noise to communicate with the user.


What two types of network are there?LAN and WAN.LAN – Local area network. This is a network that will cover one building or site, one example is the network we have that covers the whole school.WAN – Wide area network. This is a network over a larger area that involves using a phone line to connect computers together. The Internet is an example of a WAN.


What is the Data Protection Act 1998?The Data protection Act 1998 is the law that covers the processing of information about you. It contains 8 principles of data protection.

What are the 8 principles of data protection?The 8 principles include:1. Data must be obtained lawfully and in acceptable ways.2. Personal data must only be used for the reason it was collected.3. Personal data should be relevant and not be more than is needed.4. Personal data must be accurate and up to date.5. Personal data must not be kept longer than it is needed.6. Personal data must be processed according to your rights.7. Appropriate measures must be taken to make sure all data is safe for unauthorised access or accidental loss.8. Personal data must not be passed out of Europe unless the country has data protection of the same standard as ours.

BCS Keywords: Security of Data

• Keeping Data safe• Virus protection (Virus scanner is a piece of software

that runs on a computer system looking for viruses against a list of known virus definitions. If it finds a virus, it will quarantine or delete it.)

• Firewalls(Firewalls can be hardware or software. A firewall

sits between a computer system and the outside world and stops data being transferred in either direction without the say so of the computer systems end user.

• Passwords(Passwords can be used to stop unauthorised access to

a computer system. They should be at least 8 characters long, a combination of text and numbers and not contain easy to guess references)

• Encryption• Screen savers (A screen saver that requires a password to

unlock is a good way of protecting sensitive information. This technique is often used by the Doctor’s secretary at the local GP.

• Levels of access(Many organisations will set up levels of

access for workers depending on the jobs they carry out or need to carry out. This means workers who are inputting data shouldn’t have access to deleting programs, for example)


Explain how a firm might select its employees•By advertising in the appropriate place Eg. Newspaper•Providing the right information for jobseekers .•Asking the right information from jobseekers•Long listing and short listing•Interviewing candidates•presentation and communication skills to the interview panel


Main Methods of advertising for staff•Internal vs external recruitment•Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of recruitment including:-

Job Centres Isn’t very expensive to do so. Might not reach many people. People might not have the skills you are looking for.

Agencies Takes the hassle out of recruitment as the agency can do all of the process on your behalf. Agencies charge a fee for recruiting. Typically 10% of the salary. Agencies might not fully understand your business and needs.

Notice Boards (Notice boards can be used within an organisation to recruit. This is an example of internal recruitment. This would be cheap way of recruiting and applicants would know the business and what to expect. However, new ideas might not be forthcoming from applicants who have always worked in the business)

Newspaper advertising (Will be seen by a wider audience. Might not be where people who are most suitable for the job are looking. National advertising is expensive)

Trade Press(Potential employees are buying these magazines so you are more likely to be seen by someone with the relevant skills and experience.)

Internet


Understanding the recruitment process•Job analysis – Looking at the job. What is involved? Usually carried out by Human Resources and a Manager.

•Job Description – Contains job title, working hours, duties and responsiblities, who you will line manage, who line manages you.

•Person specification – The attributes required for the job. These are personal characteristics that are needed. E.g. qualifications, experience etc.

•Job advert and where to advertise – (see previous section)•Long Listing – Going through the applications and selecting those that have followed instructions. Any with mistakes are discarded.


• Short Listing – Selecting candidates based on their ability to meet the person specification and job description as demonstrated in their application form/CV and covering letter. The short list will be typically 5-10 in number and these candidates are invited to interview.

• Interview – Candidates are asked to a formal meeting where they are questioned to see how welll they meet the person specification and job description.

• CV vs Application form – A CV stands for a curriculum vitae and tells an employer about the candidate. It details their name, their education and qualifications, their hobbies and interests and their work history. Employers will sometimes ask candidates to send their CV and a covering letter to apply for a job. An application form can be tailored by the employer to ask for certain pieces of information from the person specification and job description that might be important.

BCS Keywords: Recruitment and SelectionEmployment Contracts

•What goes in an employment contract? (Main features)The main parts of a job contract include; The Name of the employee and the name of the employer, The Job Title, The Period of Employment, Remuneration (How the employee will be paid), The Working hours and Notice Period

•Why have an employment contract?The employment contract helps to protect the employee and the employer. A period of notice will be specified so that an employee cannot walk out on the employer without having completed this period. This gives the employer time to recruit. Similarly a contract gives the employee stability and allows them to plan for their future knowing they have financial security.

•Temporary vs Permanent Temporary work or temporary employment refers to a situation where the employee is expected to leave the employer within a certain period of time. Temporary employees are sometimes called "contractual", "seasonal", "interim", "casual staff", "freelance"; or the word may be shortened to "temps.“•A permanent contract indicates that the job is required on an on going basis. Staff on permanent contracts have the security of knowing that the job is not seasonal or casual.

BCS Keywords: Employment Rights and Responsibilities

•Equal opportunities legislation• Sex discrimination act• Race relations act• The Employment Equality Act (Age)

Regulations 2006 • The Disability Discrimination Act


Explain Time rate, piece rate, Overtime rate, Piece Rate, Bonus Payments, Salary, Commission

Time rate- Workers are paid for the time it takes to do the job. This can be demotivating as it will not encourage anyone to work faster

Overtime rate - Many firms pay time and a half or double time for workers working outside their normal hours of employment . For example:- for working Sunday you might get £9.00 per hour instead of £4.50 (double time )

Piece Rate – This is where you are paid for each piece you make or produce. Example: Teachers might be paid £2.50 per exam script marked.

Bonus Payments – This is a payment above and beyond your usual salary. Firms often reward workers for hard work at Christmas with a Christmas bonus


Salary - A fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly basis but often expressed as an annual sum, made by an employer to an employee.

Commission – A way of rewarding staff whereby the staff member receives a percentage of the sales price.

Fringe BenefitsThese are non-cash payments to workers which are given on top of a workers wage. They include travel, health and social benefits

What are Perks?These are extras, other than money, that an employee receives in addition to actual pay.

BCS Keywords: Training

• On the job training (In house/internal)-Workers are trained within the business by

someone more senior. They learn from someone else’s experience.

• Off the job training (external) – Workers are sent away from the organisation to learn skills. This might be a day release at college, for example.

• Induction training (content) – A period of

training at the start of employment where the new worker is shown around the business. They are introduced to their line manager and shown where they will be working. Basic fire drill and health and safety procedures are explained and any uniform is handed out. This period of training helps a new employee to settle into their new surroundings.

• Identify benefits to training individuals (to the business and the employee)- To the employee: More training will mean that they will

feel more valued and be able to complete their job without frustration. This should lead to happier employees who will be more productive. For the employer, happier employees are less likely to want to leave. This means that recruitment and training costs will fall.

BCS Keywords: Internet and e-commerce

• How does a business use the internet?• Source new products• Sell on-line (e-commerce)• Research new

markets/products

BCS Keywords: The internet and e-commerce

How has the internet affected businesses?Any kind of business that takes place using the internet is known as e-commerce. Internet business can be broken down into two types; B2B is between two businesses. B2C is from a business to a customer that is a member of the public.

The internet has allowed businesses to contact customers that they would not have had access to before. A company could have its own website or use another site, such as Ebay, to sell its products. These sites can seen by anyone who has access to the internet any where in the world, this means that businesses can now find customers in areas that would have been unavailable in the past.


What is the communication process?The communication process consists of six stages, they are:1.Sender – the person decides they need to send a message.2.The Message itself 3. Channel – the way the message is sent, phone call,

letter, email.4. Medium –Is it verbal, written etc5. Receiver – the person who the message is to.6.Feedback – the reply of the receiver.


•What is Internal Communication?Internal communication is between people who are only within the business or organisation. For example, a memo from a head of department to all the staff.

•What is External Communication?External communication will go from the business to someone out side the company. For example, a letter to a customer.


What are the effects of good or effective communication?The effects of good communication include:• All employees know what to do (Staff Morale and productivity).• Good customer relations. (Leads to good reputation, repeat trade etc• Motivated employees.• Efficient working.• Good company image.• Increased profitability.


What are the effects of poor communication?The effect of poor communication include:• Poor working relationships.• Poor company image.• Loss of business & customers.• Demotivation of staff.• Misinformation & misinterpretation of information.

What are formal methods of communication?Formal communication includes:• Business letters• Reports• Bills• Contracts of Employment


What are informal methods of communication?Informal communication includes:• Face-to-face conversations.• Rumours and gossip.• Telephone conversations.• Notes left of desks.• Staff notice board.

Which type of communication should you use?Whether you use formal or informal communication will depend on who you are communicating with, how well you know them and the message you are sending. For example, if you were contacting to a new customer that you didn’t know you would use formal communication such as a letter.


How has modern technology affected communication?New technology has meant that communication is quicker and easier than ever before, in particular this includes:

Mobile phones allow people to contact others while almost anywhere in the country. Newer mobiles are also offering access to the internet and email.Email allows messages and electronic files to be sent around the world almost instantly, something that would have taken days in the past.Lap Tops mean that people can create documents, sort and use information while away from the business before emailing it people.

This kind of equipment has made practices such as teleworking much easier and effective.

BCS Keywords: The Importance of ICT in Business Communications

What is application software?Application software is a program designed to do a particular job, examples include word processing, database and spreadsheets. Application software is often grouped together in one package that will do several things. Examples of this include Appleworks for Apple computers and Microsoft Office.

What are the main types of application software?

Word Processing – is used to create text documents that can then be saved and changed. Documents can also include images and numbers. Examples of word processing include Word

Spreadsheets – Used for storing numerical data, which can then be used in mathematical calculations. Examples include Excel.

Presentation Software – Used to create slides which can be used when giving a presentation or speaking to a group. Examples include PowerPoint.Databases – Electronic filing systems that are used to collect and store information. The information can then be sorted, searched and used to produce reports. Examples include Microsoft Access

Desk Top Publishing (DTP) – used when combining text and images. DTP allows parts of the document to be moved around easily in order to get the correct layout. Examples include Appleworks Drawing.

UNIT 8 ICT SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS A STUDENT’S GUIDE You will be tested on this on a weekly basis.

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Transcript of UNIT 8 ICT SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS A STUDENT’S GUIDE You will be tested on this on a weekly basis.