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Revision 1, Topic 2 :Implementing a new computer system, Topic 3 :…
Revision 1
The importance of ICT systems
more productive - we can complete a greater number of tasks in the same time at reduced cost by using computers than we could prior to their invention
able to deal with vast amounts of information and process it quickly
able to transmit and receive information rapidly
The three main types of ICT systems to consider are:
Information systems
This type of ICT system is focused on managing data and information. Examples of these are a sports club membership system or a supermarket stock system.
Control systems
These ICT systems mainly control machines. They use input, process and output, but the output may be moving a robot arm to weld a car chassis rather than information.
Communications systems
The output of these ICT systems is the successful transport of data from one place to another.
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Topic 2 :Implementing a new computer system
Analysis
An important part of this process is the first stage - analysis. During this stage the systems analyst will investigate how the current system works and what needs to be improved. This involves finding out whether a new computer system is needed at all and exactly what it will be used for.
Feasibility study
Having investigated the present system, the systems analyst will produce a feasibility study. This will look at whether the new system is:Technically feasible - is the new system technically possible to implement in the time available?Economically viable - will the cost of the new system be offset by savings once it is implemented, ie will it save the organisation time, money or increase its performance?The project will only continue to the next stage if the answer to both of these questions is yes. At this point the decision makers in the organisation, eg the board of directors, decide whether or not to go ahead.
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Design
The next step is to draw up a requirements specification that outlines exactly what the new system will do
Testing
A test plan will be included in the design phase to explain exactly how the new system will be tested and the expected outcomes for each test.
Usually software is tested with three distinct types of data:
typical data – this is normal data the system should be working with
extreme data – this is data at the boundary between typical data and invalid data
invalid data (sometimes known as erroneous data) – this is data that should cause the system to tell the user that there is a problem with data entered into the system
User documentation
User documentation will be written to help staff become familiar with the new system.
Topic 3 : Evaluation of software and hardware
Main types of software
Generic
General-purpose software, such as word processors and spreadsheets.
Specialised packages
Sold for specific uses, eg managing the accounts of a large organisation.
Bespoke software
Written specially for the end user by a team of people within the company or by external consultants, for example the software which manages London's congestion-charging system.
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Software evaluation
End user needs - what does the user of the software want to do, what are their present skills and how do they intend to use the software? It is important to be very clear about the problem that is to be tackled by the software. For example, a disabled person who wants to write letters but cannot type might strongly consider software with lots of ready-made letter templates that can then be added to using voice recognition.
Functionality - does the software perform the functions required? Does it have specific facilities? For example, someone buying a spreadsheet application might need to produce graphs and charts.
Performance - how well does the software work? This is normally available as benchmark test reports where independent tests have been carried out using the software.
Ease of use - how easy is the software to use? Is there built-in help? It is important to be happy with the user interface.
Compatibility with existing data - will the new software be able to read any data that is already in use, ie in a different format or file type? If not, is it easy to convert existing files to a readable format?
Compatibility with existing hardware - software is written to run on a specific operating system, eg Windows, OSX (Macs) or Linux. It is sometimes written to run on and take advantage of specific hardware too. The new software needs to be compatible with the existing operating system and hardware.
Robustness - how does the software handle problems? Robust software works well in combination with different hardware and software without crashing.
Cost - costs have to be weighed against the benefits that the software will bring. These may be about making more money or doing something quickly or with fewer staff hours involved. Price doesn't always dictate the best piece of software for the job, ie just because it's more expensive it doesn't necessarily means it's better.
Support - the level of support when using the software can be crucial to making it a success or failure. Is a telephone or web based helpdesk available for the software? Are there any tutorials or training courses available?
Customisation - will the software allow users to change the look and feel so that it does exactly what they need? If so, is this easy to do?
Benchmark test
These are standard tests to assess how well particular types of software or hardware work. They are used to evaluate new software and hardware releases using a series of scored tests. Many computer magazines publish the test results. A typical test for a printer might be how long it takes to print a page of text.