What is an information system?

What is an information system?

​(a) (i) What is an information system? 
(ii) State two roles of an information system. 
(b) Describe the following file organisation methods:
(i) random file organisation; 
(ii) sequential file organisation. 
(c)The following records were extracted from two files that contained student data.

​(i) Which of the two files above represents a Transaction file? 
(ii) Give a reason for your answer in c(i) above. 
(iii) Name the other type of file represented above. 
(d)An airline uses an information system whereby if a passenger at station A books a plane seat,this transaction is immediately shown at stations A and B such that no other passenger can book the same seat.
(i) Identify this data processing mode. 
(ii) State two advantages and two disadvantages of this data processing mode.

RESPONSES

​(a)(i) Information system is an arrangement of people, data, processes, communication and IT that interact to support problem solving.
(ii) Improve day-to-day operation

•  Support problem solving
•  Support decision making needs for management
• Data capture
•  Processing data into information
•  Data security
•  Storing of data/information

(b) (i) Stored and retrieved according to their disk address which is generated by use of an algorithm or formula i.e. stored randomly, accessed randomly.
(ii) Method of storing or retrieving information that requires the program to start reading at the beginning and continue until it finds the desired data.
(c) (i) File B.
(ii) Transaction file: It contains data which is regularly added.
Has data/fee payment .
(iii) Master File: It contains records that do not change regularly like in file A.

​(d) (i) Real time processing. 
(ii) Advantages

•  Information is readily available for instant, decision making.
•  Updating is done instantly when transaction occurs.
•  Auditing is easier.
•  It is accurate
•  Prevent double booking

Disadvantages

•  Complex - difficult to configure/set up.
•  Expensive to acquire and maintain.
•  Errors that occur are difficult to correct

​​Related Searches on data processing, Form 3 Level

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