COMPUTERS FOR MANAGERS

COURSE CODE : CSIT102

CREDIT UNITS : 3

EXAMINATION SCHEME

INTERNALS. = 30
END TERM EXAMINATION = 70
TOTAL = 100
COURSE CONTENTS

MODULE 1 : WORLD OF COMPUTERS

Module 2 : Computer Networks and Internet

Technology

MODULE 3. : E COMMERCE

MODULE 4 : ERP

MODULE 5 : DBMS

MODULE 6 : OFFICE AUTOMATION

 Module -- 1

World of Computers

introduction to world of Computers, Basic Structure of Computer System,

Computers in Home (Reference, Education & Communications,
Entertainment an Digital Media Delivery, Smart Appliances, Home
Computers), Computers in Education, Computers in workplace
(productivity and decision making, customer services, communications),
Computers on the move (Portable and Hand held computers, Self-
Service kiosks, GPS Applications), Generation of Computer, Types of
Computer (Size and Technology wise), Support Systems - Hardware
and Software, Computer Peripherals, Memory Management..
Computers in Your Life
• Why learn about computers?
– Pervasive computing
• Also known as ubiquitous computing
• Computers have become an integral part of our lives
– Basic computer literacy
• Knowing about and understanding computers and their
uses is an essential skill today for everyone
• Before 1980
– Computers were large, expensive
– Very few people had access to them
– Computers were mostly used for high-volume processing
tasks
• Microcomputers in the early 80s
– Inexpensive personal computers
– Computer use increased dramatically
• Today
– More than 80% of US households include a computer, and
most use computers at work
– Electronic devices are converging into single units with
multiple capabilities
• Computers in the Home
• Computers used for a variety of tasks:
– Looking up information and news
– Exchanging e-mail
– Shopping and paying bills
– Watching TV and videos
– Downloading music and movies
– Organizing digital photographs
– Playing games
– Telecommuting
• Convergence
– The computer has become the central part of home
entertainment
– Dual-mode mobile phones
• Wireless networking
– Computers can be used in nearly any location
• Smart appliances
– Traditional appliances with built-in computer or
communication technology
• Smart homes
– Household tasks are monitored and controlled by a main
computer in the house
 Computers in Education
• Many students today have access to computers either in a classroom
or a computer lab
• Colleges and universities are even more integrated
– Wireless hotspots allow usage of personal laptops to connect
to the college network
– Some colleges require a computer for enrollment
• Distance learning
– Students participate from locations other than the traditional
classroom setting using computers and Internet access
• Computers on the Job
• Computers have become a universal on-the-job tool for decision-
making, productivity, and communication
– Used by all types of employees
– Used for access control and other security measures
– Use by service professionals is growing
– Used extensively by the military
– Employees in all lines of work need to continually refresh
their computer skills
• Computers on the Job
• Computers on the Go
• Computers are encountered in nearly every aspect of daily life
– Consumer kiosks
– ATM transactions
– POS systems at retail stores
– Self-checkout systems
– Portable computers or mobile devices
– M-commerce systems
– GPS systems

• What Is a Computer and What Does It Do?

Computer: A programmable, electronic device that accepts data,
performs operations on that data, and stores the data or results as
needed
– Computers follow instructions, called programs, which
determine the tasks the computer will perform
• Basic operations
– Input: Entering data into the computer
– Processing: Performing operations on the data
– Output: Presenting the results
– Storage: Saving data, programs, or output for future use
 – Communications: Sending or receiving data
Data vs. Information
• Data
– Raw, unorganized facts
– Can be in the form of text, graphics, audio, or video
• Information
– Data that has been processed into a meaningful form
• Information processing
– Converting data into information
• The computer as we know it is a fairly recent invention

Generations of computers
• The history of computers is often referred to in terms of generations
• Each new generation is characterized by a major technological
development
• Pre computers and early computers (before 1946)
– Abacus, slide rule, mechanical calculator
– Punch Card Tabulating Machine and Sorter
• First-generation computers (1946-1957)
– Enormous and powered by vacuum tubes
– Used a great deal of electricity, and generated a lot of heat
– ENIAC and UNIVAC
• Second-generation computers (1958-1963)
– Used transistors
– Computers were smaller, more powerful, cheaper, more
energy-efficient, and more reliable
– Punch cards and magnetic tape were used to input and store
data
– Computers Then and Now
• Third-generation computers (1964-1970)
– Used integrated circuits (ICs)
– Keyboards and monitors introduced
• Fourth-generation computers (1971-present)
– Use microprocessors
– IBM PC, Apple Macintosh
– Use keyboards, mice, monitors, and printers
– Use magnetic disks, flash memory, and optical disks for
storage
– Computer networks, wireless technologies, Internet
introduced
– Computers Then and Now
• Fifth-generation (now and the future)
 – Infancy stage
– No precise classification
– May be based on artificial intelligence (AI)
– Likely use voice and touch input
– May be based on optical computers and utilize
nanotechnology

Hardware
• Hardware: The physical parts of a computer
– Internal hardware
• Located inside the main box (system unit) of the
computer
– External hardware
• Located outside the system unit
• Connect to the computer via a wired or wireless
connection
– There is hardware associated with all five computer
operations
• Input devices
– Used to input data into the computer
– Keyboards, mice, scanners, cameras, microphones,
joysticks, touch pads, touch screens, fingerprint readers, etc.
• Processing devices
– Perform calculations and control computer’s operation
– Central processing unit (CPU) and memory
• Output devices
– Present results to the user
– Monitors, printers, speakers, projectors, etc.
• Storage devices
– Used to store data on or access data from storage media
– Hard drives, CD/DVD discs and drives, USB flash drives, etc.
• Communications devices
– Allow users to communicate with others and to electronically
access remote information
– Modems, network adapters, etc.
Software
• Software: The programs or instructions used to tell the computer
hardware what to do
– System software: Operating system starts up the computer
and controls its operation
• Without OS computer cannot function
• Boots the computer and launches programs at the
user’s direction
 • Most use a GUI to interact with the user via windows,
icons, menus, buttons, etc.
• Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc.
•
• Application Software
– Application software: Performs specific tasks or applications
• Creating letters, budgets, etc.
• Managing inventory and customer databases
• Editing photographs
• Scheduling appointments
• Viewing Web pages
• Sending and receiving e-mail
• Recording / playing CDs/DVDs
• Designing homes
• Playing games
• Computer users (end users): People who use a computer to obtain
information
• Computer professionals include:
– Programmers
– Systems analysts
– Computer operations personnel
– Security specialists

• Six basic categories of computers:

– Embedded computers
– Mobile devices
– Personal computers
– Midrange servers
– Mainframe computers
– Supercomputers
• Embedded computer: Embedded into a product and designed to
perform specific tasks or functions for that product
• Cannot be used as general-purpose
computers
• Often embedded into:
– Household appliances
– Thermostats
– Sewing machines
– A/V equipment
– Cars
• Mobile device: A very small device with some type of built-in
computing or Internet capability
• Typically based on mobile phones
• Typically have small screens and keyboards
• Examples:
– Smartphones
– Handheld gaming devices
– Portable digital media players
Personal Computers (PCs)
• Personal computer: A small computer designed to be used by one
person at a time
– Also called a microcomputer
– Range in size from desktop computers to UMPC’s
• Desktop computers: Fit on or next to a desk
– Can use tower case, desktop case, or all-in-one
– Can be PC-
compatible or
Macintosh
– Not designed to be
portable
 Portable Computers
• Notebook (laptop) computers: Typically use clamshell design
• Tablet computers: Can
be slate tablets or
convertible tablets
• Netbooks: Small
notebooks; rapidly
growing type of PC
• Ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs):
Handheld computers
• Thin Clients and Internet Appliances
• Thin client or network computer (NC): Device designed to access a
network for processing and data storage
– Lower cost, increased security and easier maintenance
– Limited or no local storage
– Not able to function as a computer if network is down
• Internet appliance: Specialized network computer designed for
Internet access and/or e-mail exchange
– Often set-top boxes
– Can include Internet-enabled gaming consoles
• Thin Clients and Internet Appliances
• Midrange server: A medium-sized computer used to host programs
and data for a small network
– Users connect via a network with a
computer, thin client, or dumb terminal
 – May consist of a collection
of individual circuit boards
called blades
– Virtualization: Creating
virtual environments (often
used to share a server for
increased efficiency)
• Mainframe computer: Powerful computer used by several large
organizations to manage large amounts of centralized data
– Standard choice for large organizations, hospitals,
universities, large businesses, banks, government offices
– Located in climate-controlled data centers and connected to
the rest of the company computers via a network
– Larger, more expensive, and more powerful than midrange
servers
– Usually operate 24 hours a day
– Also called high-end servers or enterprise-class servers
• Mainframe Computers
• Supercomputers
• Supercomputer: Fastest, most expensive, most powerful type of
computer
– Generally run one program at a time, as fast as possible
– Commonly built by connecting hundreds of smaller
computers, supercomputing cluster
– Used for space exploration, missile guidance, satellites,
weather forecast, oil exploration, scientific research, complex
Web sites, decision support systems, 3D applications, etc.
• Supercomputers
• Computer Networks and the Internet
• Computer network: A collection of hardware and other devices that
are connected together.
– Users can share hardware, software, and data
– Users can communicate with each other
• Network servers: Manage resources on a network
• Clients: Access resources through the network server
• Computer networks exist in many sizes and types
– Home networks
– School and small business networks
– Large corporate
– Public wireless networks
– The Internet
• Computer Networks and the Internet
 • What Are the Internet and the
World Wide Web?
• Internet: The largest and most well-known computer network in the
world
• Individuals connect to the Internet using an Internet service
provider (ISP)
• World Wide Web: One resource (a vast collection of Web pages)
available through the Internet
– Web sites contain Web pages stored on Web servers
– Web pages viewed using a Web browser (Internet Explorer,
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, etc.)
• A wide variety of information is available through the Web
Accessing a Network or the Internet
• Need a modem or network adapter
• Some networks require a username and password
• Internet connections can be:
– Direct (always-on) connections
– Dial-up connections
• Internet addresses are used to access resources on the Internet
– IP address: Numeric address that identifies computers
(207.46.197.32)
– Domain name: Text-based address that identifies computers
(microsoft.com)
– Uniform resource locator (URL): Identifies Web pages
(http://twitter.com/jobs/index.html)
– E-mail address: Identifies people for e-mail exchange
([email protected])
– IP Addresses and Domain Names
• IP addresses are numeric and unique
• Domain names: Correspond to IP addresses
– Top-level domains (TLDs)
identifies type of organization
or its location
– Custom TLDs may soon be allowed
• Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
• URL: Uniquely identifies a Web page
– Consists of:
• Protocol or standard being used
• Identification of the Web server
• Names of folders in which the Web page file is stored
• Web page’s filename
• Protocols:
 – Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http://) is typically used to
display Web pages (https:// is used for secure Web pages)
– File Transfer Protocol (ftp://) is often used for file exchange
• Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
• E-mail addresses consist of:
– Username: A person’s identifying name for a particular
domain
– The @ symbol
– Domain name for the computer that will be handling the
person’s e-mail (mail server)
• Pronouncing Internet addresses
• Surfing the Web
• Web browser: Used to display Web pages
• Browser starting or home page: The first page displayed when the
browser is opened
• To navigate to a Web page, you can:
– Type a URL in the Address bar
– Click a hyperlink on a displayed Web page
– Select a Favorite/Bookmark or page from the History list
• Surfing the Web
• Searching the Web
• Search site: Web page that helps you find Web pages containing
the information you are seeking
– Typically search using keywords
• Online Video
• E-Mail
• Electronic mail (e-mail): electronic messages exchanged between
computers on a network
– Can be conventional or Web-based
– Can contain photos, attached files, etc.
• Computers and Society
• The vast improvements in technology over the past decade have
had a distinct impact on daily life, both at home and at work
• Many benefits of a computer-oriented society:
– Ability to design products before construction leads to safer
products
– Earlier medical diagnoses
– Devices that allow challenged people to perform job tasks
– Documents e-mailed or faxed in moments
– Download information, music, programs, movies, and more
on demand
• Computers and Society
• Computer-oriented society also has risks
 – Computer viruses and malware
– Identity theft and phishing
– Privacy issues
• Differences in online communications
– Less formal than traditional
– Netiquette
– Emoticons
• The anonymity factor
• Information Integrity
– Check your source, not all information on the Internet is
accurate.
Module 2

Computer Networks and Internet Technology

Introduction to Computer Networks, Networking components,

Classification and types of Networks, Network Topologies – Overview
with Advantages and Disadvantages, Communication Channels, Client
Sever Architecture, LAN concepts, Introduction to Internet (History,
Concepts, & Myths), Difference between Internet, Intranet and Extranet,
Domain Name Service, Internet Protocols and Addressing, Services of
Internet, Internet and Support Technologies, Censorship and Privacy
issues
Computer Network : is a collection of computers and other hardware
devices connected together so that the network users can share
hardware, software and data as well as electronically communicate with
each other

Networking and Communications applications

• Mobile phones: cellular , Satellite phones
• Paging and Messaging
• Global Positioning System GPS): A system that uses a satellite
and a receiver to determine the exact location of the receiver
• Monitoring systems: Medical
• GPS based monitoring
• RFID Technology
• Satellite Radio
• Video conferencing: A real time meeting that takes place between
people in different locations via computers and communications
media
• Collaborative computing
• Telecommuting
• Digital Data distribution
• Telemedicine: The use of communications technology to provide
medical information and services
• Telesurgery: A form of robot –assisted surgery in which a doctor is
in a different location from the patient and controls the robot
remotely over the Internet or another communication medium

Types of Networks
• Networks can be classified in terms of their topologies ,or physical
arrangement
• Common network Topologies
• Star network: Typically consists of a central device ( Hub, switch ,
or router) to which all these computers are and other devices in the
network connect forming a star shape
• Ring networks: Do not have a central hub ,but the computers and
other devices are connected in a ring formation from one device to
the next. Data travels in one direction only
• Bus network: Does not have a central hub. Instead it consists of a
central cable to which all the network cables are attached .
• Mesh network : Each computer or network device is connected to
all other devices
• Combination topologies: Some networks do not confine to a single
topology. Some networks combine topologies . E.g. Two star
networks may be joined by a bus line
Star ,Ring and Bus networks-Advantages and Disadvantages
• A star network is considerably less reliable than a ring network,
since the other computers are heavily dependant on the central
host computer . If it fails there is no back up and processing and
communication capability, and local computers are cut of from
each other
• Ring networks are considered to be more reliable and less costly
for the type of communications in Local area network. If one
computer goes down in the network the other computers can
continue to process their own work and continue to communicate
with each other
Network Architecture
• Architecture : They way they are designed to communicate .
• Client Server Networks : Include both clients (PC,s and other
devices that request and utilize the network resources) and
servers( computers that are dedicated to Processing client
requests )
• Peer to Peer Networks : A central server is not used . Instead all
the computers on the network work at the same level
LAN’s WAN’s and other types of networks
• A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that covers a relatively
small geographical area, such as a building ,college, or an office
building .
• Wide Area Network:(WAN) Is a network that covers a large
geographical area. Typically a WAN could consist of 2 or more
LAN’s. A WAN can be a private owned or a public network
• Metropolitan Area MAN :A network designed for a city or a country
• Intranets and Extranets
• Virtual Private Network (VPN):is a private , secure path
communications network (usually the Internet) that is se up to
allow authorized users private , secure access to the company
network.

How is data transmitted over a network

• Analogue Transmission : The data is transmitted in the form of
continuous waves
• Digital transmission: Data is transmitted in 2 discrete states-
representing 1 or 0)
• Serial transmission :Data is sent 1 bit at a time
• Parallel transmission :Message is sent at least 1 byte at a time
• Bandwidth: Amount of data that can be transmitted over the
medium at one time
Transmission Media
 • Wired Network
• Twisted Pair Cable
• Untwisted Pair (UTP)of cables
• Coaxial cable
• Fiber Optic Cables
• Wireless Networks
• Broad cast radio transmissions
• Microwave signal transmission using
• Microwave stations
• Satellite communications
• Cellular radio Transmissions
Communication Protocols
• A communication protocol is an agreed upon standard for
transmitting data between two devices
• Ethernet: is one of the most widely used wired networking protocol
typically used with LAN’s that have a bus or a Star topology
• Token Ring : Is usually used with ring networks
• Wi-Fi:(Wireless fidelity):A family of Wireless Networking
standards(Less than 300 ft.)
• WiMAX: Provides Internet access over 30 miles
• Blue tooth: designed for short range ( Less than 10
meters)appropriate for communications between computers or
mobiles and peripheral devices
• TCP/IP: A protocol used for transmitting data over Internet
• WAP(Wireless Application Protocol): A standard for delivering
content to mobile devices , smart phones, and other wireless
communication devices using the cellular network
Networking Hardware for small networks
• Network Adapters:(NIC) Used to connect the PC to a network (e.
g. Ethernet card)
• Modem: A device that connects the PC to the Internet
• Hub: A central device to connect all the devices in a network
• Switch: Identifies the data for which it is intended and sends the
data to that node
• Routers : Not only identifies the intended recipient but also plans
the path through multiple routes to ensure that the data reaches its
destination in the most efficient manner
• Gateway : used to Connect two dissimilar networks
• Bridge : Used to connect two networks using similar technology
Evolution of the Internet
Internet : A world wide collection of separate, but inter connected net
works, that are accessed daily by millions of people to obtain
information , disseminate information , or communicate with each other
Internet furnishes a standard way of sending messages and information
over virtually any type of computer platform and transmission media
• ARPANET: Advanced Research Project Agency was created in
1969 by DOD USA-A project aimed to create a network that would
allow researcher to located in different paces to communicate with
each other . This over the years evolved as the internet
• Uses of the internet infrastructure :
• Exchanging e-mails and messages
• Participating in discussion groups
• Chat sessions and video conferences
• Downloading software and music
• Purchasing goods and services
• Accessing computers remotely
• Transferring files between computer users

World Wide Web

• WWW. :The collection of Web Pages over the Internet
• One of the most widely used resources
• A Way to organize information in the form of Pages linked through
selectable text or images (Today’s Hyperlinks) on the screen
• Today’s Web Pages are true multimedia experience
• They can contain text, graphics ,animation sound video, and 3-D
virtual reality objects
Services on the Internet
• Electronic mail
• World Wide Web
• Discussion groups: (also called message boards ,news groups,
online forums)facilitate written discussion between people on
specific subjects
• File sharing
• On line chat
• Instant messaging :is a form of a private chat that allows you to
exchange real time messages easily with people on your “buddy”
list. AOL Instant messenger ,MSN Messenger Yahoo,
Messenger ,Windows Messenger
• File transfer: For uploading and down loading files – FTP, Telenet,
HTTP
• Teleconferencing : refers to the use of computers , video
cameras, microphones and other communication technologies to
conduct face to face meetings among people located in different
locations over the Internet
• Telecommunications –(Internet telephony)VoIP : A technology that
allows you to make voice telephone calls over the internet
• On Line music
• On Line education
• Gaming
• Social Networking
• Publishing
• Video on demand
• E-Books
• ON line News and research
• ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
• On line shopping and Investing
• On line auctions
• Online banking
•
•
•
•
Internet Protocols
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol(SMTP): To send and receive
electronic mail
• File transfer protocol(FTP): To transfer file between computers
• Hyper text Transfer protocol(HTTP):To transmit information on the
WEB.
• Network News transfer Protocol:(NNTP): To transmit discussion
forum messages
• Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(TCP/IP)-A
communication protocol
• Provides a service that allows reliable connection oriented end to
end communication
• TCP
1. Sets up calls
2.Facilitates data exchange
3. Clears up calls
• Data is transferred in the form of Packets
• Two or more packets are combined to form an IP Data gram
• TCP breaks up higher level data stream into IP data grams
• IT verifies that all packets at their destination
• Resends anything that get lost
• TCP packets may take different routes
• Reassembles the data in correct order at the receiver.

Internet addressing
• A way to locate computers people and resources on the internet
Host
 • IP address or Domain Name uniquely identifies a computer on the
internet
• 32 bit IP address is used :
• URL: Uniform resource Locator : Identifies a web page
• A major concern for users
• Computer crime : An illegal act involving a computer including:
1. Breaking through the security of a network
2. Theft of financial assets
3. Manipulating data for personal advantage
4. Act of sabotage: e.g. Releasing a computer virus or shutting down
a web server
• Unauthorized access: Gaining access to a computer network or file
, or other resource without permission
• Unauthorized Use: Using a computer for unauthorized activities
• Hacking: The act of breaking into another computer system
WI FI hacking : Gaining free access to the internet via a Wi Fi
network( War driving or Wi Fi piggy banking
Interception of communications : Gaining
unauthorized access to data s it is being sent over the internet. Once
intercepted the contents can be read , altered or otherwise used for
unintended purpose
• Computer sabotage :Acts of malicious destruction to a computer
resource
• BOT: A PC that is controlled by a computer criminal- could be
used to send spam, launch internet attacks and malware
• Malware(Malicious software program
Computer Virus : Malicious program embedded in a file that is designed
to cause harm to a computer system.
Computer worm : Malicious programs designed to spread rapidly by
sending copies of itself to other computers
Trojan Horse: Malicious program that masquerades as something else

• Logic bomb: A malicious program designed to execute(explode) at

some predetermined time in the future.
• Denial of service attacks : Acts of sabotage that flood the WEB
server with so much of activity that it is unable to function
• Data or Program alteration : When a hacker breaches a computer
system in order to delete or change the data
• Protecting against unauthorized Access ,Use, or Sabotage
• Access control systems :
• 1. Identification Systems : Verifies whether the person is
authorized to access the system
• A. Possessed knowledge access systems Sys : User names,
PIN’s Passwords
• B Possessed object access systems: Uses physical objects that an
individual has in his possession.- Smart card, Magnetic card,
encoded badges, RFID card
• 2.Authentication systems: Determines if the person is who he or
she claims to be.
• Cognitive Authentication : Uses information the individual knows
e.g. date of birth, teachers name, birth place
• Biometric access systems : Use a unique physical characteristic
of an individual in order to grant access
• Finger print
• Voice print
• Face
• Hand geometry
• Iris
• Fire wall : Security system that provides a protective boundary
between a computer network and the outside world
• Encryption :Method of scrambling a message or a file to make
them unreadable. The recipient uses a electronic KEY to read the
message
• Antivirus software: Used to detect and eliminate computer viruses
and other type of malware
• Digital signature: Unique digital code that can be attached to an e-
mail or a document used
• To verify the identity of the sender
• To guarantee the message or file has not been changed
 MODULE 3

E-COMMERCE

Introduction, E-Commerce Vs E-Business, Advantages & Disadvantages

of E-Commerce, E-Commerce Transaction Models, E-Commerce
Business Models, E-Commerce Technologies, Hosting E-Commerce
Site – Planning and constructing web services, Electronic Payment
System, E-Commerce Applications, E-Core Values – Ethical, Legal,
Taxation and International issues, E-Commerce Security Issues,
What Is E-Commerce?
E-commerce: Act of doing business transactions over the Internet or
similar technology – Has existed for years via private networks
(electronic funds transfers, etc.) – Now most often performed via the
Internet
• Dot-com: An internet-only store with no physical presence
• Brick-and-mortar store: A conventional store with a physical presence.
• M-commerce: E-commerce carried out via phones and other mobile
devices – Near Field Communications (NFC) uses RFID
Advantages of E-Commerce
• Advantages for businesses: – Reduced costs
• Dot-coms are less expensive than brick-and- mortar stores because
there is no physical storefront to maintain – Increased customer
satisfaction
• If shopping experience is convenient (open all the time, no driving, etc.)
• Can send customers personalized information
– Broader customer base (less geographical restrictions)
– Potentially higher sales
– Convenience – Easier comparison shopping
• Higher number of merchants to choose from
• Geographical location is not an issue
• Shopping bots and other comparison shopping tools are available –
Higher degree of selection – Potential cost savings – Customized
products
Disadvantages of E-Commerce
• Disadvantages for customers:
– Potential for fraud and other potential security problems
• Buyer protection programs and using credit card protection can help –
Not being able to see or touch the goods
• 3D online stores may help – Possible expense of returning
merchandise
• Some brick and mortar stores allow returns to local stores
Types of E-Commerce Web Sites
• Manufacturer and e-tailer Web sites: Sell products and services directly
to the end user
– Physical goods
– Electronic goods
• Subscription site: Sells access to its online content
– Journals – Video-on-demand
– Premium social networking services Financial brokerages: Allow
individuals to sell stocks, bonds, etc. – Consumer brokerages: Assist
consumer in finding resources they desire
• Real estate
• Airline tickets
• Hotel reservations, etc.
– Market and commodity exchange sites: Match organizations with
goods or services to sell with potential buyers
• Energy, cattle, chemicals, and metals
Implementing Web-Based E-Commerce
Step 1: Select appropriate business models and types of Web sites
– More than one can be selected
– Some businesses add additional types later on
Step 2: Select the desired e-commerce applications
– Determine electronic customer relationship management (eCRM)
activities to be included
– Determine which other business systems the Web site will be linked to
Step 3: Develop procedures for handling electronic financial transactions
– Need to determine which types will be accepted
– Most sites accept credit cards Understanding
– Other payment options
• Smart cards
• OTP credit cards for additional security
• Online payment service (such as PayPal): A type of payment service
accessed via the Internet and used to make electronic payments to
others
– Deposited funds, bank account, or credit card
– Some transactions require a fee
– Can add or remove funds as needed
Digital gift certificates, gift cards, and coupons: Appropriate codes are
entered into the Web site at time of purchase
• Digital wallet: Holds a buyer’s information that can be used to speed up
online purchase transactions
– Digital wallet programs (used with computers and mobile phones)
– Online digital wallets (Google Checkout)
– Site-specific digital wallets (store this information for each customer on
a business’ Web server for use with purchases on that site only e.g.
Amazon.com
Special B2B considerations because of the volume of B2B transactions
– B2B transaction processing: Allows merchants to customize their
payment processing plans to fit their needs
• Can process payments, do credit checks, track expenses, do billing,
etc.
– Order fulfillment companies: Take care of physically filling orders for a
business
• Can provide order management, CRM services, marketing tools, etc.
Implementing Web-Based E-Commerce
• Step 4: Design and develop an effective Web site
– Sites should be carefully designed, developed, and tested
– Ensure order forms and checkout pages are located on a secure Web
server
– Continue evaluation of security and collected data
– E-commerce features can be created using:
• Storefront software: Facilitates the creation of an online store (either
packaged or Web-based)
• Shopping cart software: Designed to add only ordering capabilities to
an existing Web site
Step 5: Implement appropriate sales and marketing strategies
– Use an appropriate domain name and URL
• URL should be easy to remember and type
• Visitors should not have to type a page name (such as index.html) to
view the home page of the site
– Include adequate customer service features
– Collect taxes from customers only if required by law Implementing
Web-Based E-Commerce
– Display a privacy policy and security statement
– Promote your Web site sufficiently
• Use appropriate meta tags (description, keywords)
• Submit your site to search sites
• Consider sponsored listings Understanding
• Optimize your site (SSO)
• Advertise your site on business cards, ads, etc.
• Consider using banner ads
– Use of rich media ads is growing
– Can display sponsor banner ads on site
– Banner ad exchanges
– Use of behavioral (targeted) ads is growing
• Update your site regularly and consider adding incentives for return
visits (contests, coupons, etc.)
• Use e-mail marketing techniques (free shipping offers, new product
notifications, etc.)
Security Issues
• Security is essential for e-commerce Web sites
• Some guidelines for e-commerce sites:
– Secure transactions (use a secure Web server)
– Secure sensitive documents and files (use encryption) – Authenticate
online business partners (use digital certificates and digital signatures)
 MODULE 4

Enterprise Resource Planning

Introduction, History of ERP, Scope and Benefit, ERP and related

technologies (BPR, MIS, DSS, EIS, SCM, OLAP), ERP implementation
methodology – implementation life cycle, ERP and its success factors,
Pitfalls and management concerns, ERP Market – renowned vendors
and the packages
ERP Basics
• ERP : An Acronym for Enterprise resource planning
• Essentially a Management Information System
Some Basic concepts
• System: A set of elements or components that interact to
accomplish a goal
• Information system : A set of interrelated components that collect ,
manipulate and disseminate data and information and provide a
feed back mechanism to meet an objective
• Computerized information system :Computers ,people, procedures
and software that store organize and deliver information
• Components of an IS: People (Specialists , end Users , Hardware,
Software (Processes and procedures),data and network resources
• Management Information System :An IS designed to cater to the
requirements of Mangers
1. Support business operations (increase efficiency)
2. Support Managerial decision Making (Increase effectiveness
3. Enhance competitive advantage or reduce your competitive
disadvantage
Functional areas of operation / Business processes
• Business Function: A particular area of responsibility, or decision
making. Eg. HR , Marketing, Finance Accounting Production etc.
• Functional areas are interdependent – Each requires data from
others
• Better integration of these functional areas leads to improvement
in communications, work flow and success of the company
• Process :A process is a specific ordering of activities across time
and place ,with a beginning and an end , and clearly defined inputs
and out puts- structure for action
• Business Process: Any set of activities designed to produce a
specified output for a customer or market
OR
• Collection of activities that takes some inputs and creates an
output that is of value to the customer
• Business Processes in an organization fall into three levels
• Strategic planning
• Management control
• Operational control
• Thinking in terms of business processes helps manger to look at
their organization from a business perspective.
• Managing inputs( Men, Machines , Material Money) and business
Processes effectively requires accurate and up to date information
• Business Process Re- engineering: The fundamental rethinking
and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic
improvements such as cost, quality ,service speed.
ERP- A cross functional integrated IS
• ERP systems are computer systems that integrate application
programs in Accounting , Sales ,manufacturing marketing, HR and
other functions in the firm. This integration is accomplished
through a data base shared by all application programs .Integrated
IS facilitates sharing of data among functions
• ERP has been promoted as solutions for supporting or
streamlining processes at all levels
• This is done by sharing data effectively and efficiently between and
within functional areas leads to a more efficient business process
•
What is ERP
• ERP integrates all data and processes of an organization
into a unified system
• A typical ERP system use multiple components of hardware and
software to achieve the integration
• A key ingredient of most ERP is the use of a unified data base to
store data for various system modules
• Primary Goal : To improve and streamline internal business
processes
• ERP utilizes ERP software applications to improve the
performance of the organizational resources( Men, Money,
Materials Machines), Planning, Managerial control and Operational
control.
• It is a multi-module application software that integrates activities
across functional departments from Production Planning , Parts
planning ,Purchasing ,Inventory control, Product distribution ,to
order tracking,. ERP software may include application modules for
Finance , Accounting, and Human resource aspects of business
ERP Software modules
• Module base software is the core of an ERP system. Each
software module automates business activities of a functional area
of an organisation (mimics a major functional are of an
organization )
• Common software modules include

• Production planning : Optimizes utilization of manufacturing

capacity , parts components and material resources
• Purchase : Streamlines procurement of raw material by automating
the purchase process.
• Inventory control : Facilitates the process of maintaining the
appropriate level of stock in a warehouse and automates the
replenishment system . This module is integrated with the
purchase and finance
• Sales : Implements functions of order placement , order scheduling
, shipping and invoicing
• Marketing : Supports lead generation , direct mailing , and
campaigns

• Finance / Accounting : Gathers financial data from various

departments and generates financial reports such as – Balance
sheet, General ledger, Costing , profit and loss statements
• Human Resources : Streamlines management of human resources
• ERP Users : The users of an ERP system are employees , of the
organization at all levels , from workers , supervisors, mid level
managers to executives
• ERP Vendors : SAP, ORACLE, JD Edwards, BANN, i2
technologies
• Vendors have developed specialized ERP to cater to a specific
industry
• E.g. Erp’s Apparel industry, Pharmaceutical industry , Healthcare ,
hotels , Hospitals , automobile , paper cement , Retail stores etc .
Organizational Benefits
 Facilitates operational coordination across departments
 Supports decision making
 Facilitates real time monitoring of activities, tracks costs , check
order completion status.
 Supports strategic planning , and facilitate improved operational
and managerial control --- which leads to
Benefits
• Better management of Resources ( Men , Machines , Material and
Money)
• Cost reduction :Lower inventory carrying costs , production costs ,
marketing costs.
• Cycle time reduction :From order to delivery
• Productivity improvement:- Higher operational efficiency and
enhanced managerial effectiveness
• Quality Improvement: Thru reduced -errors and Product defectives
• Performance improvement :
I. Better customer deliveries
II. Better customer service
III. Reduction in customer response time
 • Problems tackled by ERP
i. Material shortages
ii. Productivity enhancements
iii. Customer service
iv. Cash management
v. Inventory problems
vi. Quality problems
ERP Implementation methodologies
• Different companies may install the same ERP software in totally
different processes. The same company may implement different
ERP software in the same approach. There are three commonly
used methodologies for implementing ERP systems.
The Big Bang Approach
• Companies layout a grand plan for their ERP implementation. The
installation of ERP systems of all modules happens across the
entire organization at once. The big bang approach promised to
reduce the integration cost in the condition of thorough and careful
execution.
• Modular Implementation
• This method of modular implementation goes after one ERP
module at a time. This limits the scope of implementation usually
to one functional department. This approach suits companies that
do not share many common processes across departments or
business units.
• Process -Oriented Implementation
• The process-oriented implementation focuses on the support of
one or a few critical business processes which involves a few
business units. The initial customization of the ERP system is
limited to functionality closely related to the intended business
processes.
Implementing an ERP Life cycle successfully
• ERP Life Cycle: Highlights various stages of implementation of an
ERP
• Different stages of implementation are
 Pre-evaluation screening: Done to eliminate those packages( from
several ERP packages commercially available)that are not suitable
for the organization
 Evaluation of the package: Must be Done rigorously against a well
designed selection criteria.
 Project planning : Includes schedule of implementation , roles
,responsibilities identifying personnel etc.
 Gap analysis : Done to determine the extent to which a package
meets the organizational requirements
 Re- engineering : Implementing ERP requires a large number of
processes to be modified.
 Team training : Training the employees in using the module and
running the system
 Testing : Must be done under both real case scenario and
extreme conditions to identify bugs or weak links
 Post Implementation : To ensure smooth running and updating of
the system with changes in technology
5 Steps to successful implementation of ERP
 Strategic Planning
 Assign a project team
 Examine current business process and information
flow.
 Set objectives
 Develop a project plan
 Procedure review
 Review software capabilities
 Identify manual processes
 Develop standard operating procedures
 Data collection and clean up
 Convert data
 Collect new data
 Review all data inputs
 Clean up data

 Training and Testing :

• Pretest the data base
• Verify testing
• Train the trainees
• Final testing
 Go Live and evaluation :
• Develop a go live check list
• Evaluate the solution
• Managerial Concerns
• End user adoption problems
• Training
• Application maintenance
• Future Upgrades
ERP Critical Success factors
 Clear understanding of strategic goals
 Top Management commitment
 Project management implementation
 Great implementation
 Cope with technical issues
 Organizational commitment to change
 Extensive education and training
 Data accuracy
 Focused performance measures
 Resolution of multisite issues

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

Meaning Of Information Systems
 An information system is an organized combination of people,
hardware, software, communications Networks and data resources
that collects, transforms, and disseminates information in an
organization.

 The MIS is defined as a system based on the database of the

evolved for the purpose of providing information to the people in
the organization.
 Management information systems are distinct from regular
information systems in that they are used to analyze other
information systems applied in operational activities in the
organization. MIS involve three primary resources: technology,
information, and people.
 Management information systems are regarded to be a subset of
the overall internal controls procedures in a business, which cover
the application of people, documents, technologies, and
procedures used by management accountants to solve business
problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide
strategy.
Role Of MIS
 The role of MIS in an organization can be compared to the role of
heart in the body.
 The information is the blood and MIS is the heart. In the body the
heart plays the role of supplying pure blood to all the elements of
the body including the brain.
 The MIS plays exactly the same role in the organization.
 The system ensures that an appropriate data is collected from the
various sources, processed, and sent further to all the needy
destinations.
 The system is expected to fulfill the information needs of an
individual, a group of individuals, the management functionaries:
the managers and the top management.
 The MIS satisfies the diverse needs through a variety of systems
such as Query Systems, Analysis Systems, Modeling Systems and
Decision Support Systems.
 The MIS helps in Strategic Planning, Management Control,
Operational Control and Transaction Processing.
Characteristics of MIS
 Management-oriented: The basic objective of MIS is to provide
information support to the management in the organization for
decision making.
 Management directed: When MIS is management-oriented, it
should be directed by the management because it is the
management who tells their needs and requirements more
effectively than anybody else.
 Integrated: It means a comprehensive or complete view of all the
subsystems in the organization of a company.
 Common database: This is the basic feature of MIS to achieve
the objective of using MIS in business organizations.
 Computerized: MIS can be used without a computer. But the use
of computers increases the effectiveness and the efficiency of the
system.
 User friendly/Flexibility: An MIS should be flexible.
 Information as a resource: Information is the major ingredient of
any MIS.
 Features of MIS
 Timeliness
 Accuracy
 Consistency
 Completeness
 Relevance
Components of MIS
1) Marketing Research System (MRS)
Marketing research can be seen as the systematic and objective
search for and analysis of data and information relevant to the
identification and solution of any problem in the field of marketing.

2) Marketing Intelligence System (MIS)

The process of acquiring and analyzing information in order to
understand the market (both existing and potential customers); to
determine the current and future needs and preferences, attitudes
and behavior of the market; and to assess changes in the business
environment that may affect the size and nature of the market in
the future.
3) Internal Record System (IRS)
 Marketing managers rely on internal reports on orders, sales,
prices, costs, inventory levels, receivables, payables, and so on.
By analyzing this information, they can spot important
opportunities and problems.

4) Decision Support System(DSS)

A decision support system (DSS) is a computer-based information
system that supports business or organizational decision-making
activities. DSSs serve the management, operations, and planning
levels of an organization and help to make decisions, which may
be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance.
Aim of Management Information System
 The main aim of MIS is to inform management and help them
make informed decisions about management and the way the
business is run.
 Types Of MIS
 Transaction processing systems: These systems process a
large volume of routine, recurring transactions.
 Operations information systems: These systems gather
comprehensive data, organize it and summarize it in a form that is
useful for managers.
 Decision support systems: These systems help mangers with
the necessary information to make intelligent decisions.
 Expert systems: They are meant to mimic humans in making
decisions in a specific field.
Elements of MIS
1.Hardware
2.Software
3.Control
4.Databases and application programs
5.People
6.Telecommunications and Networks
Outputs Of a MIS
 Scheduled reports which are produced periodically, or on a
Schedule (daily, weekly, monthly).
 Key-indicator report which summarizes the previous day’s critical
activities and also it is typically available at the beginning of each
day.
 Demand report which gives certain information at a manager’s
request.
 Exception report which is automatically produced when a
situation is unusual or requires management action.
 Benefits of MIS
 It improves personal efficiency.
 It expedites problem solving(speed up the progress of problems
solving in an organization).
 It facilitates interpersonal communication
 It promotes learning or training.
 It increases organizational control.
 It generates new evidence in support of a decision.
 It creates a competitive advantage over competition.
 It encourages exploration and discovery on the part of the decision
maker.
 It reveals new approaches to thinking about the problem space.
 It helps automate the Managerial processes.

BRP

*Automation
refers to computerizing processes to speed up the existing tasks.
Improves efficiency and effectiveness.
*Rationalization of Procedures
refers to streamlining of standard operating procedures, eliminating
obvious bottlenecks, so that automation makes operating procedures
more efficient.
improves efficiency and effectiveness.
 Business Process Reengineering
refers to radical redesign of business processes.
 Aims at
eliminating repetitive, paper-intensive, bureaucratic tasks
reducing costs significantly
improving product/service quality.
 Paradigm Shift
refers to a more radical form of change where the nature of business
and the nature of the organization is questioned.
improves strategic standing of the organization.
 Business Process Reengineering
“Reengineering is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign
of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical,
contemporary measures of performance such as cost, quality,
service, and speed.”
Key Word
Fundamental
Why do we do what we do?
Ignore what is and concentrate on what should be.
  Radical
Business reinvention vs. business improvement
 Dramatic
 Reengineering should be brought in “when a need exits for
heavy blasting.”
 Companies in deep trouble.
 Companies that see trouble coming.
 Companies that are in peak condition.
 Business Process
 a collection of activities that takes one or more kinds of
inputs and creates an output that is of value to a customer.
 What is a Process?
A specific ordering of work activities across time and space, with a
beginning, an end, and clearly identified inputs and outputs: a
structure for action.

 What is a Business Process?

A group of logically related tasks that use the firm's resources to
provide customer-oriented results in support of the organization's
objectives
Why Reengineer?
 Customers
 Demanding
 Sophistication
 Changing Needs
 Competition
 Local
 Global
 Why Reengineer?
 Competition
 Local
 Global
 Change
 Technology
 Customer Preferences
Why Organizations Don’t Reengineer?
 Complacency
 Political Resistance
 New Developments
 Fear of Unknown and Failure
 Performance
BPR seeks improvements of
 Cost
  Quality
 Service
 Speed
Business Process Flowchart Symbols
 Business Process Flowchart Symbols
 Data Flowchart Symbols
 Data Flowchart Symbols
 Rules For Data Symbols
 Rules For Data Symbols
 Rules For Data Symbols
 Rules For Data Symbols
 Version Management
 For different versions of a business process or data flow some
mandatory information must be on the flowchart.
 Name of the business process
 Unique number of the business process
 Revision number
 Date of last change
 Author
 Page number with total pages
 The C’s related to
Organization Re-engineering Projects
Key Steps
1. Select the Process & Appoint Process Team
 Two Crucial Tasks
 Select The Process to be Reengineered
 Appoint the Process Team to Lead the Reengineering
Initiative
 Select the Process
Review Business Strategy and Customer Requirements
Select Core Processes
Understand Customer Needs
Don’t Assume Anything
Select the Process
Select Correct Path for Change
Remember Assumptions can Hide Failures
Competition and Choice to Go Elsewhere
Ask - Questionnaires, Meetings, Focus Groups
Appoint the Process Team
Appoint BPR Champion
Identify Process Owners
Establish Executive Improvement Team
Provide Training to Executive Team
 Core Skills Required
Capacity to view the organization as a whole
Ability to focus on end-customers
Ability to challenge fundamental assumptions
Courage to deliver and venture into unknown areas
Ability to assume individual and collective responsibility
Use of Consultants
Used to generate internal capacity
Appropriate when a implementation is needed quickly
Ensure that adequate consultation is sought from staff so that the
initiative is organization-led and not consultant-driven
Control should never be handed over to the consultant
2. Understand the Current Process
Develop a Process Overview
Clearly define the process
 Mission
 Scope
 Boundaries
Set business and customer measurements
Understand customers expectations from the process (staff including
process team)
Clearly Identify Improvement Opportunities
Quality
Rework
Document the Process
 Cost
 Time
 Value Data
3. Understand the Current Process
 Carefully resolve any inconsistencies
Existing -- New Process
Ideal -- Realistic Process

Develop & Communicate Vision of Improved Process

Communicate with all employees so that they are aware of the vision
of the future
 Always provide information on the progress of the BPR initiative -
good and bad.
 Demonstrate assurance that the BPR initiative is both necessary and
properly managed
 Promote individual development by indicating options that are
available
 Indicate actions required and those responsible
 Tackle any actions that need resolution
 Direct communication to reinforce new patterns of desired behavior
4. Identify Action Plan
 Develop an Improvement Plan
 Appoint Process Owners
 Simplify the Process to Reduce Process Time
 Remove any Bureaucracy that may hinder implementation
 Remove no-value-added activities
 Standardize Process and Automate Where Possible
 Up-grade Equipment
 Plan/schedule the changes
 4. Identify Action Plan
 Construct in-house metrics and targets
 Introduce and firmly establish a feedback system
 Audit, Audit, Audit
 5. Execute Plan
 Qualify/certify the process
 Perform periodic qualification reviews
 Define and eliminate process problems
 Evaluate the change impact on the business and on customers
 Benchmark the process
 Provide advanced team training
Benefits From IT
 Assists the Implementation of Business Processes
 Enables Product & Service Innovations
 Improve Operational Efficiency
 Coordinate Vendors & Customers in the Process Chain
BPR Challenges
 Common Problems with BPR
 Process Simplification is Common - True BPR is Not
 Desire to Change Not Strong Enough
 Start Point the Existing Process Not a Blank Slate
 Commitment to Existing Processes Too Strong
 REMEMBER - “If it isn’t broke …”
 Common Problems with BPR
 Process under review too big or too small
 Reliance on existing process too strong
 The Costs of the Change Seem Too Large
 BPR Isolated Activity not Aligned to the Business Objectives
 Allocation of Resources
 Poor Timing and Planning
 Keeping the Team and Organization on Target
How to Avoid BPR Failure
 To avoid failure of the BPR process it is recommended that:
 BPR must be accompanied by strategic planning, which addresses
leveraging Information technology as a competitive tool.
 Place the customer at the centre of the reengineering effort,
concentrate on reengineering fragmented processes that lead to
delays or other negative impacts on customer service.
 BPR must be "owned" throughout the organization, not driven by a
group of outside consultants.
 Case teams must be comprised of both managers as well as those
who will actually do the work.
 How to Avoid BPR Failure
 The Information technology group should be an integral part of the
reengineering team from the start.
 BPR must be sponsored by top executives, who are not about to
leave or retire.
 BPR projects must have a timetable, ideally between three to six
months, so that the organization is not in a state of "limbo".
 BPR must not ignore corporate culture and must emphasize constant
communication and feedback.

Summary
 Reengineering is a fundamental rethinking and redesign of business
processes to achieve dramatic improvements
 BPR has emerged from key management traditions such as scientific
management and systems thinking
 Rules and symbols play an integral part of all BPR initiatives
 Summary
 Don’t assume anything - remember BPR is fundamental rethinking of
business processes

EIS

*An executive information system is a type of management

information system that facilitates and supports senior executive
information
and decision-making needs.
*It provides easy access to internal and external information
relevant to organizational goals.
*EIS are enterprise-wide DSS that help top-level executives
analyze, compare, and highlight trends in important variables so
 that they can monitor performance and identify opportunities and
problems.
*In recent years, the term EIS has lost popularity in favor of
business intelligence .
The basic hardware needed for a typical EIS includes four
components:
1) Input data-entry devices. These devices allow the executive to
enter, verify, and update data immediately
2) The central processing unit, which is the kernel because it controls
the other computer system components
3) Data storage files. The executive can use this part to save useful
business information.
4) several EIS products for networked workstations became
available. These systems require less support and less expensive
computer hardware.
A typical EIS includes four software components:
1) Text-handling software—documents are typically text-based.
2) Graphic base—graphics can turn volumes of text and statistics into
visual information for executives.
3) Typical graphic types are: time series charts, scatter diagrams,
maps, motion graphics, sequence charts, and comparison-
oriented graphs.
Model base—EIS models contain routine and special statistical,
financial, and other quantitative analysis
Advantages of EIS
 Easy for upper-level executives to use, extensive computer
experience is not required in operations
 Provides timely delivery of company summary information
 Information that is provided is better understood
 Filters data for management
 Improves to tracking information
 Offers efficiency to decision makers
Disadvantages of EIS
 System dependent
 Limited functionality, by design
 Information overload for some managers
 Benefits hard to quantify
 High implementation costs
 System may become slow, large, and hard to manage
 Need good internal processes for data management
 May lead to less reliable and less secure data
 .MODULE 5

Database Management System

Introduction, Need for DBMS, Components of DBMS, Benefits of DBMS

over Traditional File System, classification and types of Database
Models, Database Approach – Its benefits and disadvantages
Introduction
• Data Management: In modern times the success of a business
organization is heavily dependent on its ability to provide its
mangers and decision makers with timely, accurate and relevant
information based on data
• For data to be transformed into meaning full information it must
first be organized in a meaning full way.
Data base &Database Management systems
• What is a Data Base ?
• Data base is data organized in a manner which facilitates easy
access and retrieval of data
• What is a Data Base Management system(DBMS)?
• A group of programs that manipulates the data base and provides
an interface between the Data base and the user of the data base
and other application programs
Data organization
• Data is generally organized in a hierarchy that begins with the
smallest piece of data used by the computer (a bit)and progresses
through the hierarchy to a data base
• Character(Byte): Basic building blocks of information, consisting
upper case letters , lower case letters , numeric digits , or special
numbers
• Field :Typically a name , number, or combination of characters that
describes an aspect of a business object or activity
• Record : A collection of related data fields
• File : A collection of related records
• Hierarchy of data: bits, characters, fields, records , files ,data base.
The Hierarchy of Data
 • Entity: generalized class of people, or things, for which data is
collected stored and maintained
• Attribute: A characteristic of an entity
• Data item : The specific value of an attribute.
• Key: A field or a set of a fields in a record to identify the record
Primary key: A field or set of fields that uniquely identifies the record.
The Traditional Approach To Data Management

The Database Approach to Data Management

Advantages of the Database Approach

Disadvantages of the Database Approach

Entity Relation ships

How entities are related to each other
One to One : one instance of one entity is related to only one instance
of another entity
One to many : One instance of one entity is related to one or more
instances of another entity
Many to Many : Many instances of one entity are related to many
instances of another entity
Database Models
• Hierarchical (tree) Data is organized in a top -down tree or inverted
tree , structure.-Best suited for situations in which logical
relationships between data can be represented with a many to one
approach
• Net work :An expansion of the hierarchical data base model with
owner membership in which a member may have more than one
owner
Major deficiency : Once the relationships are established , it is difficult to
modify them or to create new relationships
• Relational : A data base model that describes data in which all
data elements are placed in 2 dimensional tables, called relations ,
that logically equivalent to files
• Advantage: Easy to create or modify relationships

Hierarchical Database Model

Network Database Model

Using Data base Mgt Software
• A DBMS is a set of computer programs that controls the creation ,
maintenance and use of the data base
• Data base development -
• Database Interrogation
• Data base Maintenance
• Application development
• Functions of a Data Base Management Systems
• Providing user views
• Creating and modifying the data base
• Storing , retrieving and manipulating data
• Generating Reports
Providing a User View
• Schema - a description of the entire database
• Subschema - a file that contains a description of a subset of the
database and identifies which users can modify the data items in
that subset
Creating and Modifying the Database
• Data definition language (DDL) - a collection of instructions and
commands used to define and describe data and data
relationships in a specific database
• Data dictionary – detailed description of data in a database
• Typical Uses of a Data Dictionary
• Provide a standard definition of terms and data elements
• Assist programmers in designing and writing programs
• Simplify database modification
• Reduce data redundancy
• Increase data reliability
• Speed program development
• Ease modification of data and information

Popular Database Management Systems

• Paradox database
• FileMaker Pro
• Microsoft Access
• Lotus 1-2-3 Spreadsheet
• ORACLE
• MS SQL Server
Worldwide Database Market Share
(2001)
• Selecting a Database Management System
• Database size: Depends on the number of records or files in the
data base
• Number of concurrent users :Refers to the number of simultaneous
users that can access the contents of the database
• Performance: How fast the data base can up date records
• Integration :Ability to integrate with other applications and data
base
• Features :Security, privacy protection, Wizards , ready to use
templates etc.
• Vendor: Size reputation and financial stability of the vendor
• Cost : Total cost of ownership– acquisition+ Training +
Maintenance +Personnel +additional hardware and software

Summary
• Data - one of the most valuable resources a firm possesses.
• Entity - a generalized class of objects for which data is collected,
stored, and maintained.
• Attribute - a characteristic of an entity.
• DBMS - a group of programs used as an interface between a
database and application programs.
 MODULE 6

Introduction to Office Automation using MS-Office

Concepts of Office Automation, Components of Office Automation,

Word Processing & Text Documentation, Spreadsheets & Data
Management, Staging and Managing Presentations, Setting up of
Mail Client Services, Management of Internet Services.
Office automation refers to the integration of office functions usually
related to managing information. There are many tools used to automate
office functions and the spread of electronic processors inside
computers as well as inside copiers and printers is at the centre of most
recent advances in office automation. Raw data storage, electronic data
transfer, and the management of electronic business information
comprise the basic activities of an office automation system.

The modern history of office automation began with the typewriter and
the copy machine, which mechanized previously manual tasks. Today,
however, office automation is increasingly understood as a term that
refers not just to the mechanization of tasks but to the conversion of
information to electronic form as well. The advent of the personal
computer revolutionized office automation, and today, popular operating
systems and user interfaces dominate office computer systems. This
revolution has been so complete, and has infiltrated so many areas of
business, that almost all businesses use at least one commercial
computer business application in the course of daily activity. Even the
smallest companies commonly utilize computer technology to maintain
financial records, inventory information, payroll records, and other
pertinent business information. "Workplace technology that started as
handy (but still optional) business tools in the 1980s evolved into a high-
priority requirement in the 1990s," summarized Stanley Zarowin
in Journal of Accountancy. "As we enter the new millennium, it has taken
another quantum leap, going from a priority to a prerequisite for doing
business."

THE BASICS OF OFFICE AUTOMATION

Generally, there are three basic activities of an office automation system:
storage of information, data exchange, and data management. Within
each broad application area, hardware and software combine to fulfil
basic functions.

Information Storage
The first area within office automation is information storage which is
usually considered to include office records and other primary office
forms and documents. Data applications involve the capture and editing
of files, images, or spreadsheets. Word processing and desktop
presentation packages accommodate raw textual and graphical data,
while spreadsheet applications provide users with the capacity to
engage in the easy manipulation and output of numbers. Image
applications allow the capture and editing of visual images.

Text handling software and systems cover the whole field of word
processing and desktop publishing. Word processing, the most basic
and common office automation activity, is the inputting (usually via
keyboard) and manipulation of text on a computer. Today's commercial
word processing applications provide users with a sophisticated set of
commands to format, edit, and print text documents. One of the more
popular features of word processing packages is its preformatted
document templates. Templates automatically set up such things as font
size, paragraph styles, headers and footers, and page numbers so that
the user does not have to reset document characteristics every time he
or she creates a new record.

Desktop publishing adds another dimension to text manipulation. By

combining the features of a word processor with advanced page design
and layout features, desktop publishing packages have emerged as
valuable tools in the creation of newsletters, brochures, and other
documents that combine text and photographs, charts, drawings and
other graphic images.

Image handling software and systems are another facet of office

automation. Examples of visual information include pictures of
documents, photographs, and graphics such as tables and charts. These
images are converted into digital files, which cannot be edited the same
way that text files can. In a word processor or desktop publishing
application, each word or character is treated individually. In an imaging
system, the entire picture or document is treated as one whole object.
One of the most popular uses of computerized images is in corporate
presentations or speeches. Presentation software packages simplify the
creation of multimedia presentations that use computer video, images,
sound, and text in an integrated information package.

Spreadsheet programs allow the manipulation of numeric data. Early

popular spreadsheet programs such as VisiCalc and Lotus 123 greatly
simplified common business financial recordkeeping. Particularly useful
among the many spreadsheet options is the ability to use variables in
pro-forma statements. The pro-forma option allows the user to change a
variable and have a complex formula automatically recalculated based
on the new numbers. Many businesses use spreadsheets for financial
management, financial projection, and accounting.

Data Exchange

While data storage and manipulation is one component of an office

automation system, the exchange of that information is another equally
important component. Electronic transfer is a general application area
that highlights the exchange of information among multiple users.
Electronic mail, voice mail, and facsimile are examples of electronic
transfer applications. Systems that allow instantaneous or "real time"
transfer of information (i.e., online conversations via computer or audio
exchange with video capture) are considered electronic sharing systems.
Electronic sharing software illustrates the collaborative nature of many
office automation systems.

Office automation systems that include the ability to electronically share

information between more than one user simultaneously are sometimes
referred to as groupware systems. One type of groupware is an
electronic meeting system. Electronic meeting systems allow
geographically dispersed participants to exchange information in real
time. Participants in such electronic meetings may be within the same
office or building, or thousands of miles apart. Long-distance electronic
sharing systems usually use a telephone line connection to transfer data,
while sharing in the same often involves just a local area network of
computers (no outside phone line is needed). The functional
effectiveness of such electronic sharing systems has been one factor in
the growth of telecommuting as an option for workers. Telecommuters
work at home, maintaining their ties to the office via computer.

Electronic transfer software and systems allow for electronic

transmission of office information. Electronic mail uses computer-based
storage and a common set of network communication protocols to
forward electronic messages from one user to another. Most of these
systems allow users to relay electronic mail to more than one recipient,
although they refer to this in an old-fashioned way as carbon copying or
"ccing." Electronic mail, or e-mail systems, provide security features,
automatic messaging, and mail management systems like electronic
folders or notebooks. Voice mail offers essentially the same applications,
but for telephones, not computers.

Other traditional office machines continue to undergo changes that

improve their data exchange capacities as well. Digital copiers, for
example, are increasingly multifunctional (with copying, printing, faxing,
and scanning capabilities) and connectable to computer networks.
Laptops, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and Blackberries (wireless
cell phone and PDA units) use wireless data transfer technologies to
provide users with almost instant access to information stored on a
company's computer networks and servers from just about anywhere
within reach of a cell phone tower or wireless Internet transmitter. That
means just about anywhere within an urban area of the United States
these days.

Data Management

Office automation systems are also often used to track both short-term
and long-term data in the realms of financial plans, workforce allocation
plans, marketing expenditures, inventory purchases, and other aspects
of business. Task management or scheduling systems monitor and
control various projects and activities within the office. Electronic
management systems monitor and control office activities and tasks
through timelines, resource equations, and electronic scheduling.
OFFICE AUTOMATION CONSIDERATIONS: PEOPLE, TOOLS, AND
THE WORKPLACE
Businesses engaged in launching or upgrading office automation
systems must consider a wide variety of factors that can influence the
effectiveness of those systems. These factors include budgetary and
physical space considerations, and changes in communication
infrastructure, among others. But two other factors that must be
considered are employee training and proliferating office automation
choices:

 Training—People involved with office automation basically include

all users of the automation and all providers of the automation
systems and tools. A wide range of people—including software
and hardware engineers, management information scientists,
executives, mid-level workers, and secretaries—are just a few of
the people that use office automation on a daily basis. As a result,
training of personnel on these office automation systems has
become an essential part of many companies' planning. After all,
the office automation system is only as good as the people who
make it and use it, and smart business owners and managers
recognize that workplace resistance to these systems can
dramatically lessen their benefits. "It's true that as technology
matures the need for special training will decline—because
tomorrow's software and hardware will be much more intuitive and
loaded with built-in teaching drills—that time is not here yet," wrote
Zarowin. "Training is still essential."
 Choice—A dizzying array of office automation alternatives are
available to businesses of all shapes, sizes, and subject areas.
Such systems typically involve a sizable investment of funds, so it
is wise for managers and business owners to undertake a careful
course of study before making a purchase. Primary factors that
should be considered include: cost of the system, length of time
involved in introducing the system, physical condition of the facility
into which the system will be introduced, level of technical support,
compatibility with other systems, complexity of system (a key
 factor in determining allocations of time and money for training),
and compatibility of the system with the business area in which the
company is involved.

As the high-tech economy, information age economy, or new economy

continues to evolve, business experts warn small businesses not to fall
too far behind. Some small businesses remain resistant to change and
thus fall ever further behind in utilizing office automation technology,
despite the plethora of evidence that it constitutes the wave of the future.
The entrepreneurs and managers who lead these enterprises typically
defend their inaction by noting that they remain able to accomplish their
basic business requirements without such investments, or by claiming
that new innovations in technology and automation are too expensive or
challenging to master. But according to Zarowin, "those rationalizations
don't acknowledge what many recent converts to technology are
discovering: the longer one delays, the larger the gap and the harder it is
to catch up. And though many businesses still can function adequately
with paper and pencil, their customers—and their competition—are not
sitting on their hands."
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS IN VIEW OF
EXAMINATION

1] What are the advantages and disadvantages of traditional file

systems ?

Ans : Advantages

1. Simple and low cost

2. Can be managed well
3. Provides timely accurate and reliable info
4. It is flexible enough and well documented
5. Good file management , efficient information systems can be built

Drawbacks:

1. Data redundancy
2. Program dependence
3. Inflexibility
4. Poor data security
5. Lack of data integration

2] describe of applications of computer systems in various business

activities ?

Ans The importance of Computer in Business:- Computer speed up

the business processes and systems with top quality. Today’s world
computer is important to use to start an online and offline business. A
computer is important to use in business to automate the manufacturing,
marketing and, distribution process.

Computers help in research, production, distribution, marketing, banking,

team management, business automation, data storage, employees
management and very helpful to increase the productivity in lower cost,
less time with high quality. That’s why the use of the computer is
important in business. And the computer is the 1st and main tool in
business that generates and manage profits.

Computer help business to collect manages, calculate, arrange, and

visualize customer data and information by us computer applications
such as Microsoft word, excel, lower power point and tally. A computer
helps to communicate faster with the customer by using the internet,
online communication tools, and internet phone system. It’s really
important for the administration of the big or small organization and each
field that manage resources and Opportunities.

Computers Are Used for Communication

When it comes to establishing contact with clients, computers are a vital
tool; they are also vital when it comes to maintaining that contact. This is
a very important computer application in business, enabling a business
to communicate with its clients via email, IM, Skype, collaboration
software, and via various other communication solutions that a business
might wish to use.
When a business can keep in touch with its clients, it becomes easier for
the clients to make inquiries of the business or to ask for more
information about the services and products the business offers. It also
becomes easier for the business to offer customer support to its clients
in a timely, efficient manner. The business will also be able to keep the
clients updated about any new developments concerning the business.
Communication goes beyond a business' clients. A business also needs
to communicate with its employees, and computers play an important
role. Rather than have time-wasting one-on-one meetings with
employees, managers can simply email their employees or they can
message them on any other acceptable communication platform. This
saves time, and it also improves the internal communication of the
business.
Computers Are Used for Marketing
Computers allow a business to perform a variety of tasks. For starters,
with the help of the internet, computers help put a business on the map.
With a computer, a business’s team of IT developers can create a
professional website complete with enticing graphics and content with
different forms of media, such as text, images, and videos. They can do
search engine optimization – SEO – for the website so that it appears
prominently in Google’s search results, which then attracts traffic, which,
ultimately, will enable the business to sell those products to website
visitors.
With a computer, a business can create and execute entire marketing
campaigns that span across every social media platform on the internet.
The business can create ads to run on websites and social media
platforms, using special software, and it can also buy marketing services
from other businesses – all connected to the internet. The computer is
likely the greatest marketing device ever built!
Computers Are Used for Accounting
Accounting is a function in which accuracy is of the utmost importance.
When you perform accounting functions – and you have nothing nothing
except pen and paper - and you're relying solely on brain power, you
expose yourself to errors. Accounting software helps prevent that from
happening.
Accounting software enables a business to quickly and accurately obtain
large- and small-scale pictures of the company's financial situation. All
the employees need to do is to input his financial information into the
software and – with a few clicks – the employees understand everything
about the financial health of the business' operations.
Computers are also critical for tasks such as invoicing clients;
maintaining data about debtors and creditors; calculating payroll,
calculating and filing tax forms, as well as for a lot of other functions.
With the computer, accountants can now focus on the higher level
picture of a business’s finances, leaving the lower level stuff to the
machines.
Computers Are Used for Storage
Businesses have come a long way from the era of filing cabinets thanks
to computers. Although a filing cabinet will occupy a very large space but
will store only a small amount of information, a computer will occupy only
a fraction of that space but it will store thousands of times the amount of
information. With computers and servers, businesses are able to store
and sort millions of files, to enable the business to access at any time.
Computers also enable a business to store its data in different ways. The
business could store the data in a central location, and it could have
other computers on the network access the data whenever the business
needs to; when the business has the permission to; or, when the
business could store the data locally on individual computers.
Not only is digital storage much larger than physical storage in terms of
capacity, but it is also much more efficient because of the level of sorting
that takes place, which is one of the greatest benefits of the computer.
Digital storage is also more secure, as it is more difficult to lose or steal
files from a well-protected database.
Computers Are Used to Produce Documents
Most businesses will need to produce numerous documents, either in
the form of written documents or spreadsheets. Computers provide word
processors and spreadsheet software to help with this.
With these two types of software, a business can generate virtually
everything, from memos to letters to tutorials to reports to ads for the
company’s services and products or company events.
With spreadsheet applications, a business has the power to manipulate
alphanumeric data and organize it into tables, charts, graphs, and
reports. Another kind of software that businesses make use of is
presentation software. With presentation software, a business can make
slides for presentations, either internal ones or external ones meant for
clients. Businesses can also make letters, memos, and reports, using
word processing software, either for disbursement to the client or for
internal use.
In general, a computer has plenty of productivity software that a
business can use to make its functions easier; this is software that
enables a business to be much faster and more efficient that it was only
20 or 30 years ago.
Computers Are Used for Educational Purposes
Computers can be used to educate employees. A business can use a
computer to educate the employees on such things as the company
policy, software use, as well as standard procedures and safety.
Rather than hire teachers to teach its employees, a business can let
employees learn what the employee needs, by learning at their own
pace via webinars and live Q&A sessions. With the internet, a business'
employees will have access to a world of information, and the business
will not need to create all of its own educational content.
Computers also enable employees to learn in a way that they enjoy.
Employees can learn via different media, such as videos, text, and even
games, enabling them to better understand the subject matter.
Computers Are Used for Research
Computers allow a business to do a variety of things, including research
about the competition, as well as what its customers want. With modern
data-mining techniques, a business can acquire insightful information
about its customers and competition from all kinds of places, including
forums, search engines, industry-specific websites and even from social
networks.

3] advantages and dis advantages of bus star and ring topologies ?

Bus Network
  
-Advantages
 Easy to implement and extend
 Well suited for temporary networks (quick setup)
 Initially less expensive than other topologies
 Cheap
-Disadvantages
 Difficult to administer/troubleshoot.
 Limited cable length and number of stations.
 If there is a problem with the cable, the entire network goes down.
 Maintenance costs may be higher in the long run.
 Performance degrades as additional computers are added or on
heavy traffic.
 Low security (all computers on the bus can see all data
transmissions).
 One virus in the network will affect all of them (but not as badly as
a star or ring network).
 Proper termination is required.(loop must be in closed path).
 If one node fails, the whole network will shut down.
 If many computers are attached, the amount of data flowing
causes the network to slow down.
Ring Network
 
–Advantages
 Data is quickly transferred without a ‘bottle neck’. (very fast, all
data traffic is in the same direction)
 The transmission of data is relatively simple as packets travel in
one direction only.
 Adding additional nodes has very little impact on bandwidth
 It prevents network collisions because of the media access method
or architecture required.
-Disadvantages
 Data packets must pass through every computer between the
sender and recipient therefore this makes it slower.
 If any of the nodes fail then the ring is broken and data cannot be
transmitted successfully.
 It is difficult to troubleshoot the ring.
 Because all stations are wired together, to add a station you must
shut down the network temporarily.
 In order for all computers to communicate with each other, all
computers must be turned on.
 Total dependence upon the one cable
Star Network
 
-Advantages
 Good performance
 easy to set up and to expand. Any non-centralised failure will have
very little effect on the network, whereas on a ring network it would all
fail with one fault
-Disadvantages
 Expensive to install
 Extra hardware required

4] what do you mean by network protocols

In the world of technology, there are vast numbers of users'

communicating with different devices in different languages. That also
includes many ways in which they transmit data along with the different
software they implement. So, communicating worldwide will not be
possible if there were no fixed 'standards' that will govern the way user
communicates for data as well as the way our devices treat those data.
Here we will be discussing these standard set of rules.

Yes, we're talking about "protocols" which are set of rules that help in
governing the way a particular technology will function for
communication. In other words, it can be said that the protocols are
digital languages implemented in the form of networking algorithms.
There are different networks and network protocols, user's use while
surfing.

There are various types of protocols that support a major and

compassionate role in communicating with different devices across the
network. These are:

1. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

2. Internet Protocol (IP)
3. User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
4. Post office Protocol (POP)
5. Simple mail transport Protocol (SMTP)
6. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
7. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
8. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)
9. Telnet
10. Gopher
Let's discuss each of them briefly:

1. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): TCP is a popular

communication protocol which is used for communicating over a
network. It divides any message into series of packets that are sent
from source to destination and there it gets reassembled at the
destination.
2. Internet Protocol (IP): IP is designed explicitly as addressing
protocol. It is mostly used with TCP. The IP addresses in packets help
in routing them through different nodes in a network until it reaches the
destination system. TCP/IP is the most popular protocol connecting the
networks.
3. User Datagram Protocol (UDP): UDP is a substitute
communication protocol to Transmission Control Protocol implemented
primarily for creating loss-tolerating and low-latency linking between
different applications.
4. Post office Protocol (POP): POP3 is designed for receiving
incoming E-mails.
5. Simple mail transport Protocol (SMTP): SMTP is designed to send
and distribute outgoing E-Mail.
6. File Transfer Protocol (FTP): FTP allows users to transfer files
from one machine to another. Types of files may include program files,
multimedia files, text files, and documents, etc.
7. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP): HTTP is designed for
transferring a hypertext among two or more systems. HTML tags are
used for creating links. These links may be in any form like text or
images. HTTP is designed on Client-server principles which allow a
client system for establishing a connection with the server machine for
 making a request. The server acknowledges the request initiated by the
client and responds accordingly.
8. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS): HTTPS is
abbreviated as Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure is a standard
protocol to secure the communication among two computers one using
the browser and other fetching data from web server. HTTP is used for
transferring data between the client browser (request) and the web
server (response) in the hypertext format, same in case of HTTPS
except that the transferring of data is done in an encrypted format. So it
can be said that https thwart hackers from interpretation or modification
of data throughout the transfer of packets.
9. Telnet: Telnet is a set of rules designed for connecting one system
with another. The connecting process here is termed as remote login.
The system which requests for connection is the local computer, and
the system which accepts the connection is the remote computer.
10. Gopher: Gopher is a collection of rules implemented for searching,
retrieving as well as displaying documents from isolated sites. Gopher
also works on the client/server principle

5] explain various ecommerce business models ?

E-commerce business models can generally be categorized into the
following categories.

 Business - to - Business (B2B)

 Business - to - Consumer (B2C)
 Consumer - to - Consumer (C2C)
 Consumer - to - Business (C2B)
 Business - to - Government (B2G)
 Government - to - Business (G2B)
 Government - to - Citizen (G2C)
Business - to - Business
A website following the B2B business model sells its products to an
intermediate buyer who then sells the product to the final customer. As
an example, a wholesaler places an order from a company's website
and after receiving the consignment, sells the endproduct to the final
customer who comes to buy the product at one of its retail outlets.
Business - to - Consumer
A website following the B2C business model sells its products directly to
a customer. A customer can view the products shown on the website.
The customer can choose a product and order the same. The website
will then send a notification to the business organization via email and
the organization will dispatch the product/goods to the customer.

Consumer - to - Consumer
A website following the C2C business model helps consumers to sell
their assets like residential property, cars, motorcycles, etc., or rent a
room by publishing their information on the website. Website may or
may not charge the consumer for its services. Another consumer may
opt to buy the product of the first customer by viewing the
post/advertisement on the website.

Consumer - to - Business
In this model, a consumer approaches a website showing multiple
business organizations for a particular service. The consumer places an
estimate of amount he/she wants to spend for a particular service. For
example, the comparison of interest rates of personal loan/car loan
provided by various banks via websites. A business organization who
fulfills the consumer's requirement within the specified budget,
approaches the customer and provides its services.

Business - to - Government
B2G model is a variant of B2B model. Such websites are used by
governments to trade and exchange information with various business
organizations. Such websites are accredited by the government and
provide a medium to businesses to submit application forms to the
government.

Government - to - Business
Governments use B2G model websites to approach business
organizations. Such websites support auctions, tenders, and application
submission functionalities.

Government - to - Citizen
Governments use G2C model websites to approach citizen in general.
Such websites support auctions of vehicles, machinery, or any other
material. Such website also provides services like registration for birth,
marriage or death certificates. The main objective of G2C websites is to
reduce the average time for fulfilling citizen’s requests for various
government services.

**

*]] what is dbms explain its advantages and disadvantages

A database management system (DBMS) is a collection of programs

that manages the database structure and controls access to the data
stored in the database".  
The DBMS serves as the intermediary between the user and the
database. The database structure itself is stored as a collection of files,
So, we can access the data in those files through the DBMS.
The DBMS receives all application requests and translates them into the
complex operations required to fulfill those requests. The DBMS hides
much of the database’s internal complexity from the application
programs and users

Advantage of DBMS

1. Improved data sharing:

 The DBMS helps create an environment in which end users have

better access to more and better-managed data.
 Such access makes it possible for end users to respond quickly to
changes in their environment.

2. Improved data security:

 The more users access the data, the greater the risks of data
security breaches.Corporations invest considerable amounts of
time, effort, and money to ensure that corporate data are used
properly.
 A DBMS provides a framework for better enforcement of data
privacy and security policies.

3. Better data integration:

 Wider access to well-managed data promotes an integrated view

of the organization’s operations and a clearer view of the big
picture.
 It becomes much easier to see how actions in one segment of the
company affect other segments.

4. Minimized data inconsistency:

 Data inconsistency exists when different versions of the same data

appear in different places.
 For example, data inconsistency exists when a company’s sales
department stores a sales representative’s name as “Bill Brown”
and the company’s personnel department stores that same
person’s name as “William G. Brown,” or when the company’s
 regional sales office shows the price of a product as $45.95 and its
national sales office shows the same product’s price as $43.95.
 The probability of data inconsistency is greatly reduced in a
properly designed database.

5. Improved data access:

 The DBMS makes it possible to produce quick answers to ad hoc

queries.
 From a database perspective, a query is a specific request issued
to the DBMS for data manipulation—for example, to read or
update the data. Simply put, a query is a question, and an ad hoc
query is a spur-of-the-moment question.
 The DBMS sends back an answer (called the query result set) to
the application.
 For example, end users

6. Improved decision making:

 Better-managed data and improved data access make it possible

to generate better-quality information, on which better decisions
are based.
 The quality of the information generated depends on the quality of
the underlying data.
 Data quality is a comprehensive approach to promoting the
accuracy, validity, and timeliness of the data. While the DBMS
does not guarantee data quality, it provides a framework to
facilitate data quality initiatives.
 Increased end-user productivity
 The availability of data, combined with the tools that transform data
into usable information, empowers end users to make quick,
informed decisions that can make the difference between success
and failure in the global economy.

Disadvantage of DBMS

1. Increased costs:

 Database systems require sophisticated hardware and software

and highly skilled personnel.
  The cost of maintaining the hardware, software, and personnel
required to operate and manage a database system can be
substantial. Training, licensing, and regulation compliance costs
are often overlooked when database systems are implemented.

2. Management complexity:

 Database systems interface with many different technologies and

have a significant impact on a company’s resources and culture.
 The changes introduced by the adoption of a database system
must be properly managed to ensure that they help advance the
company’s objectives. Given the fact that database systems hold
crucial company data that are accessed from multiple sources,
security issues must be assessed constantly.

3. Maintaining currency:

 To maximize the efficiency of the database system, you must keep

your system current.
 Therefore, you must perform frequent updates and apply the latest
patches and security measures to all components.
 Because database technology advances rapidly, personnel
training costs tend to be significant. Vendor dependence.
 Given the heavy investment in technology and personnel training,
companies might be reluctant to change database vendors.

4. Frequent upgrade/replacement cycles:

 DBMS vendors frequently upgrade their products by adding new

functionality. Such new features often come bundled in new
upgrade versions of the software.
 Some of these versions require hardware upgrades. Not only do
the upgrades themselves cost money, but it also costs money to
train database users and administrators to properly use and
manage the new features.

**]] what is hacking and what are the steps taken to prevent hacking

Definition: Hacking is an attempt to exploit a computer system or a

private network inside a computer. Simply put, it is the unauthorised
access to or control over computer network security systems for some
illicit purpose.
Description: To better describe hacking, one needs to first understand
hackers. One can easily assume them to be intelligent and highly skilled
in computers. In fact, breaking a security system requires more
intelligence and expertise than actually creating one. There are no hard
and fast rules whereby we can categorize hackers into neat
compartments. However, in general computer parlance, we call them
white hats, black hats and grey hats. White hat professionals hack to
check their own security systems to make it more hack-proof. In most
cases, they are part of the same organisation. Black hat hackers hack to
take control over the system for personal gains. They can destroy, steal
or even prevent authorized users from accessing the system. They do
this by finding loopholes and weaknesses in the system. Some computer
experts call them crackers instead of hackers. Grey hat hackers
comprise curious people who have just about enough computer
language skills to enable them to hack a system to locate potential
loopholes in the network security system. Grey hats differ from black
hats in the sense that the former notify the admin of the network system
about the weaknesses discovered in the system, whereas the latter is
only looking for personal gains. All kinds of hacking are considered
illegal barring the work done by white hat hackers.
Ways to prevent hacking
1. Update your OS and other software frequently, if not automatically.
This keeps hackers from accessing your computer through
vulnerabilities in outdated programs (which can be exploited by
malware). For extra protection, enable Microsoft product updates
so that the Office Suite will be updated at the same time. Consider
retiring particularly susceptible software such as Java or
Flash, especially as many sites and services continue to move
away from them.
2. Download up-to-date security programs, including anti-malware
software with multiple technologies for protecting against spyware,
ransomware, and exploits, as well as a firewall, if your OS didn’t
come pre-packaged with it. (You’ll want to check if your OS has
both firewall and antivirus built in and enabled by default, and
whether those programs are compatible with additional
cybersecurity software.)
3. Destroy all traces of your personal info on hardware you plan on
selling. Consider using d-ban to erase your hard drive. For those
looking to pillage your recycled devices, this makes information
much more difficult to recover. If the information you’d like to
 protect is critical enough, removing the platters where the
information is stored then destroying them is the way to go.
4. Do not use open Wi-Fi on your router; it makes it too easy for
threat actors to steal your connection and download illegal files.
Protect your Wi-Fi with an encrypted password, and consider
refreshing your equipment every few years. Some routers have
vulnerabilities that are never patched. Newer routers allow you to
provide guests with segregated wireless access. Plus, they make
frequent password changes easier.
5. Speaking of passwords: password protect all of your devices,
including your desktop, laptop, phone, smartwatch, tablet,
camera, lawnmower…you get the idea. The ubiquity of mobile
devices makes them especially vulnerable. Lock your phone and
make the timeout fairly short. Use fingerprint lock for
the iPhone and passkey or swipe for Android. “It’s easy to forget
that mobile devices are essentially small computers that just
happen to fit in your pocket and can be used as a phone,” says
Jean-Philippe Taggart, Senior Security Researcher at
Malwarebytes. “Your mobile device contains a veritable treasure
trove of personal information and, once unlocked, can lead to
devastating consequences.”
6. Sensing a pattern here? Create difficult passwords, and never use
the same ones across multiple services. If that’s as painful as a
stake to a vampire’s heart, use a password manager like LastPass
or 1Password. For extra hacker protection, ask about two-step
authentication. Several services have only recently started to offer
2FA, and they require the user to initiate the process. Trust us, the
extra friction is worth it. Two-factor authentication makes taking
over an account that much more difficult, and on the flip side,
much easier to reclaim should the worst happen.
7. Come up with creative answers for your security questions. People
can now figure out your mother’s maiden name or where you
graduated from high school with a simple Google search. Consider
answering like a crazy person. If Bank of America asks, “What was
the name of your first boyfriend/girlfriend?” reply, “Your mom.” Just
don’t forget that’s how you answered when they ask you again.
8. Practice smart emailing. Phishing campaigns still exist, but
cybercriminals have become much cleverer than that Nigerian
prince who needs your money. Hover over links to see their actual
URLs (as opposed to just seeing words in hyperlink text). Also,
 check to see if the email is really from the person or company
claiming to have sent it. If you’re not sure, pay attention to
awkward sentence construction and formatting. If something still
seems fishy, do a quick search on the Internet for the subject line.
Others may have been scammed and posted about it online.
9. Some websites will ask you to sign in with a specific service to
access features or post a comment. Ensure the login option isn’t a
sneaky phish, and if you’re giving permission to an app to perform
a task, ensure you know how to revoke access once you no longer
need it. Old, abandoned connections from service to service are
an easy way to see your main account compromised by spam.
10. Keep sensitive data off the cloud. “No matter which way you cut it,
data stored on the cloud doesn’t belong to you,” says Taggart.
“There are very few cloud storage solutions that offer encryption
for ‘data at rest.’ Use the cloud accordingly. If it’s important, don’t.”
**]]] what is mail merge and steps in mail merge

Mail merging means to plug data from an address table into form letters,
e-mail messages, envelopes, address labels, or a directory (a list or
catalog, for example). To start a mail merge, choose Tools | Letters and
Mailings | Mail Merge Wizard to open the Mail Merge task pane. Step 1:
Select a Document Type The first step is to select what Word calls a
“document type” in the Mail Merge task pane, what kind of mail-merge
you want to undertake: form letters, e-mail messages, envelopes for
mass-mailings, labels for mass-mailings, or a directory (a list or catalog).
Choose an option button and click Next at the bottom of the task pane to
go to step 2. Step 2: Select a Starting Document What Word calls the
“starting document” is the document in which the merging takes place. In
other words, the address or other data you retrieve will land in the
document you choose or create now. You can create a new start
document or use an existing one. In the case of labels and envelopes,
you tell Word what size labels or envelopes you intend to print on. In the
case of form letters, e-mail messages, and directories, you supply the
text either by making use of a document you’ve written already or writing
a new document. Step 3: Select Recipients In step 3, you tell Word
where to get the data that you will merge into the starting document you
created or supplied in step 2. You can retrieve the data from a table in a
Word document, an Access database table or query, or the address
book or contact list where you store your addresses. You can also create
a new list for the data if you haven’t entered the data in a file yet. Step 4:
Write/Arrange Your Document In step 4, you insert the merge fields, the
parts of the starting document that differ from recipient to recipient. By
inserting merge fields, you tell Word where to plug information from the
data source into the starting document. You also tell Word which data to
take from the data source. Word offers special tools for entering an
address block – the recipient’s address, including his or her name,
company, title, street address, city, and zip code. Step 5: Preview Your
Document In step 5, you get a chance to see what your form letters, e-
mail messages, envelopes, labels, or directory will look like after they are
printed or sent. In this step, you find out what the document will look like
when real data is plugged into it. If something is amiss in the document,
you can click the Previous link to return to step 4, the Write/Arrange your
document task pane, and make changes there. Step 6: Complete the
Merge Step 6 is where you complete the merge by either printing a new
document or saving the new file and printing it later. By saving the
merged data in a new file, you can edit the file before printing it. In the
case of e-mail messages, you click the Electronic Mail link to tell Word to
send the e-mail messages. Preparing and Selecting the Data Source
The data source is the file where the addresses and other information is
kept. Step 3 of the mail-merge procedure calls for you to name your data
source, and before you name it, make sure that it is in good working
order. The data source can be any number of things, as mentioned
above. Word also offers a special dialog box for creating a data source
from scratch and storing it in Microsoft Access.

1. What is a computer and explain its architecture ?

Ans :
Computer is an electronic machine that makes performing any task very
easy. In computer, the CPU executes each instruction provided to it, in a
series of steps, this series of steps is called Machine Cycle, and is
repeated for each instruction. One machine cycle involves fetching of
instruction, decoding the instruction, transferring the data, executing the
instruction.
Computer system has five basic units that help the computer to perform
operations, which are given below:

1. Input Unit
2. Output Unit
3. Storage Unit
4. Arithmetic Logic Unit
5. Control Unit
Computer architecture is a specification describing how hardware and
software technologies interact to create a computer platform or system.
When we think of the word architecture, we think of building a house or a
building. Keeping that same principle in mind, computer architecture
involves building a computer and all that goes into a computer system.
Computer architecture consists of three main categories.
 2. What are generations of computers ? explain ?

Ans Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a

computer is/was being used. Initially, the generation term was used to
distinguish between varying hardware technologies. But nowadays,
generation includes both hardware and software, which together make
up an entire computer system. There are totally five computer
generations known till date. Each generation has been discussedin
detail along with their time period, characteristics. We've used
approximate dates against each generations which are normally
accepted. Following are the main five generations of computers S.N.
Generation & Description
1] First Generation The period of first generation : 1942- 1954. Vaccum
tube based.
2] Second Generation The period of second generation : 1952-1964.
Transistor based.
3] Third Generation The period of third generation : 1964-1972.
Integrated Circuit based.
4] Fourth Generation The period of fourth generation : 1972-1990. VLSI
microprocessor based.
5] Fifth Generation The period of fifth generation : 1990-onwards.ULSI
microprocessor based
3 . computers classification based on their size and technology?

Ans Computer can be classified into four

categories based on size namely Micro, Mini, Mainframe and
Super computer. Micro computers are smallest and based on
theuse of microprocessors. Microprocessor is combined or integrated
circuit which contains all the elements of processing. ... Supercomputers
are the fastestcomputers

Computers differ based on their data processing abilities. They

are classified according to purpose, data handling and
functionality. According to purpose,computers are either general
purpose or specific purpose. ... According to data
handling, computers are analog, digital or hybrid.
4 . computers at a] home
b] education
c] at job / work place
ans Today, computer is used in almost every field of life. The use of
computer has made different tasks very easy for us. Computer can be
used at home in the many different ways.

1. Home Budget
2. Computer games

3. Entertainment

4. Information

5. Communication

6. Online banking and online shopping

Computers are being used actively in educational institutes to improve

the learning process. Teachers can use audio video aids through
computer to prepare lesson plans. They can use Microsoft Power Point
to prepare electronic presentations about their lectures. These electronic
presentations will be displayed on multimedia projectors in class rooms.
This will be interesting and easy to learn for students. Multimedia
presentations are easy to deliver for teachers too, These presentations
save a lot of effort and time. Moreover multimedia presentations are
interesting to view and hear sound and visual  effects

Computer use is prevalent in many workplaces, and some companies

may find functioning without them virtually impossible. As a result,
computers have become an important part of how companies conduct
business as well as how workers perform their job tasks. Computers
can even impact where employees do their jobs, as they can often
work many miles from their official place of business
Computers at work place improves
1. Communication
2. Efficiency
3. Work culture
4. Less paper work