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Chapter 5. The Use of IT in Everyday Life |  |
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Chapter 5. The Use of IT in Everyday Life | |
Abstract
Know some of the uses of large-scale computer applications in business such as: business administration systems, airline booking systems, insurance claims processing, online banking.
Corporations have to keep records of their staff, details of their clients, the levels of their stocks, production schedules, debtors, creditors and a myriad of other details. Many of these activities are themselves linked in one or more ways. For example, stock levels of raw materials and production schedules are very closely linked.
The ideal solution in a corporate environment is Enterprise software. This is a complex suite of applications that are created to work together. Enterprise software is designed to automate all the activities of an organisation in one system. The different components or modules interact with each other. For example, if production requires certain raw materials, the appropriate production module will send a message to the stock module that certain materials are needed and when they will be needed. If the stock module determines that existing levels are too low, it will send a message to another module responsible for orders. This module will then check which supplier to use and automatically generate an order stating the quantity needed and a deadline for delivery. Organisations do not buy an entire enterprise package, but only the modules that are relevant to the operation. Because of cost and complexity, enterprise software is usually found only in large organisations.
All organisations, no matter their size, can benefit from computer applications. Examples found in business include:
Office application suites such as OpenOffice.org, Koffice, StarOffice or Microsoft Office for creating documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Accounting packages such as Pastel Accounting for keeping debtors and creditors records and creating statements and invoices.
Inventory systems for keeping track of stock.
Desktop publishing packages such as Microsoft Publisher and Page Maker for creating newsletters and press releases.
Client tracking software such as Gold Mine for representatives to maintain regular contact with clients and record their activity.
Airline bookings systems which manage large amounts of data and reservation details and also have the flexibility to handle frequent changes to bookings.
Insurance claims systems to manage the processing and payment of claims.
Online banking systems enable corporates and individuals to have easy access to funds transfer and account maintenance.
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| Chapter 5. The Use of IT in Everyday Life |  |
Public Sector Applications |