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BTEC_1st ICT Unit 5.indd - Pearson Schools and FE Colleges

1. Inappropriate manipulation of information It is possible to use ICT to manipulate and misrepresent information As an example look at Figures 5 4 and 5 5 showing the sales of cherry yoghurts in 2005 of cherry yoghurts increased dramatically between Spring and Summer Check out the scales on the y axis Is it right to do this What do you think The chart in Figure 5 5 is showing exactly the same information as in Figure 5 4 but it looks as if the sales 25 000 Cherry Cherry 23 000 20 000 15 000 10 000 5 000 Spring Figure 5 4 Quarterly sales of cherry yoghurt 21 000 19 000 17 000 15 000 13 000 11 000 3 000 Summer Autumn Winter Spring Summer Autumn Winter Figure 5 5 Quarterly sales of cherry yoghurt with different y axis Decision making One of the main reasons for collecting data is to aid decision making m A supermarket that keeps track of stock levels and sales is better placed to make decisions about when to reorder stock m An organisation that keeps track of monies owed by customers and monies owed to suppliers is better placed to avoid financial disasters due to cash flow problems m An organisation that knows its customer base is better placed to make decisions about which products to bring to market and how to price those products Decision making usually involves looking at what has happened to date and making some decision that determines what might
2. The key phrases are emboldened and sorted alphabetically to make entries easy to find Graphical images colour or special fonts would be used in a dictionary only if they were necessary to understand a word Full sentences are not necessary and would waste space Particular departments within an organisation will use ICT for a variety of purposes in presenting information The Human Resources HR Department for example could use ICT in each of these ways What does it mean The Human Resources HR or Personnel department in an organisation is responsible for recruiting and paying staff m A database may be used to record details about staff placements and training records Reports from this database may be used to present statistics to the management team about additional staffing and training needs All jobs may be specified and when vacancies arise this data may be used to create advertisements for placement in national newspapers m A brochure may be prepared to provide induction information for new staff E Leaflets and posters may be prepared to explain rules e g the policy on use of the Internet and email for personal use during working hours Select another department Accounts Manufacturing R amp D and investigate ways in which they may use ICT to present information Further research presentation of information Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 7 What does Manipulation
3. To return to Windows and check the status of the program click Cancel If you choose to end the program immediately you will lose Managers used to manage people now they still have to manage people but usually do not have an army of secretaries and other clerical staff in support roles any unsaved data To end the program now click End Instead managers write their own emails and letters Now End Now There may be templates to guide managers as to the required wording of certain standard communications but the checking of these letters and ensuring they contain no mistakes falls to the manager Concepts like centring headings and laying out a letter well on a page which used to be skills taught to a typist are now expected of most workers In a design studio graphic designers used to work at a draughtboard with a pencil Now they use sophisticated software While the software provides many benefits the designer now needs not only artistic talent but IT literacy and the ability to convey design concepts using a mouse or other input device Librarians of 30 years ago spent their time handling books Nowadays a library is equipped with computers providing research tools for library users as well as library staff The process of lending books and recording reservations is often done online which changes the job requirements for staff who operate the libraries during opening hours In the past teachers used chal
4. 37 8 see also skills risk 32 risk assessment 32 RSI repetitive strain injury 31 2 R amp D research and development 17 trends security issues 27 33 changesin 18 self assessment 36 future 29 self study 37 8 market leaders 28 9 Index 43 security issues 27 standardisation 26 in the workforce 29 30 WIMP interfaces 28 upgradeability of systems 26 websites 13 35 WIMP windows icons menus pointers interfaces 28 wireless technologies 27 8 workforce trends 29 30 working environment accessibility 33 data access 34 5 ergonomics 30 2 health and safety 32 3 home working 34 security risks 33
5. as well as searching for winning ones that had been chosen by ERNIE Figure 5 9 Checking and organising Premium Bonds in the Figure 5 10 Sorting organising and searching for winning 1960s Source National Savings amp Investments bonds Source National Savings amp Investments Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 25 a Test your knowledge Lil A typical page of this book has about 350 words on it Using this as an average calculate how many pages of this book could be stored on a 32 MB pen drive or a CD ROM and then list the advantages and disadvantages of storing the information in this way as opposed to storing it as physical bits of paper Assume that the average length of a word is 6 characters and that each character needs one byte of storage space Find an example letter from an organisation that is clearly bulk mail i e something sent to hundreds or thousands of people Consider and discuss the practicalities and costs of how these letters are produced They could be E typed one at a time E typed once and then photocopied with key details added separately maybe by overprinting E mail merged using a word processor Further research impact of new technology on clerical activity Estimate in minutes how long it would take for one person to type a one page letter Now estimate how long it would take a person to prepare 1 000 letters which were all the same except for a few key details if t
6. cases 24 BTEC First ICT Practitioners it is because individuals can handle an increased workload because of the improvements in speed and efficiency For most applications the use of technology allows a greater number of transactions to be handled without increasing the size of the workforce to match For example the number of credit card transactions that the credit card companies can handle depends on the capacity of the computer storage and processing rather than the number of staff though an increased use of credit cards might increase the possibility of computer fraud necessitating more staff to handle this problem A further example is shown by the following historical case study Case study ERNIE an historical comparison ERNIE stands for Electronic Random Number Indicator ERNIE were used today with the number of bonds in Equipment and was the name given to the original circulation now it would take 52 days machine that produced the numbers of the Premium Bonds that won monthly prizes When ERNIE made its public debut in 1957 it was the size of a van At this time the top prize was just 1 000 The new machine took just over two hours to draw the winners but if this same Figure 5 9 shows people checking and organising the Premium Bonds in the 1960s There were many working rooms and copies of every bond issued were held in large cabinets Figure 5 10 shows workers sorting and organising the bonds
7. expect to be able to browse and buy books using the Internet way that they use ICT Possible impact on the way ICT is used Books produced on CD ROMs with background materials Books sold as electronic files and read on palmtops The organisation must be able to handle text as electronic files making backups as necessary and attaching them to emails to be sent to printing companies Text can be sent to reviewers quickly and reliably by email so that feedback can be quick To compete successfully Gleesons could increase staff skills to make better use of ICT in their work Writers are not limited to using text and simple line drawings Full colour photographs can be incorporated into materials The organisation needs to invest in a website that allows them to operate as an e business For each of the six examples above choose which of the following types of external factors is being described organisation exploiting new technologies E suppliers changing their expectations of how information is transferred E changing market demands or increased competition 20 BTEC First ICT Practitioners Internal factors _ Internally there may be other reasons why an organisation needs to introduce ICT Most organisations need to operate at a profit even the organisations that are not profit making need to control their costs The introduction of ICT offers cost savings greater control over cash flow a
8. happen in the future For example if sales are falling a supermarket or store might consider a price reduction or a sale to attract buyers Through careful analysis of shopping patterns of their customers supermarkets can identify products that would make good loss leaders to draw shoppers through the doors The supermarket does not necessarily make an overall loss as a result of reducing the price of these particular items Many shoppers are tempted to buy other products on which the supermarket makes a good profit more than enough to make up for the sales of loss leaders Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 11 Organisations can also use historical data to forecast what will happen in the future Having seen what happens in previous time periods e g a slump in buying at certain times and peaks at other times an organisation can predict future sales trends Based on past experience organisations can set up budgets for example using spreadsheet software and use ICT for planning how monies will be spent in the future Then as time progresses actual expenditure can be tracked and compared with the budgeted figures Monitoring the match or otherwise with the budget provides a measure of control over finances which is essential for the survival of organisations Eune re erena eo Gall lin business planning and control For an organisation known to you find out how ICT is used for decision making How much
9. is ICT used for planning forecasting and budgeting Communication Organisations need to communicate internally with their own workforce and externally with customers suppliers and other agencies such as tax offices The benefit of using ICT to communicate is that the information can be sent more quickly and usually cheaper than by alternative methods Saving time and money is important in all organisations Internal communication When organisations communicate information internally it is usually presented in simple formats but matched to the situation For example E Letters tend to be used for formal communications such as notification of a promotion or information regarding sick pay entitlement or pension contributions The contents of the letter are private to an individual although similar letters may be sent to several of the staff The HR department may generate the majority of these letters and confidentiality is essential m Newsletters are used to disseminate information to all staff not just to an individual A newsletter can be used to make announcements about changes within the organisation e g new offices being opened new appointments within the organisation new contracts won and other good news Bad news may be announced in a less public way through face to face meetings or by letter 12 BTEC First ICT Practitioners it mean An intranet is a closed system that has many of the features o
10. met or could be described to you in a case study Describe at least two ways in which the use of ICT helps an individual to be more productive Describe at least two ways in which the use of ICT could make an individual s work more complex Task 3 P4 M2 In this task you should look at the working environment and how it is affected by the use of ICT As in Task 2 you can discuss this in a general way but it would be helpful to include real life examples from a number of organisations Describe four ways in which ICT can affect the working environment of an organisation Identify and consider three aspects of the working environment that may cause concern Discuss ways in which the negative impact could be reduced Task 4 P5 D2 In this task you will be looking at recent trends in ICT New technologies will have appeared since this book was published and you should try to find out about them Describe recent trends in ICT and how they might be useful to organisations To work towards a Distinction you should think carefully about how organisations can deal with technologies that are changing all the time E Describe how an organisation can make the best use of new technologies E Outline any negative effects of new technologies and describe how an organisation can minimise these Task 5 P6 M3 This task looks at how individuals can learn throughout their working life m Describe how an individual can identify what t
11. or using a web based course has a number of advantages for you as a learner E You can work through the material at your own pace m The learning can be done at a time and place that is convenient to you 38 BTEC First ICT Practitioners E This training method is the least labour intensive for trainers and so is a relatively cheap option There are disadvantages though E Learning by yourself is not as much fun as learning within a group You have no one to bounce ideas off E Learning without the availability of a teacher or tutor can mean you lack support There may be no one to explain something when you get stuck m The quality of the material becomes very important and it has to be engaging so that you are not bored by it E To maintain the course you need self discipline Further research alternative ways of learning Find a number of prospectuses from your own centre and others in the area and identify example courses that show the different ways that you could learn new things Also look at educational publishers lists and at what is available in local bookshops Case study Peterson s Music You can use this case study to practise the skills that used for homework and games This second machine you will need for your assessment tasks has Internet access not broadband and a range of E ER eripherals and software Peterson s Music is celebrating its 50th anniversary pee It i
12. tends both to add sophistication and to create more user friendly interfaces between the human and the technology The net result is an increase in complexity which individuals and organisations need to embrace m A desire to increase profits or just to stay in business often leads to an attempt to increase the capacity of an organisation by increasing the throughput of work done by individuals within the organisation and creating a greater reliance on the amount that is done using technology m The impact of ICT on individuals and organisations is ongoing so it makes sense to consider trends that have evolved and are still evolving This can help both individuals and organisations to anticipate better what is yet to come and to prepare for future technological change E One of the greatest changes since the introduction of ICT into the workplace has been the nature of the working environment For many ICT has provided the freedom to work from home for others it has radically changed the face of the office in which they work These four aspects complexity capacity trends and the working environment are the subject of this section Complexity _ The lives of individuals inside or outside an organisation are becoming more and more complex as each new technology is introduced and different people adapt to the changing environment in different ways Some surveys suggest that older individuals in gen
13. y Home working Ways of working have changed More and more people have the freedom to work from home combining responsibilities of parenthood and other family ties with their job Instead of being based in an office with everyone else who works for the organisation staff can be based at home and be more mobile generally by using mobile and communications technology Having staff work from home has benefits for the staff It also has benefits for the employer and for society as a whole E For the staff there is no commuting so more time is available for work or leisure There are also savings in travel costs E For the employer there is a reduction in desk space Hot desking becomes an option There are cost savings because overhead costs are proportional to the amount of office space needed E For society the reduced commuting results in reduced pollution and reduced congestion on the transport system Further research working from home Working from home sounds wonderful Discuss with others the possible downsides of such an arrangement Are there any disadvantages from the employer s point of view ICT information sources Information held on a computer in electronic form can be accessed in a number of ways according to who should be able to view it The options are as follows E The user at the computer on which the data is stored has direct and sole access to the data m Ifthe computer is on a network oth
14. 14 BTEC First ICT Practitioners Employee reference Employee First name Employee Second name Address line 1 Address line 2 Address line 3 Post code Job Department Salary level Starting date Date of Birth Internal telephone number Storing and maintaining information A database is a collection of data held in a structured way so that it can be easily added to deleted amended sorted searched and reported on The data is stored in tables Primary key field this is the unique identifier for each record Figure 5 7 shows an example of a simple single table database of employees Data is constantly changing and keeping the database up to date requires constant maintenance such as E adding details of anew member of staff Figure 5 7 Single table employee database E amending staff details address salary rise etc m deleting records of staff who are no longer with the company Maintaining an up to date database is time consuming but the benefits outweigh the time and energy taken in maintaining this information m It is easy to search for details of a particular member of staff on the database Rather than having many filing cabinets of paper files located in one department or worse duplicated in a number of departments electronic records allow more than one person to access the data and from anywhere
15. DTP concentrates on page layouts using text boxes and image boxes into which material can be pasted So while the copy the words might be written using Word say a DTP package would be used to prepare the material for printing Figure 5 1 Mobile phone advertisement Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 5 Further research use of ICT packages For each of the examples listed below identify their main purpose s what ICT packages or tools might best be used to deal with them and why receipt for a product or service website used to sell CDs online job description computer manual internal monthly sales report fault finding guide short internal notes to staff about things such as new people joining the company According to the needs of a publication particular presentation techniques can be used m Paragraphs bullet points and different line spacing bold and italics can provide emphasis m Appropriate fonts can be chosen to meet the situation or simple graphical tools such as call outs can be used E Continuous text could be broken into chapters for a novel or story or you might use formal report formats to present complex documents with footers headers and footnotes E If you are creating structured documents you might include a detailed contents page and an index E For statistical data you might convert numeric information into bar charts or pie charts You might also incorporate si
16. ICT Supporting Organisations About this uni ICT provides a wide range of tools and services that help organisations to operate and meet their business objectives For most organisations ICT has be essential for them to operate effectively and cases to operate at all ome nitially ICT was used to support or A existing usiness processes but increasingly it offers new possibilities and ways of doing business As well as the effect on the whole business we need to consider how the use of ICT impacts on the work of individuals and their environment Working environments change much more often than the o which means that individuals change and ad anal but ing learning g such o eee m T T e learning D 2 BTEC First ICT Practitioners B gt Continued from previous page Learning outcomes When you have completed this unit you will 1 know the ways in which organisations use ICT 2 understand the reasons why organisations use ICT 3 understand the impact of ICT on individuals and organisations 4 understand how ICT can be used to improve skills and knowledge How is the unit assessed This unit is internally assessed You will provide a portfolio of evidence to show that you have achieved the learning outcomes The grading grid in the specification for this unit lists what you must do to obtain Pass Merit and Distinction grades The section on Assessment Tasks at t
17. T products are used extensively in R amp D and CAD CAM products computer aided provide greater flexibility than the non ICT methods of old manufacture 18 BTEC First ICT Practitioners Changing market needs Every organisation has to be aware of changes in market needs m Asa population ages as is happening in the UK and in many other Western countries the pattern of consumption changes Providers of goods and services must be ready to change to meet the new demands E People also move to where jobs can be found so markets change Where there are no customers there is no trade Keeping track of the make up of a client base is made easy through the use of databases For example supermarket loyalty schemes give supermarkets the option to ask questions to find out more details about their customers their circumstances and preferences Also each time a loyalty card is used the mix of products bought can be monitored This allows the supermarket to watch for trends and to stock shelves to meet these trends Further research loyalty cards Undertake research to find out more about loyalty cards Changing legislation If new legislation is enacted for example to set higher standards of safety for electrical equipment then an organisation producing such products has to revise its designs accordingly Keeping track of standards and which products meet which standards is a complex and information rich problem best sol
18. a website so they will put a lot of thought into how the products or services are presented on screen E Promotional material may also be prepared for potential staff company brochures and job specifications can attract new staff and encourage them to apply for a vacancy m Technical material may be needed in support of products e g to explain how to construct a bookcase from flat pack ingredients Software products need manuals as do cars and other products such as TVs and DVD players Many different applications packages are used to present information all designed to be as easy to use as possible Specialist software is available for authoring websites such as Dreamweaver and creating presentation material such as Quark Three key applications were covered in Unit 1 Using ICT to present information word processors graphics packages and presentation Marketing s the function of making an organisation visible in the marketplace It can include advertising campaigns but also involves concepts such as branding and establishing a company image SER What does a i it mean Advertising s the act of promoting a product or service It is an offer to potential buyers which it is hoped will tempt them to make a purchase 4 BTEC First ICT Practitioners packages such as PowerPoint Others that you might use include desktop publishing spreadsheets and databases All offer facilities to p
19. an computer interface m Voice recognition software is available for those who do not want to or cannot use a keyboard as the main input device E Large print output helps the partially sighted E Special equipment is available for those with more severe physical disabilities Further research assistance for workers with disabilities Investigate the availability of devices to aid those workers with disabilities such as the loss of an arm Organisations are now responsible in law for the health and safety of their staff and this has created increased pressure for such issues to be considered and dealt with We have not yet reached the stage where individuals have spent their whole working life using computers most of the adult population over 50 today did not grow up with such technology Only time will tell what the real impact of such concentrated and very long term use of ICT will be 34 BTEC First ICT Practitioners Hot desking s a system where staff do not have a personal space within an office but work at any spare desk whenever they come into the office Further research health and safety SSUES I Find out what an organisation does to make sure that their working environment is healthy and safe for their staff Take into account the following issues E ergonomics E how they identify possible health and safety risks E how ICT can be used for people with disabilities
20. cal Technostress means conditions such as technostress The condition may be caused by poor ergonomics It may also be experienced by staff who are struggling to stress that has been i i caused by the cope with the skills demanded by new technology Other factors include introduction of new E information overload technology E boredom through under work and routine jobs m job insecurity and demotivation Here are two more new medical conditions E Carpal tunnel syndrome is an irritation of a nerve in the wrist that causes tingling and numbness of the thumb index and middle fingers E RSI is caused by repeated physical movements damaging tendons nerves muscles and other soft body tissues This injury is due to excessive use of certain muscle groups and results in pain in the shoulder neck arm wrist or hand the problem can become permanent it mean RSI stands for repetitive strain injury 32 BTEC First ICT Practitioners What does it mean A hazard is something that might cause an acccident Risk is a measure of the likelihood of an accident happening There are several ways that RSI can be avoided and the risk of other damage reduced m Chairs should be adjustable so that staff can sit comfortably with the correct posture while working at the keyboard and monitor E Changing position from time to time and taking frequent breaks especially from repetitive work at the ke
21. d that of others The main requirement on employers is to carry out a risk assessment To comply with the Health and Safety Act 1974 employers must assess risk to staff and provide a risk assessment E set up emergency procedure provisions as identified by the risk assessment E appoint competent people to help them to implement the arrangements m provide staff with clear instructions and give training where necessary Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 33 One way to identify health and safety hazards is to ask staff to complete questionnaires on a regular basis Another way is to carry out an audit this must be done regularly and action taken to remedy situations that present a hazard e g trailing wires or obstacles Further research health and safety Find out who is responsible for health and safety at your centre of learning or place of work How often do they carry out risk assessments What methods do they use to collect information about hazards in the workplace Security risks Data can be lost through the physical loss of equipment or an attack by a virus You should be aware of these risks and how to avoid data loss due to them You will have learnt about the security of ICT systems in the core Unit 2 1 What does Accessibility it mean Technological developments in the HCI allow those workers with special needs to make the best use of ICT equipment Here are some examples HCI stands for hum
22. e become more commonplace solutions are now urgently needed to help organisations and individuals to manage the infogluts that are now resulting The term infoglut describes very large Because more and more information is being collected into larger and volumes of information larger applications it is expected that this trend will continue for some that can be difficult to time to come Data mining is one solution work with or analyse Further research data mining Find out through Internet research what is meant by the term data mining Remote and collaborative working Wireless technology is one of the most exciting developments for ICT systems Significant new technologies such as Bluetooth have heralded the increased use of technologies for remote and collaborative working and for leisure pursuits The use of wireless communications technologies on devices such as mobile phones and laptops opens up many possibilities for users to enjoy Internet access while on the move Wireless technologies for peripherals are also set to increase Once users have experienced the freedom of a wireless mouse they are unlikely to want to return to one that is attached to their PC by a cable 28 BTEC First ICT Practitioners WIMP stanas for windows icons Menus pointers Further research wireless developments Research the Internet for the range of peripheral devices that can be bought in a w
23. e of their existing skills are now redundant staff also need to cope with learning how to control and operate the new technology Individual and support needs All the issues surrounding the changes brought about by technological innovation and the pace at which it happens have created a climate where any particular set of skills may be short lived You may go on a course for a particular software package one year only to find that the software is later upgraded and includes improved features which you will need to learn about if you are to make the best use of the software This requires an increased focus on training and retraining as well as a need for employers to engage with individuals to plan their support and training needs This can be seen clearly in many colleges and training schools where the emphasis is on lifelong learning and workforce development Further research courses available locally Find out which courses are available in your local college for someone who needs to learn about using technology in the workplace Capacity Increasing ICT capacity can result in greater levels of achievement for an organisation However this needs to be carefully planned and properly managed One of the most tempting reasons why organisations are increasingly using technology is that it can reduce costs Sometimes this is because the technology has actually replaced the work of individuals but in other
24. ective customers the option to buy products and services online E Using online banking for transactions websites N Further research services offered via Visit the website of your bank and find out what services are offered to business customers The reasons why organisations use ICT The previous section considered how organisations might use ICT E to manipulate and present information in ways that help the organisation to operate E to communicate internally and externally via email and through intranets and the Internet E to manage information using databases in ways that make it easy to find particular items of information as well as analysing and reporting on the information There are other factors however that encourage organisations to use ICT and these can be categorised as external and internal External factors External factors are those that are imposed from outside the organisation Exploiting new technolgies With each new invention or technological breakthrough organisations are faced with the option of exploiting the new technology or risking being left behind when competitors embrace it more fully and take market advantages For example How many shoppers would do their weekly shopping at a supermarket that did not accept payment by credit card How soon will it be before all air travellers book seats online and rely on email confirmation rather than having to receive fligh
25. ed What does in the normal way Word processors are also used in conjunction a D with databases to send a AE similar letters to lots of IAEN different people using mail merge it mean B2B means Business to Business the most common type of website used to communicate between businesses E Invoices are produced by specialist accounting packages to be sent to customers possibly as email attachments or sometimes using B2B or B2C websites m Emails are used to communicate with many different people outside the organisation including suppliers and customers B2C means Business to Consumer B2C websites help organisations to connect directly with their customers lt hr size 1 width 100 n Email is now the most popular a ey way for organisations to ties fee communicate externally and the use of email for marketing purposes is set to grow Figure 5 6 Example email dramatically See Figure 5 6 gt gt gt gt Further research possible disadvantages of email There are many advantages of using email to communicate Are there disadvantages Managing information _ The more data that an organisation collects the more important the management of that data becomes The use of databases to manage information is at the heart of most organisations and a high proportion of jobs relate in some way to the input processing and output of information from such databases
26. elop versions of the most popular software packages to suit more than one platform I Research the Internet for videotape technologies Which ones were introduced Which were adopted Which were best Further research technology developments For one software vendor e g Adobe check which platforms they support for a range of software products USB ports are now a standard way of linking a peripheral to a PC List at least five items of hardware that you might attach via a USB connection Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 27 Security and privacy concerns One of the most important trends in the years since the development of the Internet and increased use of communications technologies has been the increased importance of ensuring that the new technology respects the security needs and privacy of individuals This is particularly important in the case of individuals buying goods over the Internet Software has been developed to meet this need together with a whole raft of icons and terminology that users need to learn about Further research data security Find out how transfer of data can be made more secure when communicating sensitive data such as a credit card number Database design has undergone quite a revolution in the last 50 years Relational databases are a relatively recent addition to the standard software to be found on PCs They solved many data handling problems However as they hav
27. er users on the network may be given access to the data The data is then shared data Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 35 E Data may be put on to an intranet so that it is available to all those within an organisation E Data may be published on a website and be accessible via the Internet This data is then publicly available Accessing data that is on a website can be achieved through any connection to the Internet E on your PC via a modem or server on a network E ona mobile phone that has been set up for Internet access E through your TV You may also take a laptop to an Internet caf and the connection at the caf may well be through a wireless link Communication styles The heavy reliance on email has meant that colleagues within the same organisation often now do not talk face to face or even over the phone Humans rely heavily on body language and facial expressions as an aid to understanding what someone is saying in a conversation When these cues are not present miscommunication is easy To help combat misunderstanding and to compensate for the lack of such body and facial cues emoticons have been developed and are now in common use Further research emoticons Interpret these emoticons Compare your understanding of them with that of other people 8 lt D T 8 NS n lt gt lt S X In some applications the text versions are replaced with smal
28. eral do not respond as well to change as their younger counterparts unless the change is gradual and over time You may have older relatives who have difficulty coming to terms with such things as new mobile phones DVD equipment and Internet connections Technological changes have affected us since the beginning of recorded history However the scale and pace of change has increased dramatically especially in the last 50 years with massive impact on how organisations operate and what they produce Naturally staff are expected to adapt to this ever changing technology Within an organisation older staff may have greater experience in the day to day office requirements and in the products or services provided 22 BTEC First ICT Practitioners End Program Document Microsoft Word Figure 5 8 The consequences of making a mistake by the organisation However these long serving staff may stumble when new technology is introduced and their methods of working are challenged Skills needed to use technology In many situations a higher level of skills is needed in the workplace than ever before The transition from typewriter and filing cabinets to word processors and computerised databases has meant that a higher x and broader level of intellectual skills is needed In addition the consequences of making mistakes have The system cannot end this program because it is waiting increased Figure 5 8 for a response from you
29. es the viewers to a new spice or special ingredient such as an exotic fruit supermarkets need to be ready to meet the demand for that product or risk losing out on sales and on the loyalty of the existing customer base Many consumers also expect more personalised attention from retailers Such discriminating consumers lead to discriminating retailers who then in turn impose new demands on domestic and international suppliers Further research changing expectations Visit the websites of at least two leading supermarkets and find out what efforts they make to meet the changing expectations of their shoppers Investigate what is happening in the food industry about labelling of food Pace of change There was a time when managers could have an annual weekend away planning for next year s new products Nowadays change happens so quickly that managers need to be prepared to make plans that can be changed if and when circumstances change a J it mean Organisations need to make links with suppliers that not only involve discussions about how the supplier will provide the products or services needed and how much money will be exchanged but also how the R amp D stands for research and products might be improved Cooperation between supplier and development consumer means that each is more aware than before of the lead times CAD CAM stands for for development of new and innovative designs computer aided design IC
30. f email through the television set This blurring and merging of technologies is set to continue Further research accessing email Investigate the different ways you could access your emails through a TV a mobile phone or your PC Contrast and compare these methods Workforce trends More and more people need to understand how to use and exploit information and communications technologies In January 2006 it was estimated that for the UK E more than 150 000 new entrants into the specialist IT workforce will be required each year at least up to 2015 20 million people need routinely to use IT in their work Other visible trends include changes in the working environment discussed on the next page and outsourcing of work where particular parts of the work of organisations are placed in the hands of specialised 30 BTEC First ICT Practitioners What does ex it mean Ergonomics is the study of the interaction between people and machines companies Sometimes as is often in the case with call centres these are based abroad The main drivers for outsourcing are reducing costs and increasing efficiency In general terms there is a need for greater returns on IT investment and individuals need deeper and broader sets of skills Training and the willingness to accept re training therefore becomes important for everyone who hopes to play an active role in the workforce of the future Furthe
31. f the Internet e g email and company web pages but is accessible only within an organisation E Memos are used to inform others of information such as a change to the starting time for a meeting Memos are sent from one person but may be addressed to several Memos are not used for recording important decisions these will be found in minutes of meetings but they are a valuable alternative to telephoning a colleague or walking to their desk to tell them something Speed accuracy and costs are always important to an organisation so ways of using ICT to improve efficiency are always sought m It may not be appropriate to send a letter to a member of staff electronically because a hard copy may be needed as evidence for example a signed contract of employment E Newsletters could well be provided electronically For organisations with an intranet the newsletter could be made available online to all staff and an email sent to say that the latest issue is now available E Memos are almost a thing of the past Email and intranets are often the cheapest and quickest ways of communicating with colleagues The opportunities that ICT offers therefore often make intranets and email the first choice of communication for most organisations An internal network of computers may be set up to allow sharing of resources such as data and printers Such a network may be provided with an intranet that offers similar facilities to the Inter
32. gn of the chair you sit on the height of your desk and the angle of your computer screen Figure 5 11 A poor arrangement can have disastrous effects on the back and neck eyes and wrists The ergonomics of the workplace can therefore have a great impact on staff and the removal of hazards can significantly reduce risk of injury Organisations need to ensure their office environment is both safe and reasonably comfortable Typical questions include E Is there sufficient good light Overhead lighting needs to be satisfactory Low frequency fluorescent strip lighting causes flicker and visual disturbances on computer screens and should be avoided oe Figure 5 11 Sitti fortabl m Is there adequate ventilation Is it a awe poe ene comfortable temperature People work best if they are not too hot or too cold The ideal temperature is around 21 C People should not have to sit close to radiators to keep warm or to doors to keep cool Air conditioning systems can also control the humidity which can adversely affect both workers and the equipment E Are the noise levels bearable Background noise can distract workers This can be reduced by having quiet floor coverings also screens or partitions placed strategically in open plan offices can muffle sounds The computer equipment can sometimes be too noisy and this also adds to stress levels it mean The increasing pace of change has caused the creation of new medi
33. he end of this chapter will guide you through activities that will helo you to be successful in this unit Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations The ways in which organisations use ICT This unit is primarily concerned with how ICT is used to support organisations This section looks at the various ways that organisations use ICT to handle information As in the specification this is divided into four key areas though these often overlap E presentation of information both promotional literature and technical documentation manipulation of information so that data can be interpreted trends identified and forecasts and budgets created as an aid to decision making E communication of information both internal and external E management of information i e the storage of data and the use of online services such as banking and shopping Presentation of information Organisations may use ICT to present information to a variety of audiences such as clients staff and competitors E Promotional material will be produced to market the organisation to show off its products and services to potential clients This may include press releases and brochures or material presented on a website E Promotional material may also be produced to advertise the products or services that the organisation offers This may be in the form of advertisements in newspapers or magazines or radio or TV adverts Some organisations sell products through
34. her level qualification through distance learning People can be working and learning at the same time The range of options includes such things as E onsite training provided by an employer and customised to suit the individual s job needs part time study e g at evening classes or by day release full time study CD ROM training online web based learning It is important to consider the circumstances of the individual as well as what the employer needs and is willing to finance How flexible is the content of a course Can individuals pick and choose what they learn Can an employer specify what is to be covered or is it determined by some external examining or specialist body What does it cost to train an individual Does the delivery method make it expensive or cheap One on one training is labour intensive and very expensive Larger classes are less expensive but may not suit all learners How flexible is the course in terms of timing Can the course be delivered when the individual wants to learn How flexible is the course in terms of location Can the course be delivered wherever the individual wants to learn m What support is available to the learner from the tutor or other learners ICT delivery mechanisms For many traditional methods of learning could still be the best model But ICT offers other forms of learning that might be used instead For example self study of material provided on CD ROM
35. hey E typed each one at a time E typed one and then mail merged it with details about each account from a database Your answers will only be estimates but consider what impact these numbers have on the number of administrative staff employed and the levels of skills needed i Consider the advantages of having a customer database that stored lots of information about each customer their buying habits whether they had children what holidays they typically went on their ages etc Further research advantages resulting from a customer database Can you think of how you might use such information to target more carefully the letters that you could mail merge and send to them 26 BTEC First ICT Practitioners Legacy systems are those applications and ways of storing data that an organisation may want to use as part of an upgraded system but which were developed with languages hardware platforms or other technologies which are no longer current Trends In planning for future change it helps to look back and to identify trends in technological change Some that have been identified through research are discussed below standardisation software innovations wireless technologies and WIMP interfaces Standardisation When an organisation wants to upgrade an existing system to provide a better system for its staff and to meet market needs more closely a lot of effort may be needed to integrate the legac
36. hey need to learn in order to use ICT effectively m Describe the different ways in which individuals can develop their ICT skills m One way in which someone can develop their skills is by using an CT based learning package Compare this method of learning with traditional methods Index 42 BTEC First ICT Practitioners Note Page numbers in bold refer to key definitions accessibility of ICT 33 advertising 3 4 analysing data 8 9 appraisal interviews 36 assessment of need 36 automation 23 B2B Business to Business 13 B2C Business to Consumer 13 business espionage 15 CAD Computer Aided Design 13 CAM Computer Aided Manufacture 13 capacity increase in 23 5 carpal tunnel syndrome 31 changes affecting ICT use case studies 19 20 consumer expectations 17 internal factors 17 legislation 18 market needs 18 new technology 16 pace of change 17 see also trends communication emoticons 35 external 13 internal 11 12 wireless technologies 27 8 competitive intelligence 15 competitor information 14 15 complexity increase in 21 3 consumer expectations 17 data collection aiding decision making 10 11 data interpretation 7 9 data mining 27 Data Protection Act 18 data security 24 27 databases 13 14 27 decision making 10 11 desktop publishing DTP 4 e learning 37 8 email 12 13 29 30 35 emoticons 35 ergonomics 30 2 ERNIE Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipmen
37. ids for takeovers etc E Job advertisements may provide insights into what a competitor is planning to do e g open new offices or expand operations overseas Any data that is collected even informal gossip should be stored in a database for ease of retrieval However care should be taken not to infringe copyright It is illegal for example to scan many types of document such as press clippings There are both ethical and unethical methods by which competitive intelligence is obtained To collect sample job advertisements is acceptable but to send someone to apply for such a post just to find out insider information is not ethical Spying or business espionage hoping to find titbits of information by going through an organisation s waste bins is highly unethical and may be criminal There are organisations offering an ethical service in the area of competitor activity analysis which may be of use to a company Such organisations evaluate your competitors marketing activity identifying opportunities and threats to your business which then enables you to take appropriate action i Do a search on competitive intelligence to find more about how an organisation might glean information on its competitors q i Further research competitive intelligence Online services Many organisations make good use of online services to increase opportunities for trade by doing the following E Giving prosp
38. il together with the possible impact each might have Structure your response E Explore new ways of doing business E Grow the business without taking on any more staff Activities on the case study 1 Explain to George in what ways the shop could use ICT and possible internal and external factors that could force them to use it Include examples of what each way could be Make sure you include at least one example each of the following ways of using ICT E presenting information E manipulating information E managing information E communicating with ICT Discuss this with other students Between you try to identify and describe in detail the three most important immediate changes that you would recommend for each one describe the benefits as well as the possible disadvantages In a group prepare for a meeting with the company by identifying and listing all of the different ways that using ICT can affect the working environment of any organisation Identify three ways in particular that could have a negative impact and for each one describe how you could ensure that this negative impact is reduced or eliminated George is impressed by your arguments but is a little reluctant It is important that he understands what the impact of these changes might be and how it might affect the shop and the people working in it From the list you provide for Activity 3 pick out the four ways that might be particularly releva
39. ing to the five tasks Task 1 P1 P2 M1 D1 This task looks at how organisations are affected by ICT and how they use technology to meet their business objectives Describe in general how organisations use ICT You should write something under each of these headings E Presentation E Manipulation of information E Communication E Managing information Explain the reasons why organisations use ICT You should include at least two internal factors and at least two external factors Choose one particular organisation It could be in the real world or could be presented to you as a case study Investigate how it uses ICT and explain why it uses ICT in the way it does To work towards a Distinction you should do some more work on the use of ICT made by one particular organisation M You should suggest three changes that could be made in the way the organisation uses ICT You should outline the benefits of each change that you propose If there are any disadvantages then list those as well Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 41 4 Assessment tasks continued Task 2 P3 This task looks at the impact of ICT on individual workers You should think about people who use ICT to support their work rather than technical users such as system administrators or programmers You can discuss this in a general way but you also need to include at least one example of someone who works with ICT This person could be a real person you have
40. ireless form Find out about Bluetooth technology d WIMP interfaces The introduction of the WIMP environment has revolutionised the way people use PCs m The use of windows allows users to emulate a normal desk environment even with several tasks on the go at any one time because each can be visible through a separate window E Icons were introduced as a shorthand for functions and options These have become standard features with the same icons or very similar ones being used by all software vendors m Menus accessible via toolbars provide a route to all options The user does not need to memorise codes or a special language m The pointing device mouse tracker ball or joystick together with the different shapes and designs of the cursor indicate the type of action involved as the cursor moves across the screen An arrow might point at something you might click on grab handles show where you might need to use drag and drop Prior to the invention of the mouse all input was through the keyboard That was many years ago but even now in a WIMP environment power users tend to use the keyboard to give instructions Further research cursor designs Investigate the different designs of cursor displayed as you move the mouse in a software package such as Word Check that you know what each indicates Market leaders The design and production of software is costly Software develope
41. k and talk to teach Nowadays a teacher is expected to create worksheets using word processing software to prepare presentations using software such as PowerPoint and to use various other software packages during the teaching day They are also expected to incorporate new hardware such as a whiteboard into their delivery of the curriculum I Look at what technology is used in your place of work or learning What special training was needed and provided for the users of this technology Further research effects of technology Consider three jobs where technology has changed how people work What new training will they have needed Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 23 Technology replacing the work of individuals Some highly skilled and respected physical work is now routinely done by automated processes In publishing typesetting used to involve placing metal into frames to set up a page and it required years of experience to know how the finished printed page would look Now this work is done using software such as Quark and the old fashioned methods have all but disappeared E Inthe manufacturing industries tasks such as assembling and building cars are now done using robotics Some jobs that have been replaced were dirty or dangerous but people have been replaced by machines in other areas too m Even in areas like the medical profession some tasks are being automated As well as finding that som
42. l graphic images Investigate the graphical equivalent of the emoticons listed above How ICT can be used to improve skills and knowledge This unit has identified the significant impact that new technologies have on individuals working in organisations One thread that has run through all of this has been the increased pace of change and the resulting need for individuals to have up to date skills to perform effectively within an organisation This section considers how to assess the needs of individuals how training might be delivered and in particular the features of ICT as a delivery mechanism in learning programmes Assessment of need Without understanding the needs of individuals it is impossible to offer effective training and development opportunities There are a number of techniques that can help this process Most staff are subject to routine appraisal interviews These may be scheduled to take place annually or possibly more frequently At these interviews usually conducted by the manager of the individual past performance is discussed and consideration is given as to what training and development is necessary Typically these personal development plans are written down so that they can then be referred to at subsequent meetings This serves as a check on progress Future salary increases bonus payments or promotion prospects may be linked to the achievement of any targets set The individual may be asked to pe
43. mple line graphic images or diagrams E Brochures might incorporate full colour graphic images or photographs E Information may also be linked using hyperlinks on a website i Study the structure and layout of a computer user manual and then list examples of the different presentation techniques used Further research presentation techniques 6 BTEC First ICT Practitioners D J Case study Layout of a computer dictionary This is an extract from a computer dictionary subdirectories for other users e g read copy and write Field Part of a record structure for storing a particular data item File server The computer which contains the network software Field length The number of characters in a field Gaming Using software to model a situation for the purpose of a game e g modelling a forest where treasure must be found Field type Classification of the type of data in a field part of a record File protection A facility offered on most LANs s aoe Graphic user interface An operating system or an to enable users to set rights to their files and p P 9 SY addition to the operating system Note that the layout is quite boring However it does not need to be anything else as readers will only dip into the dictionary when they need to find a particular meaning for a word There is just enough line spacing between entries so that readers can see where one entry finishes and the next begins
44. nd many other incentives Many of these are discussed in the next section in which the impact of ICT on both individuals and organisations is considered Additional changes that may impact on ICT use Things that are changing Possible impact on the way ICT is used Managers need more detailed information to make Gleesons could decide to invest in a database decisions about which publications to promote system that stores sales information and produces regular reports to managers New forms and systems are introduced internally An intranet could be created and the new forms and it is important that all staff use them be placed in a folder that everyone in the company can access The Quality Control department has indicated that Style sheets could be created and stored on the the materials must all be produced to common intranet Emails could be sent to all staff indicating standards that they must use these new style sheets For each of the three examples above choose which of the following types of internal factors is being described E increasing cost effectiveness E improving quality control procedures E getting better information in order to make better decisions Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations Understand the impact of ICT on individuals and organisations In trying to understand the impact of ICT on individuals and organisations it is useful to consider a variety of aspects m Technological change
45. net and often allows staff to link to sites on it However it is available only to people inside an organisation no one outside the organisation should be able to access its information Apart from dissemination of communications such as newsletters an intranet might be used to provide information such as staff telephone numbers menus for the staff canteen and training courses available to staff Further research intranets What other information might be stored on an intranet Nowadays email is used extensively to send messages between individuals It is easy to set up distribution lists or email groups these might include everyone in one department or everyone in the company Using distribution lists messages can very quickly be sent to large groups of people Further research setting up distribution lists Make sure that you know how to set up a distribution list using your email software Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 13 External communication ICT is used by organisations to communicate externally in a number of ways m Websites are used to present customers with information about the organisation s activities or products Websites also often allow customers to purchase products or services online m Desktop publishing packages are used to produce leaflets that are then sent by standard mail to potential customers p SER m Word processors are used to produce individual letters that are post
46. ns the information should be easier to interpret Check how easy it is now to answer the four questions posed in the case study on the previous page Table 5 4 shows total yoghurt sales for the last 8 years Convert the information to graphical format and use it to predict what the sales of yoghurts will be in 2006 If you would like a real challenge E Consider how reliable the estimate of sales that you made might be identify what factors might influence the changes in sales E Find out about the use of moving averages to smooth out the changes in the sales for each of the types of yoghurt this may help you to predict the sales in 2006 Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 9 E Strawberry m Chery o Mango Spring Surnmer Autumn Winter Figure 5 3 Bar chart showing how the sales of yoghurt change by season for both years Year Strawberry Cherry Mango x 1000 x 1000 x 1000 1998 178 105 0 1999 183 100 0 2000 200 96 0 2001 160 94 35 2002 135 95 52 2003 120 90 56 2004 114 Ui 53 2005 112 69 56 Table 5 4 Total yoghurt sales for 8 years Sometimes manipulation might mean changing the information to show something that is not true or maybe emphasising something in an exaggerated way that misleads the reader Hence you should be sure that what you are doing to the data does not lead to false conclusions 10 BTEC First ICT Practitioners J Case study
47. nt to Peterson s Music Describe carefully by describing the impact on both the shop s capacity to do work faster more efficient etc as well as the impact on the complexity of the job and what this might mean in terms of retraining Create an actions list that will help the organisation do the things it needs to do in terms of making the working environment of the shop safe and healthy Research what new technologies emerging now or that might emerge in the next five years could have an influence on the way that music shops operate or what products they might want to sell Identifying future trends is quite difficult and different people may have quite different ideas about what changes will take place Make a list of potential new skills that George Nell and Neil need to acquire and for each one identify possible ways that they might learn these new skills Assume that Neil will be responsible for maintaining the hardware and software systems Assuming that George has no ICT skills make recommendations to him about the best types of learning programme for him also note the benefits and disadvantages of each type of learning You may need to research in more detail the courses and training available locally and their typical student intake Neil does have some ICT skills because he followed various ICT courses as part of his HND in Business Create a questionnaire that he can use to help clarify what his exis
48. of information Most organisations collect and hold very large quantities of information z fh it mean For example a supermarket collects information about the products they sell how many are in stock how much they cost the selling price who Manipulation of supplies them etc This allows the supermarket to measure among other information means things the sales of different products over time processing data for a Supermarkets and many other organisations also collect information particular purpose about their customers e g their typical age their buying preferences names and addresses i What other information might supermarkets store Further research collection and storage of information Other organisations need to store different information Identify another type of organisation near you and list the information it may store Interpreting data Data is often collected as a series of numbers e g sales data banking transactions attendance records or performance figures Organisations need to manipulate the information they hold in order to understand it better to communicate or to make good decisions In many situations although the information is available it may not be easy for an individual to interpret it for example it may not be obvious what the key points and issues are until the data is analysed and manipulated and presented in a more understandable way So to help people
49. on the network of computers m Hard copies of data can be easily provided e g listing names of people in a department with their telephone numbers E Interrogating the database will answer questions quickly and easily For example finding out which staff have been in the company for more than 10 years e g to give them a long service award is a simple activity on a database ca Test your knowledge Lil Find out or guess what other information about their staff an organisation might want to store Identify what other activities or reports organisations might want to extract from the staff database in Figure 5 7 Identify some databases that organisations might choose to put on a website for their customers to access directly Competitor details Knowing what competitors are doing or planning to do is essential information for any organisation An organisation s website can provide an overview of its operations So for example if your organisation was trying to decide on new market Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 15 opportunities you might do some research on the Internet to find out what other organisations provide the product or service you plan to develop There are other legitimate sources of information about competitor activity E Companies House retains information about trading performance E Financial newspapers provide statistics about share movements plus news and gossip about possible b
50. r research outsourcing Research the Internet to discover where call centres tend to be located Which countries are benefiting from the decision to outsource this form of support Working environment_ The typical working environment has changed and continues to change The daily routine for many members of staff is now based on the use of a computer The evolution of the human body has not however prepared workers for such work and it is important that any negative impacts are compensated for or eliminated as much as possible This section looks at the many issues related to the working environment m How can a workspace be designed to suit the individual worker m What steps can be taken to identify and minimise risk to health and safety m What steps can be taken to reduce the risk of loss of data within the workplace m How can access to ICT benefits be improved for those with special needs such as mobility problems or sight impairment m What are the pros and cons of working from home m How can ICT based information sources be made available to all those who need them Em How are electronic communication methods such as email changing the way that staff communicate Ergonomics Ergonomics is an area of study that has gained prominence in recent times in the design of workspaces providing safe and comfortable conditions for computer users Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 31 It includes the desi
51. resent information in graphical formats such as charts and diagrams or as tables or reports Each application has particular strengths and possibilities So before starting to use ICT you need to decide which application should provide the best tools for the situation and is most appropriate for the information you want to present Knowing the purpose of a communication or document is essential This allows you to choose the best ways of presenting the information and thus the best way of using ICT You also need to have a clear idea of the possible audience and such things as their interest in the information you are presenting to them Sometimes these distinctions can become blurred A job description is a technical piece of information that needs to set out clearly the details about a job however it may also be used to promote the company as an employer to prospective staff Figure 5 1 shows an advertisement for a new mobile phone It serves several purposes E It attracts attention This is increasingly difficult to do because we are surrounded by images information and advertising E It informs the reader of the key benefits of this particular mobile phone The software most appropriate to produce this type of advertisement is desktop publishing DTP This allows production and importation of high quality graphical images mixed with text of various point sizes colours and styles of fonts Unlike word processing software
52. rform a self assessment activity prior to such an appraisal meeting This is intended to identify strengths and weaknesses and thus to highlight development needs The assessment will probably be partly based on the needs of the job as stated in the job description but should also be documented as a personal development plan Further research skills requirements Use the Internet to identify a job that you might consider applying for Look at the job description and make a list of what skills you already have and what skills you would need to develop before you might be considered for the post J Delivery mechanisms Fifty years ago people learnt new skills in two main ways they could serve a form of apprenticeship learning how to do their job by observing Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 37 and working with experienced colleagues or they could attend formal classes at schools colleges or universities to gain relevant qualifications and then take a job For some people there was a mixture of the two say with one day a week in college while learning on the job In the last 50 years the way the workforce is trained has undergone many changes not least due to the option to use ICT as part of the delivery E As the traditional apprentices disappeared with the jobs tool making for example modern apprenticeships have taken their place E Open University courses also offer the chance to gain a hig
53. rs need to be sure of a market before committing large amounts of time and expense to research and development In recent years there have been mergers between large software manufacturers reducing the amount of competition in the market In one way this is bad news costs of software are high and there may be few alternatives available The good news is that if you know how to use one product it will be relatively easy to learn how to use other products supplied by the same software developer Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 29 i Further research takeovers and mergers of software manufacturers I Check the trade press and the Internet to learn about recent takeovers and mergers of software manufacturers In companies that develop and manufacture hardware research is very costly and so the number of players has dropped leaving only those that are established in the market and trusted by the client base Further research hardware manufacturers Use the Internet to identify major players in the development of one particular hardware device e g printer scanner or DVD drive How do these organisations retain their market share Future trends It is difficult to predict future trends However there are likely to be increasing connections between different technologies Many people now use computers to listen to radio and music CDs or to watch DVDs and some Internet providers allow the sending o
54. s a family firm and has one large shop in the high Their current range of goods includes CDs music street It started selling records and sheet music in the books and a limited range of musical instruments 1960s and grew very rapidly in its first 20 years Profits mostly keyboards and cheap guitars They have a and turnover were quite stable in the 1990s but are number of regular customers whom they know by now beginning to fall sight The original owner of the shop George has a daughter Neil and Nell had a discussion with their father and and a son who want to stay in the music business but came up with the following new objectives for the realise that the shop at the moment could not support business them both Neil is 22 and has just completed an HND in Business Nell is 20 and plays keyboard in a local group she is following a part time IT degree They have both always worked in the shop at busy times E Establish a base of known regular customers and keep them committed to buying from Peterson s E Increase the number of new customers visiting the Mr Peterson employs a part time book keeper who shop keeps the accounts The book keeper uses Sage an E Use ICT to make sure the shop is run efficiently accounts package on a standalone machine Neil E Increase profits so as to be able to support all of and Nell share another family PC which they have the family Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 39 these in more deta
55. t 24 external communication 13 future changes planning for 26 30 hardware market leaders 30 hazards 32 HCI human computer interface 33 health and safety identifying hazards 32 3 long term use of ICT 33 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 32 home working 34 hot desking 34 Human Resources HR 6 collection of 7 10 11 competitor 14 15 managing 13 15 manipulation of 7 11 presentation of 3 7 storage of 7 14 ways of accessing 34 5 interfaces 28 33 internal communication 11 12 Internet access 15 35 interpreting data 7 9 intranets 12 loyalty cards 18 managing information 13 15 manipulation of information 7 11 market leaders reduction of 29 30 marketing 3 memos 12 new technologies exploiting 16 increasing complexity 21 3 wireless 27 newsletters 11 skills improved using ICT 36 8 rapidly changing 21 3 see also training software market leaders 29 30 online learning 37 8 online services 15 outsourcing 29 30 special needs workforce access to ICT 33 standardisation of IT products 26 storing information 14 supplier expectations 17 personal development plans 36 platforms choosing between 26 Premium Bonds 24 presentation of information 3 6 privacy issues 27 technological change pace of 16 21 2 technological skills 22 technostress 31 training acceptance of on going 30 changes in methods of 36 7 in new technology 23 range of options 37 using ICT to deliver
56. t tickets through the post How long will it be before paperbacks and hardbacks become a thing of the past with books being read off a palmtop Further research new technologies Think of other new technologies such as CDs and DVDs and how they have changed the way organisations communicate information to a client base Search the Internet for examples of new and emerging technologies such as IRIS technology How might the use of biometric data transform air travel Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 17 Consumer expectations There is a saying Consumer is king Historically the consumer is seen as king in both international trade and business management Personal preferences play a pivotal role and in business circles consumer preferences are recognised as a driving force in the economy Consumer values should be used to inform any business decision simply because consumer expenditure determines whether a business will survive Nowadays consumers are increasingly well informed They are also vocal and discriminating and make demands on suppliers In the food industry for example many consumers expect and demand specific food product attributes They show concern for food safety and nutrition and expect foods to be properly labelled Wealthy educated and ethnically diverse consumers expect to enjoy access to food products across the international marketplace If a cookery programme for example introduc
57. ting skills are and what gaps he has 40 BTEC First ICT Practitioners J 4 Assessment tasks The assessment tasks in this unit are based on the following scenario 3 Star Fitwear is a medium sized business that manufactures and distributes sports clothing The new manager knows that the company could make much better use of ICT He is ambitious and wants the business to sell more goods and make a larger profit In order to do that he believes that he should encourage all his employees to improve their skills and that they should work in a pleasant and productive environment You have been taken on as a consultant to guide the company through the changes ahead This will involve you in doing some research about other companies You should report on how they use ICT and the impact it has on individual workers and the organisation as a whole To obtain a Distinction in this unit you will need to achieve all the Pass Merit and Distinction criteria in the unit and have evidence to show that you have achieved each one How do provide assessment evidence Your evidence can be presented in any suitable form such as written reports presentations web based or verbal explanations If you make a presentation include speaker s notes and print off both slides and notes All your evidence should all be presented in one folder which should have a front cover and a contents page You should divide the evidence into five sections correspond
58. understand data better it could be summarised and trends identified by the following E Sales data can be analysed according to time sales this week compared with the same week last year or by salesperson to identify who is the most successful or to calculate bonuses E Banking transactions can be used to identify closing balances on a daily basis to work out charges for interest on overdrafts and to update monies owed or owing on sales and purchase ledger accounts E Attendance records might be added to check whether a member of staff is entitled to sick pay E Performance figures might be used to fine tune a mix of ingredients on a production line 8 BTEC First ICT Practitioners ID Case study Interpreting data Table 5 1 shows some information about the sales of three different flavours of yoghurt over a two year Spring 23 000 14 000 6 000 period Summer 35 000 21 000 14 000 E Which yoghurt was the best seller over the two years Autumn 38 000 23 000 26 000 E Which yoghurt has increased sales over the two Winter 18 000 19 000 7 000 years E Which yoghurt increases its sales most during the Year 2005 Strawberry Cherry Mango summer months E What is the overall trend in yoghurt sales over the Spring UE 10 000 5 000 two years Summer 87 000 18 000 19 000 Autumn 89 000 20 000 25 000 Winter 15 000 21 000 7 000 Table 5 1 Yoghurt sales data If you are good at interpreting tables of numerical data you ma
59. ved using ICT Sometimes the introduction of new legislation forces organisations to use ICT differently One example is the Data Protection Act which forced all organisations to reconsider what information was stored about individuals and how using ICT that information could be checked and accessed by those individuals J 5 Case study Unit 5 ICT Supporting Organisations 19 Additional ways that organisations may exploit ICT Gleesons is a publishing firm that has produced novels textbooks and other written materials for 30 years They are subject to changing conditions in the environment in which they operate and this is making them think carefully about the need to use ICT and the impact of ICT on their internal communications Listed below are some of the things that are changing and how each might change the Things that are changing Customers are changing their expectations of how they want to access the publications Printing companies expect text to be sent to them as electronic files instead of on paper to make the whole process faster and cheaper Writers expect to work at home or in different locations but still expect continual feedback as the books are being written A new company has started up and is selling a similar range of publications at cut price Suppliers have purchased new publishing technology such as cheaper colour printers that can reproduce high quality images cheaply Customers
60. y find that you can answer these questions without using ICT However in real life the tables would be much larger so using ICT to manipulate or process this information will make the job easier and faster The data can be analysed so quickly that you can also experiment with lots of different layouts and styles to find the one that best suits your purpose Choosing an appropriate presentational style is important the information is more likely to be of value to us if it informs us better Numerical data can be manipulated by organising it in different ways in new tables and by using formulas to summarise it You can also use different presentational techniques such as graphs to increase clarity The information in Tables 5 2 and 5 3 and the charts in Figure 5 2 are all taken from the information in Table 5 1 ME E 2004 114 000 77 000 53 000 Spring 43 000 36 000 2005 112 000 69 000 56 000 Summer 70 000 74 000 Total 226 000 146 000 109 000 Autumn 87 000 84 000 Table 5 2 Yoghurt sales by total and year Winter 44 000 43 000 Total 244 000 237 000 Table 5 3 Total sales in each season and for both years 120 000 100 000 80 000 2004 m2005 60 000 40 000 20 000 0 Strawberry Cherry Mango Figure 5 2 Bar chart showing total sales of each type of yoghurt over two years p Case study Re interpreting the sales data With the benefit of these manipulations and graphical presentatio
61. y systems with new IT systems Because technology has moved on it can prove too difficult to integrate new systems with the legacy systems Instead a completely new system may need to be installed which is both time consuming and expensive To cope with the issue of upgradeability many hardware and software suppliers are aiming for standardisation i e making sure that their products work with other products This allows organisations to upgrade rather than replace complete systems Organisations planning an upgrade will naturally try to choose hardware and software that fits in with what they already have and promises to fit in with future developments The platform on which an ICT system rests is the most important decision After years of there being a variety of vendors the choice now falls mainly between Apple Mac and Windows environments Having made that decision an organisation is then limited in subsequent decision making Some suppliers of hardware and software prefer for their products not to work with others They seek domination in their particular field If such a supplier can capture a market this tactic works but it can be risky Unless you are a very large company with a large existing customer base such an approach could well result in your product being sidelined regardless of how brilliant an invention it might be Some software vendors recognise the importance of the platform Mac or Windows or others and dev
62. yboard can give muscles a chance to relax Because of this staff should be encouraged to take regular breaks from using the computer Monitors should be adjustable They should be fitted with filter screens if glare is a problem E Desks and floor space should be free from hazards such as trailing cables m Procedures should be adopted so that computer users do not tamper with any electrical equipment or consume food or drink while working at the computer in case of spillages Further research ergonomics and health Working with a friend focusing on where ICT is being used assess the ergonomics of your workspace at your centre of learning or place of work Make notes on how this might be improved On your own assess the ergonomics of your ICT workspace at home Make notes on how this might be improved For an organisation of your choice assess the ergonomics of the workplace used for ICT Write your findings and recommendations in a report Find out more about carpe tunnel syndrome Health and safety Because of hazards in the workplace staff face a variety of risks to their personal health and safety during their normal working day The basis of health and safety law in Britain is covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Act sets out the general duties that employers have towards staff and members of the public It also explains the duties that staff have for their own health and safety an

BTEC_1st ICT Unit 5.indd - Pearson Schools and FE Colleges

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