DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICE
Information is important and indispensable to the life of human being. Transmission, recording or memory and processing of information are three essential processes of information. Things that were once done manually or by hand have now become computerized operating systems, which simply require a single click of a mouse to get a task completed.
With the aid of IT we are not only able to stream line our business processes but we are also able to get constant information in 'real time' that is up to the minute and up to date.
Real-time means “ in one go ” Real-time information processing is related to computer systems that update information as the same time as they receive data. In this system the data is always up-to-date as data is updated as soon as it is being received.
REAL-TI ME DATA PROCESSING IS USED IN:
Payroll
Reservation ( e.g. hotel booking )
Stock control
Administration ( e.g. in hospital )
Retailing point of sale
Ordering and billing system ( e.g. mail order )
Data logging
Traffic control
Networks
Electronic mail
The world is advancing day by day in technology and the people’s are getting much more busier, as a result “ Real-Time Information Processing ” was much needed and now in this 21st century this service is very much useful.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This service is for the users of computers. They are the main beneficiary from this service. Use ness of this service for commercial, technical, educational and in other sectors, not only the company/organization are benefited, everyone on those company/organization using this service are benefited.
For the following purpose and people this service is useful:
This service can be used for commercial data processing, which will ensure faster service to their customers and data is always up-to date. It is easy to control the business by the managers using this service.
Hospital can use this service for medical diagnosis. Here sensors are used and the data is frequently updated and it compare the reading with the programmed reading. If there any difference from the programmed reading is detected then the system automatically raise the alarm by sound and/or flashing light.
This service can be used in industrial process and transport control.
Nowadays Civil Engineers use this service for calculation.
Libraries with huge book collection can use this service.
This service is used for traffic control. This service gives frequent information about the flow of traffic and according to the information the central computer lights up green or red light.
This service is used mailing order and also by the people for hotel or airline ticket bookings.
EXAMPLE
In “Description of the service” I listed the sectors in which this system is used. Here I would give detail example of some of the sector in which real-time Information processing is used:
Super market
The computer application examined here is customer and management services for a branch of supermarket chain equipped with point-of-sale linked to a central mainframe computer. The services include stock control, cash records and customer till receipt.
The system has information stored on three files.
“The stock file” contains product reference number, product description, quantity in stock, re-order level and price. “The till file” contains date, start time, till number, cashier number, float, cash sales and check sales for each till. Each cahier change generates a new record. Third file is “Re-order file”, it contains product reference number, supplier name and supplier address.
Information is always up-to-date. If information in one file changes then the related information on the other files immediately changes.
When a customer buys something, the product is scanned in point-of-sale, the computer matches the product with it’s stored information and them an itemized receipt is produced. As soon as the product is sold, immediate change occurs in Stock File and at the same time sell information is recorded in till file. If the product crosses the re-order level, the stock file send a message to the Re-order file, which then with the product reference number send an order to it’s supplier in “Real Time”. Therefore, because of the use of real time information processing in supermarket, product sale and transaction information are stored in the central computer as soon as the product is sell. And also most importantly the supermarket can automatically re-order a product before it is out of stock.
Benefits of using this Real-time information processing:
service is faster to the customers.
Accurate itemized bill to the customers.
Better cash control.
Automatic order is made as soon as a certain product reaches re-order level.
Industrial process control
Computers can be found in controlling process industries such as chemical plants, paper mills, brick walls, oil refineries, where raw materials are processed into finished goods.
During the conversion process the computer monitors and control such variables as pressure, temperature, rate of flow etc. control has to be fast and accurate and in these large scale process systems hundreds of sensors and activators are used, a task which would be humanly impossible to monitor.
Computer control offers the following benefits to process manufacturers:
sound alarm and if necessary shut off the process.
Monitor and maintain quality control.
Keep the record of the process – so that machine performance can be assessed. This helps planned maintenance and replacement decisions.
Provide the optimum output at the lowest price.
Data logging and alarm system
These systems are usually used in the hospitals to monitor ( log ) a person’s health. A patient monitoring system in a hospital constantly measures blood pressure, temperature, brain activity etc. This how the system works:
Many sophisticated sensors are used in this system, sensors take several readings in every minute and compared with figures that the doctor has programmed in as normal or acceptable. If any of the sensors input is too high or low, the computer can raise the alarm by sound and/or flashing light to get the nurse’s or doctor’s attention. The computer can store data on backing store for analysis and produce summary information for the doctor.
Banks
Many banks now offer their customers a 24 hour per day on-line service. Most major branches of the bank provide an online terminal which is accessed form the street. All such terminals of a particular bank are connected directly to a large central computer.
Customers are issued with a plastic card which is encoded with a Personal Identification Number ( PIN ). To obtain the services via the terminals the customer must place the card in the special reader, which forms part of the terminal, and enter the number via the keypad.
This services offers the customers include:
Cash.
Print out of current balance.
Display of details of last 5 transaction.
Transfer of monies between different accounts held by the same customer.
Transport system control
Many roads in towns and cities nowadays use computer –controlled traffic light system . Traffic flows are detected by the sensors pad which are placed under the road. The data is then sent to the central computer where it is analyzed and used to build up a picture of the traffic flows. According to the analysis computer signals can then be output to the traffic lights.
ADVANTAGES
Some of the advantages of real-time information processing include:
* Information is always up-to-date.
* Information is accurate and reliable.
* Using this service verification and validation check can be done.
* In case of original data is lost or corrupted in any way, data can be recovered from backups if necessary.
*Globalization - we can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but we can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of information technology.
* Cost effectiveness – Real-Time Information Processing technology has helped to computerize * the business process thus streamlining businesses to make them extremely cost effective money making machines. This in turn increases productivity which ultimately gives rise to profits that means better pay and less strenuous working conditions.
* More time - IT has made it possible for businesses to be open 24 x7 all over the globe. This means that a business can be open anytime anywhere, making purchases from different countries easier and more convenient.
* Creation of new jobs - Computer programmers, Systems analyzers, Hardware and Software developers and Web designers are just some of the many new employment opportunities.
* Companies and business organization can provide faster service to their customer using this real-time information processing. They can also produce accurate itemized bill and the cash control is much more better than the manual information processing.
* Several information at different time interval can be recorded on computer which then can be used for analysis information and make reports.
* In supermarket, if stock level comes to a certain level called re-order level which is programmed on the system, then the computer can automatically order the product to the supplier of that product.
* In medical sector, this system is used to monitor person’s health. The system can raise alarm to get nurse’s attention in case of too high or low sensor inputs.
This system is used to control machines and processes. This provide optimum output at the lowest price. The system can also keep a record of the process. This helps planned maintenance and replacements decisions.
DISADVANTAGES
Some disadvantages of Real-Time Information Processing include:
* There is high possibility of the data lost or corruption, it can’t be found if there is no backup system.
* In the system where many computers are connected together, if one terminal/computer is virus effected, then it would spread to the whole system. This virus can damage or corrupt data’s.
* The introduction of this service is very expensive. Many small organizations/companies can’t afford to introduce this service.
* Maintenance cost is very high.
* Programmers have to be well paid and they are trained by the company.
* Unemployment - introduction of Real-Time information processing system may have streamlined the business process but it has also crated job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed.
* Privacy – this system also bought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge.
* Threat of Hackers- they try to hack important data. They can also change the data they have hacked.
FITNESS FOR PURPOSE
With the help of Real-Time information processing now we can book a hotel room, airline ticket etc. sitting in room. There is no need to give line for a long queue. So this service made our work easier, saved a lot of our valuable time. In every sector from commercial data processing to educational purposes this system is useful.
Enterprises are realizing that access to critical business information at the right time is crucial for maintaining competitive advantage. Without the availability of accurate, consistent and timely information, businesses cannot effectively respond to customer service demands, consistently rollout differentiating products, support inventory optimization efforts, rapidly on-board new systems or adhere to changes in information-centric regulations. To support such dynamic environments, enterprises are striving to evolve real-time enterprises.
A real-time information processing system ensures that information is always up to date and of the highest quality. Though there are some lacking ( e.g. in data privacy ) , but still this system is very much successful and fit for it’s purposes.
HOW THE SERVICE CAN BE IMPROVED?
Below the sectors are listed in which improvement is needed:
Good backup system should be there to protect data in case of lost or corruption.
Antivirus should be installed in the computers and it should be updated at regular intervals.
Government should provide loan with little interest for those who dream but can’t afford to use this service.
Government should provide security from the hackers.
Thos who lost the job would be replaced in another sector.
NON-ICT SOLUTION
* Work have to be done manually. There would be no computer work . Everything would be done by hands.
* Batch Processing. Information would be collected and then it would be up-dated by the employers.
Below the sectors are listed in which improvement is needed:
Good backup system should be there to protect data in case of lost or corruption.
Antivirus should be installed in the computers and it should be updated at regular intervals.
Government should provide loan with little interest for those who dream but can’t afford to use this service.
Government should provide security from the hackers.
Thos who lost the job would be replaced in another sector.
NON-ICT SOLUTION
* Work have to be done manually. There would be no computer work . Everything would be done by hands.
* Batch Processing. Information would be collected and then it would be up-dated by the employers.
