13.4 Information and Data

Classifications of Information

There are many ways in which information can be classified, this can be according to:

The source The nature The level The time The frequency The use The form The type

The Source of the Information

Internal: Staff rotas Customer credit limits Details of overdue accounts Forecast of next year’s profit.

External: Marketing information from a questionnaire sent to all customers Budget information on changes to the tax system. Details of the Data Protection Act

Primary – filled in directlySecondary – transferred from one source to another.

Source document – brings information into an organisation.

The Nature of the Information Quantitative

Can be measured in numerical terms Qualitative

Tends to be concerned with opinions Formal

Formal procedures Eg, computerised information systems/videoconferencing/formal letters, minutes/memos, intranet etc

InformalFace to face/Telephone conversations/Reading newspapers/Listening to radio & television/Internet (forget quickly)

The Level of Information Strategic Information

Senior Managers – historical, environmental and local information may be used to built computer models, which help to forecast future changes or needs.

Tactical InformationMiddle Managers need to know how fast items move, how quickly stock can be replenished, how well a new product is selling, when store is most crowded. To help them management more effectively

Operational InformationRecord of daily events and transactions, employees pay, orders, invoices, payments and stock level. To enable day to day operation of the company.

The Time the Information Relates to

Historical Current Future

Frequency

Real timeproduced immediately when transactionData is processed eg credit card accepted/declined.

Regular intervalshourly, daily, weekly, monthly?eg amount outstanding on credit card.

The Use

Planning Control Decision Making

The Form

Written Visual Oral

The Type of Information

Detailed/DisaggregatedSplitting up grouped data into more detail. (eg how successful is a particular product?) operational level

AggregatedTotals created when detailed info added together.

SampleRefers only to selected records

The Characteristics of Good Information

Relevant Accurate Complete Reliable To the right person At the right time In the right level of detail By an appropriate channel of communication Understandable by the user (presented effectively)

Good information is:

Ed Black runs his own business. He sets up management training courses for a wide range of organisations For each course that he runs he gathers information that helps him in the running of his business. He records the number of people attending each course, if the course was full, the number whom he was unable to accommodate, the amount paid by each course member and client satisfaction with the course together with any comments on how it could be improved.

Information Need

A level results – for class teacher

A level results – for head teacher

A level results – for the governors’ report

A level results – for the parents of prospective students

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5

A table showing the number of each grade in each subject

Text report in alphabetical surname order of all students in all subjects.

Text report of students’ results ordered by subject.

A table showing the percentage of each grade in each subject.

A pie chart showing the percentage of each grade in each subject.

Which is the most effective method of presentation?

The information is now to be presented to different people: The owner of the car showroom The sales manager The sales staff themselves. For each of these people suggest, giving reasons, a suitable but

different way of presenting the information. Include the format and the content in your answer (9 marks)

A car showroom has three sales staff who have recorded the following sales of cars.

Salesperson Week beginning May 4th

Week beginning May 11th

Week beginning May 18th

Week beginning May 25th

Week beginning June 2nd

David Garner 12 18 9 17 5

Sarah Jennings 21 14 19 On holiday On holiday

Roger Mallinson 13 On holiday 4 2 6

Format Content Reason

The owner of the car showroom

Information aggregated to show total car sales in a line graph

Total car sales for each week

So the owner can see week by week how well the showroom is performing

The sales manager A pie chart showing total sales for each salesperson

Total sales for each salesperson

So that the manager can see the relative sales

The sales staff A table showing their sales

Their own sales week by week

Eg so they know what commission is due