BS1904 Week 2 1

Computer Applications for Business (2)

Last Week» Established range of existing skills (including test)» Considered place of IT in Business» Discussed relevant packages

This week» Sources of Information – Intro to the Library» Establish terminology to describe what we do» Setting up your Windows environment» Written Communications» Introduction to spreadsheets» Introductory Excel practical

BS1904 Week 2 2

From Week 1 Attempts to form an advanced class:

» Insufficient people (6) had handed in a completed test » Most who did were pretty good and one almost perfect

– Best success was with tables and footer – A few simple things left undone (did you read the spec?)– Nobody used fields well– Microsoft has hidden the “different odd and even” too well

» Looks as if we’ll all have to go at a compromise speed

I plotted your confidence with various applications and compared it with the class of 2000

Finally, we’ll pick up the few things that got squeezed out

BS1904 Week 2 3

Student Confidence in 2000

Database

Spreadsheet

Electronic Mail

WWW Browser

Graphics/Drawing

Word Processor ConfidentVery Confident

Not Confident

BS1904 Week 2 4

Student Confidence in 2008

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

www

Database

Spreadsheet

Word processing

Very Confident

Confident

BS1904 Week 2 5

Summary: Computers in Business Production – the job is using the computer

» Example: check-out, order-entry

Automation – the computer does the job» Example: machine tools, telephone exchange

Management – computers control the business» Started with simple accounting, now involves complex

network of systems, usually centred on a database

Decision support – computers serving professionals» This is what you’re most likely to do with them,

using spreadsheets and project planning tools

BS1904 Week 2 6

Decision Support Systems To address questions like:

» How is the business doing?» “What happens if?”» Should we invest in X or Y?

Usually needs access to operational data» Ideally the real thing, not an out-of-date extract» Improves decisions, avoids time-wasting

Plus tools to manipulate the data» Spreadsheets to analyse the numbers» Word processor or graphics to present results» Project planner to schedule your proposal

We’ll use spreadsheets for this

BS1904 Week 2 7

Convincing People Major part of most Business activities

» Creating markets» Selling things» Getting the best out of staff» Encouraging change and innovation

Achieved by writing or presenting» Story must be logical and coherent

(even better if it’s right!)» Audience must respect person communicating» Communicator must understand audience

and adapt to its needs

BS1904 Week 2 8

Horses for Courses No one style is right for everything

» Most businesses have many prescribed styles» Different styles used for different purposes,

for example, in Winchester we have:– Definitive documents for validated degrees– Forms for justifying and hiring external speakers– Official minutes– Informal e-mails and intranet postings

The module assignment is practice at writing a specific kind of business report» Fairly typical of a business case in a real company» Ability to follow a prescribed style is a vital skill

BS1904 Week 2 9

Getting Business Information Formal sources

» Collected information (encyclopaedias, directories…)» Books on specific subjects – more detail» Learned Journals – specialized, fairly current» Magazines and newspapers – current, lower accuracy» Online databases (usually by subscription)» CD-ROM databases (e.g. Postcodes, Phone numbers)

Less controlled sources» Primarily the Internet – anyone can put anything there

– Cranks, iconoclasts, liberals, extremists…

» Also bulletin boards, computer conferences– Including Learning Network and moderated conferences on

information providers like MSN, CompuServe, AOL…

BS1904 Week 2 10

Information Sources at Winchester Library

» Reasonable stock of books, with on-line catalogue» Other publications available on inter-library loan» OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalogue)» On-line services like JStor (ask librarians)» Journals and periodicals – see Business School Guidelines» CD Server (on-line materials held at Winchester)» County Library has old newspapers on microfilm

Winchester web pages – Learning Network & Portal plus Business site at http://www.winchester.ac.uk/bm/

Internet Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, etc)» http://www.intute.ac.uk to search in Social Sciences

BS1904 Week 2 11

Accessing the Library When you’re away from campus, you can still get useful

information» Browse the catalogue and reserve & renew books» Use databases using an Athens password

Your turn:» Log on and get to the University Portal» Find the Library Catalogue» Use it to see if Jane Knight’s book is available» Is there anything about “Peopleware”?» Look for some databases

BS1904 Week 2 12

Beware of… Wikipedia

» Like any encyclopaedia, useful only as a starting point» But no protection against authors with an axe to grind» For example: News International staff keep sanitizing entries

relating to Rupert Murdoch» Follow links to more reliable sources» You’ll get hardly any credit for citing Wikipedia

Plagiarism» A very serious crime in the academic world» Means using other people’s ideas or words as your own» Tutors are pretty good at spotting it» We’ll cover what you need to do to avoid it» If you plagiarize in an assignment, you’ve failed it altogether

BS1904 Week 2 13

In the beginning... 21 June 1948: First stored-program computer ran (the

Manchester University “Baby”)» Program keyed directly into memory» Results displayed as dots on a CRT» When program finished, it stopped» Next machines used tape or card for I/O

By 1949, nearly all the basic parts of computer hardware were there» though in a very primitive state» But even now, computers are very dumb!

BS1904 Week 2 14

Data and Information We use the word Data describe the raw numbers and

characters that come into the machine, and for their representation inside it

The purpose of the computer is to turn this raw data into Information – something meaningful

Information can be numbers, pictures, sounds, graphs or programs – the underlying data is just a pattern of ones and zeros in memory or on disk

In business, we want to turn information into knowledge Remember:

» The data you’re working on has to be in memory» Memory is cleared when you switch off

BS1904 Week 2 15

ProcessorProcessorMemoryMemory

Disk StorageDisk StorageOther

long-term Storage

Other long-term Storage

1234567890-=QWERTYUIOP[]#ASDFGHJKL;’ZXCVBNM,./

Input (Data)

Output (Information)Bus

Modern Computer Architecture

Processor works on data in memory Other data flows through the bus

BS1904 Week 2 16

Relevant Topics Word Processing

» Setting up and using styles» Complex layouts» Simple desktop publishing

Spreadsheets » Modelling Business issues» Presenting data clearly» Selecting graphical displays

WWW Browser» Getting Internet information» Optimizing the use of search

engines Introduction to Databases

» Where they’re useful» How to set them up

Electronic Mail» How to make it work for you

Digital Imaging Project Planning

» Concept of critical path» Gantt and PERT charts

Internet publishing» Writing HTML

Producing and processing surveys

Unlikely to get hands-on experience with software for:» Accounting» Customer relationship mgt» Project Management

BS1904 Week 2 17

Practical Sessions We’d better agree some terms for what we see

» Terms aren’t needed to do the work, only to talk about it! » Examples from standard Windows XP Professional

Terminology:» Click means “press the left mouse button once”» Double-click means “press the left button twice”

(fairly quickly, and without moving the mouse in between)» Right-click means “press the right mouse button once”» Drag means “position the pointer over an object, then press

the left button and hold it down while you move the pointer to a target location”; the object will move too

BS1904 Week 2 18

The Windows XP Screen

Title Bar

Menu Bar

A window

Icon on Desktop

Start Button

Minimized Application

Task Bar

BS1904 Week 2 19

Three States of a Window

Minimizedreduced to an entry

on the Task Bar

Maximizedfilling the entire

screen

Windowedusing part of the screen

Click on icon_

Click on icon

Click on icon

Click on icon_

Or double-click the title bar

Click the entry to restore to

previous state

BS1904 Week 2 20

Windows Explorer The most useful tool on the system

» Gives you a view of how your files are arranged» Lets you open them » ..or rename, or delete, or move, or copy

Press Start, select All Programs, slide the pointer over Accessories, then over Windows Explorer and then click

Or use the short-cut» hold the Windows key down and press E (for Explorer)

When you open a file, Windows automatically picks the right application program for you: Word, Excel…

There’s no point in closing the Explorer Window – ever!

BS1904 Week 2 21

Setting up Explorer Press Folders button to get a tree view of the disk

Use View (or the button) to select “Details”

Sort by the column you want – I like latest files at the top

Next, tell Windows you’re grown up!» Pull down Tools; Select Folder Options, and the View tab» Uncheck “hide extensions for known file types” (this will prevent

many problems later, especially with web pages)

Press the button to make this your default

You can still get other views easily when you need them

BS1904 Week 2 22

Practicals: Source of materials We’ll usually get samples from the Learning Network or

http://www.winchester.ac.uk/bm/courses/samples/ You should create a folder for them in “My Documents”

» If your space is full, use a diskette or USB memory stick» Best not to create a folder on the C-drive,

as you’ll lose it all when you log off! Now create a BS1904 folder – my method is:

» Open Windows Explorer (just hold Windows key down and press E)

» In left pane of the Explorer window, click My Documents» Pull down File menu, slide down to New,

then across to Folder, then click» This creates a New folder, whose name you can overtype

BS1904 Week 2 23

Downloading Start a Web browser; Internet Explorer is easy –

just click on the on the Start Menu» Type in the URL (the address you’ve been given)» Right-click on the link to what you want, then use

File Save As to load the file to your chosen folder» For example, you could download

http://www2.winchester.ac.uk/bm/courses/BS1904/Practice.doc

Next go back to Windows Explorer to use the file» Don’t shut down Internet Explorer; you’ll need it again» Most files we give you will start if you double-click on them

(technically, you’re running the default method of the object)

BS1904 Week 2 24

Using Available Information Finding the information already covered

» Library for Books, Journals, databases» Learning Network & Portal for University-sourced information» Internet for fora and information of varying value –

be critical in your use of web information

Decide how to use it» Directly –

you must acknowledge all direct quotes» Indirectly –

credit the source of key ideas even if you don’t quote» To learn how to do something, or to clarify your thinking –

the only time you don’t need a citation/reference

BS1904 Week 2 25

Extracting the Information If it’s on paper, you can copy bits of it

» But only for private use and study, and not too much! » Up to a chapter of a book (or 5%), paper from journal

(Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988) Similarly, you can capture or print on-line information

» Not always easy on commercial services – may charge» Remember the originator still owns the copyright

Best thing is to add some value of your own» Pick out key points and make notes

Acknowledge your sources» Harvard style for references – full title in bibliography

Knight, Jane (1999) Computing for Business (Financial Times)– and at the point where you quote, put “Knight (1999)”

BS1904 Week 2 26

Written Presentation

Not just about facts – Need to engage reader’s: Interest

» Get your report read before others on the reader’s desk Respect

» Encourage reader to see you as bright and well-informed Understanding

» Make sure that the message the reader gets is the same as the one you meant to convey

» Express ideas as simply as possible, avoiding ambiguity Intuition (more of this later)

» Decision-taking is rarely purely logical and deductive» Successful executives often short-circuit the process

BS1904 Week 2 27

Engaging Interest Make it visually interesting

» Easy-to-read typeface– We learn to read with proportionally-spaced lower case– Then practise on printed books (typographical, mixed case)– TYPESCRIPT IS HARD TO READ, ESPECIALLY IN UPPER-CASE

– Underscoring: emphasising text by making it harder to read» Appropriate use of structure, emphasis and white space

– Headings, subheading, paragraphs, lists– Possibly multi-column, tables, sidebars

But not too fussy» You can have too many fonts

especially if they’re chosen from a range of typefaces» Too many columns, sidebars and other visual effects

BS1904 Week 2 28

Getting Respect from the Reader Don’t label yourself as unworthy of respect

» Factual errors – if x is wrong, why should I believe y?» Speling and gramatical mice-steaks» Greengrocer’s apostrophes

Avoiding howlers» Make a “reasonableness check” on what you’ve said

(are there enough potential customers available to support your sales forecast?)

» Look for wrong choice among homophones– their, there, they’re– principle, principal– Licence (n), license (v); practice (n), practise (v)

See Weiner, E (1983) Oxford Guide to English Usage

What are the US

spellings?

BS1904 Week 2 29

What’s wrong with this sentence?

Eric doesn’t like greengrocers’ apostrophe’s

BS1904 Week 2 30

Help from the Word-processor Spelling Checkers

» Grate, but wont report wear you use the wrong word» Not a substitute for proper proof-reading...» ...but excellent for remedying “finger trouble” at keyboard

Grammar Checkers» May help, but they still jump to wildly wrong conclusions» Use of the passive isn’t always bad» True parsing of natural speech still beyond PC software» Usually good for spotting clichés

Readability indexes – help you avoid over-complexity» Remember they’re very simple tools; counting words per

sentence, letters per word» The underlying concept may be harder than the English!

BS1904 Week 2 31

Structuring Documents A document has structure in order to:

» help get the message over» ease the reader’s job in understanding» enable the reader to save time» lessen ambiguity and misunderstanding» give perspective

You may chose to fill in the structural elements out of sequence» For example, Management Summary is often written last» Most word-processors can help, with Outlining tools

Primary requirement is to think about the reader» What might be her questions, objections, hot issues?

BS1904 Week 2 32

Letter Structure Letterhead (usually sender’s address, logo etc.) Date Addressee (name, role, address) Salutation (“Dear Sirs,” “Dear Mr Nerk” or even “Dear Fred”)

» Not “Dear Fred Nerk”» No, I don’t know how to deal with Ms/Miss/Mrs

(usually err on the side of Ms, because I’d rather it be traditionalists who get irritated, and marital state is none of my business)

» Subject, references etc. Body of the letter Closing (what Knight calls the complimentary close – “Yours

faithfully,” “Yours sincerely”)

BS1904 Week 2 33

Report Structure Front Matter

» Title Page» Edition information, Preface» Executive summary (the “right-brain stuff”)

Tell the board what you are recommending » Table of Contents (a doddle to make using Word)

Body» Logical Exposition, organized into chapters

Tell middle-managers why you came to your conclusion Back Matter

» Appendices (facts to back up your exposition)Show technical people how your plan makes sense

» Index (only if you need one – they’re hard work to make)

BS1904 Week 2 34

Spreadsheets Started off in Finance industry, as way of doing “what if”

calculations to model business decisions» If I charge x for each gizmo, and it costs y to build the

production line, plus z for each gizmo I make» What is profit at various production volumes?» When will I pay for the initial investment and break even?

Does it as a table of cells, each one related to another with a (usually) simple formula» So cost of producing n gizmos is cost of production-line plus

volume-related cost» Profit is sales minus cost of production

Done on paper – a pain to recalculate! Early PC application – that’s why the Apple II sold

BS1904 Week 2 35

Simple Business Tasks Consider an Invoice

» For each item line, we have a quantity and a price» and can derive a total cost for the items on the line» Then need to add them up» and usually add VAT to the total to get the invoice total

Let’s lay out an invoice of that kind» How do we get the computer to do the multiplication?» What about doing the same on the next line?» Is there a short cut to getting the total?

BS1904 Week 2 36

Using Excel Excel is the Microsoft Office Spreadsheet program

You can start it from the Start menu» Creates empty book of spreadsheets» With three tabs at bottom for holding multiple sheets

You won’t start with an empty book in future, though» New spreadsheet usually uses ideas from a previous one» Best to load old one, Save it under a new name,

then modify this to do what you want» Another job for Windows Explorer

BS1904 Week 2 37

Sources of Confusion If your computer came with Microsoft Works, your

spreadsheet and Word-processors will be slightly different» Make sure you pick the Save As option to save in Office XP

format (.xls or .doc)» Otherwise you may not be able to read them on campus

If you do have Office, it’s likely to be Office 2007» Default file format is not backward compatible» Make sure you save as .xls or .doc» (Campus machines can read .docx files – very slowly)

BS1904 Week 2 38

Cut, Copy and Paste The Clipboard

» Storage shared by all applications» Each use usually overwrites previous contents

Move/copy data via the clipboard» Select data item» Cut /Copy to the clipboard (Cut removes the source text)» Position the Insertion Point at the target» Paste

Excel modifies formulae as it copies» Usually does what you want

BS1904 Week 2 40

Modelling Business Problems Investment Decision often requires seeing what will happen

in several possible scenarios» If I charge x for each gizmo, and it costs y to build the

production line, plus z for each gizmo I make» What is profit at various production volumes?» When will I pay for the initial investment and break even?

Things aren’t all confined to columns this time» Price, overhead and input cost need to be input» Then outcome computed for each production volume» How do we handle data outside main table columns?

BS1904 Week 2 41

Formulae in Excel Contents of a cell are treated as literal unless you signal

that they are part of a formula; » thus B1+B2 will appear exactly as you typed it» Formulae identified by = sign at start

=B1+B2 will produce sum of these two cells Have seen Functions like SUM and AVERAGE

(remember how Ranges are written A3:C7) You can name cells in field at left of formula bar:

give a helpful name like “VATrate” instead of coordinates To avoid co-ordinates changing on Copy/Move,

you can prefix the co-ordinate with $ – e.g. $A$1 but naming the cells is a much better approach

BS1904 Week 2 42

More about replication Dragging to replicate the contents of a cell

» Place cursor in bottom right of cell» Drag horizontally or vertically» Excel copies your cell into the cells you’re “painting”

Like Copy/Paste, it adjusts what is copied» Usually what you want – but not always!» Adjusts column/row references

– So dragging right a cell containing a column total will create a correct total in the next column to the right

» Increments numbers– Dragging 2000 produces 2001 on right– Or 1999 if you drag to the left

BS1904 Week 2 43

Spreadsheet Hands-on

See Practical Exercises handout:http://www2.winchester.ac.uk/bm/courses/BS1904/Practice.doc

(You only need pages 2-5 today)

1. Creating a Spreadsheet 2. Changing the Look and Style 3. Adding Formulae 4. Adding a Row to the Spreadsheet

Please ensure your work is on your “My Documents” by next week

BS1904 Week 2 44

Downloading Materials As ever, the place to look is the Business web-site

» http://www.winchester.ac.uk/bm/ » You should add it to your favourites now

Once you have the home page, navigation should be easy» Select Business Modules near top of LH pane» Select this (BS1904) module from the list that shows» You’ll then get a browser-friendly summary of the module

handbook» Everything useful for the week should be shown there

Don’t forget you can right-click and Save Target As