Business Informatics T1

What is Business Informatics?

• A branch of Applied Informatics (informatics applied in non-informatics environments). Specifically, it deals with the design and implementation of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) systems for organizations.

• The "Core Objective": To provide the right information, at the right time, and at the right place .

• Additional Benefits: Improves work environment, process efficiency, and performance levels.

Components and Tasks of an ICT System

The 3 Key Components: Every system requires a User, a Task, and Technology working together.

• Example: A nurse (user) updates a patient record (task) using a hospital database (technology).
  
  

5 Functional Tasks:

1. Retrieve/Process: Gather data (e.g., weather sensors).

2. Transform: Apply math (e.g., calculating a supermarket total).

3. Store: Save for later (e.g., an email server).

4. Present: Visual display (e.g., a sales dashboard).

5. Send: Transmit data (e.g., sending an order to a warehouse).

Opportunities vs. Risks of IT in Business

• Opportunities: Improved decision-making, reduced delivery times (auto-forwarding orders), efficient procurement (auto-restocking), and mass data analysis.

• Risks:

  • Dependency: Shops failing because the checkout is offline.

  • Security: Ransomware attacks or unauthorized access.

  • Transparency: Users not understanding why a system makes certain decisions (e.g., route changes).

  • Financial: High costs if a system doesn't meet needs and must be replaced

Hardware Categories

• Computer Systems: Physical components that process and store data.

  • Examples: Laptops, servers, tablets, printers, and keyboards.

• Computer Networks: Components that connect systems for data transfer.

  • Examples: Routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points, and modems.

Software Types & Business Applications

• System Software: Manages hardware (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux).

• Application Software: Performs specific user tasks (e.g., Excel, Firefox).

  • Business Examples: CRM (Customer Relationship Management), HRM (Human Resources), Accounting, and Payroll software .

• Development Software: Used to create/test software (e.g., Python, VS Code)

Bits, Bytes, and the Binary Formula (Data Representation & Math)

Bit: The smallest unit; a single character (0 or 1) representing states like True/False.

Byte: 8 bits considered together.

The Formula (2^n): With n bits, you can represent 2n different states.

1 bit = 2^1 = 2 states.

2 bits = 2^2 = 4 states.

1 Byte (8 bits) = 2^8 = 256 possible values

Numerical Systems (Decimal, Binary, Hex)

1. Decimal (Base-10): Uses digits 0-9.

2. Binary (Base-2): Uses digits 0 and 1. Each position is a power of 2.

3. Hexadecimal (Base-16): Uses 0-9 and A-F. Commonly used for web color codes.

• Example: #FF0000 is Red; #00FF00 is Green; #0000FF is Blue

Converting Binary to Decimal

Process: Assign powers of 2 (8, 4, 2, 1) to the binary digits and add the values where a "1" appears .

Example 1: 1001→(1×8)+(0×4)+(0×2)+(1×1)=9 .

Example 2: 1101→8+4+0+1=13 .

Example 3: 0011→0+0+2+1=3 .

ASCII, American Standard Code for Information Interchange (Characters as Binary)

Definition: A standard agreement where every character (letter, number, symbol) is assigned a fixed binary number.

Examples:

• The letter 'A' is stored as 01000001 (Decimal 65).

• The character '0' is stored as 00110000 (Decimal 48)

Roles in Business Informatics

• IT Consultant: Advises companies on using IT to improve efficiency.

• Project Manager: Plans and coordinates the introduction of ICT systems (budget, time, people).

• Data Modeler: Designs data structures for storage and decision-making.

• Software Developer: Develops/maintains specific business software