INT1IS Information Systems

Prompt Computer Solutions

Practical use of a simple information system.

Note: For this tutorial you will need the Prompt file(zip file 316Kbyte). Save this file in your home folder. Extract the prompt3.zip compressed file and it will go into a new folder called "prompt3" under your home folder.

THE PROMPT COMPUTER SOLUTIONS SYSTEM

Prompt Computers INC assembles computer systems. The company has customers Australia wide. Orders are placed by sales representatives and are filled as quickly as possible. The following is part a computerised information system that has been designed to handle customer orders. It runs under MS-ACCESS. Some of the reporting functions have been disabled.

Running the System

Run MS-ACCESS and open the database, prompt3.mdb. Ignore any error messages. Select the Macros tab and run Sample Autoexec.

You should now see the main menu of Prompt Computer Solutions.

ACTIVITY 1 - SOME ENQUIRIES

See whether you can retrieve the following information

Which sales representative placed order 15?

How many items were ordered by Bottom-Dollars Markets on the 6/10/94?

How many customers are there?

In which order are the catalogue items displayed?

Who supplies component id 25, serial mouse?

ACTIVITY 2 - PLACING AN ORDER

The following order is placed on behalf of Alpha Products by sales representative, Mike Lovell.

1. Two 486/66 DX Systems
2. One Multimedia kit

• to be ready by the 1 August 2008.
• not yet invoiced.
• the quoted prices for the 486/DX systems will be $100 less than the standard price.

Identify those fields where you can enter data and identify the default values.

ACTIVITY 3 - ADDING A NEW CUSTOMER

The following customer needs to be added to the system :

• Smith's Industries
• 15 Regina Hwy
• Brisbane, QLD 4211
• ( 07 678211)
• Contact Person or Customer Name: John Smith
• Credit Limit $15 000

Now place the following order for this customer
Five(5) Ar SVGA 14" 1024 x 768 monitors to be ready by 1/8/2008 and offered at the standard price. The monitors are to be shipped to Smith Industries factory complex at:

• 234 Newry Rd
• Mt Drewry
• Ipswich, QLD 4399

ACTIVITY 4 - SUPPLIERS AND GENERAL QUESTIONS

Supplier Wholesale Computer Inc has changed their address to:

• 345 Highway St
• Parramatta, Sydney, NSW 2090.

Make the necessary changes

Can you accept an order from someone who is not a customer?

How is this handled in this system?

EXPLORING THE PROMPT DATABASE

In the toolbar below the menu on the main Microsoft Access window choose the database Window icon. In thePrompt3: Database window which appears choose the Tables button. Have a look at the range of Tables which underlie the information system.

Double click on the Order table. Take note of the data that is stored in the table. Can you find the order you placed earlier for the 486/66 DX Systems?

In the Order Entry/Review form the customer details appear along with the order details. Are customer details stored in the Order table? If not where are the customer details stored.

How does the Order Entry/Review form manage to display both the order and customer details?

DELETING THE PROMPT DATABASE

Disk space is critical.
Please ensure that you delete prompt3.mdb after you exit from MS-ACCESS.

List any limitations of the prompt3 program.

Google

I would like you to use Google to investigate Google as an informations system. Can Google be considerd to be an information system? If it can then you should be able to identify the components of an information system we have referred to in the lectures. If you are having trouble finding relevant web sites then you might like to try http://www.googleguide.com/google_works.html.

Draw a diagram of Google similar to the model we developed for the weather forecasting system in the lectures.

Answer the following questions:

• What is the data in the Google IS?
• How is the data captured?
• Provide some detail of the database used to store Google's data. How large is the database? Where is it situated? What is actually stored in the database?
• What is the nature of the selected, organised data that is output from the Google hardware?
• Does attribution of meaning occur in the Google information system? Explain.
• What is the information in the Google information system?

Draw a diagram of Google similar to the model we developed for the weather forecasting system in the lectures.