Any information and communication technology system can be broken down into five main components: input, process, output, storage, and feedback. Input involves entering external data, such as through a keyboard, mouse, scanner, or sensor. This data is then processed through operations like sorting, searching, or calculations. The output distributes the results, potentially through printing, displaying on screen, or saving electronically. Storage holds the input data, processing data, and output results within the system. Feedback occurs when the output forms new input in a closed or open loop to influence the system going forward.

1. Input, Process, Output, Storage
and Feedback

2. Input-Process-Output
• Any ICT system can be broken into:
•Input
•Process
•Output
•Storage
•feedback

3. Input-Process-Output
• This can be represented as a diagram:
input process output
storage

4. Input
• This refers to entering external data into the
system
• This may be any of the following methods:
•Manual input via keyboard
•Mouse to select options from a list
•Scanning a barcode
•Using optical mark reader (automated input)

5. Example of Input
• Teacher entering exam marks, homework
marks into an electronic mark book
• Data collected by temperature sensor and
automatically input into a system

6. Processing
• This is an action performed on the data.
• Processing can include:
•Sorting
•Searching
•Performing calculations
•graphs

7. Example of Processing
• Searching sales data to find which products
in fashion store have sold the most
• Sorting a list of customer orders in
alphabetical

8. Output
• This is taking information that was in the
system and outputting it.
• This method used may result in:
•Printing output
•Output on screen
•Electronic output, e.g. disk/CD

9. Example of Output
• A printout of student examination results
• An alarm from a fire detected in a room
• Magazine, leaflets, handbooks

10. Storage
• This is where data is held.
• It may be the data that has been input, data
required during processing or the results of
processing.
• This data is still within the system

11. Feedback
• This is where the output from the system
forms part of the input to the system.
• Feedback is usually applied to real-time
solution
• Normally will go back into the system to
influence the input – opened loop
• Close loop is when the response to the
feedback is automatic

12. Example
1. Input - Teacher takes register for the class
2. The data is processed and students is found on
the system, as present, absent etc
3. The data is stored into the system
4. The system can generate an absents list - output
5. The teacher will chase the student to find out
why they were absent. Register is the update –
this is feedback