The document outlines various procedures for managing information in multi-user environments. It discusses setting information path flows, implementing records management systems, prioritizing jobs, and ensuring privacy and assigning passwords. Specifically, it provides examples of using data flow diagrams to show information paths, sorting data alphabetically for easy access, using relational databases to link borrower and item records, and setting different access permissions for files, programs, and networks using passwords.

1. PROCEDURES FOR
MANAGING INFORMATION

2. Some of the main categories under which these
procedures fall are:
 Information path flows
 Records management systems
 Prioritizing jobs
 Ensuring privacy in multi-user environments
 Assigning passwords in multi-user
environments

3. INFORMATION PATH FLOWS
 To show the big picture, data flow paths
can be used, set across an appropriate
background context.
 The background might be of departments or
managerial decision levels or a data structure
diagram.

4.  Fig. 5.4.2 is an example of a diagram that
represents the data flow paths.
State Manager
Western Northern Eastern Southern
Manager Manager Manager Manager
Store Managers
Store Manager
Personnel Store Deli Groceries Hardware Admin.

5. Whatever the representation chosen, once the
flow path is documented and displayed for all
staff to see.
 It acts as reminder to follow the established
information handling procedures
 It also guides systems manager, when
installing new programs and allocating
passwords, on who should have access to
what (see Fig. 5.4.1)

6. Figure 5.4.1: Password allocation
Computer
Services
Head office FILE SERVER APPLICATION Head office
Brunswick
Deli P Admin. P Word processing P Eastern P
A A A Region A
S S S S Frankston
Fruit and Fresh Spreadsheets
S S S Western S
Veg. Produce
W W W Region W
O O Accounting O O Dandanong
Diary R R R R
Groceries Southern
D D Database D Region D
St. Kilda
Accounts Presentation Northern
Region

7. RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
 Procedures for managing records include for
example, making sure that records are
printed in a particular order.
 A small sports club with a simple
spreadsheets, database and wordprocessing
package might insist that the surname field in
the members’ file is always sorted
alphabetically when lists are printed, as in
 Fig. 5.4.3.

8. Figure 5.4.3: Produce for sorting surname field alphabetically
Member Surname First name Member Surname First name
Number Number
1 Jameson Slyvia 4 Alberto Jo
2 Brown Alex 2 Brown Alex
3 Silvano Frank 1 Jameson Slyvia
4 Alberto Jo 3 Silvano Frank
Sort A to Z Alphabetical sorting allows easy
access to member information
Membership numbers are
assigned as new members join.

9.  In larger organizations, the clients’ personal
information tables, stock lists and transaction
records are all saved in different files. These
files are constantly interacting electronically.
 Procedures for managing these files need to
be electronic to keep up with the speed at
which the actions are happening.

10. A set of programs written to manage
Opening
Closing
Processing
Saving
Printing
of files is a records management system.

11.  Libraries, video hire shops and equipment
hire business lend goods to customers for a
fee.
 Lending businesses need two databases: one
for their stock and another for their borrowers
personal details.
 Records management systems match the
item loaned to the borrower’s record.

12.  This creates a relationship between the two
data-bases while that item is on loan.
 These are called relational databases. Fig.
5.4.6 shows an example of how relationship is
created.

13. Key Field Key Field
Borrower Surname Borrower Video Video Title
Number Number Number Number
241 Christos 55621 All the Kings
389 Johnson 389 02749 15872 Jenny
742 Adams 14146 Red Riders
381 Nygen 12981 Runners
629 Polizia 02749 Three Mice
Borrower/member Video database file
database file Borrower number
is attached to
Figure 5.4.6: Creating s relation
between key fields Video number

14.  Medical clinics have a database which
includes;
patient records
drug and medication inventory
 accounts and Medicare
social security reports.

15.  The records management systems available
to medical practices have electronic
procedures which;
open the patient file
update the information
print an account
close the file
store it back on hard disk.

16. PRIORITIZING JOBS
 In many organizations situations arise in
which a non-routine project has to be
completed by a certain date.
 The organization might be having its fiftieth
anniversary, for instance, and the directors
may decide to compile a history of the
company.

17.  This means that managers have to think
about who should do the various tasks
involved and decide in what order they
should be done.
Part of this process is outlined in Fig. 5.4.7.

18. Figure 5.4.7: One-Off Projects
Investigate Design Produce Evaluate
•dates •content •template •conduct survey
•people •format •booklet •compile responses
•resources •evaluation •survey sheet
•costs •survey •cost estimate
Contents
History of
the Thanks Survey
Company to:
Milestone 1 Milestone 2 Milestone 3 Milestone 4
START
First draft Deadline Assess success
Roster of Tasks
of History to Printer

19.  Prioritizing jobs for non-routine or one-off
project can be more difficult than a large
volume or mass production situation. In a
repetitive situation such as printing a daily
newspaper, the procedures for passing
information from one stage to the next can
be altered if they are seen not to be working.

20.  Microsoft Project and similar programs
provide managers with a set of procedures
for working through an unfamiliar project
finding the clashes on paper before too much
 time,
 money
 effort
is wasted.

21.  In respect, programs which provide managers
with such a set of procedures greatly improve
efficiency.

22. MULTI-USER ENVIRONMENTS
AND PRIVACY
 In a singular-user environment, the privacy of
the information largely defends on the care
and integrity of the user.

23.  While the attitude of the group is very
important in maintaining privacy in a multi-
user environment, there is sometimes a sense
of diminished responsibility in groups.
“If don’t’ fix it someone else will characteristics
the attitude of some members of groups.

24.  Tapping is possible when data is in transit
between terminals, and events which
decrease privacy in one part of the network
may not occur in other offices.

25. MULTI-USER ENVIRONMENTS
AND PASSWORDS
 Passwords can be set on a file, on a program,
on a workstation or on access to a network.

26.  Some files also have their attribute (a status
defined in the file menu of a file
management program) set to –P (minus
P), which means they cannot be printed.
 The Internet is the ultimate multi-user
environment and provides an example of the
use of passwords in an otherwise totally open
environment.

27.  Passwords are required to access Internet e-
mail accounts and to upload Web pages.
 Networks within organizations are usually
closed networks; that is, they are not open to
the general public unless at one very well
protected access point.

28.  Many companies who do not normally have
a public point of access now have to deal
with the page and e-mail.
 To illustrate the various procedures pertaining
to passwords in different organizations, those
for a public library and those for a “closed”
company are outlined in table 5.4.1

29. Table 5.4.1: Closed and open home pages
INSURANCE COMPANY – LIBRARY-OPEN HOME PAGE
CLOSED
HOME PAGE
No password access Password access to borrowing
and loan renewal.
E-mail to information desk E-mail to information desk
Open access to catalogue of
books ,etc.

30. Illustrated in table 5.4.2 are some general strategies for effectively
managing information.
Table 5.4.2: Strategies for effectively managing the quality of information
AREAS OF MANAGING OF EFFECTIVENESS
QUALITY
Completeness Set up reference files or checklist templates which
show all areas to be included in an information
product.
Accuracy Establish electronic and manual procedures to
validate and test for errors and hacking.
Timeliness Ensure that times and dates are included the
footers of all printed documents, and identify the
last update for all saved files.
Relevance Provide users with file names and category
headings which make it easy to find and select the
data or information they need.

31. TECHNIQUES FOR
EFFICIENTLY PROCESSING
AND
MANAGING INFORMATION
TO MEET CURRENT AND
FUTURE NEEDS

32. TECHNIQUES
 In computing, a technique is the skill used
when handling software and hardware to
perform a task.
 If a skill is judged on the level of efficiency it
brings to the performance, then we can
examine many techniques in terms of the
time, cost or effort that they save the user.

33.  For example, one technique for copy and
paste is to use the following keyboard
sequence:
• Select the text or image <shift+cursor keys>
<control+C>
• Move the cursor to the new location <cursor
keys>
<control+V>.

34.  If text is to be copied to a position close to the
original location, say on the same page, and
the user is skilled typist, then the whole copy
and paste operation is efficiently performed
with keyboard only.
 If, however, a graphic image is to be copied
to a location in another file, then a technique
that uses the muse icons will be more efficient.

35.  Below is an analysis of the savings achieved
by using the mouse-icon technique in place of
the keyboard only technique:
 Time is saved because the user can move
diagonally to the correct position on the
screen for selecting and placing text and
images. Movement using the keyboard is
restricted to vertical and horizontal.

36.  Effort is saved because the mouse technique
relies on hand-eye coordination and visual
recognition of the required icons.
Control key functions have to be memorized
and recalled as they are needed.

37.  Cost is saved because it takes less training to
use the mouse-icon technique than the
keyboard-only technique.
Many icons are standard packages, so that the
users who initially unskilled can learn to use
new software on the job.

38. REDUCING ERROR RATES
 Computer users working under pressure to
produce more given amount of time might
proofread documents hastily and, as a
consequence, make more mistakes.

39.  Organizations often meet this challenge by;
Stimulating that staff use established macros
Templates
Shortcut keys
when producing information products that are
frequently used and which show the company
logo and contact details.

40. MACROS TEMPLATES SHORTCUT KEYS
•A long series of often •A document with special •Shortcut keys are used to
repeated key stokes can be layout, such as an record frequently used
recorded using the macro application form, can be commands such as tick
function; for example, the saved as a template. boxes.
company contact details of •This allows the original •The user can choose to
address, phone, fax and e- layout to be preserved when assign Alt+t to this task, and
mail. a new user opens the save the time it takes to call
•Macro commands and document to enter data. up the insert symbol menu
macro buttons are used to •Application forms saved as when needing to place a tick
assign and record macros. template files and sent box in a survey, for example.
•When correspondence is to electronically save work
be sent via e-mail or paper, when they are returned
the contact details saved as because the data they
a macro can be added by contain in a standard format.
clicking the macro button. This makes them easy to
This saves the time and validate, saving time and
effort required to constantly effort.
retype and check this
important information before
it is sent out.

41. CURRENT AND FUTURE
NEEDS
 Techniques associated with saving and
backing-up files are important not only
insuring the efficient processing information
for current needs but also in meeting future
needs.

42.  In organization that is conscious of protecting
the value of information for the future users
of the information system should use the
following techniques:
Templates, which include the prominent
location with the date of processing clearly
displayed; for example, an invoice with the
current date in the top right-hand corner.

43. Macros, which require the user to choose a
present filename structured to indicate the
version of the file; for example, the fourth
draft of a club magazine cover for March
might be: marcovdraft4.doc.

44. THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
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