Office automation system

Office automation system[OAS]
Basics of Office Automation
Affordable computer hardware and user-friendly application software make computer
systems the most popular working tools in offices.
Labour intensive office tasks have largely been replaced by computerized processes:
 Financial data
 Payroll records
 Customer records
 Inventory information
What is Automation
The word automation refers to a method of using a wide range of computer- and
machine-aided tasks to help improve productivity and create easier ways to do
business. Different types of automation are commonly used in different types of
industries.
Office Automation Systems

Office automation refers to the varied computer machinery and software used to
digitally create, collect, store, manipulate, and relay office information needed for
accomplishing basic tasks. Raw data storage, electronic transfer, and the management
of electronic business information comprise the basic activities of an office automation
system. Office automation helps in optimizing or automating existing office
procedures.
A typewriter was once a popular method for producing a document.isOAS
Office automation refers to the use of computer technology on accomplishing office
tasks.
It emphasizes that tasks should be done automatically as far as possible.
The major applications of office automation include:

 Data processing
 Management of digital information
 Information exchange
Advantages

 Replacing human operators in tasks that involve hard physical or monotonous
work.
 Replacing humans in tasks done in dangerous environments (i.e. fire, space,
volcanoes, nuclear facilities, underwater, etc.)
 Performing tasks that are beyond human capabilitiesof size, weight, speed,
endurance, etc.
 Economy improvement: Automation may improve in economy of enterprises,
society or most of humanity.
For example, when an enterprise invests in automation, technology recovers its
investment; or when a state or country increases its income due to automation
like Germany or Japan in the 20th Century.
 Reduces operation time and work handling time significantly.
 Frees up workers to take on other roles.
Characteristics of OAS
 Sophisticated electronic equipment and communication systems
 Involves people, procedure and technology
 Involves the use of computers, in conjunction with other electronic-equipment

 Consists of word processors connected to one another to means of a local
area network
 Office automation should be designed as a multifunction information system to
provide executives decision support tools
 Office automation support a large number of software packages
Types of functions integrated by office automation systems include
(1) electronic publishing
(2) electronic communication
(3) electronic collaboration
(4) image processing
(5) office management
Electronic publishing
systems include word processing and desktop publishing. Word processing software,
(e.g., Microsoft Word, Corel Word-Perfect) allows users to create, edit, revise,store,
and print documents such as letters, memos,reports, and manuscripts.
Electronic communication
Systems include electronic mail (e-mail), voicemail, facsimile(fax), and desktop video
conferencing. Electronic Communication
E-mail is software that allows users, via their computer keyboards, to create, send,
and receivemessages and files to or from anywhere in the world .Most e-mail systems
let the user do other sophisticated tasks such as filter, prioritize, or file messages;

forward copies of messages to other users; create and save drafts of messages; send
"carbon copies"; and request automatic confirmation of the delivery of a message. E-
mail is very popular because it is easy to use, offers fast delivery, and is in expensive.
Examples of e-mail software are Eudora, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft Outlook.
Electronic Mail.
Voice mail is a sophisticated telephone answering machine. It digitizes incoming voice
messages and stores them on disk. When the recipient is ready to listen, the message
is converted from its digitized version back to audio, or sound. Recipients may save
messages for future use, delete them, or forward them to other people.
A facsimile or facsimile transmission machine (FAX) scans a document containing
both text and graphicsand sends it as electronic signals over ordinary telephone lines
to a receiving fax machine. This receiving fax recreates the image on paper. A fax can
also scan and send a document to a fax modem(circuit board) inside a remote
computer.
Electronic collaboration
Is made possible through electronic meeting and collaborativework systems and
teleconferencing. Electronic meeting and collaborativework systems allow teams of
coworkers to use networks of microcomputers to share information, update schedules
and plans, and cooperate on projects regardless of geographic distance. Special
software called groupware is needed to allow two or more people to edit orotherwise
work on the same files simultaneously.
Image processing systems include electronic document management,
presentation graphics, and multimedia systems. Imaging systems convert text,
drawings, and photographs into digital form that can be stored in a computer system.
This digital form can be manipulated, stored, printed, or sent via a modem to another
computer. Imaging systems may use scanners, digital cameras, video capture cards, or

advanced graphic computers. Companies use imaging systems for a variety of
documents such as insurance forms, medical records, dental records, and mortgage
applications.
Office management systems include electronic office accessories, electronic
scheduling, and task management. These systems provide an electronic means of
organizing people, projects, and data. Business dates, appointments, notes, and client
contact information can be created, edited, stored, and retrieved. Projects and tasks
can be allocated, subdivided, and planned. All of these actions can either be done
individually or for an entire group. Computerized systems that automate these office
functions can dramatically increase productivity and improve communication within an
organization.

Information Systems Security
What is security?
Security:: protecting general assets protecting general assets
Security can be realized through:
 Prevention: take measures that prevent your assets from being
damaged.:
 Detection: take measures so that you can detect when, how, and by:
take measures so that you can detect when, how, and by whom an asset
has been damaged
 Reaction: take measures so that you can recover your assets or to
recover: take measures so that you can recover your assets or to recover
from a damage to your assets
There are many branches of Security: national security, ,economic security,
information security etc.,
What is Information Security?
Information security:: is concerned with protecting information is concerned with
protecting information data, and information resources such as: books, faxes,
computer data,voice communications, etc.
Definition - What does Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) mean?
Information systems security, more commonly referred to as INFOSEC, refers to the
processes and methodologies involved with keeping information confidential,
available, and assuring its integrity.
It also refers to:

 Access controls, which prevent unauthorized personnel from entering or
accessing a system.
 Protecting information no matter where that information is, i.e. in transit (such
as in an email) or in a storage area.
 The detection and remediation of security breaches, as well as documenting
those events.
Techopedia explains Information Systems Security (INFOSEC)
 Information systems security does not just deal with computer information, but
also protecting data and information in all of its forms, such as telephone
conversations.
Risk assessments must be performed to determine what information poses the
biggest risk. For example, one system may have the most important information
on it and therefore will need more security measures to maintain security.
Business continuity planning and disaster recovery planning are other facets of
an information systems security professional. This professional will plan for what
could happen if a major business disruption occurs, but still allow business to
continue as usual.
The term is often used in the context of the U.S. Navy, who defines INFOSEC as:
COMPUSEC + COMSEC + TEMPEST = INFOSEC
Where COMPUSEC is computer systems security, COMSEC is communications
security, and TEMPEST is compromising emanations.
Information System Security
ISS is concerned with protecting Information system is concerned with protecting
assets such as PCs, software, applications, etc.
In order to ensure the security of Information Systems, we need to determine:
1. Assets (i.e., Information systems) to be protected Assets
2. Security requirements; CIA
3. Threats, vulnerabilities, risks
4. Security policies

5. Security measures
.Vulnerability, Threat and Attack
A vulnerability: is a weakness in system design or: is a weakness in system design or
implementation and can be in hardware or software.– Example: a software bug exists
in the OS, or no password rules are set.
A threat:–
 Is a set of circumstances that has the potential to cause loss or harm
 is an indication of potential undesirable event
 It refers to a situation in which
 a person could do something undesirable (an attacker initiating a
denial-of-service attack against an organizations email server), or
 a natural occurrence could cause an undesirable outcome (a fire
damaging an organizations information technology hardware).
Risk is the possibility of suffering harm or loss. Loss
An attack Is a realization of a threat: is a realization of a threat
An attacker must have means, opportunity, and motive Synonyms: enemy, adversary,
opponent, eavesdropper,intruder
Common security attacks
 Interruption, delay, denial of receipt or denial of service, delay, denial of receipt
or denial of service– System assets or information become unavailable or are
rendered unavailable
 Interception or snooping–Unauthorized party gains access to information by
browsing through files OR reading communications.

 Modification or alteration– Unauthorized party changes information in transit
or information stored for subsequent access.
 Masquerade or spoofing–Spurious information is inserted into the system or
network by making it appears as if it is from a legitimate entity.
 Repudiation of origin–False denial that an entity created something.
Security Policy
security policy states what is, and is not, allowed
Is a document describing a company’s security controls and .activities.
Does not specify technologies.
Examples:–
Policy: Password construction Account names must not be used in passwords
Policy: all personal all personal information must be treated as confidential.
information must be treated as confidential.
A security Policy is a guideline for implementing security measures.
Security measures
Security measures include techniques for ensuring: include such as
Prevention:such as encryption, user authentication, one time password anti-virus etc.
Detection: such as IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems) Monitoring tools,Firewall log,
digital signature etc
Reaction (or recovery): Such as Backup systems, OS’s recovery points, etc

Advantages of Marketing Information Systems
With an increasingly competitive and expanding market, the amount of information
needed daily by an organization is profound. Thus they have to establish a Marketing
Information system. There are several advantages of Marketing information systems
1) Organized Data collection – Lots of data can be collected from the market. But the
main word here is “Organized”. Organizing data is very important else the data is
meaningless. Thus MIS helps you to organize your database thereby improving
productivity.
2) A broad perspective – With a proper MIS in place, the complete organization can
be tracked which can be used to analyse independent processes. This helps in
establishing a broader perspective which helps us know which steps can be taken to
facilitate improvement
3) Storage of Important Data – Several times in pharmaceuticals,when one drug is
being produced they may need data of another drug which was produced years back.
Similarly in Media, photographs are stored in archives. This storage of important data
plays a crucial role in execution and thus proves again that MIS is not important only
for information but also for execution.
4) Avoidance of Crisis – The best way to analyse a stock (share market) is to see its
past performance. Top websites like moneycontrol thrive on MIS. Similarly MIS helps
you keep tracks of margins and profits. With an amazing information system
established, you can know where your organization is moving and probably avert a
crisis long before it has taken place. Ignoring hints received from MIS reports is
foolhardy.
5) Co-ordination – Consumer durables and FMCG companies have huge number of
processes which needs to be co-ordinated. These companies depend completely on
MIS for the proper running of the organization. There are dedicated people for

marketing information systems in such organizations. This is mainly because of the
speed required to access information and implement it.
6) Analysis and Planning – MIS is critical for planning. You cannot do planning
without information. For planning, the first thing which is needed is the organizations
capabilities, then the business environment and finally competitor analysis. In a proper
MIS, all these are present by default and are continuously updated. Thus MIS is very
important for planning and analysis.
7) Control – Just like MIS can help in a crisis, in normal times it provides control as
you have information of the various processes going on and what is happening across
the company. Thus it provides you with a sense of control.
1. Prediction of Consumer Demand
Predicting customer demand in expanding the market acts as a base for mass
production and mass distribution of products or services. An organizational marketing
approach helps to get up-to-date information on customer preferences. In today’s
ever-changing and competitive economic environment; the taste, liking of customers,
preferences, etc. are continuously changing. Due to this, marketers need to have
precise information related to the nature and size of customer demand. The decisions
based on intuition or outdated customer information may not be effective. So, the
decisions must be backed up by facts and figures.
For example, the proper marketing information system provides information
regarding the future tastes and preferences of the customers, the trends of market,
and information regarding the reasons for changes in tastes and preferences. Such
information helps the marketers to overcome the loss that occurs due to the changes
in demands.
2. Identification of Marketing Complexity

The process of the modern marketing concept results in complexity and a more
detailed version of marketing. Market expansions and marketing activities at
multinational levels are growing at a fast rate that demands appropriatemarket
intelligence and a well- organized form of information system. So, it is necessary to
identify the complex market nature and its demand.
For example, marketing is a wide branch which has several concepts under it. A
proper knowledge of these concepts is very important to understand the complexities
of marketing which can only be gained by proper marketing information system.
3. Facilitates up-to-date Economic Information or Condition
The constant change in demand and supply forces determines the cost and market
conditions. There is a huge intensity of fluctuation in demand, supply, and prices in a
large and complex economy.
Marketing people require up-to-date and advanced information related to changing
supply, demand, and cost-related economic conditions. For this, they depend upon
market reports and market-related intelligence services. Future forecasting or
prediction is based on economic factors like the country’s population, income, GDP,
price, etc.
For example, If a marketer has zero knowledge about the economic conditions
prevailing in the area, the business will face losses. To avoid this, a detailed knowledge
of the economic scenario is required which can be gained by the study of marketing
information systems.
4. Competitor Analysis
Organizations run in a highly competitive environment where different competitors
formulate strategies to gain competitive advantage on each other. To predict
competitor’s behavior and to surpass the competition, services of the marketing
information system of marketing intelligence are required. For survival, marketing

people need the latest information on the market that is related to the nature and size
of the competition.
For example, accurate information regarding competitors helps the marketers to form
such plans and strategies that will help them to design the products and services as
per the needs and satisfaction of customers which will ultimately increase the sales.
5. Up-to-date Information on Technology
Market expansion leads to technological advancements. Marketing people require the
latest information related to technical aspects or developments. Different products,
technologies, process, etc. that are new, need to be based upon facts. The marketing
information system provides such necessary information or facts.
For example, With the ever-growing technologies, the business has to get well versed
with the changing environment to excel in every field. A proper survey is required
which can only be fulfilled with the help of the marketing information system.
6. Proper flow of Information for better Customer Service
In the market expansion stage, a communication gap can be found between
customers and marketers. This gap results in marketing activities and plans that may
be unrealistic. Different marketers, who are not connected with marketing aspects
daily, create dissatisfaction in consumers.
An increase in consumer complaints shows the mismatch of products with the needs
and wants of consumers. Also, it indicates that marketers don’t have the latest
information on the right consumer demand. The marketing information system which
is up-to-date can fulfill the communication gap between consumers and marketers by
providing the latest information related to consumer demands and behavior.
For example, the ultimate goal of any business is customers’ satisfaction. If any
business fails to achieve this goal, it will no longer survive in this competitive world.

For this, a complete survey is required and a proper flow of information for better
customer services. This can only be done by proper marketing information system.
7. Facilitates Marketing Planning Activities
Today’s business era is planning and process-oriented. The plans and processes
depend on the information provided through economic forecasts and marketing
forecasts as these offer desired information related to the futuristic aspect of the
economic and market conditions.
For example, forecast related to sales provides the information required for planning
production, marketing, and financial activities. Similarly, the marketing information
system provides forecasts related to the market and can inter-related product and
consumer requirements to balance supply and demand.
Disadvantages –
Maintenance, complexity and setting up a MIS are one of the major hindrances to
Marketing information systems. Furthermore, wrong information being fed in MIS can
become cumbersome and appropriate filters need to be established.

How to Keep Your Personal Information Secure
Protecting your personal information can help reduce your risk of identity theft. There
are four main ways to do it: know who you share information with; store and dispose
of your personal information securely, especially your Social Security number; ask
questions before deciding to share your personal information; and maintain
appropriate security on your computers and other electronic devices.
 Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Offline
 Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Online
 Securing Your Social Security Number
 Keeping Your Devices Secure
Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Offline
Lock your financial documents and records in a safe place at home, and lock your
wallet or purse in a safe place at work. Keep your information secure from roommates
or workers who come into your home.
Limit what you carry. When you go out, take only the identification, credit, and debit
cards you need. Leave your Social Security card at home. Make a copy of your
Medicare card and black out all but the last four digits on the copy. Carry the copy
with you — unless you are going to use your card at the doctor’s office.

Before you share information at your workplace, a business, your child's school, or a
doctor's office, ask why they need it, how they will safeguard it, and the consequences
of not sharing.
Shred receipts, credit offers, credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements,
checks, bank statements, expired charge cards, and similar documents when you
don’t need them any longer.
Destroy the labels on prescription bottles before you throw them out. Don’t share
your health plan information with anyone who offers free health services or products.
Take outgoing mail to post office collection boxes or the post office. Promptly remove
mail that arrives in your mailbox. If you won’t be home for several days, request a
vacation hold on your mail.
When you order new checks, don’t have them mailed to your home, unless you
have a secure mailbox with a lock.
Consider opting out of prescreened offers of credit and insurance by mail. You can
opt out for 5 years or permanently. To opt out, call 1-888-567-8688 or go to
optoutprescreen.com. The 3 nationwide credit reporting companies operate the
phone number and website. Prescreened offers can provide many benefits. If you opt
out, you may miss out on some offers of credit.
Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Online
Know who you share your information with. Store and dispose of your personal
information securely.
Be Alert to Impersonators
Make sure you know who is getting your personal or financial information. Don’t
give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet
unless you’ve initiated the contact or know who you’re dealing with. If a company

that claims to have an account with you sends email asking for personal information,
don’t click on links in the email. Instead, type the company name into your web
browser, go to their site, and contact them through customer service. Or, call the
customer service number listed on your account statement. Ask whether the company
really sent a request.
Safely Dispose of Personal Information
Before you dispose of a computer, get rid of all the personal information it stores. Use
a wipe utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
Before you dispose of a mobile device, check your owner’s manual, the service
provider’s website, or the device manufacturer’s website for information on how to
delete information permanently, and how to save or transfer information to a new
device. Remove the memory or subscriber identity module (SIM) card from a mobile
device. Remove the phone book, lists of calls made and received, voicemails,
messages sent and received, organizer folders, web search history, and photos.
Encrypt Your Data
Keep your browser secure. To guard your online transactions, use encryption software
that scrambles information you send over the internet. A “lock” icon on the status
bar of your internet browser means your information will be safe when it’s
transmitted. Look for the lock before you send personal or financial information
online.
Keep Passwords Private
Use strong passwords with your laptop, credit, bank, and other accounts. Be creative:
think of a special phrase and use the first letter of each word as your password.
Substitute numbers for some words or letters. For example, “I want to see the Pacific
Ocean” could become 1W2CtPo.
Don’t Overshare on Social Networking Sites

If you post too much information about yourself, an identity thief can find information
about your life, use it to answer ‘challenge’ questions on your accounts, and get
access to your money and personal information. Consider limiting access to your
networking page to a small group of people. Never post your full name, Social
Security number, address, phone number, or account numbers in publicly accessible
sites.
Securing Your Social Security Number
Keep a close hold on your Social Security number and ask questions before deciding
to share it. Ask if you can use a different kind of identification. If someone asks you to
share your SSN or your child’s, ask:
 why they need it
 how it will be used
 how they will protect it
 what happens if you don’t share the number
The decision to share is yours. A business may not provide you with a service or
benefit if you don’t provide your number. Sometimes you will have to share your
number. Your employer and financial institutions need your SSN for wage and tax
reporting purposes. A business may ask for your SSN so they can check your credit
when you apply for a loan, rent an apartment, or sign up for utility service.
Keeping Your Devices Secure
Use Security Software
Install anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall. Set your preference to
update these protections often. Protect against intrusions and infections that can
compromise your computer files or passwords by installing security patches for your
operating system and other software programs.

Avoid Phishing Emails
Don’t open files, click on links, or download programs sent by strangers. Opening a
file from someone you don’t know could expose your system to a computer virus or
spyware that captures your passwords or other information you type.
Be Wise About Wi-Fi
Before you send personal information over your laptop or smartphone on a public
wireless network in a coffee shop, library, airport, hotel, or other public place, see if
your information will be protected. If you use an encrypted website, it protects only
the information you send to and from that site. If you use a secure wireless network,
all the information you send on that network is protected.
Lock Up Your Laptop
Keep financial information on your laptop only when necessary. Don’t use an
automatic login feature that saves your user name and password, and always log off
when you’re finished. That way, if your laptop is stolen, it will be harder for a thief to
get at your personal information.
Read Privacy Policies
Yes, they can be long and complex, but they tell you how the site maintains accuracy,
access, security, and control of the personal information it collects; how it uses the
information, and whether it provides information to third parties. If you don’t see or
understand a site’s privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.

11 Simple Ways to Protect Your Privacy [Protecting
Privacy of Information System]
Privacy is an increasingly rare commodity these days. Just search for yourself
on Pipl.com you might be surprised at the number of companies that claim to have
information about your family, income, address, phone number and much, much
more.
That’s because your personal information, including your email address, phone
number and social security number, is worth a lot of money to legitimate businesses
and bad guys alike. The bad guys just want to steal from you. Companies want to
know as much about you as possible so they can sell you more products and services
or serve you ads that are highly relevant to your demographics and preferences
So take these simple steps to protect your valuable personal information.
1. Don’t fill out your social media profile.
The more information you share online, the easier it’s going to be for someone to
get their hands on it. Don’t cooperate.
Take a look at your social media profiles and keep them barren—the people who
need to know your birth date, email address and phone number already have them.
And what exactly is the point of sharing everything about yourself in
your Facebook profile? If you care about your privacy, you won’t do it.
2. Be choosy about sharing your social security number—even the last 4 digits.
Think twice about sharing your social security number with anyone, unless it’s your
bank, a credit bureau, a company that wants to do a background check on you or
some other entity that has to report to the IRS. If someone gets their hands on it and
has information such your birth date and address they can steal your identity and take
out credit cards and pile up other debt in your name.

Even the last four digits of your social security number should only be used when
necessary. The last four are often used by banks an other institutions to reset your
password for access your account.
Plus, if someone has the last four digits and your birth place, it’s a lot easier to guess
the entire number. That’s because the first three are determined by where you, or
your parents, applied for your SSN. And the second set of two are the group number,
which is assigned to all numbers given out at a certain time in your geographic area.
So a determined identity thief with some computing power could hack it given time.
3. Lock down your hardware.
Set up your PC to require a password when it wakes from sleep or boots up. Sure, you
may trust the people who live in your house, but what if your laptop is stolen or you
lose it?
Same thing with your mobile devices. Not only should you use a passcode to access
them every time you use them, install an app that will locate your phone or tablet if
it’s lost or stolen, as well as lock it or wipe it clean of any data so a stranger can’t
get access to the treasure trove of data saved on it.
And, make sure your computers and mobile devices are loaded with anti-malware
apps and software. They can prevent prevent criminals from stealing your data. We
recommend Norton Internet Security ($49.99 on norton.com or $17.99 on Amazon) in
our computer security buying guide or stepping up to Norton 360 Multi-Device
($59.99 on norton.com or $49.99 on Amazon) if you have mobile devices. And,
you’ll want to double up your protection on Android devices by installing , since we
found anti-malware apps are dismal at detecting spyware.
4. Turn on private browsing.
If you don’t want anyone with physical access to your computer to see where
you’re hanging out online you should enable “private browsing,” a setting

available in each major web browser. It deletes cookies, temporary Internet files and
browsing history after you close the window.
Every company that advertises online is interested in knowing what sites you visit,
what you buy, who you’re friends with on social networks, what you like and more.
By gathering information about your online activities they can serve you targeted ads
that are more likely to entice you to buy something.
For instance, the Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ buttons you see on just about every
site allow those networks to track you even if you don’t have an account or are
logged into them. Other times information collection companies rely on embedded
code in banner ads that track your visits, preferences, and demographic information.
If you truly care about your privacy you’ll surf the Internet anonymously by hiding
your IP address. You can do this using a web proxy, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or
Tor, a free open network that works by routing your traffic through a series of servers,
operated by volunteers around the world, before sending it to your destination.
5. Use a password vault that generates and remembers strong and unique passwords.
Most people know better than to use the same password for more than one website
or application. In reality, it can be impossible to remember a different one for the
dozens of online services you use. The problem with using the same password in
more than one place is if someone gets their hands on your password—say,through
a phishing attack—they can access all your accounts and cause all sorts of trouble.
To eliminate this dilemma, use a password manager that will not only remember all
your passwords, but will generate super strong and unique ones and automatically fill
them into login fields with the click of a button.
LastPass is an excellent and free choice.
6. Use two-factor authentication.

You can lock down your Facebook, Google, Dropbox, Apple ID, Microsoft, Twitter and
other accounts with two-factor authentication. That means that when you log in,
you’ll also need to enter a special code that the site texts to your phone. Some
services require it each time you log in, other just when you’re using a new device or
web browser. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a great overview of what’s
available.
Two-factor authentication works beautifully for keeping others from accessing your
accounts, although some people feel it’s too time consuming. But if you’re serious
about privacy, you’ll put up with the friction.
7. Set up a Google alert for your name.
This is a simple way to keep an eye on anything someone might be saying about you
on the web. It’s just a matter of telling Google what to look for (in this case, your
name), as well as what kinds of web pages to search, how often to search and what
email address the search engine giant should use to send you notifications. Set up a
Google alert here.
8. Pay for things with cash.
According to Business Insider, credit card companies are selling your purchase data to
advertisers. Don’t want companies knowing how much booze you’re buying or
other potentially embarrassing habits? Buy things the old fashioned way—with coins
and bills.
9. Keep your social network activity private.
Check your Facebook settings and make sure only friends can see what you’re
doing. Go to the settings cog in the upper right hand corner of your screen, then click
on Privacy Settings >> Who can see my stuff.
On Twitter, click on the settings cog, then Settings. From there you can adjust all sorts
of privacy settings, such as a box that gives Twitter permission to add your location to

tweets as well as the ability to make your tweets private, meaning only people you
approve can see them. You can also stop the microblogging platform from tailoring
your Twitter experience based on other sites you visit.
If you use Google+, go to Home >> Settings. There you can adjust things like who
can interact with you, comment on your posts or start a conversation with you.
10. Don’t give our your zip code when making credit card purchases.
Often stores will ask for your zip code when you’re checking out with a credit card.
Don’t give it to them unless you want to donate your details to their marketing
database, warns Forbes. By matching your name, taken from your credit card, with
your zip code, companies can more easily mine more information, including your
address, phone number and email. address.
11. Lie when setting up password security questions.
“What is your mother’s maiden name?” or “In what city were you born?” are
common questions websites often ask you to answer so as to supposedly keep your
account safe from intruders. In reality, there’s nothing secure about such generic
queries. That’s because someone who wants access to your account could easily do
some Internet research to dig up the answers.
clinical decision support system (CDSS)
A clinical decision support system (CDSS) is an application that analyzes data to help
healthcare providers make.

A clinical decision support system (CDSS) is intended to improve healthcare delivery
by enhancing medical decisions with targeted clinical knowledge, patient information,
and other health information.
A traditional CDSS is comprised of software designed to be a direct aid to clinical-
decision making, in which the characteristics of an individual patient are matched to a
computerized clinical knowledge base and patient-specificassessments or
recommendations are then presented to the clinician for a decision.
CDSSs today are primarily used at the point-of-care, for the clinician to combine their
knowledge with information or suggestions provided by the CDSS. Increasingly
however, there are CDSS being developed with the capability to leverage data and
observations otherwise unobtainable or uninterpretable by humans.
Functions and advantages of CDSS
Patient safety
Strategies to reduce medication errors commonly make use of CDSS . Errors involving
drug-drug interactions (DDI) are cited as common and preventable, with up to 65% of
inpatients being exposed to one or more potentially harmful combinations.
CPOE systems are now designed with drug safety software that has safeguards for
dosing, duplication of therapies, and DDI checking.
The types of alerts generated by these systems are among the most disseminated
kind of decision support.
However, studies have found a high level of variability between how alerts for DDIs
are displayed (e.g., passive or active/disruptive), which are prioritized,and in the
algorithms used to identify DDIs.Systems often have varying degrees of irrelevant
alerts presented, and there is no standard for how best to implement which alerts to
providers.

Other systems targeting patient safety include electronic drug dispensing systems
(EDDS), and bar-code point-of-care (BPOC) medication administration systems.
These are often implemented together to create a ‘closed loop’, where each step
of the process (prescribing, transcribing, dispensing, administering)is computerized
and occurs within a connected system. At administration, the medication is
automatically identified through radio-frequency identification (RFID) or barcodes and
crosschecked with patient information and prescriptions. This presents another target
for CDSS and the potential benefit is the prevention of medication administration
errors occurring at the ‘bedside’ (opposed to further upstream). Adoption is
relatively low, partly due to high technology requirements and costs.
Clinical management
Studies have shown CDSS can increase adherence to clinical guidelines.
This is significant because traditional clinical guidelines and care pathways have been
shown to be difficult to implement in practice with low clinician adherance.
The assumption that practitioners will read, internalize, and implement new guidelines
has not held true.
However, the rules implicitly encoded in guidelines can be literally encoded into
CDSS. Such CDSS can take a variety of forms, from standardized order sets for a
targeted case, alerts to a specific protocol for the patients it pertains to, reminders for
testing, etc. Furthermore, CDSS can assist with managing patients on
research/treatment protocols, tracking and placing orders, follow-up for referrals, as
well as ensuring preventative care
Cost containment
CDSS can be cost-effective for health systems, through clinical
interventions, decreasing inpatient length-of-stay, CPOE-integrated systems

suggesting cheaper medication alternatives, or reducing test duplication. A CPOE-rule
was implemented in a pediatric cardiovascularintensive care unit (ICU) that limited the
scheduling of blood count, chemistry and coagulation panels to a 24-h interval.
This reduced laboratory resource utilization with a projected cost savings of $717,538
per year, without increasing length of stay (LOS), or mortality.
Administrative functions
CDSS provide support for clinical and diagnostic coding, ordering of procedures and
tests, and patient triage. Designed algorithms can suggest a refined list of diagnostics
codes to aid physicians in selecting the most suitable one(s). A CDSS was conceived to
address inaccuracy of ICD-9 emergency department(ED) admission coding (ICD is
International Statistical Classification of Diseases, standardizedcodes used to
represent diseases and diagnoses).
The tool used an anatomographical interface (visual, interactive representation of the
human body) linked to ICD codes to help ED physicians accurately find diagnostic
admission codes faster.
CDSS can directly improve quality of clinical documentation. An obstetric CDSS
featured an enhanced prompting system, significantly improving documentation of
indications for labor induction and estimated fetal weight, compared to control
hospital. Documentation accuracy is important because it can directly aid clinical
protocols
Diagnostics support
CDSS for clinical diagnosis are known as diagnostic decision support systems (DDSS).
These systems have traditionally provided a computerized ‘consultation’ or filtering
step, whereby they might be provided data/user selections, and then output a list of
possible or probable diagnoses.

Unfortunately, DDSS have not had as much influence as other types of CDSS (yet) for
reasons including negative physician perceptions and biases, poor accuracy (often
due to gaps in data availability), and poor system integration requiring manual data
entry.
The latter is improving with better EHR-integration and standardized vocabulary like
Snomed Clinical Terms.
Diagnostics support: imaging
Knowledge-based imaging CDSS are typically used for image ordering, where CDSS
can aid radiologists in selecting the most appropriate test to run, providing reminders
of best practice guidelines, or alerting contraindications to contrast
Diagnostics support: laboratory and pathology
Another subset of diagnostics where CDSS can be useful is laboratory testing and
interpretation. Alerts and reminders for abnormal lab results are simple and
ubiquitous in EHR systems. CDSS can also extend the utility of lab-based tests for the
purpose of avoiding riskier or more invasive diagnostics.
Patient-facing decision support
With the advent of the ‘Personal Health Record’ (PHR), we are seeing CDS
functionality integrated, similar to EHRs, with the patient as the end user or
‘manager’ of the data. This is a great step towards patient-focused care, and CDS-
supported PHRs are the ideal tool to implement shared decision-making between
patient and provider, specifically because CDSS can remove a ‘lack of information’
as a barrier to a patient’s participation in their own care.
PHRs are frequently designed as an extension of commercial EHR software, or as
standalone web-based or mobile-basedapplications.

When connected to EHRs, PHRs can have a two way relationship, whereby
information entered directly by the patient can be availableto their providers, and
also information in the EHR can be transmitted to the PHR for patients to view.
DEFINITION

Conclusion
CDSS have been shown to augment healthcare providers in a variety of decisions and
patient care tasks, and today they actively and ubiquitously support delivery of quality
care. Some applications of CDSS have more evidence behind them, especially those
based on CPOE. Support for CDSS continues to mount in the age of the electronic
medical record, and there are still more advances to be made including
interoperability, speed and ease of deployment, and affordability. At the same time,
we must stay vigilant for potential downfalls of CDSS, which range from simply not
working and wasting resources, to fatiguing providers and compromising quality of
patient care. Extra precautions and conscientious design must be taken when building,
implementing, and maintaining CDSS. A portion of these considerations were covered
in this review, but further review will be required in practice, especially as CDSS
continue to evolve in complexity through advances in AI, interoperability,and new
sources of data.

Human Resource Information System - HRIS

What is an HRIS?
HRIS stands for Human Resources Information System. The HRIS is a system that is
used to collect and store data on an organization’s employees.
In most cases, an HRIS encompasses the basic functionalities needed for end-to-end
Human Resources Management (HRM). It has a system for recruitment, performance
management, learning & development, and more.
An HRIS is also known as HRIS software. This is a bit confusing as it implies that
different systems can have different software running on them. However, this is not
the case. The HRIS is, in essence, a software package.
The HRIS can either run on the company’s own technical infrastructure, or, what’s
more common nowadays, be cloud-based. This means that the software is running
outside of the company’s premises, making it much easier to update.
Other commonly used names are HRIS system and HRMS, or Human Resources
Management system. These are all different words for the same thing. Collectively,
these systems are also called Human Capital Management systems, or HCM. In this
article, we will use the terms HRIS and HRIS systems interchangeably.
Benefits of an HRIS
Using an HRIS has a number of clear benefits.
 Record-keeping. An HRIS is a record-keeping system that keeps track of
changes to anything related to employees. The HRIS can be seen as the one
source of truth when it comes to personnel data.
 Compliance. Some data is collected and stored for compliance reasons. This
includes material for the identification for employees in case of theft, fraud, or
other misbehaviors, first contact information in case of accidents, citizens

identification information for the tax office, and expiration dates for mandatory
certification. All this information can be stored in the HRIS.
 Efficiency. Having all this information in one place not only benefits accuracy
but also saves time.
 HR strategy. The HRIS enables the tracking of data required to advance the HR
and business strategy. Depending on the priorities of the organization, different
data will be essential to track. This is where the HRIS comes in.
 Self-Service HR. A final benefit is the ability to offer self-service HR to
employees and managers. This enables employees to manage their own affairs.
When done right, the HRIS can offer a good employee experience. Keep in
mind that not all HRIS systems offer this in a user-friendly manner!
Working with an HRIS has multiple benefits for the organization, HR, and the
employee. Using an HRIS becomes interesting when you have between 30 to 50
employees.
Different kinds of HRIS systems & software
There are different kinds of HRIS systems and software. Because an HRIS encompasses
all the functionalities for HR, all separate functionalities are part of the system. These
functionalities include:
 Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This software handles all the company’s
recruiting needs. It tracks candidate information and resumes, enables
recruiters to match job openings to suitable candidates from the company’s
application pool, and helps in guiding the hiring process.
 Payroll. Payroll automates the pay process of employees. Contractual data is
often entered into this system – sometimes combined with time & attendance
data – and at the end of the month, payments orders are created.

 Benefits. Another functionality of the HRIS is benefits management. Employee
benefits are an important aspect of compensation and are also managed in this
system. More advanced systems offer an employee self-servicemodel for
employee benefits. In this case, employees can select the benefits they are
looking for themselves. One may want more paternity leave, the other one a
more expensive company car. This self-service approach to benefits is also
called a cafeteria model.
 Time & Attendance. This module gathers time and attendance data from
employees. These are especially relevant for blue-collar work where employees
clock in and out. Back in the day when I worked in a supermarket, we wrote the
time worked down on a piece of paper, which was then manually entered into
the time tracking system by the manager. Based on this data, payment orders
were generated and paid to all employees.
 Training. Learning and development is a key element when it comes to
employee management. This module allows HR to track qualification,
certification, and skills of the employees, as well as an outline of available
courses for company employees. This module is often referred to as an LMS, or
Learning Management System, when it’s a stand-alone. An LMS usually
includes available e-learning and other courses to be followed by employees.
 Performance management. Performance management is a key part of
managing people. Performance ratings are generated once or multiple times a
year by the direct manager or peers of the employee.
 Succession planning. Creating a talent pipeline and having replacements
available for key roles in the organization is another key component of an HRIS.
 Employee self-service. Employee self-servicewas already mentioned.
Organizations are focusing increasingly on having employees and their direct
supervisors manage their own data. Requests like holidays can be asked for by

the employee him/herself. After approval, these are then immediately saved
into the system (and registered to track for payroll and benefits purposes).
 Reporting & Analytics. A much rarer module in HRIS systems is reporting and
analytics. Modern systems enable the creation of automated HR reports on
various topics like employee turnover, absence, performance, and more.
Analytics involves the analysis of this data for better-informed decision making.
We’ll explain more about this in the section below.
Reporting and analytics in an HRIS
The common characteristic for all HRIS systems is that they have been designed
as transactional systems. They are databases that record a company’s transactions.
An example of a transaction is when an employee joins the company.
The employee record is entered, and the person is considered ‘active’. If a person
leaves the company three months later, a new transaction is recorded, setting the
person’s status to ‘terminated’.
The fact that these systems are designed as transactional systems, makes them bad at
data reporting and analytics. They simply haven’t been designed for this. In addition,
not all HRIS systems have all the above functionalities build-in.
Some functionalities, like payroll, LMS, or ATS could also be recorded in external
systems. This makes HR reporting even more challenging, as it means that data is
dispersed into multiple systems. In order to report data, a new layer needs to be
added on top of all HR systems to report and analyze the HR data.
HRIS suppliers
There are thousands of HRIS suppliers. Gartner’s Magic Quadrant below lists the 11
best-known Human Capital Management suits for midmarket and large enterprises.
These include Workday, Oracle, SAP, ADP, Ceridian, Kronos, and more. Listing all the

HRIS suppliers would be impossible, so we decided to explicitly mention the four
HCMs that are considered to be leaders.
Cornerstone
Cornerstone OnDemand is the only company not listed in Gartner’s Magic
Quadrant. As one of the largest providers for Small and Medium businesses, they
offer different suites including recruiting, learning, performance management, and an
e-learning LMS.
Workday
Workday is arguably one of the best-known HRIS out there. Founded only in 2005, it
has grown to global HRIS giant with over 10,000 employees. Workday specifically
tailors to mid- and large-sized businesses.
SAP
SAP is better known as an ERP, or Enterprise Resource System. These are systems that
keep track of a company’s resources, which include among other things financial
assets, orders, and people. In 2011, SAP acquired Success Factors, making SAP Success
Factors one of the major players in the HCM market, especially for large companies.
Oracle
Oracle HCM Cloud was released in 2011. It includes modules on talent management,
workforce rewards, workforcemanagement, and work-life solutions.
Ultimate Software
Ultimate Software was ranked by Forbes as the 7th Most Innovative Growth Company.
The company provides one system of records for HR, payroll, and talent
management. Systems include time and attendance, onboarding, performance
management, compensation, succession management, and more.
HRIS specialist & HRIS analyst

In terms of job functions, there are two job roles that involve the HRIS. The first one is
the Human Resource Information Specialist. The HRIS specialist is responsible for
implementing and maintaining the HRIS for the organization.
This also involves on-the-job training to HR professionalsin the use of the system.
This function is usually in the IT arm of the HR department.
The HRIS analyst provides support for the HRIS. This includes researching and
resolving HRIS problems and being a liaison with other parts of the business, like
finance/payroll.
As an analyst, you are also involved in the generation of standard and ad-hoc reports
and improvements of HRIS processes. This means improving the employee experience
in using the systems, coming up with user-friendly innovations, and implementing new
policies to be reflected in the system.
HRIS certification
There is no specific HRIS certification at the moment. People interested in working
with HRIS systems are advised to study IT and HRM. IT is useful to understand the
intricacies of the system while HRM helps to understand the processes that the HRIS is
supporting.
Combining both helps to make better decisions when it comes to system
implementation.
HRIS implementation in 6 steps
We could write multiple articles when it comes to HRIS implementation. For this
article, we will provide a high-level overview. For more information, we recommend
the Digital HR Certificate program, as that program provides much more information
about software implementation.
Software implementation can be divided into multiple stages.

1. Search. In the search phase, the specific demands of the different stakeholders
inside the company are inquired about. Based on these requirements, a long-
list of compatible vendors is made. Based on initial inquiries, a shortlist is
created. These vendors are invited to create a proposal. At the end of this
phase, a compatible provider is selected.
2. Plan and align. In this phase, you choose an implementation partner, create a
steering committee and an implementation team. The steering committee
usually consists of senior delegates from the vendor/supplier, the HR director
from the company, the internal project manager, and preferably a senior user
from the business. The implementation team is concerned with day-to-day
implementation.
3. Define and design. In this phase, user groups are specified and processes and
workflows are mapped. Here the functional and technical requirements for
infrastructure, system, and security are further defined.
4. Configure and test.In this phase, a core test team is created. This team is
tasked with testing the system and suggesting improvements. After this, a user
acceptance test is created by bringing in a number of users to provide final
feedback.
5. Train and communicate. Before the Go-Live moment, technical staff needs to
be trained, communication plans need to be created, and Frequently Asked
Question and other support documents created to benefit the software
implementation and uptake.
6. Deploy and sustain. This is the last phase where everyone is made ready for
Go-Live. Once all support processes are in place, the system can Go-Live.
Feedback needs to be constantly collected and training material updated with
the evolving systems. Constant, accurate communication is key here.

By following these six steps, you can select and implement your HRIS. Again, if you
want to go into more detail, check out the Digital HR Certification program. This
program has courses on Design Thinking in HR and on building and implementing a
Digital HR Strategy. These elements are essential when it comes to defining user
requirements and implementing a software solution.
Basics of Computer Networking
Open system:
A system which is connected to the network and is ready for communication.
Closed system:
A system which is not connected to the network and can’t be communicated with.
Computer Network:
An interconnection of multiple devices, also known as hosts, that are connected using
multiple paths for the purpose of sending/receiving data or media. Computer
networks can also include multiple devices/mediums which help in the communication
between two different devices; these are known as Network devices and include
things such as routers, switches, hubs, and bridges.
What Do Networks Do?
Computer networks are used to carry out a large number of tasks through the sharing
of information.

Some of the things that networks are used for include:
 Communicating using email, video, instant messaging and other methods
 Sharing devices such as printers, scanners and photocopiers
 Sharing files
 Sharing software and operating programs on remote systems
 Allowing network users to easily access and maintain information
Types of Network
There are many different types of network, which can be used for different purposes
and by different types of people and organization. Here are some of the network
types that you might come across:
 Local Area Networks (LAN)
A local area network or LAN is a network that connects computers within a
limited area. This might be in a school, an office or even a home.
 Personal Area Networks (PAN)
A personal area network is a network that is based on an individual's
workspace. The individual's device is the center of the network, with other
devices connected to it. There are also wireless personal area networks.
 Home Area Networks (HAN)
A home area network connects devices within a home environment. It might
include personal computers, tablets, smartphones, printers, TVs and other
devices.
 Wide Area Networks (WAN)
A wide area network is a network that covers a larger geographicalarea,
usually with a radius of more than a kilometer.

 Campus Networks
A campus network is a LAN or set of connected LANs which is used by a
government agency, university, corporation or similar organization and is
typically a network across a set of buildings that are close together.
 Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)
Metropolitan area networks are networks that stretch across a region the size
of a metropolitan area. A MAN is a series of connected LANs in a city, which
might also connect to a WAN.
 Enterprise Private Networks
An enterprise private network is used by a company to connect its various sites
so that the different locations can share resources.
 Internetworks
Internetworks connect different networks together to build a larger network.
Internetworking is often used to describe building a large, global network.
 Backbone Networks (BBN)
A backbone is a part of a network that connects different pieces and provides a
path for information to be exchanged.
 Global Area Networks (GAN)
A global area network is a worldwide network that connects networks all over
the globe, such as the internet.
Network Design
Computer networks can have different designs, with the two basic forms being
client/server and peer-to-peer networks. Client/server networks have centralized
servers for storage, which are accessed by client computers and devices. Peer-to-peer
networks tend to have devices that support the same functions. They are more

common in homes, while client/server networks are more likely to be used by
businesses.
Types of Network Connections
There are also different types of network connections that concern how elements in a
network are connected to each other. Topologies are used to connect computers,
with a collapsed ring being the most common type due to the Ethernet supporting
the internet, local area networks and wide area networks.
Here are some of the topologies that are used to create networks:
Star Topology
A central node connects a cable to each computer in the network in a star topology.
Each computer in the network has an independent connection to the center of the
network, and one connection breaking won't affect the rest of the network. However,
one downside is that many cables are required to form this kind of network.
Bus Topology
In a bus topology network connection, one cable connects the computer. The
information for the last node on the network has to run through each connected
computer. There is less cabling required, but if the cable breaks it means that none of
the computers can reach the network.
Ring Topology
A ring topology is similar to a bus topology. It uses a single cable with the end nodes
connected to each other so the signal can circle through the network to find its
recipient. The signal will try several times to find its destination even when the network
node is not working properly. A collapsed ring has a central node which is a hub,
router or switch. The device has an internal ring topology and has places for cable to
plug in. Every computer in the network has its own cable to plug into the device. In an

office, this probably means having a cabling closet, where all computers are
connected to the closet and the switch
Network Protocols
Network protocols are the languages that computer devices use to communicate. The
protocols that computer networks support offer another way to define and group
them. Networks can have more than one protocol and each can support different
applications. Protocols that are often used include TCP/IP, which is most common on
the internet and in home networks.
Wired and Wireless Networks
Many protocols can work with both wired and wireless networks. In recent years,
however, wireless technologies have grown and become much more popular. Wi-Fi
and other wireless technologies have become the favorite option for building
computer networks. One of the reasons for this is that wireless networks can easily
support different types of wireless gadgets that have become popular over the years,
such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile networking is now an important thing to
consider because it's not going to go away anytime soon.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Computer Networking
Computer network is defined as a set of interconnected autonomous systems that
facilitate distributed processing of information. It results in better performance with
high speed of processing.
Advantages of Network:
These are main advantages of Computer Networks:

1. Central Storage of Data –
Files can be stored on a central node (the file server) that can be shared and
made available to each and every user in an organization.
2. Anyone can connect to a computer network –
There is a negligible range of abilities required to connect to a modern
computer network. The effortlessness of joining makes it workable for even
youthful kids to start exploiting the data.
3. Faster Problem solving –
Since an extensive procedure is disintegrated into a few littler procedures and
each is taken care of by all the associated gadgets, an explicit issue can be
settled in lesser time.
4. Reliability –
Reliability impliesbacking up of information. Due to some reason equipment
crash, and so on, the information gets undermined or inaccessible on one PC,
another duplicate of similar information is accessible on another workstation for
future use, which prompts smooth working and further handling without
interruption.
5. It is highly flexible –
This innovation is known to be truly adaptable, as it offers clients the chance to
investigate everything about fundamental things, for example, programming
without influencing their usefulness.
6. Security through Authorization –
Security and protection of information is additionally settled through system. As
just the system clients are approved to get to specific records or applications,
no other individual can crack the protection or security of information.

7. It boosts storage capacity –
Since you will share data, records and assets to other individuals, you need to
guarantee all information and substance are legitimately put away in the
framework. With this systems administration innovation, you can do the
majority of this with no issue, while having all the space you requirement for
capacity.
Disadvantages of Network:
These are main disadvantages of Computer Networks:
1. It lacks robustness –
If a PC system’s principle server separates, the whole framework would end
up futile. Also, if it has a bridging device or a central linking server that fails, the
entire network would also come to a standstill. To manage these issues,
gigantic systems ought to have a ground-breaking PC to fill in as document
server to influence setting to up and keeping up the system less demanding.
2. It lacks independence –
PC organizing includes a procedure that is worked utilizing PCs, so individuals
will depend a greater amount of PC work, rather than applying an exertion for
their jobs that needs to be done. Beside this, they will be subject to the primary
document server, which implies that, in the event that it separates, the
framework would end up futile, making clients inactive.
3. Virus and Malware –
On the off chance that even one PC on a system gets contaminated with an
infection, there is a possibility for alternate frameworks to get tainted as well.
Infections can spread on a system effectively, in view of the between availability
of different gadgets.4. Lack of Independence

4. Cost of network –
The expense of executing the system including cabling and equipment can be
expensive.

Database Management System
Database Management System or DBMS in short refers to the technology of storing
and retrieving usersí data with utmost efficiency along with appropriatesecurity
measures. This tutorial explains the basics of DBMS such as its architecture, data
models, data schemas, data independence, E-R model, relation model, relational
database design, and storage and file structure and much more.
Why to Learn DBMS?
Traditionally, data was organized in file formats. DBMS was a new concept then, and
all the research was done to make it overcome the deficienciesin traditional style of
data management. A modern DBMS has the following characteristics −
 Real-world entity − A modern DBMS is more realistic and uses real-world
entities to design its architecture. It uses the behavior and attributes too. For
example, a school database may use students as an entity and their age as an
attribute.
 Relation-based tables − DBMS allows entities and relations among them to
form tables. A user can understand the architecture of a database just by
looking at the table names.
 Isolation of data and application − A database system is entirely different than
its data. A database is an active entity, whereas data is said to be passive, on
which the database works and organizes. DBMS also stores metadata, which is
data about data, to ease its own process.
 Less redundancy − DBMS follows the rules of normalization, which splits a
relation when any of its attributes is having redundancy in values.

Normalization is a mathematically rich and scientific process that reduces data
redundancy.
 Consistency − Consistency is a state where every relation in a database remains
consistent. There exist methods and techniques, which can detect attempt of
leaving database in inconsistent state. A DBMS can provide greater consistency
as compared to earlier forms of data storing applications like file-processing
systems.
 Query Language − DBMS is equipped with query language, which makes it
more efficient to retrieve and manipulate data. A user can apply as many and
as different filtering options as required to retrieve a set of data. Traditionally it
was not possible where file-processing system was used.
Applications of DBMS
Database is a collection of related data and data is a collection of facts and figures
that can be processed to produce information.
Mostly data represents recordable facts. Data aids in producing information, which is
based on facts. For example, if we have data about marks obtained by all students, we
can then conclude about toppers and average marks.
A database management system stores data in such a way that it becomes easier to
retrieve, manipulate, and produce information. Following are the important
characteristics and applications of DBMS.
 ACID Properties − DBMS follows the concepts
of Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability (normally shortened as
ACID). These concepts are applied on transactions, which manipulate data in a
database. ACID properties help the database stay healthy in multi-transactional
environments and in case of failure.

 Multiuser and Concurrent Access − DBMS supports multi-user environment and
allows them to access and manipulate data in parallel. Though there are
restrictions on transactions when users attempt to handle the same data item,
but users are always unaware of them.
 Multiple views − DBMS offers multiple views for different users. A user who is in
the Sales department will have a different view of database than a person
working in the Production department. This feature enables the users to have a
concentrate view of the database according to their requirements.
 Security − Features like multiple views offer security to some extent where users
are unable to access data of other users and departments. DBMS offers
methods to impose constraints while entering data into the database and
retrieving the same at a later stage. DBMS offers many different levels of
security features, which enables multiple users to have different views with
different features. For example, a user in the Sales department cannot see the
data that belongs to the Purchase department. Additionally, it can also be
managed how much data of the Sales department should be displayed to the
user. Since a DBMS is not saved on the disk as traditional file systems, it is very
hard for miscreants to break the code.
Advantages of Database Management System
Advantage of Database Management System (DBMS) Some of them are given as
following below.
1. Better Data Transferring:
Database management creates a place where users have an advantage of
more and better managed data. Thus making it possible for end-users to have
a quick look and to respond fast to any changes made in their environment.

2. Better Data Security:
As number of users increases data transferring or data sharing rate also
increases thus increasing the risk of data security. It is widely used in
corporation world where companies invest money, time and effort in large
amount to ensure data is secure and is used properly. A Database
Management System (DBMS) provide a better platform for data privacy and
security policies thus, helping companies to improve Data Security.
3. Better data integration:
Due to Database Management System we have an access to well managed and
synchronized form of data thus it makes data handling very easy and gives
integrated view of how a particular organization is working and also helps to keep
a track on how one segment of the company affects other segment.
4. Minimized Data Inconsistency:
Data inconsistency occurs between files when different versions of the same
data appear in different places.
For Example, data inconsistency occurs when a student name is saved as “John
Wayne” on a main computer of school but on teacher registered system same
student name is “William J. Wayne”, or when the price of a product is $86.95 in
local system of company and its National sales office system shows the same
product price as $84.95.
So if a database is properly designed then Data inconsistency can be greatly
reduced hence minimizing data inconsistency.
5. Faster data Access:
The Data base management system (DBMS) helps to produce quick answers to
database queries thus making data accessing faster and more accurate. For
example, to read or update the data. For example, end users, when dealing with
large amounts of sale data, will have enhanced access to the data, enabling
faster sales cycle.
Some queries may be like:
1. What is the increase of the sale in last three months?
2. What is the bonus given to each of the salespeople in last five months?
3. How many customers have credit score of 850 or more?
6. Better decision making:
Due to DBMS now we have Better managed data and Improved data accessing
because of which we can generate better quality information hence on this basis
better decisions can be made.
Better Data quality improves accuracy, validity and time it takes to read data.

DBMS does not guarantee data quality, it provides a framework to make it is
easy to improve data quality .
7. Increased end-user productivity:
The data which is available with the help of combination of tools which transform
data into useful information, helps end user to make quick, informative and better
decisions that can make difference between success and failure in the global
economy.
8. Simple:
Data base management system (DBMS) gives simple and clear logical view of
data. Many operations like insertion, deletion or creation of file or data are easy
to implement.

Information Systems Planning (Management Information System)
Information management is term that covers array of the systems and processes
within an organisation to create and use of corporate information. Information
Systems Planning is critical in developing and executing successful strategic plans in
huge firms at global level. It is observed in current business situation that the markets
are very uncertain which pushes companies to adopt effective, pro-active strategiesin
order to gain competitive advantage. The strategy formula is oriented through

company's operation and objectives based on a cautious analysis of the involving
company. Objectives of information system planning are desired future positions and
destinations the organizations intend to reach in order to fulfil its mission. Its policies
are a general guideline that directs and constraints decision making within an
organization.
Information technology enable a set of opportunities to gain competitive advantage
and to adjust the Information Systems for the benefit of organization.
In present scenario, information system planning is key issue faced by senior
executives of company. Information management planning mainly involves in
identification of the stage of IS in the organization, identification of the applications of
organizational information systems, evaluation of each of these applications, based on
established evaluation criteria, establishing a priority ranking for these application and
determining the optimum architecture of IS for serving the top priority applications.
Theoretical literature of the information systems planning suggests two challenging
theories of effective planning in a turbulent environment. One predicts that

organizations using a formal, comprehensive planning approach will be more
successful. The other predicts that organizations using an informal, incremental
approach will be more successful in such an environment.
Stage model of Information System planning
1. Strategic planning:
a. Derivation from the organizational plan.
b. Strategic fit with organizational culture.
c. Strategy set transformation.
2. Information requirement analysis:
a. Define underlying organizational requirements.
b. Develop sub system matrix.
c. Define and evaluate information requirements for organizational sub-
systems.
3. Resource allocation:
a. Return on investment
b. Charge out
c. Portfolio approach
d. Steering committees.
4. Project planning
a. milestones
b. Critical path method

c. Gantt chart
To sum up, The Information Systems Planning is a key process for the success and
competitiveness of companies in present business environment. Plans explain the
structure and content of information system and the way it is developed. The major
aim of Information Systems Planning is to recognize the stages of IS planning in the
organization
Following steps are involved in the process of integration of information systems
planning with overall business planning:

1. Identify objectives and challenges:
First step in planning of IT infrastructure is to identify the objectives and the challenges
involved in the business in general and information systems in particular. This is
achieved by enlisting the broad objectives, business functions and processes, business
resource requirements, etc.
In the light of these business objectives and requirements, information systems issues
may be identified after careful assessment of existing IT infrastructure. In the process,
a status report may be prepared that incorporates the broad business and
information system objectives, the assessment of present resources and gaps in the
requirements in general terms.
2. Business and information systems planning:

The second step is to review the business planning process in the light of changing
business scenario and identify the business functions that need greater support from
information systems.
Objectives of the IT infrastructure may be defined keeping in view the functions to be
automated. Linking the information system issues with strategic inputs is essential
element of this step.
Thus, the objectives of the information system should focus on the strategic inputs to
various business processes. Buckland suggests that a correlation analysis may be
conducted between the information system issues and strategic inputs.
For example, the information issues like which business function must be supported
by information systems may be correlated with business strategic inputs, such as
technology forecast, strategic assumptions and business plan analysis. In addition to
the broad strategic inputs, both for the business process and information systems,
critical success factors for each information system project should be identified and
agreed upon.
3. Identifying alternatives:
Once the objectives of the information systems are defined, the alternative strategies
for IT solutions need to be identified. These alternatives may require identifying
alternatives regarding the organisation structure, computer hardware, software and
networking strategies for achieving the objectives set forth earlier.
4. Determine priorities:
The next step would be to evaluate each alternative strategy defined in the preceding
step with the help of an established criterion.
The evaluation process shall help in determining the resource requirement for each
information system project. The priority ranking may have to be changed later in view
of the new options that might have been opened. The ranking may be based on

priority by the business needs or the estimated impact on the bottom-line. On the
basis of the ranking, recommendations may be made for funds allocation.
5. Draw operational plan:
Once the fund allocation recommendations have been accepted the operational plans
need to drawn in detail. These operational plans may include identifying the hardware
needs, planning for system development life cycle, and other IT resources needed for
the accepted information system projects

What Are the Benefits of Financial Information Systems?
A financial information system (FIS) is charged with monitoring finances within an
organization or business. It takes complex data and processes it into specialized
reports, saving time and effort in dealing with business accounting. While financial
information systems have many benefits, it should be noted that having an FIS in
place can be costly and usually requires training for those people operating the
system.
Definition - What does Financial Information System (FIS) mean?
A financial information system (FIS) accumulates and analyzes financial data used for
optimal financial planning and forecasting decisions and outcomes. An FIS is used in
conjunction with a decision support system, and it helps a firm attain its financial
objectives because they use a minimal amount of resources relative to a
predetermined margin of safety. An FIS can be thought of as a financial planner for
electronic commerce that can also produce large amounts of market and financial
data at once obtained from financial databases worldwide.
Accounting
The center of a financial information system will be found in accounting. This area
looks at the overall financial picture of a project, business or individual, incorporating
both accounts payable and accounts receivable. The larger the project, the more
beneficial a financial information system becomes. While an advanced system might
not be necessary for an individual financial account, an organization’s finances can
be tracked through a financial information system.
Funds
Another benefit to having a financial information system in place is seen with funding.
The FIS examines where funds are coming in and where funds are going out. Unlike
accounting, however, FIS can make use of rigid budget controls. This enables a user

to quickly identify whether or not a financial situation is developing. If funding has
been designated for “Maintenance” for $200,000 and several servers go down and
require immediate repair in the amount of $215,000, the FIS program will indicate that
funding has gone over budget and will require changes to be made to the budget.
Reporting
Reporting is another benefit to having an FIS in place. By allowing users to examine
reports on any aspect of the financial data, it assists in keeping track of past expenses,
as well as projecting future expenses. In addition, it helps identify different
departments and divisions that consistently go over budget, as well as which
departments operate within their budget, and even which departments actually come
in under budget.
Specialization
Specialized financialinformation systems are available, ranging from those designed
for stock brokers and traders to medical institutions. Financial information systems
used in stocks and bonds are designed to provide near-instant financial market data,
projecting trends, keeping track of stock sales, and generally gathering and
disseminating stock market data as quickly as possible. A medical FIS would contain
patient information as it relates to payment costs for insurance purposes, as well as an
extensive database of insurance claims, insurance payouts and anything else related
to a medical office’s finances.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
What Is ERP?
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) refers to a type of software that organizations use
to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, project
management, risk management and compliance, and supply chain operations. A
complete ERP suite also includes enterprise performance management, software that
helps plan, budget, predict, and report on an organization’s financial results.
ERP systems tie together a multitude of business processes and enable the flow of
data between them. By collecting an organization’s shared transactional data from
multiple sources, ERP systems eliminate data duplication and provide data integrity
with a single source of truth.
Today, ERP systems are critical for managing thousands of businesses of all sizes and
in all industries. To these companies, ERP is as indispensable as the electricity that
keeps the lights on.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a process used by companies to manage and
integrate the important parts of their businesses. Many ERP software applications are
important to companies because they help them implement resource planning by
integrating all of the processes needed to run their companies with a single system.
An ERP software system can also integrate planning, purchasing inventory, sales,
marketing, finance, human resources, and more.
The Business Value of ERP
It’s impossible to ignore the impact of ERP in today’s business world. As enterprise
data and processes are corralled into ERP systems, businesses can align separate
departments and improve workflows, resulting in significant bottom-line savings.
Examples of specific business benefits include:

 Improved business insight from real-time information generated by reports
 Lower operational costs through streamlined business processes and best
practices
 Enhanced collaboration from users sharing data in contracts, requisitions, and
purchase orders
 Improved efficiency through a common user experience across many business
functions and well-defined business processes
 Consistent infrastructure from the back office to the front office, with all
business activities having the same look and feel
 Higher user-adoption rates from a common user experience and design
 Reduced risk through improved data integrity and financial controls
 Lower management and operational costs through uniform and integrated
systems
Understanding Enterprise Resource Planning
You can think of an enterprise resource planning system as the glue that binds
together the different computer systems for a large organization. Without an ERP
application, each department would have its system optimized for its specific tasks.
With ERP software, each department still has its system, but all of the systems can be
accessed through one application with one interface.
ERP applications also allow the different departments to communicate and share
information more easily with the rest of the company. It collects information about the
activity and state of different divisions, making this information available to other
parts, where it can be used productively.

ERP applications can help a corporation become more self-aware by linking
information about the production, finance, distribution, and human resources
together. Because it connects different technologies used by each part of a business,
an ERP application can eliminate costly duplicate and incompatible technology. The
process often integrates accounts payable, stock control systems, order-monitoring
systems, and customer databases into one system.
ERP offerings have evolved over the years from traditional software models that make
use of physical client servers to cloud-based software that offers remote, web-based
access.
Special Considerations
An ERP system doesn't always eliminate inefficiencies within the business. The
company needs to rethink the way it's organized, or else it will end up with
incompatible technology.
ERP systems usually fail to achieve the objectives that influenced their installation
because of a company's reluctance to abandon old working processes that are
incompatible with the software. Some companies are also reluctant to let go of old
software that worked well in the past. The key is to prevent ERP projects from being
split into many smaller projects, which can result in cost overruns.

HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (HIS)or Health
management system [HMS]
The hospital information system (HIS) plays an important role in simplifying the
workflow of hospitals by digitizing the entire operations of a hospital. Hospital
information system has mainly 2 parts such as Clinical Modules and Administration
modules.
The Clinical module of this system is patient centric that deals with patient
appointments, registration, billing, medicines, doctors and the treatments, surgeries.
The clinical part eases out the tasks for consultants thus doctors spends more time
with patients and able to consult more patients as well.
Whereas the Administration module of hospital information system (HIS) handles the
back office information such as Accounts, Stores, Asset management, Human
resource management, Corporate Billing, Insurance billing and so on. This is an
important module for the hospital management to keep track of the revenue,
outstanding payments, purchases and stocks.
The success of a hospital information system lies mainly on user-friendliness. And that
is possible only if the system development team consists of health care professionals,
a company in the healthcare domain, has close connection with every type of staff in
a hospital so that they can understand their ability.
The overall advantages of the hospital information system (HIS) are: Erroneous is
greatly reduced, Customer (Patient) satisfaction increases and thus foot fall increases,
Eco Friendly green system implemented by reports/ results / information are moved
digitally than in a paper, dashboards help the hospital management to a greater
extent.

With an approach of User Centric Solution and due to the close connections with the
mixed levels of staff in a hospital,
 Complete EMR
 Drug Interaction System
 NABH Monthly Reports
 Hospital Performance Analysis System
 Real Time Revenue Tracking
 Dashboard on Mobile
 Tally Interface
 Patient EMR on Cloud
 Telecare Platform
 IP Case sheet on Tabs
Benefits of Health Information System
 Organized & Coordinated Treatment Process
Health Information System is a technology-driven system that makes the process of
sharing protected health information (PHI) between organizations and providers really
hassle-free. Also, because of this system, patients are able to get seamless and
coordinated treatment from healthcare providers. Especially, the patients whose
diagnoses need cross-specialty treatment coordination and substantial medical
information management get the maximum benefits from HIS. And above all, it
improves the delivery of the care and outcomes of the patients.
 Improved Patient Safety

As you get easy access to patients’ data with the help of Health Information Systems,
you can save all the information and share across multiple databases to improve the
safety of the patients. Even you can get alert notification whenever there are any
issues related to patients’ health. For example, the healthcare providers can receive
an alert from program security checking about the harmful effects patients may
experience on any particular medicine if they have that without being prescribed. This
way you can avoid committing any serious mistake that happens due to the lack of
details available during making the decisions.
 Betterment in Patient Care
By collecting and saving patients’ information, including diagnosis reports, medical
history, allergy reactions, vaccinations,treatment information plans, test results, etc.,
Health Information Systems provide the healthcare providers a complete and orderly
framework that helps them interact with their patients in a better way and eventually
deliver care to them in a more efficient way.
 Hassle-free Process of Performance Analysis
Using Health Information Systems enables multiple avenues through which you can
access your staff performance, analysis patient care, check the efficiency and stability
of your organization. HIS reduces the paperwork and makes every record
computerized. You can take any decision related to your staff based on their skill sets.
Also, you can take decisions after focusing on previous performance details. With HIS,
your patients get the chance of sharing review regarding the level of care they are
receiving from your staff so that you can stay aware of the performance of your staff
and analyze the effectiveness of your organization.
 Transfiguration in Clinical Procedures
With HIS, you can address any kind of stressed situations for your patients. You can
have a virtual view of patient flow and what every individual patient experiences

during their meeting with health care providers, administrativepersonnel, lab
technician and financial assistants. Careful attention to this helps you spot the areas
where you can bring betterment.
 Circumvention of Medical Errors
As Health Information Systems maintains less paperwork and makes everything
computerized and automated, you get the error-free reports and information. As a
result, various medication errors can be avoided and patients’ safety can be
ensured.
 Instant & Seamless Accessibility to Patients’ Details
According to a report, published by World Health Organization (WHO), “The Health
Information System collects data from the health sector and other relevant sectors,
analyses the data and ensures their overall quality, relevance and timeliness, and
converts data into information for health-related decision-making.” And the more
reliable the information is, you have the better chance to make any decision,
implement any policy, execute any regulation, conduct health research, training, and
development program and have a check on service delivery.
 Minimized Operational Expense
Health Information Systems Enable health organizations to assign resources in
a planned manner and save potentially remarkable amounts of expenses, energy,
and supplies. In a nutshell, you can make your healthcare service better for your
patients while saving lots of money.
 Saving of Time

Other than saving money, Health Information Systems help in saving time as well. By
making all the patients’ information computerized and personal activities
automated, HIS saves a significant amount of time in making patient care coordinated
and hospital management seamless.
 Improved Patient Satisfaction
By adding value to the clinical process Health Information Systems don’t only make
the daily job of healthcare providers and administration easy but also improves the
satisfaction level of the patients. The patients can rely on your service, and when you
become a reliable name in your sector, you get more patients and get a great return
on investment.
Important Features of Health Information Systems
 Patient Portal
The patient portal is an important feature of the Health Information System. It is a
platform, similar to the electronic health record, but what makes it different is that
through these patients are capable of having secure online access to their medical
records, scheduling doctor appointment, communicating with the doctor, check
medical bills and processing payment online. All they need is a smart device to avail
the maximum benefits of the feature. Instead of following the age-old process of
scheduling a doctor’s appointment, they can just log in to their account in the
patient portal, have a look at the availability of their doctors and make an
appointment as per their convenience and doctor’s availability. After scheduling the
appointment, they can check the bill and make the payment or set the details for
future payments. The popularity of Patient portal is increasing day by day because it
improves the accessibility for the patients and maintains the transparency between the
patients and their treatment processes. Therefore hospitals opt for this to improve
their patients’ satisfaction level and build themselves as reliable ones.

 Medical Billing
Online medical billing feature manages all the billing tasks in less amount of time than
usual. Gone are the days when hospitals used to spend a major amount of time in
managing all the appointments and billings. Now with medical billing feature,
patients’ billing, insurance details, patient tracking, and payment process –
everything can be handled with efficiency. You can even receive notification alert if
there is any delay or other issues in payment so that you can take action accordingly.
Moreover, the claim scrubbing tool in medical billing helps you detect any type of
medical errors way before they start to slow down your management process. It
includes scanning and getting rid of any LCD, CCI or HIPAA based errors, and
delivering you latest updated reports.
 Patient Scheduling
Just like the patient portal, with patient scheduling patients can schedule their own
appointments by simply logging into their respective accounts. This way they neither
have to wait in line in front of the doctor’s chamber or clinic nor need to call the
clinic again and again to make an appointment. All the facilities will be available 24/7
in just a tap away. They can even match their convenience with the availability of the
doctor and book appointment accordingly. This feature is beneficial for the care
providers as well. They can assign their staff, test rooms, and specialty apparatus (if
needed).
 ePrescribing
This software in Health Information Systems speeds up the complete prescription
process, usually done by the staff members of the medical practitioner’s office. They
can send and fill the prescriptions of every patient to the pharmacies via online. Also,
they can track the entire process and take any action if needed. This way the whole
process becomes quick, safe and error-free.

 Remote Patient Monitoring
This is another promising feature of Health Information Systems, enabling the access
of patients’ details easy, helping care providers deliver good health care to the
patients and minimizing severe condition expenses. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
is really useful for patients who are suffering from chronic health issues. Doctors use
the information collected through RPM for monitoring patients’ health status. Also,
with these details, they can foretell or put a stop to the situations that would or else
need serious medical intervention. Other than chronic health care, RPM is helpful for
other cases as well, such as care for the senior citizens, care after discharging a
patient, treatment for behavioral health and substance abuse, etc.
 Master Patient Index
Master Patient Index is quite popular across many hospitals and large organizations of
medical practices. With this technology, one needs to feed the patients’ information
once. After that, it gets connected to multiple databases and as a result, this data can
be useful in the future for other lab tests and clinical departments. There will be no
need to feed the data manually every time. The ease of access to patients’ details is
the most important benefit of using the Master Patient Index. Also, it is completely
automated, reduces the possibility of errors and improves the safety of the
information.
EXAMPLES OF HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Health information systems can be used by everyone in healthcare from patients to
clinicians to public health officials.They collect data and compile it in a way that can
be used to make healthcare decisions.
Examples of health information systems include:
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Electronic Health Record (EHR)

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