Understand how organisations use business data

Research and explain the following terms:

o Types of information:
o Qualitative: Descriptive information, which often comes from interviews,
focus groups or artistic depictions such as photographs.
o Quantitative: Numerical or statistical information (data), which often
comes from surveys, surveillance or from administration records.
o Primary: Primary source is information that you create yourself. Examples
are: Interviews, questionnaires, photographs, sound clips, video clips
o Secondary: Information that has been produced by somebody else is known
as a secondary source. Secondary sources of information include:
newspapers, directories, books and maps, DVDs and websites, television
and radio
o Purposes of information:

o Operational support- monitoring activities within a business, recording the data then
acting upon the data.
o Analysis- Analysing information than taking action
o Decision making- information hugely supports decision making! Gaining cup
on in a pub and employing more staff at the time to make more money.
o Gaining advantage- This is opposite to resolving a problem in that it is about
taking advantage of external or internal events. It is done on an ad hoc basis as
and when opportunities arise. It is also used to identify patterns or trends, this
time with the aim of making decisions to benefit from these events
o Sources of information:
o Internal
o Sales figures
o Personal records
o Customer records
o External
o Gain a more detailed understanding of consumers needs
o Reduce the risk of product/business failure
o Forecast future trends
o Good information:
o What are the characteristics?
Document and explain at least 5.
o Business functional areas:
o Human Resources
o Marketing
o Customer service
o Accounting
o Sales
o Distribution
o Research and Development
 o Information flows:
o In an organization, the informational flow is the facts, ideas, data and
opinions that are discussed throughout the company. Information is
constantly flowing through organizations and acts as the blood of the
company.
o Internal: Information that is shared throughout a business, Information
conveying issues to receivers and stakeholders in different areas.
o What is an information flow diagram? Give an example if appropriate.

This research can be in any form you like at the moment (bullet points lists, paragraphs etc.),
but its important to remember that this research will form the basis of your first
assignment.
Please do not just copy and paste definitions from the internet make sure you understand
them, rewrite them and provide sufficient references where necessary.