The six basic elements of a computer based information system (CBIS) are the hardware, software, data or information, people, procedures and communication. Each of these play a key role within the system and the features and contributions are unique to each element.
• Hardware - the hardware on a computer cannot be connected until all of the other elements have come together. Hardware is the physical components of a computer system including the motherboard and the CD drive.
• Software - software is the instructions that are given to a computer based information system that tells the hardware how to perform a particular task. Without the software there would be no way to use the hardware. Software is installed via CD-Rom or by downloads.
• Data or information - transforming data into information that can be read and understood by people is one of the main purposes of computer based information systems. Data is the raw material, i.e. Facts and figures, that is processed by the computer. The information that is produced is a summary of this data. It is not to be confused with knowledge as information is simply the organization and communication of the data.
• People - people are required to operate the computer based information systems. People can create and use computer software and choose how it is applied. Information that is relayed by a computer can be understood by people and therefore becomes knowledge. Without people, the computer systems would not be able to run.
• Procedures - the procedures that a computer based information system goes through are the ways in which the tasks get achieved. User manuals and documentation manuals make it possible to list the procedures which a computer system runs.
• Communication - also referred to as connectivity, communication is when one computer based information system is set up to share data and information with another. This is the basis of a network.
• Hardware - the hardware on a computer cannot be connected until all of the other elements have come together. Hardware is the physical components of a computer system including the motherboard and the CD drive.
• Software - software is the instructions that are given to a computer based information system that tells the hardware how to perform a particular task. Without the software there would be no way to use the hardware. Software is installed via CD-Rom or by downloads.
• Data or information - transforming data into information that can be read and understood by people is one of the main purposes of computer based information systems. Data is the raw material, i.e. Facts and figures, that is processed by the computer. The information that is produced is a summary of this data. It is not to be confused with knowledge as information is simply the organization and communication of the data.
• People - people are required to operate the computer based information systems. People can create and use computer software and choose how it is applied. Information that is relayed by a computer can be understood by people and therefore becomes knowledge. Without people, the computer systems would not be able to run.
• Procedures - the procedures that a computer based information system goes through are the ways in which the tasks get achieved. User manuals and documentation manuals make it possible to list the procedures which a computer system runs.
• Communication - also referred to as connectivity, communication is when one computer based information system is set up to share data and information with another. This is the basis of a network.
