Computer basics: other factors - 2

 Uses of Computers

During the last five decades, computers have revolutionized almost all disciplines of our life. Computers have made possible many scientific, industrial and commercial advances that would have been impossible otherwise. Computers are being used in many areas of application viz. business, industry, scientific research, defence, space, communications, medicine, education and so on. The utilisation of computers in different fields is summarised in below.

Application Area

Scientific Research Used to resolve complex scientific problems accurately in a short time

Business Used in banks, airports, share markets, hotels, export houses, Government offices and others for rising business applications like MIS, Payroll, Inventory, Financial Accounting etc.

Defense Used to computerize warplanes, ships, radars and many advanced weapons

Space Used to design computerized space satellites, rockets and related technology

Data Communication Used to computerize geo-graphically separated offices through networking

Telecommunication Used in ISDN, E-mail, Internet, Intranet, VSAT, Videoconferencing, Paging, Cellular phones etc.

Medicine Used in hospitals and nursing homes/clinics for maintaining medical records, prescription writing, diagnostic applications and computerized scanning(CAT Scanning)

Education Used in development of CBT (Computer Based Teaching)/CAT (Computer Aided Teaching) programs for education

Law & Order Used to records data of vehicles

Libraries Used to develop Library Management Systems

Publishers Used for Desk Top Publishing (DTP) for designing & printing of books

Engineering Used CAD (Computer Aided Designing)/CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) by engineering companies

Emerging Technologies Used in Artificial Intelligence (Expert Systems, Robotics etc.) and Virtual Reality

 

Case Study: Computers in Business

Computers have completely altered the structure of business. They are reshaping the basics of business. Customer service, operations, product and marketing strategies, and distribution are heavily, or sometimes even entirely, dependent on computer-enabled applications. The computers that support these functions can be found on the desk, on the shop floor, in the store, even in briefcases. Computers have become an everyday part of business life.

Figure 1-2 illustrates the fundamental roles of computers in business.

Computer systems perform three vital roles in any type of organization:

􀂾 Support of Business Operations

􀂾 Support of Managerial Decision-Making

􀂾 Support of Strategic Competitive Advantage

Figure 1-2 Three Major Roles of Computer-based Information Systems

Let's take a retail store as an example to illustrate these important roles. As a consumer, we have to deal regularly with the computer-based information systems that support business operations at many retail stores where we shop. For example, most retail stores now use computer-based information systems to help them record customer purchases, keep track of inventory, pay employees, buy new merchandise, and evaluate sales trends.

Store operations would grind to a halt without the support of such information systems.

See Figure 1-3.

Computer-based information systems also help store managers make better decisions and attempt to gain a strategic competitive advantage. For example, decisions on what lines of merchandise need to be added or discontinued, or on what kind of investment they require, are typically made after an analysis provided by computer-based information systems. This not only supports the decision making of store managers but also helps them look for ways to gain an advantage over other retailers in the competition for customers.

Figure 1-3 A Computer-based Sales Processing System that supports Sales Transaction Processing, Employee Inquiries and Responses, and the Access and Updating of Business Databases Gaining a strategic advantage over competitors requires innovative use of computers and information technology. For example, store managers might make a decision to install computerized touch-screen catalog ordering systems in all of their stores, tied in with computer-based telephone ordering systems and an Internet-based computer shopping network. This might attract new customers and lure customers away from competing stores because of the ease of ordering provided by such innovative information systems.

Thus, computer-based strategic information systems can help provide strategic products and services that give a business organization competitive advantage over its competitors.

Limitations of computers

There is no doubt that computers surpasses human being in many aspects and can perform certain tasks better, faster and cheaper. But it cannot substitute man. The words of John F Kennedy are also 100% true "Man is still the most extraordinary Computers of all". The Computer, being an electronic device, has certain limitations, which can be summarized as follow:

1. No IQ: A computer is not a magical device. It can only perform tasks that a human being can. The difference is that it performs these tasks with unthinkable speed and accuracy. It possesses no intelligence of its own. Its IQ is zero, at least till today. Hence, only the user can determine what tasks a computer will perform.

A computer cannot take its own decision in this regard. Unlike the human brain, a computer cannot think on its own, but has to be given very explicit, step-by-step instructions to make it perform a task.

2. No Feelings: Computers are devoid of emotions. They have no feelings and no instincts because they are machine. Although men have succeeded in building a memory for the computer, but no computer possesses the equivalent of human heart and soul. Based on our feelings, taste, knowledge, and experience, we often make certain judgments in our day-to-day life. But computers cannot make such judgments on their own. Their judgments are based on the instructions given to them in the form of programs that are written by us. They are only as good as man makes and uses them. They do not learn from experiences.

It is said for computers, "Garbage-In, Garbage-Out (GIGO)". Many of the problems with computers occur because the computer can't tell the difference between doing something sensible versus something ridiculous. Erasing all its stored data is no different to a computer from adding two numbers. Computers operate logically, but they are incapable of acting prudently and rationally.

Thus a computer is not intelligent: it is a fast, rule-following idiot. Fast because it works at electronic speeds; rule-following because it needs to be given very detailed and complete instructions before it can do even the simplest task; and an idiot because it will unhesitatingly follow instructions even when to us it would be obvious that they were nonsense.

 

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