CAPABILITIES OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEM

An information system shares the same four capabilities as a computer system:

INPUT * Source data: This usually refers to the recording of a transaction or an event. * Inquiry: request for information * Response to a prompt * Instruction: for example, "Store file" or "Print record" * Message to another user on the system * Change: for example, editing a Word Processing document

Processing * Sorting: arranging data or records in some order * Retrieving, recording, and updating data in storage * Summarizing: presenting information in condensed format * Selecting: selecting records by criteria * Manipulating: performing arithmetic and logic operations

Storage: can store data, text, images, and other digital information so that they can be recalled easily for further processing.

Output * Hard Copy: printed reports, documents, and messages * Soft Copy: temporary displays on terminal screens, for example. * Control: deals with instructions