| 3. | (a) Briefly outline four general principles that should be considered in determining the structure of a data processing department. | [4] |
| (b) The diagram below shows a basic
organisation for a data processing department:
This structure is usually appropriate for small to medium-sized data processing functions. In the following two situations, a different organisation might be employed. |
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(i) The data processing department at ABC Consultants is tasked with developing a large number of very different applications. Each application must be developed according to the same guidelines, to meet the same company standards. Often, the applications will need to communicate with each other. Suggest a suitable organisation for the data processing department at ABC Consultants, and illustrate your answer with a diagram. |
[4] | |
(ii) The data processing department at DEF products, an import-export company, handles two kinds of application: payroll and employee record packages for the personnel department; stock control and ordering packages for the warehousing and shipping department. Suggest a suitable organisation for the data processing department at DEF products, and illustrate your answer with a diagram. |
[4] | |
| (c) If data processing is an
integral part of company operations, then an independent department may be established,
directly under the control of the head of the company. Where this is not the case, we may
find that data processing is located either in a service department, or in
several different user departments. Compare and contrast these two approaches to locating data processing activities. Take care to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. |
[8] |
