4. Methods of collecting original source data.

Source data is where you are obtaining the data directly from the original source

Example 2 - A new shop needs a sales and stock control application

Before the new shop opens, they need to decide how they are going to handle sales and also how are they going to handle stocks.

The system they have chosen is an EFTPOS till that is also tied to a back-room stock control computer application.

EFTPOS stands for 'Electronic Fund Transfer At Point Of Sale'

The customer pays by inserting their bank card into a reader and enter their PIN. This source data is sent to the bank for authorisation. The bank then sends a message back to the EFTPOS terminal to allow (or not allow) payment.

At the same time, the computerised till sends the stock control computer, data about the item just purchased. This data is used to keep track of stock levels.

In this example source data is being gathered by computerised data transfer.

The advantage of this method is that it is all automatic, convenient and fast. The disadvantage is that it needs all the systems to work together. Software and hardware also needs to be purchased.