2. Computerised information systems

Paper-based information systems have their uses as we have seen, but computerised information systems are much more flexible and a heck of a lot faster.

Think about how long it takes you to flick through the Yellow Pages to firstly find the category, then you might need to look through pages and pages of advertisements to find a female driving instructor who is in your town.

If you use the computerised version of the Yellow Pages, yell.co.uk, you would be able to find that information in a fraction of the time.

There are many other examples of computerised information systems:

The Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority

The DVLA system stores details on every driver who has passed their test or who has applied for a provisional licence.

It also stores every vehicle registration number in the U.K.

If the police need to access information about an abandoned car or a driver who was speeding, they can find out what they need to know in a matter of seconds by accessing the DVLA information system.

School management information system

Many schools now store all their records about students in a specially designed management information system.

Typical things that are stored about students:

• Their name
• Their address
• Their home phone number
• An emergency contact number
• Date of Birth
• Any medical conditions
• Which form they belong to
• Their timetable
• Their attendance

Some systems even store their grades, reports and comments made about them.

Such a system means that the secretary or teacher can get hold of the right information very quickly.