Transaction processing system

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Jump to: navigation, search A Transaction Processing System or Transaction Processing Monitor is a set of information which process the data transaction in database system that monitors transaction programs (a special kind of program). The essence of a transaction program is that it manages data that must be left in a consistent state..Transaction Processing is not limited to application programs. The 'journaled file system' provided with IBMs AIX Unix operating system employs similar techniques to maintain file
Definition: A Transaction Processing System (TPS) is a type of information system that collects, stores, modifies and retrieves the data transactions of an enterprise. A transaction is any event that passes the ACID test in which data is generated or modified before storage in an information system Features of Transaction Processing Systems The success of commercial enterprises depends on the reliable processing of transactions to ensure that customer orders are met on time, and that partners and suppliers are paid and can make payment. The field of transaction processing, therefore, has become a vital part of effective business management, led by such organisations as the Association for Work Process Improvement and the Transaction Processing Performance Council. Transaction processing systems offer enterprises the means to rapidly process transactions to ensure the smooth flow of data and the progression of processes throughout the enterprise. Typically, a TPS will exhibit the following characteristics: Rapid Processing The rapid processing of transactions is vital to the success of any enterprise now more than ever, in the face of advancing technology and customer demand for immediate action. TPS systems are designed to process transactions virtually instantly to ensure that customer data is available to the processes that require it. Reliability Similarly, customers will not tolerate mistakes. TPS systems must be designed to ensure that not only do transactions never slip past the net, but that the systems themselves remain operational permanently. TPS systems are therefore designed to incorporate comprehensive safeguards and disaster recovery systems. These measures keep the failure rate well within tolerance levels. Standardisation Transactions must be processed in the same way each time to maximise efficiency. To ensure this, TPS interfaces are designed to acquire identical data for each transaction, regardless of the

customer. Controlled Access Since TPS systems can be such a powerful business tool, access must be restricted to only those employees who require their use. Restricted access to the system ensures that employees who lack the skills and ability to control it cannot influence the transaction process. Transactions Processing Qualifiers In order to qualify as a TPS, transactions made by the system must pass the ACID test. The ACID tests refers to the following four prerequisites: Atomicity Atomicity means that a transaction is either completed in full or not at all. For example, if funds are transferred from one account to another, this only counts as a bone fide transaction if both the withdrawal and deposit take place. If one account is debited and the other is not credited, it does not qualify as a transaction. TPS systems ensure that transactions take place in their entirety. Consistency TPS systems exist within a set of operating rules (or integrity constraints). If an integrity constraint states that all transactions in a database must have a positive value, any transaction with a negative value would be refused. Isolation Transactions must appear to take place in isolation. For example, when a fund transfer is made between two accounts the debiting of one and the crediting of another must appear to take place simultaneously. The funds cannot be credited to an account before they are debited from another. Durability Once transactions are completed they cannot be undone. To ensure that this is the case even if the TPS suffers failure, a log will be created to document all completed transactions. These four conditions ensure that TPS systems carry out their transactions in a methodical, standardised and reliable manner. Types of Transactions While the transaction process must be standardised to maximise efficiency, every enterprise requires a tailored transaction process that aligns with its business strategies and processes. For this reason, there are two broad types of transaction: Batch Processing Batch processing is a resource-saving transaction type that stores data for processing at predefined times. Batch processing is useful for enterprises that need to process large amounts of data using limited resources. Examples of batch processing include credit card transactions, for which the transactions are processed monthly rather than in real time. Credit card transactions need only be processed

once a month in order to produce a statement for the customer, so batch processing saves IT resources from having to process each transaction individually. Real Time Processing In many circumstances the primary factor is speed. For example, when a bank customer withdraws a sum of money from his or her account it is vital that the transaction be processed and the account balance updated as soon as possible, allowing both the bank and customer to keep track of funds.

Definition: Management Information Systems (MIS) is the term given to the discipline focused on the integration of computer systems with the aims and objectives on an organisation. The development and management of information technology tools assists executives and the general workforce in performing any tasks related to the processing of information. MIS and business systems are especially useful in the collation of business data and the production of reports to be used as tools for decision making. Applications of MIS With computers being as ubiquitous as they are today, there's hardly any large business that does not rely extensively on their IT systems. However, there are several specific fields in which MIS has become invaluable. * Strategy Support While computers cannot create business strategies by themselves they can assist management in understanding the effects of their strategies, and help enable effective decision-making. MIS systems can be used to transform data into information useful for decision making. Computers can provide financial statements and performance reports to assist in the planning, monitoring and implementation of strategy. MIS systems provide a valuable function in that they can collate into coherent reports unmanageable volumes of data that would otherwise be broadly useless to decision makers. By studying these reports decision-makers can identify patterns and trends that would have remained unseen if the raw data were consulted manually. MIS systems can also use these raw data to run simulations hypothetical scenarios that answer a range of what if questions regarding alterations in strategy. For instance, MIS systems can provide predictions about the effect on sales that an alteration in price would have on a product. These Decision Support Systems (DSS) enable more informed decision making within an enterprise than would be possible without MIS systems. * Data Processing Not only do MIS systems allow for the collation of vast amounts of business data, but they also provide a valuable time saving benefit to the workforce. Where in the past business information had to be manually processed for filing and analysis it can now be entered quickly and easily onto a computer by a data processor, allowing for faster decision making and quicker reflexes for the enterprise as a whole.

Management by Objectives While MIS systems are extremely useful in generating statistical reports and data analysis they can also be of use as a Management by Objectives (MBO) tool. MBO is a management process by which managers and subordinates agree upon a series of objectives for the subordinate to attempt to achieve within a set time frame. Objectives are set using the SMART ratio: that is, objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-Specific. The aim of these objectives is to provide a set of key performance indicators by which an enterprise can judge the performance of an employee or project. The success of any MBO objective depends upon the continuous tracking of progress. In tracking this performance it can be extremely useful to make use of an MIS system. Since all SMART objectives are by definition measurable they can be tracked through the generation of management reports to be analysed by decision-makers. Benefits of MIS The field of MIS can deliver a great many benefits to enterprises in every industry. Expert organisations such as the Institute of MIS along with peer reviewed journals such as MIS Quarterly continue to find and report new ways to use MIS to achieve business objectives. Core Competencies Every market leading enterprise will have at least one core competency that is, a function they perform better than their competition. By building an exceptional management information system into the enterprise it is possible to push out ahead of the competition. MIS systems provide the tools necessary to gain a better understanding of the market as well as a better understanding of the enterprise itself. Enhance Supply Chain Management Improved reporting of business processes leads inevitably to a more streamlined production process. With better information on the production process comes the ability to improve the management of the supply chain, including everything from the sourcing of materials to the manufacturing and distribution of the finished product. Quick Reflexes As a corollary to improved supply chain management comes an improved ability to react to changes in the market. Better MIS systems enable an enterprise to react more quickly to their environment, enabling them to push out ahead of the competition and produce a better service and a larger piece of the pie. Further information about MIS can be found at the Bentley College Journal of MIS and the US Treasurys MIS handbook, and an example of an organisational MIS division can be found at the Department of Social Services for the state of Connecticut.

Operations Support Systems (also called Operational Support Systems or OSS) are computer systems used by telecommunications service providers. The term OSS most frequently describes "network systems" dealing with the telecom network itself, supporting processes such as maintaining network inventory, provisioning services, configuring network components, and

managing faults. The complementary term Business Support Systems or BSS is a newer term and typically refers to "business systems" dealing with customers, supporting processes such as taking orders, processing bills, and collecting payments. The two systems together are often abbreviated BSS/OSS or simply B/OSS. PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM
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Activities involved in ensuring a process is predictable, stable, and consistently operating at the target level of performance with only normal variation

process control systems can be characterized as one or more of the following forms:
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Discrete Found in many manufacturing, motion and packaging applications. Robotic assembly, such as that found in automotive production, can be characterized as discrete process control. Most discrete manufacturing involves the production of discrete pieces of product, such as metal stamping. Batch Some applications require that specific quantities of raw materials be combined in specific ways for particular durations to produce an intermediate or end result. One example is the production of adhesives and glues, which normally require the mixing of raw materials in a heated vessel for a period of time to form a quantity of end product. Other important examples are the production of food, beverages and medicine. Batch processes are generally used to produce a relatively low to intermediate quantity of product per year (a few pounds to millions of pounds). Continuous Often, a physical system is represented though variables that are smooth and uninterrupted in time. The control of the water temperature in a

heating jacket, for example, is an example of continuous process control. Some important continuous processes are the production of fuels, chemicals and plastics. Continuous processes, in manufacturing, are used to produce very large quantities of product per year(millions to billions of pounds
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Depending on context, probably a large company-wide piece of software that is used to help groups of workers easily share and coordinate their progress. A well-known and related group of software is "enterprise resource management" software. For example, SAP, or People Soft.

Information Systems Management

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Enterprise Architecture Development Configuration Management System Integration Knowledge Management, Decisions Support, and Business Intelligence

Enterprise Architecture Development

PPT leverages the most current technologies and best practices to design, develop, implement and maintain superior enterprise information system architectures. We apply concepts such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Business Process Management (BPM) to build architectures that leverage existing IT investments and staff to provide

seamless information flow throughout the organization. People: PPT understands that people are the key factor to the success of any organization and ultimately seal the fate of any new IT initiative. We make training and outreach a cornerstone to the development of the information systems that comprise the enterprise architecture. Through this training and outreach, existing staff are more accepting of new technological advancements as they are implemented. Process: PPT staff makes an enormous effort to understand our customers processes as well as provide guidance to make them more efficient. It is critical that we fully understand how the organization operates so the enterprise architecture meets the organizations needs and is flexible to continue to meet their needs as they evolve. Technology: PPT provides enterprise architectures that leverage existing IT investments to their fullest potential as well as provide additional advanced technologies to help our customers execute cross functional business processes seamlessly. Our solutions generate the capability for information to flow seamlessly across the organization so those who need it can get it quickly and use it effectively. Task Experience: PPT designs, develops and implements enterprise information architectures for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Software Engineering Directorate (SED). The solutions we provide for these customers leverage enterprise portals such as Oracle Webcenter and Microsoft Sharepoint, Business Intelligence tools such as Cognos and BPM tools such as Oracle BPM. For AMRDEC SED we are using an SOA model to build a flexible interoperability layer between business systems that will increase the organizations efficiency and responsiveness to change. (top)

Configuration Management
PPT leverages best practices and tools to maintain Configuration Management (CM) of all information systems we provide. We also use our staff experience in CM to help customers implement CM programs of their own or improve their existing CM program. People: PPT staff is industry trained in CMs best practices. This includes Configuration Management II (CMII) from the Configuration Management Institute (CMI) and Configuration Management Data Management (CMDM) certification. PPT uses its experience and knowledge in CM to help our customers perform more effective configuration control

of systems. Process: PPT uses CM processes for managing change that complies with most industry models such as CMMI, ITIL, and ISO. We use these processes internally as well as help customers define and manage their own CM processes to comply with industry and government standards. Technology: Technology is very important in implementing a manageable CM process. PPT has experience implementing tools such as Serena Dimensions CM to automate and maintain CM processes and procedures. These tools are important for helping execute the CM process as well collect and measure metrics necessary for process monitoring and improvement. Task Experience: PPT staff is industry trained and has experience defining and implementing a CM program for customers such as the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Software Engineering Directorate (SED). We help these organizations to define and implement effective CM processes and procedures and apply the necessary technology to help automate and manage them. (top)

System Integration
PPT specializes in helping organizations take full advantage of current IT investments by providing a level of system integration that gets the right data to users at the right time regardless of where the information resides. We design, develop and implement information architectures that utilize the latest technologies and concepts such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Business Process Management (BPM) to provide loose integration between existing custom and commercial off the shelf systems. People: PPT staff is well trained in modern concepts for providing information architectures that help organizations integrate existing and future IT investments. We pride ourselves on our ability to allow our customers to attain unparalleled efficiency from their staff by having the information they need when they need it. Process: Through the use of SOA and BPM tools and concepts we effectively provide a level of integration across multiple technologies to automate and manage an organizations business processes. Business processes cross many business functions and tools; PPT provides a flexible integration layer that allows our

customers to manage and utilize organizational data. Technology: PPT uses modern technologies that provide a layer of flexible integrations between other organizational systems requiring little or no costly modifications to existing in-house systems. PPT will use these technologies to use data from the existing sources of record and mash that data together to present relevant, useful information to users across the organization. Task Experience: PPT has experience using the latest technologies and concepts to integrate existing functional systems across the enterprise providing common information architectures. Our customers such as the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Software Engineering Directorate (SED) have benefited from our abilities to build cost effective integrations and help organizations make effective use of all organizational data. (top)

Knowledge Management, Decisions Support, and Business Intelligence

PPT, through the combination of people, processes, and technology, helps organizations define common taxonomies to help identify and describe organizational data. This common taxonomy can be used to help an organization effectively discover and use their structured and unstructured data to generate organizational knowledge. PPT specializes in applying the appropriate technologies to effectively manage the organizations' data to generate organizational knowledge and intelligence. The organizations' staff uses this knowledge to perform their job duties more efficiently and make more accurate and timely decisions. People: PPT helps organizations to create and maintain knowledge to support day-to-day job functions and decisions making. We help our customers discover and identify data that resides in systems of record and provide a solution that will make relevant information available to individuals. This capability allows users to perform their job functions much more consistently and efficiently reducing the cost and time to perform business functions. Process: PPT helps organizations understand and streamline their business processes to create, maintain and leverage information across business functions generating a business knowledge and intelligence capability. Technology: PPT implements the appropriate technologies that fit within the organizations budget

and internal capabilities to automate and manage these processes. We currently provide solutions for customers using the latest technologies and practices such as Cognos for data mining and business intelligence, Portals such as Oracle Webcenter Suite and Sharepoint for collaboration and enterprise dashboards, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) for integrating disparate information systems and Oracle Business Process Management (BPM) for process automation and management. Task Experience: PPT has worked with customers such as the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Software Engineering Directorate (SED) to understand their business functions and processes. With this knowledge, PPT designs and implements an appropriate technical solution that will meet the organizations knowledge management and decisions making needs. (top)

Decision Support Systems DSS (definition)

Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized information system that supports business and organizational decision-making activities. A properly designed DSS is an interactive software-based system intended to help decision makers compile useful information from raw data, documents, personal knowledge, and/or business models to identify and solve problems and make decisions. Typical information that a decision support application might gather and present would be:
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Accessing all of your current information assets, including legacy and relational data sources, cubes, data warehouses, and data marts Comparative sales figures between one week and the next Projected revenue figures based on new product sales assumptions The consequences of different decision

alternatives, given past experience in a context that is described There are a number of Decision Support Systems. These can be categorized into five types:
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Communication-driven DSS
Most communications-driven DSSs are targetted at internal teams, including partners. Its purpose are to help conduct a meeting, or for users to collaborate. The most common technology used to deploy the DSS is a web or client server. Examples: chats and instant messaging softwares, online collaboration and net-meeting systems.

Data-driven DSS
Most data-driven DSSs are targeted at managers, staff and also product/service suppliers. It is used to query a database or data warehouse to seek specific answers for specific purposes. It is deployed via a main frame system, client/server link, or via the web. Examples: computer-based databases that have a query system to check (including the incorporation of data to add value to existing databases.

Document-driven DSS
Document-driven DSSs are more common, targeted at a broad base of user groups. The purpose of such a DSS is to search web pages and find documents on a specific set of keywords or search terms. The usual technology used to set up such DSSs are via the web or a

client/server system. Examples:

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Knowledge-driven DSS:
Knowledge-driven DSSs or 'knowledgebase' are they are known, are a catch-all category covering a broad range of systems covering users within the organization seting it up, but may also include others interacting with the organization - for example, consumers of a business. It is essentially used to provide management advice or to choose products/services. The typical deployment technology used to set up such systems could be slient/server systems, the web, or software runnung on stand-alone PCs.

Model-driven DSS
Model-driven DSSs are complex systems that help analyse decisions or choose between different options. These are used by managers and staff members of a business, or people who interact with the organization, for a number of purposes depending on how the model is set up - scheduling, decision analyses etc. These DSSs can be deployed via software/hardware in standalone PCs, client/server systems, or the web.