Electronic Data Processing – Concepts and Evaluation

Are you a student of computer science or any IT-related field? If yes, you would know about one of the main data processing methods—i.e. EDP. If you don’t know, then there is no need to worry about it. This article on Trends Informations will cover all the major concepts and evaluation techniques of electronic data processing. But before jumping into the main portion, let’s define electronic data processing. And you want to get the latest news of canada then you can visit BC global News.

So, what is EDP? What is its importance? It is a term mostly used for the automatic processing of information. As described earlier, computer students learn more about this. Electronic data processing uses computers to classify, record and summarize information. In simple words, we can define it as the mode of processing data using electronic means. Now, the electronic means can be computers, calculators, servers or other electronic devices.

Importance of EDP

The importance of EDP includes increased productivity and better decision-making. It is because the processing of the data will be reliable and accurate. A further advantage of EDP lies in its cheapness and handling of data. Computers can store large sizes of data without having storage issues. Think about storing a piece of information on paper for about 1 GB. You will probably say that’s impossible. But it is possible using electronic means. You can store data of Tera Bite sizes in a small device called a computer.

Concepts of EDP

Every individual or organization in this modern world is a data-generating engine. We generate data through searching on google. Google uses our search input as data for them to customize web pages according to our liking. So, the main concepts or elements of the EDP are as follows;

1.     Hardware

In the pre-computer age, humans used to perform data processing. But when the introduction of the computer began in the 1950s, the world of electronics came into existence. Today, almost all the data processing is being performed on computers. But this processing varies widely.

• Companies use servers to process the data of large electronically connected devices
• Individuals use personal computers for data entry purposes
• Computers in the retail industry are being used to record data on transactions

2.     Software

Hardware is a useless thing without proper instructions. Software is a set of instructions for electronic devices to perform a certain task. Most of the time, data processing is performed on customized software. For example, the restaurant field uses point-of-sale software to record and process the customers’ bills.

3.     Procedure

According to a professional writer best platform for technology write for us service, there is also a need for procedures that companies should follow to process the data. These procedures depend on the type of data being collected. The procedure comprises some steps, which are as follows;

• Data collection
• Conversion
• Validation
• Sorting
• Aggregating
• Analyzing
• Reporting

4.     Personnel

The final concept or element of EDP is the people who collect and administer the data. They can be programmers, data entry specialists, or technicians. No business can do anything without its people. So, we can say this concept is the backbone of EDP.

Evaluation of EDP

Now comes the evaluation methods of the EDP techniques. The methods which are being employed in different industries to evaluate data processing are as follows;

2.     Time-Sharing

In this method, many nodes connected to the CPU access the central computer.  A multi-user processing system manages the allocation of time to each user. Users can allot a time slice in the Central Processing Unit’s sequence. The user must accomplish the task within the time allowed. If the user cannot complete the task, he can complete it in another time slice.

3.     Real-Time Processing

The central aim of real-time processing is to provide the user with accurate and up-to-date information. It is only possible when the computer processes the incoming data side by side.

The real-time processing gives the immediate response to any happening. The best examples of real-time electronic data processing are making reservations for trains and airlines.

If the seats are already filled, the system will update the reservation tab and show you the next dates. Real-time processing is an immediate process to get the desired output.

4.     Online Processing

In this method, data processing takes place instantly as the input receives. A communication link helps the user to get his search output directly. The data input can be an online service like Google, Bing or a network terminal. Most of the time, online processing is used for information gathering and recording.

5.     Multi-Processing

Multi-processing relates to multi-tasking, i.e. performing different tasks at the same time. This kind of processing uses the different processors of the computer at the same time. It is possible in-network processing and mainframes. To do multi-processing, a PC may consist of more than one CPU. The biggest advantage is the faster processing of data.

Different processors share the same memory as the computer to process data.

6.     Batch Processing

As the name suggests, it is about batching of data. It is a method that divides the organized data into smaller groups. The batch processing method enables the computer to interact differently with different priorities. This approach is one-of-a-kind and quite useful for processing.

A typical example of batch processing is the transaction of a credit card. You can use this service over the required time.

7.     Disturbed Processing

This processing method is commonly used for remote workstations. And there will be a connection between remote and big workstation. This way, companies provide better services to customers. ATMs are the best example of this type of distributed processing. The banking system is linked to ATMs.

Conclusion

In the end, I would say this is the age of technology. We can see everything is becoming digital. We will have more and more data in the future, thanks to AI. Companies like Google, Facebook and Apple constantly gather data about their consumers. This will help manufacturers understand the demands of their customers effectively. Hence, electronic data processing is the need of the hour.