Chris Bell Chris Bell 'A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.'
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SNHU - IT-201 Computer Platform Technologies
Written by: Chris Bell - September, 2012

Interesting Facts About Technical Devices

1. What are some examples of technical devices that are found in common use today?

Technical devices used today help businesses achieve more each day and take the next step towards a competitive advantage in almost every industry. They also create quite a bit of entertainment for individuals throughout the world. Some examples are computers, cell phones, video cameras, televisions and just about anything else electronic.

2. What are the differences in the amount of training between the early days of computing and the more complex and powerful, yet easier to use, computers of today?

Years ago when computers were first created it took more training to accomplish less. Nowadays it takes less training to accomplish more. The only way things could get done in the past was through the expertise of a software developer, however those same software developers created easy to use clickable icons for individuals and business people to achieve tasks they once weren't able to. In 2012 a short training session can allow someone to sit down at a computer, hop into the company ERP system and write a few sales orders without learning the slightest amount of background code to do so. Each click on the computer now creates a background command that the user doesn’t need to see or understand at all.

3. What are some consequences of poor technology choices? Why is a deeper understanding of the technology and its capabilities/limitations essential to making better choices?

A famous consequence of technology was the stock market crash of 1987. Stocks lowered quickly which created a chain reaction of automatic sells. Individuals are allowed to set a stock to sell at a desired price without actually being around to see it sell. Sometimes, even with the knowledge of a software developer, it's hard to foresee malfunctions in order to stop them from happening. However, a greater knowledge of the capabilities of technology can allow you to quickly pinpoint the best option. That's similar to how a car salesman could quickly pick the best car on the lot compared to the hours of research an individual would have to do to make the same choice.

Personally, as I'm making my way through this IT program I'm starting to understand how and why each desktop link brings me to the next point. This gives me a better understanding of the set up of folders and icons (file management system), their path and where to put things for better organization.

4. Explain the following statement: "The purpose of building business and requirements models is to understand the environment in which the system will function and the tasks the system must perform or assist users to perform."

Software developers have to, not only create new programs, but explain to the less educated how to use it in a fool proof way. Software developers who normally create programs aren't the users of the program and need to train those who are using it of all the functions and capabilities without confusing them. This can be a daunting task for the developer. If, however, the users have actual software knowledge they'd be able to learn quicker and be much more efficient using the new software. A business would benefit from paying for the users to take a few software classes to greater understand what they're actually using.

5. Discuss the activities included in the testing discipline such as verifying correct functioning of infrastructure and application software components and ensuring that they satisfy system requirements.

The small company I work for became ISO 9001 certified in July of 2011. I've learned that people don't trust other people as much as they trust computer automation and machines that are run by computers. Once computers complete a task they can repeat the same process with little errors over time. That's unlike constant human error. Humans that created technology usually only make errors once during the beginning stages which can be corrected and set in stone.

We're also implementing a new CRM (2011) software system which directly relates to this question. The software developers created a broad CRM system that needs to be tailored to our business model. Doing that requires a third party company that has the ability to explain in simple terms how things can be changed and added to the system to better help our organization. The testing discipline is somewhat of a trial and error once it's implemented to us.

The entire ERP software testing discipline needs to meet a list of tests much more extensive than our ISO procedure because business software can completely destroy the company if it doesn't function correctly. Even the smallest of errors could slow down sales people, accounting staff and production planning which could hurt sales and lower the value of a company quite a bit especially if they're public owned.

6. Explain the role of software developers in creating application software for specific processing needs and identify the different job titles/roles that contribute to this function.

Let's say your company wants to put its 1000 customers in a database, track their orders and run reports based on their performance and potential. Creating that database and software system is the job of a software developer and a few others. There will also be the need for a systems analyst to help with business models, a systems designer to create the look and feel of the application and the programmer to build and test the software.

References:

Tammie Johnson (2012). Technical Devices That Help Students With Learning. Retrieved from:
http://www.ehow.com/info_7878444_technical-devices-students-learning.html