IT1915

Business Telecommunications
Telecommunication and Networks
Businesses and organizations that rely on management information systems may find the need to incorporate
telecommunication and networking as part of their operations process.

What is Telecommunication?
Telecommunication, in the business sense, involves sharing information over a distance; this allows businesses and
organizations to have a broad, possibly global reach. This may include electronic and/or digital resources such as telephony,
fax, e-mail, and the Internet itself.

Types of Telecommunication
Business telecommunication can have different types, depending on the sender of the information, the intended recipient
of that information, how the data gets to its respective recipients, and how the information is distributed.
• Internal, Downward – Information of this type is circulated within the business/organization; the information comes
from managers and superiors and is cascaded down through the different departments until it reaches its recipient/s.
An example is a memo from executives cascaded to an enterprise’s various departments.
• Internal, Upward – This is the opposite of downward communication, wherein subordinates are the ones sending
information up the hierarchy to their intended recipient/s in the managerial/executive level. An example would be
a budget approval document requested by a finance employee to his/her manager.
• Internal, Lateral – This type involves telecommunication between co-workers or co-members; it encompasses cross-
department communication, as well as communication between members/workers of the same level or department
in the organizational hierarchy. A very simple example would be e-mail correspondence between employees of the
same department.
• External – This type involves any telecommunication that leaves the business or organization; it mostly deals with
customers, prospects, vendors, or partners. An example would be documents used for a business pitch.

What is Networking?
Telecommunication Networking pertains to employable methods that a business or organization can use to disseminate
information. Putting the definition in a business or organizational sense, it is communication connectivity of a business or
organization to its other aspects, such as prospective clients, branches, and departments, to further streamline specific
processes or tasks.

Types of Telecommunication Networks

Networks involving telecommunication can be built using existing network topologies, but may also follow different types of
information distribution topologies:
• Wheel Network – This is a network type where the only one (1) member in the network (possibly someone from the
managerial or executive level) is allowed to send or receive communication. Though direct and efficient, it has its
disadvantages and may not be appropriate for some situations or companies with a higher number of people. If the
leader is not responsible, dedicated, or communicative, the whole business will suffer. Likewise, a company with
many employees needs more decision-makers or nothing would get done.
• Chain Network – This network type allows members to communicate in a set sequence. It may follow an
organizational hierarchy, e.g., the CEO at the top-level working its way down to different departments and
employees. This allows the communication to follow the chain of command and opens possible applications of
quality control. However, this network type may also suffer from misinformation, especially if the network is built
for very large organizations, due to the length of communication that the information must pass through.
• Circle Network – This network type represents a three-level hierarchy in which there is communication between
superiors and subordinates, with cross-communication at the operative level. While this allows quick and open
collaboration between superiors and subordinates, this network type also suffers the same problems as the chain
network, where information may move slowly and may be distorted.
• Star Network – Also called the All-Channel Network, this type is similar to the circle network, except that each
member in the topology may communicate to ALL members and not just the ones designated above, beneath, or
beside their location. This allows for the highest participation and/or collaboration between members and has little

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to no disadvantages.
Applications on E-Business
What is an E-Business?
E-business, or electronic business, refers to the organizational system in an enterprise that applies electronically-controlled
technologies and resources in its operational system to facilitate more efficient execution of business activities, from selling
products and services to customer service and support. It involves the application of information technology and IT
professionals, as well as the Internet, to traditional business processes.

Benefits of Using E-Business

There are notable advantages for businesses and organizations that select to use e-business systems in their operations:
• Operation Cost Reduction – Applying telecommunications and networking provides a business/organization the
opportunity to reduce operational costs. Machines can be used to automate processes that usually require manual
labor to accomplish. Additionally, online connectivity allows the use of some convenient technologies, such as e-mail
and messaging, which saves the enterprise from incurring charges usually present in traditional means of
communication and transaction.
• Customer Service Efficiency – Application of e-business technologies allows an enterprise to improve customer
service due to its reach, speed, and reliability. Entities offering services can be allowed to reach more customers and
service them in a short amount of time, while entities offering products can streamline their delivery process and
digitize their modes of payment, possibly even through the use of Internet connectivity.
• Wider Market Access – Using e-business allows a broader reach to a target market. A business or organization can
tailor its services and processes to suit a variety of clients. In addition, an enterprise can either design a marketing
strategy to center on particular locations to establish a stronger presence or reach out on an international level via
the Internet.

Possible Applications of E-Business Solutions

• Internet Business Models – Through the use of websites, an enterprise can conduct business with a variety of target
clients on a local, national, or global scale. Companies can develop their solutions for their processes, and may even
revolutionize an industry because of the number of possibilities of online commerce.
• Customer-Centered Retailing – Consumers will usually want information about the products and services they plan
on getting; to address this concern, some companies may opt to incorporate reviews from websites and/or services
that offer review services. This service, a phenomenon known as reintermediation, introduces other customers and
businesses as possible middlemen that can help make an enterprise flourish.
• E-Commerce Support Systems – Companies can opt to offer backend services from other enterprises, such as credit-
card transaction processing/e-payment systems, etc. Some application suites can be purchased by businesses and
organizations that will help them set up a formidable presence online.

Transaction Processing System (TPS)

What is a Transaction Processing System (TPS)?
Transaction processing systems were among the earliest computerized systems. Their primary purpose is to record, process,
validate, and store transactions that take place in the various functional areas/of business for future retrieval and use. It can
record company transactions, as well as process data resulting from the occurrence of business transactions.

Type of Transactions
To understand how TPSs work, one must first understand the types of transactions that can be done for an enterprise:
• Internal – This type of transaction is done from within the company and is usually related to the internal processes
of any organization. Examples are Recruitment Policy Systems for human resource and Approval Systems for record
keepers.
• External – This transaction type is external to any organization and is related to external sources. Typical examples
are Purchasing Systems for supply chains and Sales Systems for product sellers.

Characteristics of TPS
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For an information system to be classified as a TPS, it must have the following characteristics:
• It can record internal and external transactions for a company. It is a repository of data that is frequently accessed
by other systems.
• It can perform routine, repetitive tasks. It is mostly used by lower-level managers to make operational decisions.
• Transactions can be recorded in batch mode or online. In batch mode, the files are updated periodically; in online
mode, each transaction is recorded as it occurs.
• It can perform the six (6) main steps in processing a transaction: data entry, data validation, data processing and
revalidation, storage, output generation, and query support.

Processes of TPS
• Data Entry – Transaction data must first be entered into the system so it can be processed. There are several input
devices for entering data, including the keyboard and the mouse. Documents generated at the point where a
transaction occurs are called source documents and become input data for the system. For example, when a
customer returns an item at a store, the sales receipt becomes the source document for a transaction that refunds
a customer for a returned item.
o Data Capture – A data entry subprocess; transaction data must be captured as close as possible to the source
that generates the data. For example, managers of supermarkets can capture data that rarely changes (such as
recorded transactions for the day) by prerecording it on machine-readable media, or by storing it on the
computer system.
• Data Validation – The system must be able to use the two (2) steps in validation: error detection and error
correction. Some commonly used error detection procedures are checking the data for appropriate font (text,
numbers, etc.), checking for aberrations (values that are too low or too high), and checking for missing data, invalid
data, and inconsistent data.
• Data Processing and Revalidation – Once the accuracy and reliability of the data are validated, the data is ready for
processing. There are two ways to process the transactions: online (almost instantaneous processing due to Internet
connectivity) and batch mode (transactions are accumulated over time and processed).
• Data Storage – Processed data must be carefully and properly stored for future use. Data storage is a critical
consideration because the value and usefulness of data diminish if data is not stored correctly. The kind of processing
and the type of storage medium are, to some extent, related issues. For example, flash drives are often used to store
data that is batch-processed, however online transaction processing cannot be done on flash drives because the
accumulated data needs a much bigger disk capacity than what flash drives offer.
• Output Generation – Once data has been input, validated, processed, revalidated, and stored, the output can be
communicated to decision-makers, and other relevant partied in two (2) common ways: documents/reports (physical
copies of data) and forms (digital, soft copies).
• Query Support – Query facilities allow users to process data and information that may otherwise not be readily
available, such as previously stored data. Query systems provide data in demand, provided that a systems user gives
the proper parameters for data that will be retrieved.
Operational Information System
What is an Operational Information System?
It is a type of information system that can record, process, and report all routine and repetitive activities of an organization.
The processes may occur across various departments.

Advantages of Using Operational Information Systems

An enterprise will reap the following benefits for using an operational information system:
• Reduced Cost – Operational costs will be reduced due to the system’s capacity to streamline processes, specifically
those that use manual labor to accomplish.
• Increased Speed – Routine processes that are automated by the system take advantage of the system’s processing
power to accomplish the tasks quickly.
• Increased Accuracy – The margin for human error is reduced, if not eliminated, as the system is capable of
accomplishing the tasks using a fool-proof process algorithm.
• Increased Customer Service – Systems can also streamline customer service processes to ensure that it is delivered

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efficiently.
• Increased Data for Decision Making – Operational information systems, like TPS, can store and generate relevant
data for reports, documents, and forms, which can be used by managers and/or executives for decisions concerning
the future of the enterprise.

REFERENCES:
1. Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2014). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (13th Ed.). United
States of America: Pearson Education Limited.
2. Sousa, K. J., & Oz, E. (2014). Management Information Systems, 7th Edition. Stamford, United States of America:
Cengage Learning.
3. Rai Technology University (n.d.) Management Information System. Bangalore.
4. Leonard, K. (2019). Types of Business Communications. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 at
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/types-business-communications-697.html.
5. Kennedy, S. (n.d.). Communication Networks: Types and Examples. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 at
https://study.com/academy/lesson/communication-networks-types-examples.html.

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