Automated Data Capture

This is used to minimise the amount of human involvement, so that errors are avoided. There are lots of methods for collecting data automatically, and wherever possible, the software or hardare should be used to its full effect for the best possible outcome.

Some examples are:

• Bar Codes - these are used for scanning goods in supermarkerts or clothes shops. The items bar code would be scanned with a scanner peripheral and all the details of the item will go onto the system and be recorded. The price will be automatically shown for the customer so they know how much it is. Before bar codes were around, many shop assistants had to memorise the cost of many products in order to provide a faster service. But now with barcodes, the system is a lot quicker. Furthermore, they are ideal for keeping on top of how much stock there is, once an item has been purchased by a customer, then it will deduct it from the amount of that item left in stock. This is also known as 'Tracking items'. Bar codes can also be used on identity cards so that they can be scanned to see if they are real or not.
• Magnetic Strips - These are used on ATM cards, train tickets, plane tickets and car park tickets. They store data so when they go through a device they can be easily read. They hold relevant data which the device needs to collect, for example, on a train ticket, it will have the type of ticket - single, the age of the person with the ticket - adult, where they are going and when the ticket is valid until.
• Smart card chips - are used in credit cards, satellite TV box viewing cards and identity cards. There are there to hold data along with for safety. They make these things harder to make fake productions. They can also be used on sim cards in phones.
• Optical mark recognition - are used for things like lottery numbers and school registers.
• Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) - Cheque numbers