ENTERPRISE DATA MANAGEMENT (EDM)

Enterprise Data Management 

It is the ability of an organization to precisely define, easily
integrate and effectively retrieve data for both internal applications and external communication.
EDM is focused on the creation of accurate, consistent and transparent content. EDM emphasizes
data precision, granularity1 and meaning and is concerned with how the content is integrated
into business applications as well as how it is passed along from one business process to another.
Data Management – is an administrative process that includes acquiring, validating, storing,
protecting, and processing required data to ensure the accessibility, reliability, and timeliness of
the data for its users.

NATURE OF INFORMATION
Data refers to the raw facts that do not have much meaning to the user and may include numbers,
letters, symbols, sound or images.
Information refers to the meaningful output obtained after processing the data.
Data processing – is a process of transforming raw data into meaningful output i.e. information.
It can be done manually using pen and paper, mechanically using simple devices like typewriters
or electronically using modern data processing tools such as computers.

Data processing cycle
It refers to the sequence of activities involved in data transformation from its row form to
information. it is often referred to as cycle because the output obtained can be stored after
processing and may be used in future as input.
The four main stages of data processing cycle are:
i. Data collection
ii. Data input
iii. Data processing
iv. Data output

A. Data collection:
Also referred to as data gathering or fact finding, it involves looking for crucial facts needed for
processing.
Methods of data collection – Include interviews; use of questionnaires, observation, etc.in most
cases the data is collected after sampling. Sampling is the process of selecting representative
elements (e.g. people, organizations) from an entire group (population) of interest. Some of the
tools that help in the data collection include source documents such as forms, data capture devices
such as digital camera etc

Stages of data collection
The process of data collection may involve a number of stages depending on the method used.
i. Data creation: this is the process of identification and putting together facts in an
organized format. This may be in the form of manually prepared document or captured
from the source using a data capture device such as a barcode reader and be inputted easily
in a computer.
ii. Data preparation: this is the transcription (conversion) of data from source document to
machine readable form. This may not be the case for all input devices. Data collected using
devices that directly capture data in digital form do not require transcription.
iii. Data transmission: this will depend on whether data need to be transmitted via
communication media to the central office.

B. Data input:
Refers to the process where the collected data is converted from human readable from to machine
readable form (binary form). The conversion takes place in the input device.
i. Media conversion: data may need to be transmitted from one medium to another e.g. from
a floppy disk to a computer’s hard disk for faster input.
ii. Input validation: data entered into the computer is subjected to validity checks by a
computer program before being processed to reduce errors as the input.
iii. Sorting: in case the data needs to be arranged in a predefined order, it is first sorted before
processing.

B. Data input:
Refers to the process where the collected data is converted from human readable from to machine
readable form (binary form). The conversion takes place in the input device.
i. Media conversion: data may need to be transmitted from one medium to another e.g. from
a floppy disk to a computer’s hard disk for faster input.
ii. Input validation: data entered into the computer is subjected to validity checks by a
computer program before being processed to reduce errors as the input.
iii. Sorting: in case the data needs to be arranged in a predefined order, it is first sorted before
processing.

C. Processing:
This is the transformation of the input data by the CPU to a more meaningful output (information).
Some of the operations performed on the data include calculations, comparing values and sorting.

D. Output:
The final activity in the data processing cycle is producing the desired output also referred to as
information. This information can be distributed to the target group or stored for future
use. Distribution is making information available to those who need it and is sometimes
called information dissemination. This process of dissemination may involve electronic
presentation over the radio or television, distribution of hard copies, broadcasting messages over
the internet or mobile phones etc.
Electronic data processing has become so popular that manual and mechanical methods are being
pushed to obsolescence. Electronic data processing is achieved with the development of electronic
programmable devices such as computers.