How application software are classified?

The concept of application independence suggests that different data processing applications can be classified into three groups, based upon their role in managing data: data capture, data transfer, and data analysis and presentation.

The process of transforming data into information useful for transaction management or higher-level decision making includes these steps:

1. Data capture Data capture applications gather data and populate the database. They store and maintain data in the data pyramid. Ideally, each datum is captured once and fully tested for accuracy and completeness. Responsibility for ensuring the quality of data capture systems might be distributed across the organization. Localized data capture applications are developed for data with an isolated use or data for which coordination across units is not required. Still, because localized data might eventually be useful somewhere else in the organization (and they must then be consistent across sites), an inventory of data elements (in a metadata repository) must be maintained of all database contents.


2. Data transfer Data transfer and integration applications move data from one database to another or otherwise bring together data from various databases to meet some processing need. These applications are often called bridges or interfaces because they connect related databases. Once raw data are captured, they might be extracted, transformed for new purposes, and loaded into various databases where they are stored for specific purposes. For example, customer order data might be stored in multiple subject or target area databases supporting production scheduling, billing, and customer service. Also, this kind of application extracts and summarizes data as well as distributes copies of original data. Ideally, this transfer would be event triggered; that is, if new basic data are captured or changed in value, messages are sent as needed to all other databases that build on these data to alert these databases that changes have occurred.

3. Data analysis and presentation Data analysis and presentation applications provide data and information to authorized persons. Data might be summarized, compared to history, reformulated into graphs, or inserted into documents being developed using a word processor. Data might be input to a decision support system or executive information system. Data analysis and presentation applications can draw upon any and all data from databases the business manager receiving the presentation is authorized to see. Data and the way they are presented should be independent, and those who determine the format for presentation should not necessarily control the location and format for capture and storage of data.