System Elements

The target may be to support some business function or to develop a product which can be sold to generate business revenue. To accomplish the target a computer based system makes use of a variety of system elements:

Software:  Computer programs like data structures and related documentation which serves to affect the procedure, logical method or control which is needed.

Hardware: Electronic devices which give electromechanically and computing capability devices example for sensors, motors, pumps which provide external world function.

People: Operators and Users of software and hardware

Database: A large and organized collection of information which is accessed through software.

Documentation:  Manuals and forms, other descriptive information which portrays operation of the system by use and /or.

Procedures: The steps which describe the specific use of each system parts or the procedural context in that the system resides.

The  fundamental elements  merge  in  a  variety  of  ways  to  transform  information example for  a  marketing department transforms raw sales data into a robot transforms a command file containing specific instruction into a set of control signals and a profile of the typical purchaser of a product which cause some specific physical action. By creating an information system to assist the marketing control and department software to support the robot both need system engineering.