Deck 2.3

Input Devices: Biosensors, Scanners, and Digitizers

ICT 110: IT for Business

Today's Learning Objectives

By the end of this lecture, you will be able to:

✅ Explain how biosensors, scanners, and digitizers capture physical data for business systems.
✅ Analyze the application of these devices across Finance, HR, Operations, and Marketing.
✅ Evaluate the impact of advanced data capture on business efficiency and decision-making.
✅ Relate these technologies to real-world business scenarios in Nepal.

Beyond the Keyboard & Mouse

Modern businesses need to capture data from the physical world, not just from keystrokes. This is where specialized input devices become critical.

🧬 Biosensors

Capturing biological and environmental data.

📄 Scanners

Capturing visual data from documents and objects.

✍️ Digitizers

Capturing analog actions like drawing or signing.

⚡ These devices are the bridge between the physical world and digital business information systems.

Biosensors: The Human-Computer Link

    Biosensor: A device that uses a biological component (like an enzyme or antibody) to detect a chemical substance and convert that detection into a measurable digital signal.
  

How they work: Biological Element ➡️ Transducer ➡️ Digital Signal

🎯 Business Implication: Turning human or environmental data into actionable business intelligence for safety, wellness, and market research.

Biosensors: Applications Across Business

⚙️ Operations & 🤝 HR

Worker Safety: Wearable biosensors for truck drivers or factory workers to monitor fatigue and prevent accidents.
Employee Wellness: Smart watches in corporate wellness programs to track activity and stress, helping HR design better support initiatives.
Access Control: Fingerprint or iris scanners (a type of biosensor) for secure access to sensitive areas.

📊 Marketing & 💰 Finance

Neuromarketing: Using EEG biosensors to measure subconscious emotional responses to advertisements or product designs.
Insurance: Health data from wearables allowing for personalized insurance premiums (raises important ethical questions).
Food Safety: Biosensors in the supply chain to detect contaminants in food products.

Data Scanners: The Digital Eye

Scanners are fundamental tools for converting physical information into digital assets, enabling automation and efficient data management.

Image Scanners

Digitizing photos, invoices, contracts, and other paper documents.

Barcode Scanners

Reading product codes for inventory and point-of-sale systems.

QR Code Scanners

Linking physical items (posters, products) to online information.

⚡ **Business Value:** Drastically improves speed, accuracy, and data integration compared to manual entry.

Scanners in Operations & Finance

Case Study: A Retail Supermarket

⚙️ Operations (Inventory & Supply Chain)

Handheld barcode scanners are used to track goods from the moment they arrive at the warehouse.
Real-time data on stock levels helps automate re-ordering and prevent stockouts.
At checkout, barcode scanners update inventory instantly.

💰 Finance (Accounting)

High-speed document scanners digitize supplier invoices and expense receipts.
This enables automated data entry into accounting software, reducing errors and saving thousands of hours.
Creates a searchable digital archive for easy auditing.

Scanners in HR & Marketing

🤝 Human Resources

Recruitment: Scanning resumes to automatically parse information and populate an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
Onboarding: Digitizing employee documents (citizenship, contracts, certificates) for secure, centralized digital records.
ID Management: Creating employee ID cards with scannable barcodes or QR codes for access and attendance.

📊 Marketing

Campaigns: QR codes on product packaging that link customers to "how-to" videos or promotional offers.
Events: Scanning QR codes on attendee badges to collect leads, track session attendance, and share information.
Market Research: Scanning barcodes of competitor products in-store to quickly look up pricing and information.

The Power Behind the Scan: OCR

    Optical Character Recognition (OCR): The technology that converts images of typed, handwritten, or printed text into machine-encoded text. It's the "brain" that reads a scanned document.
  

Discussion: How does OCR transform a business role?

An accountant moves from being a data entry clerk to a data analyst.

An HR manager can instantly search thousands of employee files for specific qualifications instead of manually checking paper records.

Digitizers: Capturing Human Action

    Digitizer: A device that converts analog signals—such as movement, pressure, or touch—into a digital form that a computer can process.
  

Graphics Tablets

Used by designers for creating digital art, logos, and marketing materials.

Signature Pads

Used in banking, logistics, and retail for capturing legally-binding electronic signatures.

🔍 **Business Value:** Captures nuanced, non-standard input for creative work and secure, paperless agreements.

Digitizers Across the Business

💰 Finance & Legal

Signature pads at bank counters to authorize transactions and open accounts. Essential for paperless contracts and agreements.

⚙️ Operations & Logistics

Delivery personnel use rugged tablets with digitizers to capture proof-of-delivery signatures. Engineers use them to annotate digital blueprints (CAD).

📊 Marketing & Design

Marketing teams use graphics tablets (e.g., Wacom) to design everything from logos and ad banners to social media content and product prototypes.

💼 Practical Application: The Nepali Context

Let's look at how these input devices are enabling major businesses in Nepal.

eSewa / Fonepay

QR Code Scanners are the backbone of Nepal's digital payment revolution, used by millions daily. Document scanners are critical for their digital KYC (Know Your Customer) process.

Daraz Nepal

Barcode Scanners are essential in their warehouses for tracking millions of items, ensuring accurate order fulfillment. Signature Digitizers are used by delivery staff for proof of delivery.

Chaudhary Group (CG)

In manufacturing, Barcode Scanners track product batches on the production line for quality control. They likely use Document Scanners extensively for managing supply chain paperwork.

Summary & Key Takeaways

✅ Input devices are the sensory organs of a business, capturing vital data from the physical world to fuel digital processes.
✅ Scanners and OCR are workhorses of automation, transforming core functions in Finance (invoices), Operations (inventory), and HR (records).
✅ Digitizers enable paperless workflows (e-signatures) and empower creative departments (digital design), adding efficiency and value.
✅ The strategic goal is always to convert this captured data into actionable insights for smarter, faster business decisions.

Thank You

Any Questions?

Next Topic: Input Devices: Microphones, Cards, Speech and Vision

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