Remember for a moment a recent trip you have made to the grocery store to pick up a few items. What pieces of data did the Point of Sale (POS) terminal and cashier collect from you and what pieces of data about the transaction did the POS terminal pull from a database to complete the sale? In addition to the data collected and retrieved what information was generated by the POS terminal at the end of the order, as it is being completed?

Data: Data are raw facts and figures that are collected together for analysis. In other words, Simple no processing is data.

Information: Information is the facts provided about something. In simple terms, processed data is information.

Knowledge: Knowledge is the processed facts that are understand for a conclusion.

1. An item's UPC number - data

Explanation: An item number is data because simple no processing is required.

2. Change back to customer - information

Explanation: Data about a customer is information.

3. General changes to demand in different seasons - knowledge

Explanation: Requires data (time and quantity purchased) to be processed/aggregated into information. The information is understood to provide a pattern of demad changes due to seasons.

4. Cost each - data

Explanation: Cost each is data because simple no processing is required.

5. Quantity purchased - data

Explanation: Cost each is data because simple no processing is required.

6. Non-taxable total - information

Explanation: -- requires that data (prices, amounts and whether the item is taxable) to be processed (price * amount for items that are non-taxable).

7. Extended cost [quantity times cost each] - information

Explanation: Extended cost requires processing two pieces of data quantity and cost

8. Amount tendered - data

Explanation: Amount tendered is data because simple no processing is required.

9. Sales of an item for the last week - information

Explanation: Sales of an item for the last week requires aggregating sales for a specific time frame together

10. Upcoming holidays and customer's special needs - knowledge

Explanation: Upcoming holidays and customer's special needs requires holiday data (dates) to be combined with information gathered about customer to understand customer's special needs

11. How paid [cash, charge card, debit card] - data

Explanation: Cost each is data because simple no processing is required.

12. Shopper loyalty card number - data

Explanation: Cost each is data because simple no processing is required.

13. Taxable total - information

Explanation: Taxable total requires that data (prices, amounts and whether the item is taxable) to be processed (price * amount for items that are taxable).

Explanation: