3 components required for the implementation of computerized input - processing- output model

- The computer hardware which provides the physical mechanisms to input and output data, for manipulating data, and for electronically controlling the various input, output, and storage components.
- The software both application and system which provides instructions that tell the hardware exactly what tasks are to be performed and in what order
- The data that is being manipulated, this data may be numeric. It may be alphanumeric it may be graphic or it may take some other form but in all cases it must be representable in a form that the computer can manipulate, In modern systems the input entry, output display and storage of the data and software used for processing often takes place at a location different from the computer where the actual processing occurs.

In some installations actual processing is distributed among computer systems with particular results passed to the individual systems that require them. Which brings a 4th component

- The communication component which consists of hardware and software that transport programs and data between interconnected computer systems.