Managing Computers in Large Organizations

Managing Microcomputers in Large Organizations
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/167.html
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PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH AUTOMATION 105
vehicle the user is educated into a solution without having to master the
mysteries of electronic data processing. The educating is done by a professional
who becomes the coach, informs the user of corporate standards, and helps
select the best technology to satisfy the user's information needs.
At Reynolds we started with the assumption that eventually every salaried
employee will have a terminal. Every terminal will be tied to a network, and
that network can access any computer. Although this is not something we can
afford to do today, at least we have defined the problem, we know how to solve
it, and it will become cheap enough to implement in the future. It may cost
twice as much today to deliver a given service automatically as it does to
deliver it manually, but if our cost projections hold true, crossover occurs in two
years, after which automation is less expensive.
Users will bear the cost of the terminal and a pro rata cost for using the
network. We assume they will justify those devices based on productivity
improvements of the staff. Other possible justifications include better service or
new kinds of service that could not be provided in any other fashion. But the
focus is on productivity.
To determine what kinds of automation would be needed we began by
identifying six delivery vehicles for automated information processing: word
processing, electronic mail, data inquiry, transaction processing, technical
computation, and business analysis. We then took the personnel system's
function codes for all salaried employees and mapped them against the six
delivery vehicles to identify the size of the market for each vehicle.
Secretaries can obviously use word processing, but the market segment for
this vehicle is much larger. Lawyers are wordsmiths; programmers and systems
analysts are in the business of language translation; and public relations and
purchasing departments already have word processing capabilities. We
currently have over 400 terminals providing word processing support.
Essentially, what they do is format and edit words, but these capabilities can
easily be expanded. Add technical computation and business analysis, and not
just words but an entire report can be formated. Wrap an electronic envelope
around a memo or a report, plug it into electronic mail, and it can be delivered
to the recipient.
Only managers are considered an appropriate market for electronic mail.
Among the things managers do is send and receive a
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