Achieving Computing Simplicity for Integrated Operations Management

In the operations management field, where data are always second best to reality, the whole success of a computing scheme will depend on the motivation of the users. A scheme is presented, based on the idea of simplifying the task of supplying relevant information to operations managers with the microcomputer, so that the flexibility and simplicity of manual systems can be preserved. The idea is based on three contentions; that the data structure itself must represent the business operations; that the operations on the computer system must initiate basic manual practices to gain user access and rapid implementation; that most (if not all) features usually present in larger computing schemes can be evolved through this data structuring approach, the end user remaining entirely in control of the system. The whole scheme hinges on the concept of a structured list as a lattice of data which forms an idealised model of operations for managing interdepartmental priorities. It is only when there is a model behind the data that the use of computers will be effective.