The control of documentation in large multi‐site operations brings many problems. One company addressed these by reviewing the nature of documentation and then transferring the bulk of the paper work to a etwork computer system. The transfer took two years and resulted in improvements in...

Recent developments in communications technology, such as fibre optics and satellites, have led to the development of facilities like electronic mail, discussion lists and anonymous file transfer protocol (FTP). Explains the nature and use of these facilities, and examines their potential...

The need for more flexible and responsive organizations, and the potential of networks technology, are generally accepted. Argues, however, that the desire for corporate transformation is not always matched by an understanding of how to bring it about. In many organizations there is a...

One of the fastest growing areas of microcomputer applications is that of expert systems. Within the domain of expert systems neural networking technology is also making a strong contribution. Personnel officers have to give advice to management and this is usually based on a good deal of...

Recent shifts from mainframes to networking technologies have given business the ability to meet challenges in the competitive markets with accurate, timely data distribution. Meanwhile, the blossoming of data communication has created the potential thorns of computer crimes. This article...

The use of computers on the shop floor has been slight compared with their widespread acceptance at higher levels in the manufacturing environment. Today, there is an urgency to redress this imbalance by investing in modern production facilities, but progress is being restricted by the void...

When it came to networking Ind Coope′s Burton‐on‐Trent Brewery, Allen‐Bradley′s Communications Division provided an integrated broadband cable solution which has enabled the brewery to produce its vast array of beer and lager products to specific batching demands and with a greater...

OPT has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Essentially it revolves around a philosophy of identifying the bottlenecks in a production system and minimising their impact on that system, though it has often been wrongly identified with the proprietary software for achieving this...

How one company has developed its use of customers' names and addresses is discussed. Thorn‐EMI would claim to have installed the first extensive EPOS system, but this was aimed almost exclusively at recording and allocating customer cash payments. Significant savings accrued from reductions...