Computer use has become so common that most people think using one should increase the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations. Guided by these perceptions, a small business executive could invest in computers only to find that the costs incurred in the acquisition and use of the...

The core of any manufacturing company is formed by production, marketing and research and development (R&D). In the future production and R&D need to integrate their efforts to solve problems more quickly and to generate more effective plant designs. For production/R&D links the most important...

Electronic mail (E‐mail) is simply a means of transmitting the written word (and even graphics and charts) via the telephone line. It readily combines the best features of the telephone and traditional mail service, enabling instant communication with other E‐mail subscribers, both...

So swift and dramatic have been technological changes over recent decades that the significant accompanying organisational changes can easily be overlooked. The author considers the effect that such changes have had on larger companies, particularly those that have established specialist...

The profusion of available and advancing electronic control technology poses problems of timing and choice for both the user and designer. The author discusses these dilemmas.