Cash and carry

estimated elapsed flight times along the tracks. The new system will display flight data electronically. Aircraft position reports from air-ground communications stations and flight plans will be received and processed, and flight data will be exchanged with Gander and other ATC centres. Potential reduction of separation between aircraft will be detected and solutions proposed for consideration by the controller. The progress of flights will be monitored, and the controller alerted if, for instance, an aircraft fails to make its scheduled report. Predetermined tracks taking into account the forecast weather will be calculated. Data will be recorded continuously for statistical and incident analysis and to provide a means of rapid recovery from a system fault. To meet the design aim to restrict breaks in operational service to no more than one failure of more than 5 min in ten years, the hardware will consist of two equipment groups arranged as main and standby with special switching and the ability to restart quickly. Each group will be based on a DEC PDP 11/70 computer, and where possible, all the other hardware will be commercially available. The software will be mainly written in CORAL and the task is estimated at 75 man-years.

(Civil Aviation Authority, CAA House, 45-59 Kingsway, London WC28 6TE, UK. Tel: 01-379 7311) []

Supermarket modems Fine Fare has ordered Case modems, multiplexers and electronic switching to upgrade its distribution and stockcontrol system. The 9 600 bit/s modems will support leased and dialup circuits linking PDP-11 computers at each of six major depots with the head office computer. The PDP-1 ls support up to ten VDUs and printer terminals. Multiplexers are being installed to provide these terminals with access to the head office computer in the event of a local computer failure. To achieve the level of back up required by Fine Fare it is necessary to provide alternative network configurations for each depot. This has been accomplished by an electronic switching complex that can be operated by

vol 2 no 2 april 1979

nontechnical staff from a rotary switch. (Computer and Systems

Engineering Ltd, Woodcock Hill Estate, Harefield Road, Rickmansworth, Herts. WD3 IPL, UK. Tel: Rickmansworth 76699, [] Tx: 923325)

Cash and carry The Landmark group of wholesale cash and carry companies have bought an RTC 4560 Cash and Carry computer system. The system comprises a 32 kword minicomputer, 10 Mbyte disc storage for customer and product file information, four checkout stations, one goods inwards station, three highspeed printers, and one manager's console. The printer will be used to provide management reports on'goods received, to produce labels and to provide customers with detailed invoices.

(Real Time Control Lt~ Kebbell House, Carpenders Park, Watford, Harts. WD1 5BE, UK. Tel: 01-428 0088)

[]

Wholesaling Kesko Oy, the Finnish retailer-owned, wholesale corporation has placed an order for a Sperry Univac 1100/82 system. The primary applications for the system will be inventory control, order processing, warehouse operation, purchasing, statistical work and forecasting. A network of 16 Kesko branch offices with warehouse facilities are equipped with data terminals enabling them to communicate in real-time with the central computer complex. The communications network handles more than 110 000 transactions per day. The company carries a stock of more than 110000 individual items and handles over 2M order lines each month. As well as serving 3 500 stores of its own shareholders, the company also owns several department stores. Subsidiary companies operate a nationwide chain of petrol service stations and manufacture clothing, matches and bicycles. (Sperry Univac, Reming-

ton House, 65 Holborn Viaduct, London ECIP lAB, UK. Tel: 01-236 1010, Tx: 884403) []

Voice response system Golden Wonder Ltd, UK, are to install an MCS OVR-24 Voice Response System to speed up their sales force administration and order processing. The system will be switchable between two Data General Nova 2 minicomputers. These will be linked to another Nova 2 in each of a sister company's 13 UK depots where delivery notes will be printed out. Order input will also be transferred to files held on the company's 96k 1902T via a tapeto-tape link for inclusion in the production and stock-replenishment system. By equipping its sales force of 127 representatives and 35 telesales girls with voice-response terminals, the company hopes to speed up data capture, improve the accuracy of centrally held information, eliminate the cost of form filling and increase the amount of data fed into the system. It expects to be able to improve deliveries to customers from 72 to 48 h. The sales representatives on the road will be equipped with portable terminals that can be linked to any telephone with an acoustic coupler, while the talesales girls will have similar desk terminals. The MCS Voice Response System can support 24, 48 or 96 telephone lines. At Golden Wonder, 21 lines will be available. (MenziesCommunications

Systems L td, Princess House, High Street, Bagshot, Surrey GUI9 5AF~ UK. Tel." 0276 72523, Tx: 858304 []

Building society The Birmingham Building Society has installed an NCR 8450 Criterion computer and a minicomputer to act as an input device at its headquarters. VDUs have been installed at the head office to provide online enquiry facilities. It is planned to extend these to other head-office departments prior to developing a branch terminal network throughout the society's 31 branch offices. The computer is producing arrears reports with the appropriate letters, daily and monthly investors' balances reports by branch, management reports and statistics to be returned to the registrar. Those mortgage accounts handled at the moment by a bureau

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