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Human Aspects in Office Automation
books Benefits of wise DP budgets Data Processing Budgets by William E Perry. Published by Prentice-Hall. 224~~. M4.90. Somewhere there may be a data processing development that has achieved all the objectives for budgetary management set by Perry. I know of none, and yet reading through this book I find little with which I cannot but agree and much that would give positive benefits to my own organization. The approach to budgeting goes far beyond ensuring that you can pay the end of your maintenance bill without reporting an adverse variance. An overall approach to data processing as a complete business entity is taken. Application systems represent a significant past investment which should be treated as assets with a value as well as a requirement for maintenance, enhancement and replacement. A clear distinction is made between the input costs of providing the various services and the value to the organization of these services. Quality
in the use of resource should reduce costs, but quality of service is a balance between additional costs and increase in benefits provided. New developments are like any other undertaken by the organization and must be subject to project appraisal and subsequent performance review. At the year end a balance sheet covering both capital and assets and income and expenditure should be produced and a budget for the coming year drawn up on the same basis. Establishing an effective budgetary procedure for data processing is often more difficult than for other areas. Application systems cannot appear in company balance sheets as assets and users find it difficult to place precise values on the benefits of the services provided. ‘To do less than recommended because it is too difficult will not avoid the problems. Decisions will still have to be made, but they will be based on guesses or, perhaps worse, partial or even incorrect information. The data processing man-
ager will have no sound base in his/her negotiations with senior management. Budgeting is a project with the data processing manager as the project manager. Much guidance on the process is provided, how to collect the data, estimating methods, categorization of benefits, consolidation and forms of presentation and then how to monitor performance, update the budget and report variance. At each stage check lists ensure no essential component has been omitted. The subtitle, a management perspective, is the emphasis of the text which is well written, laid out attractively and is both informative and thought provoking. The price looks expensive but if the reader follows Perry’s techniques for the appraisal of benefits the return on this particular investment should be very high.
A M LEPPER The Open University
Computersin the workplace Human Aspects in Office Automation by B G F Cohen. Published by Elsevier Science Publishers. 322~~. $50. This is the first text to be published in the Elsevier series in office automation. There is no indication in the text on whether other texts in the series are planned to explore the ‘human aspects’ further or whether they will address other aspects of office automation. To quote from the introduction ‘The material focuses mainly on five areas of working life: (1) office environmental health issues, (2) work organizational factors, (3) ergonomic aspects of the workplace, (4) physiological and psychological effects of office work, and (5) strategies for
~0128 no 2
march 1986
alleviating worksite stress. The challenges posed by office automation and some suggested solutions for dealing with recognised problems are discussed within each of these five areas’. Given the range of topics and interests represented by the contributors to this text, the style and depth of contribution is similarly varied. The European reader may be a little disappointed with the apparent lack of awareness of the quite extensive European literature on some topics. The general message of the text is set out unequivocally in the Introduction. ‘We must heed that warning (a reference to a quotation from John Ruskin) and mind the real costs of office automation which are easily
disregarded in a society swept up in the exhilaration of the latest technology. Certainly automation has the potential for eliminating repetitiousness and tedium and freeing the worker for more challenging, gratifying accomplishments. However, too often the clerical staff is simply treated as part of the machine.’ Anyone interest in making the work environment ‘fit the needs of workers and not vice versa’ should find the material here interesting, even challenging.
T G GOUGH University of Leeds
103
in the use of resource should reduce costs, but quality of service is a balance between additional costs and increase in benefits provided. New developments are like any other undertaken by the organization and must be subject to project appraisal and subsequent performance review. At the year end a balance sheet covering both capital and assets and income and expenditure should be produced and a budget for the coming year drawn up on the same basis. Establishing an effective budgetary procedure for data processing is often more difficult than for other areas. Application systems cannot appear in company balance sheets as assets and users find it difficult to place precise values on the benefits of the services provided. ‘To do less than recommended because it is too difficult will not avoid the problems. Decisions will still have to be made, but they will be based on guesses or, perhaps worse, partial or even incorrect information. The data processing man-
ager will have no sound base in his/her negotiations with senior management. Budgeting is a project with the data processing manager as the project manager. Much guidance on the process is provided, how to collect the data, estimating methods, categorization of benefits, consolidation and forms of presentation and then how to monitor performance, update the budget and report variance. At each stage check lists ensure no essential component has been omitted. The subtitle, a management perspective, is the emphasis of the text which is well written, laid out attractively and is both informative and thought provoking. The price looks expensive but if the reader follows Perry’s techniques for the appraisal of benefits the return on this particular investment should be very high.
A M LEPPER The Open University
Computersin the workplace Human Aspects in Office Automation by B G F Cohen. Published by Elsevier Science Publishers. 322~~. $50. This is the first text to be published in the Elsevier series in office automation. There is no indication in the text on whether other texts in the series are planned to explore the ‘human aspects’ further or whether they will address other aspects of office automation. To quote from the introduction ‘The material focuses mainly on five areas of working life: (1) office environmental health issues, (2) work organizational factors, (3) ergonomic aspects of the workplace, (4) physiological and psychological effects of office work, and (5) strategies for
~0128 no 2
march 1986
alleviating worksite stress. The challenges posed by office automation and some suggested solutions for dealing with recognised problems are discussed within each of these five areas’. Given the range of topics and interests represented by the contributors to this text, the style and depth of contribution is similarly varied. The European reader may be a little disappointed with the apparent lack of awareness of the quite extensive European literature on some topics. The general message of the text is set out unequivocally in the Introduction. ‘We must heed that warning (a reference to a quotation from John Ruskin) and mind the real costs of office automation which are easily
disregarded in a society swept up in the exhilaration of the latest technology. Certainly automation has the potential for eliminating repetitiousness and tedium and freeing the worker for more challenging, gratifying accomplishments. However, too often the clerical staff is simply treated as part of the machine.’ Anyone interest in making the work environment ‘fit the needs of workers and not vice versa’ should find the material here interesting, even challenging.
T G GOUGH University of Leeds
103