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Management
With the changes in the business plan, you foresee that management in the new
organisation would need to be far more involved in planning and control, and less involved
in nonessential meetings and interoffice communication. The use of expert systems would
significantly reduce the amount of time involved in planning; such software would be
available for around € 12,000. Additional software would improve the control over finances
and project completion. Most of this would not be an additional cost over the proposed
existing networked system, though it would require a further € 3,000 for additional
terminals.
Communication within the office could be significantly increased by the introduction of
electronic mail, which would further reduce the demand on secretarial time, helping
towards the long term aim of removing secretaries. This and more sophisticated telephone
systems with preset numbers and re dialling facilities combined with an answer phone
facility would, for an estimated € 2,500, enable the management team to receive
messages at any time of the day or night. Video conferencing facilities would reduce the
need for some meetings at a cost of € 1.500 for the three computers involved with access
to high speed lines.
As management would be spending a considerable amount of time away from their desks,
you must decide whether to invest in portable telephones, or follow the decision that had
been provisionally made for the sales force and Technical Support Department of
providing telephone paging systems. The use of word-processing and desk top publishing
systems would greatly increase the effectiveness of report and document production these
facilities would be part of other departments requirements and, therefore, would not
necessarily involve additional cost.
Action
What technology should you as J Franklin introduce? How can you assess the priorities
within the organisation?
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