Business Story
A story of management conflict concerning the use of mainframe and personal computers involved in the monitoring and protection of environmental resources.
by
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“Dave, you’ve got a golden opportunity here to make a real impression. There’s so much to be done, all kinds of new ground to be charted. Here you can be innovative, really creative. There’s a system to be built here, a total management information system that’ll be a real pride and joy. It’s a challenge Dave. Believe me, you can really make a mark for yourself here.” “Most of us here know why Kaz was demoted. He wasn’t a puppet, he spoke his own mind so he had to be chopped down. I don’t care what anybody says, canning Kaz was a hatchet job. I’m just wondering why you were hired. Could it be, maybe they thought they had found another puppet?” “Listen to me and listen to me good. If you people in systems can’t get your act together then I think we should scrap your branch and start all over again.” “God how he loved his job. He loved breaking down problems and looking for solutions, he loved drawing up plans and following through on steps, he loved meeting with the different players and getting their views, he loved meeting deadlines and seeing things get done, it was all so bloody satisfying. Yes sir, he was a lucky man to be making a living doing something he loved.” “The problem is, people are afraid of the son-of-a-bitch. They’re afraid to take him on because they know they’ll have to get down in the gutter and get themselves dirty. That’s the only way you’re going to beat somebody like Houston.” Who do these people think they are? Do they never learn? What good are policies and procedures if people can ignore them whenever they feel like it? Are there no controls? Who’s running the ship or has it gone amuck? The arrogance of these people is something to behold.”
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About the Book
The field of information processing experienced significant developments during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. From punch card unit record equipment to transistorized computers to desktop computers with enormous storage and processing capabilities, the lives of most people around the world have been impacted dramatically. Scarcely anything we do nowadays is not affected in some way by computers. Against this backdrop, Business Story tells the story of Dave Richards who begins a new job as director of information systems for the Department of the Environment, full of anticipation and enthusiasm, and discovers on his first day that he has entered a battle zone fraught with pitfalls and booby traps. Business Story is a story that will appeal to all those interested in the field of information processing, whether it be as a manager, an analyst, a programmer, or a user. In the end, it will be the people who shape the results and decide the day, not the technology, no matter how advanced. At least, let us hope so.
About the Author
The author knows of what he writes about. He was involved in the computer industry for more than twenty-five years, working for a major computer manufacturer, working for several consulting firms, and working for a couple of organizations managing computer services. He was also involved in the monitoring and protection of environmental resources. During this time, he came to realize how important it was to carry out feasibility studies to justify projects and to conduct tendering procedures in acquiring resources. If feasibility studies and tendering procedures are not carried out diligently, the chances of failure and catastrophe are increased significantly.