Page 316 - (DK) The Business Book

314

TECHNOLOGY IS THE

GREAT GROWLING

ENGINE OF CHANGE

THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

IN CONTEXT

FOCUS
Managing change
...new IT systems can
With clear objectives
KEY DATES increase revenue, improve
and a shared vision...
1822 English mathematician safety, and boost morale.
Charles Babbage designs
“the difference engine”—the
world’s first mechanical,
programmable, computer.
1951 The British food
manufacturer J. Lyons & Co
Technology is the
starts using LEO (Lyons
great growling engine
Electronic Office), the first
of change.
computer designed specifically
for a business use—in this
case, to track sales figures.
1981 US software company
Microsoft develops the
MS-DOS operating system.
o business today can Management System (CMS) that
1998 Banks and hedge funds survive without some form was designed to deploy pilots and
in the US design computer N of computer system, but cabin crew more effectively than a
programs to buy and sell continual investment in new IT manual system. Under the previous
shares, bonds derivatives, (information technology) can system, some crew worked longer
and other financial assets. enhance a company in previously hours than others for the same
unimagined ways. IT can be used salary, which created friction
This is the origin of high-
to boost productivity or increase between crew members. CMS has
frequency trading.
reliability, or to decrease the risk enabled management to monitor
of human error. Air India set out crew deployment more closely. The
to improve efficiency in 2013 hope is that by ensuring that staff
with a new computerized Crew are employed more equitably and