The Impact of Computers on Business and Industry: From the Factory to Retail and Banking, Slides of Applications of Computer Sciences

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Computers in

Business and Industry

Introduction

• Computer technology has changed every aspect of

business and industry

• In the factory
• In retail sales and marketing
• In banking
• In the office
• Computers have also impacted the health and quality

of life of individuals

• Technology will change the economy and

employment in the future

Computers In the Factory

• Computer-aided design (CAD)
  • Uses a computer and special software to assist in product design
• Computer-aided engineering (CAE)
  • Uses computers to test product designs
• Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
  • Uses computers to direct machines that produce and assemble a product
• Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)
  • Combines CAD, CAE, and CAM into one system

Manufacturing Resource Planning

(MRP) Systems

• Job-scheduling system
  • Helps decide when to initiate production based on supplies and customer demand
• Inventory control system
  • Tracks and matches current inventory supplies against anticipated future orders to ensure component availability
• Just-in-time manufacturing
  • Lets manufacturers acquire components just before they are needed on the assembly line

Industrial Robots

• Computer-controlled robots perform work that

might be hazardous to people

Computers In Retail Sales and

Marketing

• Point-of-sale (POS) systems record purchases,

process credit or debit cards, and update inventory

• A bar code scanner reads the bar code on a product with a laser beam
• Bar codes consist of the manufacturer and item name
• The computer retrieves the price and product information from the database
• The inventory is updated
• The output from POS can be used as input into other inventory, processing and accounting systems

Inventory Control Systems

• Obtains information directly from POS
• Provides a real-time look at the availability of

products

• Alerts warehouse when reorder points are reached
  • Hand scanners update inventory when items are stocked
• Inventory database can often be accessed by

customers over the Web

• Inventory is updated when customer reserves a product for pickup

Marketing and Sales

• Database marketing allows companies to mine

customer databases and create marketing lists

• Customers can share preferences for future use
• Companies determine user preferences based on

past buying behavior

• Consumers may receive spam from companies who

share user information

• Customer can opt-in to receive mail only when requested
• Customer can opt-out to instruct the company not to share information

Direct Deposit and ACH

• Direct deposit transfer funds electronically to a bank

in order for a company to deposit funds into a

specified account

• Eliminates paychecks for payer
• Saves trips to the bank or ATM for payee
• An automated clearing house (ACH) sorts automated

payment instructions to transfer funds

• ACH network acts as the central clearing facility for all EFT transactions

Smart Credit Cards

• Stores data on an embedded microprocessor
• Updates data instantaneously
• Used for a wide range of applications
  • Originally used as stored value cards for pay phones
  • Used by train commuters in Tokyo
• Can be contact or contactless
  • Contact cards connect metallic pads with the reader’s metallic pins
  • Contactless cards use a radio frequency to transfer information between the card and reader

Computers In the Office

• Technology is an integral part of today’s office
  • Computers, PDA, networked printers, fax machines, e-mail, cell phones
• Documents are stored on disk instead of paper
• Companies have corporate intranets to process

online forms

• PDF (Portable Document Format) files are used to

preserve formatting across a variety of platforms in a

network or on the Internet

• Paper is still used for easier reading

Telecommuting

• A work arrangement in which employees work away from the

office and communicate with the office using technology

RSI and CVS

• A repetitive stress injury (RSI) is caused when muscle groups

complete the same repetitive actions over and over again

• Keyboards and mice are major sources of RSIs
• Symptoms include stiffness or burning of hands, loss of strength in hands, and pain in the upper back, shoulders, and back
• Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is caused by screen glare,

improper lighting, and monitor settings hard on the eyes

• Symptoms include eyestrain, dry or burning eyes, increased sensitivity to light, blurred vision, headache, and pain in the shoulders, neck, or back

Employee Monitoring

• Involves the use of computers to observe, record,

and review an employee’s use of a computer

• E-mail messages inside and outside the company
• Web sites visited by employee
• Time spent away from the computer
• Keystrokes performed per hour
• Employee monitoring is legal
• Employers use monitoring to ensure network

security and manage productivity