Exploiting It In Business

I.T. Exploiting in business David Irwin putting technology to work to grow your profits IFC Exploiting I.T. in Business BLANK Exploiting I.T. in Business putting technology to work to grow your profits David Irwin © Project North East 1999 Published by Hawksmere plc 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W ODH 0207 824 8257 Designed and typeset by Paul Wallis for Hawksmere. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed upon the subsequent purchaser. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication can be accepted by the author or publisher. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 85418 148 3 Printed in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press. Contents Introduction – the rapid growth of computer technology ...........................1 Growing use ...................................................................................1 Indifference ....................................................................................1 Change in researching information ................................................4 Change in communications ...........................................................4 Change in how we sell ....................................................................5 Change in how we buy ...................................................................6 An opportunity or a threat .............................................................6 Changing face of business ..............................................................7 Communications ............................................................................8 What is coming next? .....................................................................8 Computer applications .................................................................10 Implications for smaller businesses ..............................................11 Part One: ICT in business 1 Reviewing your information technology needs .................................15 Introduction .................................................................................15 Why have a review? .......................................................................16 Carrying out the review ................................................................17 Reviewing the business .................................................................18 Researching the options ...............................................................19 Technology ...................................................................................20 Findings .......................................................................................21 i 2 Computer hardware ...................................................................23 Introduction .................................................................................23 Computers