Pace 38 Co PC WEEKNAPPLICATION DEVELOPMENT, Det a ia JAN z A

APPLIED INTELLIGENCE.
Business Becomes a Battle of Technology

Z End users are moving toward a multi- tools run on conventional DP hardware 1) Gain competitive advantage.

In this, the layered, distributed computer architec- (including PCs) and they are closely in- 2) Use information as a strategic weap-
Jtfih of his five- ture in which mainframes are used to tegrated with the data-processing envi- on to lock in customers but lock out
part series on store corporate data; minicomputers or ronment. These tools are oriented to- competitors.
strategic svyS- file servers are used to support depart- ward the solution of smaller rule-based 3) Tie the strategy directly to critical
tems, James mental operations; and networked per- problems and can be used by conven- success factors identified for the organi-
Martin dis- sonal computers are used to support lo- tional DP personnel who may not have zation. |

cusses how an cal data manipulation. specialized training in knowledge engi- 4) Use advanced technology to put in
information e CASE and I-CASE tools: Highly inte- neering. place strategic systems that operate at

strategy may be grated, encyclopedia-driven, computer- e New development methodologies: the heart of the organization and run all
used effectively aided systems engineering tools are More efficient, development, life-cycle aspects of the business.
to gain competi- making it possible to generate applica- processes, such as rapid prototyping, in- 5) Improve decision making by getting
tive advantage tion code directly from graphical specifi- formation engineering, interactive JAD the right information to high-dollar-val-
" and to tie togeth-  cations. [CASE products combine a (Joint Application Design) and timebox ue decision makers.
M ARTIN er all aspects of.  front-end CASE tool with a tightly inte-  methodologies, are making it possible to 6) Implement intercorporate networks
| the operation of.  grated back-end code generator. develop applications more rapidly and that link manufacturers to suppliers,
an organization.  ' Forward/reverse engineering tools: in closer coordination with end users. customers, distributors, retailers, finan-
In the near future, the competitive A new a of CASE tools now e Growth of standards: Gradually, cial organizations and so on.
corporation will be run with a vast am mam ooo rare ore, 7) Create entirely new businesses or ma-
| mesh of interacting computers and data- ga Sij ai se zad spiš ji PE a Sliki Sve potokih ten ii Mo wi ma ua — jor changes in the operation of current
| base systems. Computers in one corpora- f 1 nfo! m ti a C 4 oa ze SR RA] — businesses using strategic information
tion will interact on-line with computers .M J a ion stored in the corporate database.
in other corporatlons—its customers, Organizations are increasingly using
suppliers, distributors and so on. their computer systems for strategic
| Innovative companies are realizing Re si o SO AE VGA MA Ej ti: za purposes, rather than simply supporting
| how computers, networks, workstations a a ea Šege GEU MSi v pare ina ie Prod uction. back-office operations. It is important
| and other technology can enable them Me na A Ne (Purehasing A. for DP professionals to recognize the im-
ia oi ana portance of information to the goals of
the organization and to provide proac-
tive support for the development, of
strategic information systems.
As shown in the figure, strategic in-
formation systems (or mission-critical
systems) operate at the heart of theen- ||

SE

at
4
1; ne:

Wii
Nema gic
k že x: B. - ! x
a zlet gi kaz
): ; :]

na a"

IE,
re a
da z
di, za,
po oorzžki pr
h Ha
um
4

rimi ii
ei sa 1 a:
a a,
NA na>
Poti
xE pen
dli teri?
k sa oi PRE, aj
ŽZRJ
la, ča
a]
A,
piš
di Rika
Na
re
ži
A
1;

a nji ap
h . z,

a ai
Pu nosi TE
Je.

Pe
e—
-.
?
dB
za
da
s.
em
za E "2
prsa
Bz.
pali
K
me. Ja
šž;
ka:
En

4
pek oda
€
dav
za
Pol
zak
-
sti. A
pašto
dd m.
le: 4
ke
ske:
PA
ue
tanjši
ušči
ir tali
zi
ie
bm
—"-
osi
o "zi
Pa
—a
IL, šli

"a.
ai
Rd
PPM pH, i- lk
ile Poj ami.
aj EL! ki Ma
preb v Tm
ia
m di
ee
po
nasi
ue

PI
s

x z ",
Ri

s mk
se saaek

- z idea

SEN

|
| to launch pre-emptive market attacks
] - on their competitors. Computing and in-
| formation systems are now strategic
V weapons, not. a backroom overhead.
Business is increasingly becoming a
battle of technology, with competing
computerized procedures and informa-

za Pu nM
1.Ž "Ee nudi, ie

po uk

uon SYSU cna! €, ne COIPO- — Hisa zano. Skuto; ei A terprise and run every aspect of the Ee aa a
ee with backward IS development PE ERA ai ganization. They tend to be large, com- MI pašo s

plex systems that operate at. high rana,
action volumes and run on distributed
networks of computers. They freguently
reguire a non-stop environment; if the

As technology widens the possibility
of competitive opportunities and
threats, the time for implementing com-
puterized procedures narrows. It is es- systems fails, the business stops.
sential to build new applications guickly SEA SE ON VP A ASE NA NE ESR NVO. Ro aa A commitment to strategic informa-
and to develop them for swift modifi- — |č:;::: VKR MA 4 ml oo ie No diV | | tion systems involves risk because the
catjons. | | sive KA sot O AA VE aN V Mam me organization is highly dependent on the

m po
z MAM —

či
a ea ae KE

It will be impossible to manage and Re EI ae «37 |.| continued operation of the system. In
implement the procedures for this com- PORE EM m se io 1" |. addition, due to the complexity inherent
plex environment without, using the ad- SPREM ŠE RE RR in these systems, they may be expensive

vanced technology that is now available. |e:
the spread of SOL-compatible database- si m iš

razla

Sri zi sč-ie |. and difficult to build.
SEE S EEA ON, The long-term benefits of strategic
SA ze zi eo |. | systems far outweigh the risks. They en-

Katji a bat 4; š ri Rei pesli zk a dt m Mize Hi
ai, ee aa Ko ii ME —ina z m Pe ge pa Med pu zma a PA -
management systems, aS el] as th | rabi ASI S NI NENA a RE a Te, NEU a die a | | |
miz EO, ete MA mo rem e oli mena AA te Me | | Pa A A A RE V VRUJNO able information to be used as a strate:
rapid growth of powerful, microcomput A VENE A EEA ES SJ V ia a Mi a ara a ak S MES | OO Za z nimčve
O e m u HA | pode Maši zj pova ite : 4 va b ga | a, 1 ; na te pi ME s. a. spe mu. 3 ške Reš, a nea % če M s sodi ze : io ja a ič . £ ' x si gic resource to improve tne decision-
er-based desktop workstations, comput:- išeb Re A Sao A DAN Ee NE EN A NE A KA AA A NA NE

— h — making process, increase the competitive

Z aldca software engineering (CASE) | Ne | David Hanum.:— Capability of the enterprise and inte-

za integrated GAČE AE) oe Ee | i dei | grate all functions of the organization.
systems, area unications deni M

networks and multilevel distributed Sa a AE NE REJE

| | inf syste
computer architectures. These technolo- The cor poration with backward information Systems | ek he oa ek as oral ne

PE AE ae o nel loses, so it is essential to build new applications competitors and to create entirely new ooo
ORALNI K UPOR čipa 5 or improved businesses. Companiesthat | ||

together disparate computer systems ne guickly and to develop them J' or swift modi fications. have successfully employedanad- — ||.
and distribute information to key deci- ——— REJ AE ENE S A A O — vanced information strategy ML,
Seas competing technolo- JU. puae MO pe oe Bostrai —— Z
ming harder for DP pro- under development will enable analysts standards are emerging that will govern Next week I wil evaluate A

to select an appropriate, effec- to convert low-level data definitions and. the future evolution of hardware and - £ic importance of integrated best ma o

of technologies to im- unstructured process code into high-lev- software. Standard environments in - nology—the most important changein Z

plement an information Male for. el structures. These high-level data and .. : clude IBM's commitme ; uleti Computing pa in three Re

process structures can then be used ina Application. decades.

- a nad nitne to generate — Digital Eguipment. zre develop ment. m
nel data definitions and m  ofa consistent, compatible netu ČE