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Organisational context: Existing Multinational computer systems

'Management were persuaded ... that we ought to have a lower level of person putting in some of the input so we created a unit over in Essex. ... So they came up here and they actually spent about two to three months here ... So that of course meant that then they had one system up here and one system down there on different networks. So we had to link the networks and things needed to be transferred overnight ... Q&A, it wasn't, if you like, a real-time type database. ... I think overall it worked reasonably well. The biggest problem with it, I think , was a) that not everyone put data on and ... people didn't take too much account of data accuracy ...

For example when we do a quote, there's a quotes system from which reports were done and the underwriters, and still in fact, do their own report at the end of each month on their quotation activity. The two are never married up so if I've produced a report off the system, no-one took any notice of it on the basis that it's probably not accurate and read the other one. ... But no one ever questioned the reports I gave them. In fact if I didn't deliver them no one asked where they were ...

So even now there are two views about the whole system. One of them expressed by management is well the database was never that accurate anyway, was it Keith, and if I was totally blunt I'd probably turn round and say no, because no one ever insisted, used their power if you like, to make sure that it was completed and it was accurate. ... it was called my system. That was one aspect, and the other view was that of for example GIS when they looked at it ... [Gordan] actually turned round and it made me feel quite good and he said we're actually quite amazed at how much data you've got on there Keith, and the overall complexity of it. ...'

X071 page 002.03 (tape 01.2.04) Keith Notes/Tape 20/01/95

Social influence: Organisation: Commitment
Technical influence: IT environment: Existing systems


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