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Experiences with Office Automation: Some Lessons and Recommendations

Talking to managers about 'office automation' (OA) brings a wide range of reactions. When the hype of the early nineteen-eighties was not easily translated into the 'paperless office', many developed a cynicism which they still retain. On the other hand, numerous managers have seen such a widespread acceptance of technology that they can no longer envisage working without it. A recent report [1] serves to remind us of the early excitement, and of how quickly things can change. The report provides an evaluation of an ambitious initiative. In 1982 the UK Government, through the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), embarked on a nation-wide pilot scheme to promote the use of office automation. Its main purpose was to: (i) broaden the base of user experiences with OA, and (ii) disseminate the experiences throughout the UK. Funding (up to £250,000 per pilot) was made available for organizations to experiment with OA through selected pilot sites. OA vendors, consultants and interested public sector organizations were married together in the hope that these pilots would provide rich experience for both OA suppliers and potential users. The report four years later makes for some sobering reading. Few of the 20 pilots could be considered unqualified successes; in fact, a good number turned out to be classic examples of how not to go about introducing office automation. From an educational point of view, the DTI initiative has proved beneficial. It is unusual to have such an extensively measured experience base in the public domain. However, while the schemes were pioneering at