Integration and the Definition of Responsibilities

This paper addresses the problem of providing adequate guidelines for those concerned with introducing, modifying or designing management information systems, particularly in small manufacturing industry. It is an important subject in view of the potential for using computers and the point that because they have prime access to the technology there will be a tendency for systems to be inspired more by technologists than by the managers and people who use them. Since technologists are generally uncomfortable with the subjective, less well defined subjects of the humanities and are more excited by the technical means of handling information than by its use or the human factors that surround it, there is a need to:- (a) improve our understanding of an increasingly important subject so that we can exploit the new opportunities technology can provide, and (b) project this understanding in a manner which is of practical use to those concerned.