Communications in the Industrial World
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635579010000877 |
| Published date | 01 July 1990 |
| Pages | 18-20 |
| Date | 01 July 1990 |
| Author | David Leakey |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
18 INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT & DATA SYSTEMS 90,7
Communications
in the Industrial
World
David Leakey
A
re you aware of just how quickly com-
munications technology is advancing
and what it can do in your company!
As business becomes increasingly global, good
communications are becoming an even more important
ingredient in the successful management of industrial
companies. With offices, factories, suppliers and
customers spread throughout five continents, managers
need effective links with their colleagues
in
order
to
work
efficiently.
Fortunately, modern data communications systems are
now able to provide those links. With rapidly advancing
technology, communications techniques have become
more and more sophisticated.
Moreover, these services have become increasingly easy
to use. While the technologies themselves may have
become more complex, the services they provide have
become more "user-friendly" in nature, making it easier
for managers to take advantage of them.
In
industry,
where
large amounts of information must be handled quickly and
accurately, good communications links can be an important
asset.
To make the most of these possibilities, industrial
companies need to take a close look at their data
communications strategies. Although the exact nature of
such a strategy will vary from company to company, the
general principles remain the same in every business.
Broadly speaking, there are three main classes of
communication to be considered — transaction data,
message exchange and bulk file transfer. By paying careful
attention to each of these three areas, it is possible to
ensure that a company's entire communication needs are
adequately catered for.
Transaction data consists of the short, sharp messages
that make up such an important part of our everyday
working
lives.
A
factory manager, for example, may wish
to check with a supplier that a certain item is to be
delivered on schedule. Typically, such messages may only
take
a
few seconds, but
will
provide important information
that is essential to the successful management of the
business.
Nowadays, most companies of any size can boast a
switchboard which controls
all
telephone calls
coming
into
and going out of the company. By offering facilities such
as short-code dialling and call diversion, these make it
easy for managers to stay in touch with colleagues within
the company
—
so that transaction calls can be made
without difficulty.
Thanks to the increasing use of digital public telephone
networks, these facilities are now available beyond the
switchboard. Those who are connected to modern digital
exchanges can also take advantage of such facilities when
calling
distant suppliers and
customers,
too.
The availability
of short-code
dialling
on
a national scale can save valuable
time,
while the ability to divert
incoming calls
means there
is no need to be out of touch.
For those who need to move freely around factories and
offices, the advent of the cordless switchboard could be
of enormous benefit. Because telephones will no longer
need to be fixed
in
one location, this technology
will
make
it possible to contact even highly mobile individuals.
In
addition,
the rise
in
popularity of mobile communications
has made it possible for individuals to move around the
country without losing
contact.
In the next few
years,
we
will also see the advent of personal communications
networks, which will make mobile communications
cheaper and more accessible.
The ability to contact someone using a single telephone
number
—
no matter where they may be
—
will enable
us to make transaction-type calls more frequently and
more successfully.
These calls may be short in length, but they are likely
to be high
in
number.
In any one
day,
a manager may wish
to obtain information and verify facts from a wide range
of sources. Consequently, the communications systems
which handle transaction messages need to be reliable
in nature.
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