Inventory control -- An EDP approach with or without a computer;

              Inventory Control — An EDP Approach With or Without a Computer
by LAWRENCE L. LEONARD Manager, Management Advisory Services, San Francisco Office
Presented before The California Society of Certified Public Accountants, San Francisco and Los Angeles—July 1969
GENTLEMEN, I am here today to talk about systems development, and in particular inventory-control systems development, in the com­puter
age.
We hear so many commonly used phrases in connection with the almighty computer:
The computer is here to stay, so don't be a dropout in this computer age.
The computer is a high-powered tool for the progressive company.
The computer has made available operational and managerial infor­mation
not possible to obtain heretofore.
There is truth in these statements. The statement can also misdirect our attention, however. Such statements can sound very imposing to the uninitiated and those with very little acquaintance with computer operations.
On the other hand, we hear statements that are perhaps less im­posing,
but which may be more misleading:
The computer is only another tool to be used for accounting when the volume of work requires it.
Computer technology is changing so fast, you might as well wait until the fourth generation comes out before computerizing.
The longer you wait, the cheaper computerized systems will become.
Not only will the costs come down, but someday you'll be able to buy your systems and program at the software supermarket rather than design them yourself.
Is there a ring of truth in these statements, too?
We should not overestimate or underestimate the power of a com­puter.
Those of us charged with systems-design responsibilities must
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