ABSTRACT
Business organisations are facing today a period of rapid ‘computerisation’ in almost all functions. Also the environment of organisations is changing due to new strategic possibilities of information technology. This chapter analyses the development of organisational structure during the computerisation process. Computerised information systems have traditionally been seen as a new tool to reduce the analysable and quantitative uncertainty in the organisation. The computerisation process of the case enterprise developed in an evolutionary learning-by-doing manner, which is consistent with the enterprise’s innovative strategy. EDP was considered a tool mainly for qualitative uncertainty reduction when incorporated into new product innovations. The role of analysable, quantitative uncertainty reduction was secondary, and a rigid EDP strategy was consciously avoided. The organisation did not have an EDP department, not even an integrator or an explicit EDP policy.
