ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the analysis of the social and organizational factors in computer introduction and use, to determine if the host organization is ready to introduce automation and, if so, to identify information needs, potential applications for automation, and the appropriate system design to perform those applications. Automated data processing (ADP) offers significant promise to an organization. Automation can provide cost-effective solutions to information management problems and expand capacities to use information for effective planning, control, operation, and management. Electrical power supply is the factor that most often derails an ADP project in the early implementation stage. Experience shows that, in general, an expenditure of one-half to two-thirds of the cost of the data processing hardware will be necessary to ensure electric power of sufficient quality for a computer system to function satisfactorily. An important planning factor in the local ADP environment is the option of buying equipment locally.
