What the computer salesman didntt tell !ou,..

By C. J. "Dinny" Waters Dataline Corp. Mill Valley, Ca.

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TEDIDN'Tsay:

fI It was going to be alot of work.

Your management abilities were going to be challenged.

If a computer system costs $50,000 initially, you can expect to increase that investment substantially over the next several years.

That unless you worked very hard, it would be difficult to see the cash flow improvement you were told about.

That upgrading the system would cost that much!

This will not be "another computer story." In fact, the thought of reading "another computer story" prompted me to write this article. After selling computers to lumber yards for over 13 years, I feel my qualifications warrant my writing this.

Not long ago there were real questions about whether or not a computer system would work. The phrase "horror story" haunted those of us in the business.

Today, all systems work, but we still have some "horror stories." Why is this? Management and its subsequent use of the computer system is the reason.

We have all heard someone bragging about his system and what he has accomplished, but do we recognize the common thread that runs between the "success stories" and the "horror stories."

Without exception, the most successful installations are those completed for companies which establish clear objectives and delegate the tasks needed to accomplish those objectives. I'm not referring to managers who drop the whole project into the lap of the bookkeeper or controller. (That's another unsuccessful scenario.) Computer systems involve everyone in the company and the operation of the system should be delegated to everyone involved.

A common "horror" situation involves the manager who trusts Harry to check in thousands of dollars worth of inventory with a pencil and paper, but when you suggest that Harry check in that same load against a purchase order in the computerhe screams, "No way." We wonder why we don't get Harry's cooperation and this is just the first of many holes that will develop in this system.

Probably one of the most frequent problems begins with the company which is going to "try it out." There are several messages here. The employees hear "here comes a great whipping boy" or "management is not convinced that the computer will work." And they (the employees) can't wait to prove management is right!

Another problem is the longtime employee who manages to torpedo an entire computer system. This is the easiest of all problems to solve since the same employee, who can do all this damage, can become the system's greatest advocate if he isn't afraid of the computer or threatened

Story at a Glance

Attitudes that make or break a computer system ways to cut down negative barriers. . what works and what doesn't.

by it (also called the tail wagging the dog).

Additionally: do you realize that an inventory file takes just as much work as an accounts receivable file? Try this.

XYZ company has 2000 charge customers and an average A/R of $500,000. They also have 15,000 individual inventory items worth at least $500,000.

They have a credit manager, but would they think of adding an inventory manager? Usually not. The fact is each of those 15.000 items requires attention. Imagine your credit manager trying to control 15,000 charge customers. He would need three more employees. Don't panic. A great way to involve people in your company with the computer is to delegate responsibility for portions of the inventoryanother success story.

An important axiom to remember is there isn't anyone in your company who should not be involved in the computer system. EverYone can do something.

Your industry is dynamic and the computer industry is dynamic. There is more pressure on your management team than ever. Your comPetitors are tougher than ever. Computers and software are changing fast. lf either you or your vendor doesn't keep up, something will have to give. And the computer always gets blamed.

Another trademark of the success story is the company which recognizes the opportunity factor in installing a computer system before it is critical. When a project becomes crisis driven, it is far more difficult.

As for knowing what questions to

T HE OPERATING system of a I computer is the unseen element, the hidden engineer, the given. But with the emergence of AT&T's UNIX system into the lumber and building material industry, operating systems have been thrust into the spotlight.

A computer's hardware and software are like two people who speak a different language and require an interpreter. The operating system serves as interpreter.

UNIX has been around for years, now in about 230 different versions for every industry imaginable. lt is particularly well suited for the complex scientific and engineering worlds.

But it is currently coming into its own in the building products industry because of its versatility and growing popularity. "UNIX allows you to have one computer and a number of individuals using it for the same thing at the same time," says Michael Eckely, director of corporate communications at UniComp, Richardson, Tx., which ask the computer salesman, ask his honest advice on how you should install and use the system. Ask for two prices; one for what you think you need and one for a system twice as large as you think you need. Ask the vendor what he thinks his company will be like in three years. Will the product be different? Will they have different services? They are a business, just like you are, and they have to plan, just like you do.

Why install a computer system?

Enormous gains can be made if you work hard enough at integrating a computer system into your company. All of the "other computer stories" you have read are true. You can make a tremendous amount of extra money with your computer, but it will not do it by itself.

Finally, the most frustrating thing to a lumberman is that you "can't get your hands around a computer." It's not like buying a truck or a load of lumber. Try as you may, the purchase will still hinge on your judgment as to which system or method you prefer. But judgment is one thing that a lumberman has a lot of. After all, why else would he deliver $20,000 of material to a job site?