Page 333 -

300 Part 4 • the essentials of Design

at the lowest level of operations management need output rapidly so that they can quickly adjust
to events such as a stopped assembly line, raw materials not arriving on time, or a worker being
absent unexpectedly. Online screen output may be useful here.
As we ascend the management levels, we observe that strategic managers are more in need
of output for a specific time period, which helps in forecasting business cycles and trends.

hoW freqUenTly Will The oUTpUT be accessed? The more frequently output is accessed,
the more important is the capability to view it on a display connected to local area networks
or the Web. Infrequently accessed output that is needed by only a few users is well suited to a
CD-ROM archive.
Output that is accessed frequently is a good candidate for incorporation into Web-based or
other online systems or networks with displays. Adopting this type of technology allows users
easy access and alleviates physical wear and tear that cause frequently handled printed output to
deteriorate.

hoW long Will (or MUsT) The oUTpUT be sTored? Output printed on paper deteriorates
rapidly with age. Output preserved on microforms or digitized in archives is not as prone to
succumb to environmental disturbances such as light, humidity, and human handling. However,
if hardware to access the archived material becomes hard to acquire or obsolete, this output
method can become problematic.
A business may be subject to governmental regulations on local, state, or federal levels that
dictate how long output must be kept. As long as the corporation is willing to maintain it and
it is nonproprietary, archival information, it can be maintained in Web documents as part of the
organization’s website. Organizations can enact their own internal policies about how long out-
put must be retained.
Under WhaT special regUlaTions is The oUTpUT prodUced, sTored, and disTribUTed?
The appropriate format for some output is actually regulated by the government. For example, in
the United States, the statement of an employee’s wages and tax withholding, called a W-2 form,
must be printable, even if it exists in an ERP-supported payroll system such as Oracle. Each
business in each country exists within a different complex of regulations under which it produces
output. To that extent, law may dictate appropriate technology for some functions.
Much of this regulation, however, is industry dependent. For example, in the United States a
regional blood system is required by federal law to keep a medical history of a blood donor—as
well as his or her name—on file. The exact output form is not specified, but the content is strictly
spelled out.

WhaT are The iniTial and ongoing cosTs of MainTenance and sUpplies? The initial
costs of purchasing or leasing equipment must be considered as yet another factor that enters
into the choice of output technology. Most vendors will help you estimate the initial purchase or
lease costs of computer hardware, including the cost of printers and displays, the cost of access
to online service providers (Web access), or the costs of building intranets and extranets. Many
vendors, however, do not provide information about how much it costs to keep a printer or other
technologies working. Therefore, it falls to the analyst to research the costs of operating different
output technologies or of maintaining a corporate website over time.

WhaT are The hUMan environMenTal reqUireMenTs for oUTpUT Technologies? Analysts
need to factor into their output decisions accessibility, noise absorption, controlled temperature, space
for equipment, cabling, and proximity to Wi-Fi transmitters or access points, called “hot spots.”
When humans interact with technologies, specific environments help systems run more effectively
and efficiently. Users need accessibility and support in accessing web pages as well as other output.
Printers require a dry, cool environment to operate properly. Displays require space for setup
and viewing. Audio and video output require a quiet environment if they are to be heard, and
they should be audible only to employees (or customers) who are using them. Thus, the analyst
should not specify audio output for a work situation in which many employees or customers are
engaged in a variety of tasks unrelated to the output.
In order to set up wireless local area networks so users can access the Web wirelessly, Wi-Fi
access points need to be made available. These work when computers are within a few hundred
feet of transmitters but can be subjected to interference by other devices.