COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN MANAGEMENT (500 WORDS) According to GNOU, computer using vacuum tube circuits belonged to First Generation

Computers. Invention of the transistor by Bell Labs in USA gave birth to Second Generation Computers which used transistors instead of vacuum tubes. An example of a Second generation computer is the IBM 1401. Third Generation Computers were introduced each sq. carrying more than in the mid 1960s with the invention of tiny integrated circuits on silicon chips. IBM released its 360 series computers with integrated chips became available in 1969. Computers which used large scale integrated chips can be called fourth Generation Computers. Operating System Computer software is a collection of programmed instructions which enable the hardware units to perform. Programming a computer to perform has always been a very difficult task. Computer software is divided into two categories system software and application software. System software consists of a set of instructions to the machine hardware to interpret and execute application software. Application software in used for applications like payroll accounting, inventory control, etc. system software consists o language transistors and assemblers operating systems, utilities and special purpose software. According to Murdock, and others in the past the effectiveness of business organizations has been somewhat less than optimum because managers failed to relate the parts or functions of the systems to each other and to the whole. The sales function was performed without a great deal of integration with design or production; production control was frequently not coordinated with financial or personnel planning; and the old management information system was concerned largely with variance reporting on an historical basis and was constructed around the chart of accounts without too much o regard for organizational information needs. According to Robert G. Murdock the systems vary greatly in elements, appearance, size attributes, and basic goals. Following are some of the examples of systems approach. 1. Computer Based manufacturing system In an organization a group of people, machines, and facilities (a set of elements) work to produce a specified number and type of products (seek a common goal) by operating on product specifications, schedules, raw materials, subassemblies, and electrical power converted to mechanical power (operate on data, matter and energy) to yield the specified products and information by the date the customer wants them (to yield matter in a time reference) 2. Computer Based Management Information system In an organization, a group of people, a set of manuals, and data processing equipment (a set if elements) select, store, process, and retrieve data (operate on data and matter) to reduce the

uncertainty in decision making (seek a common goal) by yielding information for managers at the time they can most efficiently use it (yield information in a time reference)