(2) Business Systems & IT Titles from TVChoice listed for information only

New Releases:

SYSTEMS IN A CINEMA (30 minutes, 2001) 
How is computer technology being used in the cinema? What systems are there? What advantages and problems do they bring? The old image of the cinema - projectionist with huge reels of film, and usherette selling ice-creams at the front of the theatre - is being transformed as computers invade every aspect of the business. This includes selling the tickets, marketing, finance and building management. What impact is computerisation having on people's jobs? Does it make their work easier or harder? The biggest change may come with the new digital technology to show the films. How will this change the experience of going to the cinema?
SYSTEMS IN A HOTEL (30 minutes, 2000) 
Hotels are increasingly reliant on computer systems but how do these systems work? Loveday, a young professional on business, phones for a hotel room. A booking clerk uses a computer to find a vacant room and book her in. On arrival a receptionist checks her in and gives her an electronic key for her door. A building management system maintains the correct temperature of her room. After she's gone, yet another system enables staff to report a faulty lamp in her room. We explain clearly how all the different systems work. They seem efficient - but do they improve the quality of Loveday's stay?
THE GREAT IT HORROR STORY (31 minutes, 1999)
Why do computer disasters happen? What goes wrong? This film tells the story of Craven Books. They thought a new IT system would revolutionise their business - it ended up almost destroying it. We trace the story of the project, and the things that went wrong. A major mistake was that they were overambitious. They tried to do everything at once - the 'big bang' approach. Also, Craven relied too much on its IT suppliers. Their advice was to go for an existing system, customised for Craven's purposes - a disastrous choice: "like putting a third wing on a jumbo jet!". Nobody was really in charge of the project - so there was no one to take responsibility when things went wrong.The film draws key lessons from the Craven experience. Think about the business first - you may not even need to computerise. If you do computerise, simplify the existing systems. Above all, don't underestimate the cost of computerisation: it will always be far more than the original estimate.
1. The Internet in Business (25 minutes, 1999)
How is the Internet being used by business? This video looks at three examples. CDnow is a 'virtual' shop which offers its customers a huge range of CDs via the Web. Customers of Federal Express, the well-known delivery company, can now use the Internet to directly track exactly where their packages are instead of contacting the courier firm. The third case study is SFNB, Security First Network Bank, a 'virtual' bank, whose account holders do all their business over the Web, able to access it from anywhere in the world.
2. I.T. DECISIONS (30 minutes) (1998)
Case Study 1: Choosing A New System.Travel firm Avalon urgently needs a new computer system. But what do they do? Try to develop their own system, buy an "off-the-shelf" package, call in consultants or, even, just struggle on as they are?
Case Study 2: Your System Doesn't Work.Photocopier company Comtex has invested heavily in its customer database, but it isn't working. Sales director Tony Spence argues they should scrap it. Sales manager Sharon Andrews proposes a major remodification. Who is right?
Case Study 3: The Competitive Edge.Design company Apex is considering a leap into the future by going "multi-media", designing interactive videos and Internet web sites. This would give them a major advantage over their competitors - but it means rethinking their business. Should they go for it?
3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AT WORK (35 minutes) (1997)
Using a range of case studies, this video offers a snapshot of IT in use in the modern office. It's divided into five sections: paperless offices, faster than ever, talking to computers, a business revolution and the impact on jobs. The first section looks at how IT has changed things in the council tax department in a London Council. The second shows how IT has helped an ambulance service improve its response times. The third illustrates how voice-recognition systems are being used. The fourth explores the contrasting experiences of two small businesses trying to use IT systems to help their operations. The final section asks what effect IT is having on jobs and talks to someone with "information overload".
4. BUSINESS SYSTEMS (32 minutes) (1997)
Business systems underpin everything an organisation does, from the smallest invoice to crucial business decisions. But how do they work? And why do they go wrong? This dramatised case study demonstrates systems in action and the bitter conflict they can spark off within a company. The video is set in office equipment company Comtex. Sales and marketing manager Tony Spence is unhappy with the firm's business systems. He believes that unless they get them right, sales will start to fall.
5. DIRECT MARKETING AND THE DATABASE (22 minutes) (1995)
Computers have made possible a new form of marketing - direct marketing. This enables companies to bypass shops and make direct contact with their customers. But how does direct marketing work in practice? Video-maker TV Choice is a leading supplier of educational videos to schools and colleges. They have worked out a direct marketing process which has improved sales. The video goes step by step through their marketing operation explaining the key issues.
6. GOING LIVE (28 minutes) (1994)
What happens when a company has to set up a new computer system? This video records the critical days in the life of a firm when its new information system goes live for the first time. The action takes place in a busy bakery which has outgrown its original system and is switching to a more powerful mutli-user system running an integrated database running on an IBM AS/400.
7. THE CORPORATION (30 minutes) (1986)
How should a company set about automating its information systems? This is a compelling account of why plans for computerisation all too often go disastrously wrong. A comany decides to introduce office automation to cut down on its administrative costs. But mistakes are made at every stage. Senior management fail to monitor the project. The information needs of one department are ignored. Indiscriminate cuts are made in funding when the project goes over-budget.
8. COMPUTERS IN MANUFACTURING (31 minutes) (1994)
How can computers be used to increase productivity in manufacturing? Not so long ago firms aimed only to replace workers with automation. But now a new approach has emerged, based on building on human skills rather than trying to replace them. This video contains a series of important examples of this 'human-centred' approach in action in companies in Germany and Britain.
9. BLOODLINES: SYSTEMS FOR LIFE (25 minutes) (1993)
"It may seem bizarre, but it's keeping me alive." For Gary Parish, information technology is literally a life-saver. Gary is a kidney patient and in this video he explains why computer systems now play a central role in his health care.
10. THE MAINFRAME: THE STORY OF COMPUTING (30 minutes) (1989)
Where has computing come from? Where is it going? This video provides an introduction to the world of information technology for non-technical viewers. It begins with the early 'mainframes' such as the Manchester Mark I and the Lyons Electronic Office, and charts the history through the introduction of pcs up to more modern developments such as parallel processing.
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