Management problems unique to on-line real-time systems

Abstract

In the latter 1950's, the SAGE air defense system began operating and thus became the first of the large real-time computing systems. Initially such systems were feasible for only military use or for a few very large commercial applications. Today this is no longer the case. Modern managers need better and more timely information to keep pace with the rate of change, the complexity and the competition within the business environment. Therefore, an increasing number of organizations will, of necessity, be designing and implementing on-line, real-time systems. To better prepare for this evolution, management must understand the unique problems such systems will cause; both in terms of the initial design and implementation phase, and the potential effects such systems will have on the organization. The purpose of this paper is to outline the particular problems that managers will have to deal with in an on-line, real-time (OLRT) environment.