Taming the PC with the ASP.

• Author: Moravec, Randolph C.
• Position: Personal computer; Addison Standardization Policy - Includes related article - Computer Corner

The emergence of the personal computer as an invaluable tool epitomizes the technological revolution over the past decade. It was not too long ago that personal computers were a rare sight in an office setting, an oddity seen only on the desks of engineers or legal secretaries. But now personal computers are commonplace, occupying prime office desk space previously reserved for telephones, typewriters or adding machines. Everyone, from secretaries to account clerks to executives, puts PCs to almost continual use. Even when not in use, the machines take on a presence of their own with screens displaying the dancing geometric shapes generated by "screen savers," which prevent images burning into the screens.

Boon or Bane?

There is no question that personal computers have been a boon to productivity in municipal government and that they have revolutionized office functions. But there are many managers who have been harboring concerns related to the uncontrolled growth of personal computers. Hardware or software purchased before Easter can be outmoded by Halloween. It is frustrating to watch a 50-page document composed in the finance department be manually retyped by the attorney's office due to different departmental preferences for word processing software. Documents are vulnerable to computer malfunctions when PC users do not take the time to back-up their files. Entire organizations can be infected by computer viruses with bizarre names like Music Bug or Devil's Dance. With all of these risks, managers may wonder whether the tools designed to make jobs easier might not, in the end, make people's lives more difficult.

These concerns were recently addressed in Addison, Texas, with the adoption of a standardization policy for personal computers. The policy was developed, not as an innovative solution to a growing problem nor because the Addison finance department wanted to build a reputation as being on the cutting edge of public policy making, but because of an irate council.

An Auditor's Observation

Like all cities, Addison's finances are scrutinized each year by independent auditors. A part of the auditing process is the issuance of the ubiquitous "Report to Management." In the 1990 Report to Management, an auditor observed, "No formal policies exist regarding purchases of hardware and software for user departments, data back-up standards for personal computers or access to personal computers and data files." This observation had been made...