AUTOMATED WORKPLACE

12.1 Automated workplace specialist: purpose and specifics of the tasks to be solved

Automated workstation (AWP) is a set of methodological, linguistic, technical and software tools that allow organizing the work of end users in a certain subject area. The specifics of the workstation - if earlier computer users were people with special programming and engineering training, now PC users are people of a wide variety of professions, as a rule, who do not have such special training.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide each PC user with the opportunity to work in terms familiar to him, to operate with the concepts and rules that make up the essence of his profession.
AWP has problematic vocational guidance to a specific subject area. The localization of workstations allows for the rapid processing of information immediately upon its receipt, and the results of processing can be stored for an arbitrarily long time at the request of the user.

In the context of the implementation of the management process, the purpose of introducing an automated workplace is to strengthen the integration of management functions, and each more or less "intelligent" workplace should provide work in a multifunctional mode.

In the most complex systems, workstations can be connected through special equipment not only to the resources of the main computer of the network, but also to various information services and systems. general purpose(news services, national information retrieval systems, databases and knowledge, library systems).

The capabilities of the created workstations depend on the technical performance characteristics computers on which they are based. Any configuration of the workstation must meet general requirements in relation to the organization of information, technical, software.

An automated workplace (AWS) can be defined as a set of information, software and technical resources that provides the end user with data processing and automation of management functions in a specific subject area.

The creation of an automated workplace assumes that the main operations for the accumulation, storage and processing of information are assigned to computers, and the economist performs some of the manual operations and operations that require a creative approach in preparing management decisions. Personal equipment is used by the user to control production and economic activities, changes, the values of individual parameters during problem solving,

as well as input of initial data into AIS for solving current problems and analysis of management functions.

Analyzing the essence of workstations, specialists most often define them as professionally oriented small computing systems located directly at the workplaces of specialists and designed to automate their work.

For each control object, it is necessary to provide automated workstations corresponding to their functional purpose. However, the principles for creating workstations should be:

- systematic;

– flexibility;

- stability;

- efficiency;

– maximum focus on the end user;

- problem orientation to the solution of a certain class of problems;

– ergonomics;

- the principle of matching the information needs of the user to the technical

funds;

– the principle of creative contact between workstations and their potential users.

According to the principle of consistency, workstations should be considered as systems, the structure of which is determined by the functional purpose.

The principle of flexibility means the adaptability of the system to possible restructuring due to the modularity of the construction of all subsystems and the standardization of their elements.

The principle of sustainability lies in the fact that the AWP system must perform the main functions, regardless of the impact on it of internal and external possible factors. This means that malfunctions in its individual parts should be easily eliminated, and the system's performance should be quickly restored.

The efficiency of the workstation should be considered as an integral indicator of the level of implementation of the above principles, related to the costs of creating and operating the system.

The functioning of an automated workplace can give a numerical effect only if the functions and workload are properly distributed between a person and machine tools for processing information, the core of which is a computer. Only then will the workstation become a means of increasing not only labor productivity and management efficiency, but also the social comfort of specialists.

Workstation as a tool for rationalization and intensification of managerial

activity is created to ensure the performance of a certain group of functions. The simplest function of the workstation is information and reference services. Although this function is inherent in any workstation to one degree or another, the features of its implementation significantly depend on the user category.

Workstations have a problem-professional orientation to a specific subject area. Professional workstations are the main tool for communication between a person and computer systems, playing the role of autonomous workplaces. Workstations perform decentralized simultaneous processing of information at the workplaces of performers as part of a distributed database. At the same time, they have access through the system device and communication channels to the PC and database of other users, thus ensuring the joint functioning of the PC in the process of collective processing.

AWS created on the basis of personal computers is the simplest and most

a common version of the workstation for workers in the field of organizational management. Such a workstation is considered as a system that, in an interactive mode of operation, provides a specific employee (user) with all types of support exclusively for the entire session of work. This is consistent with the approach to designing such an AWP component as internal information support, according to which the information fund on magnetic media of a particular AWP should be at the exclusive disposal of the AWP user. The user himself performs all the functional duties of converting information.

The creation of a PC-based workstation provides:

Simplicity, convenience and user friendliness;

Ease of adaptation to specific user functions;

Compact placement and low requirements for operating conditions;

High reliability and survivability;

Relatively simple maintenance organization.

An effective mode of operation of the workstation is its functioning within the local area network as a workstation. This option is especially expedient when it is required to “distribute” information and computing resources among several users.

Typical structure of the workstation

The creation of an automated workplace for organizational management systems involves their structuring and parameterization at the design stage. The structuring of the workstation includes a description of the operating environment: supporting and functional subsystems and the links between them, interfaces with the user and hardware, information and software tools

Parameterization involves the selection and study of parameters selection and study of the parameters of hardware, software and information tools that meet the requirements and restrictions formed during structuring

Structurally, AWS includes functional and supporting parts. The functional part defines the content of a specific workstation and includes a description of a set of interrelated tasks that reflect the features of the automated functions of the user's activity. The development of functional support is based on the user's requirements for the automated workplace and its functional specification, which includes a description of the input and output information, means and methods for achieving the reliability and quality of information, the carriers used, and communication interfaces.

Usually, this also includes descriptions of means of protection against unauthorized access, system recovery in failure situations, management in non-standard cases. The supporting part includes traditional types of support: information, software, technical, technological, and others.

Information support includes a description of the organization of the information base, regulates information communications, predetermines the composition and content of the entire information display system.

AWP software is divided into general and functional. General software is supplied with a PC and includes operating systems, application programs that extend the capabilities of operating systems, dialog software, and others.

General software is designed to control the operation of the processor, organize access to memory, peripheral devices, launch and control the processor, execute application programs, and ensure the execution of programs in high-level languages.

Functional software is designed to automate the solution of functional tasks, includes universal programs and functional packages. When designing these software tools, it is necessary to follow the principles of user-centric development.

The set of requirements for software and hardware is displayed on a variety of user functions, and this allows solving the problem of professional user orientation. AWS hardware is a complex of technical means of information processing based on a PC, designed to automate the functions of a specialist in the subject and problem areas of his professional interests. The workstation of a specialist in the field of organizational management is usually based on a PC for individual or collective use.

The technological support of the workstation is designed to organize the technological process of using the workstation in relation to the complex of tasks to be solved, corresponding to the functions of a specialist. The technological process is a set of functional works, including the provision of input, control, editing and manipulation of data, accumulation, storage, search, protection, and receipt of output documents. Due to the fact that the user is, as a rule, a member of some team and performs in it certain work, it is necessary to provide for the technological interaction of performers in solving problems, to ensure the condition for the joint work of specialists. These provisions should be reflected in
qualification requirements and job descriptions of AWP users.

AWP classification

A number of classification features can be used as the basis for the classification of AWS. Taking into account the areas of application, it is possible to classify the workstation according to the functional feature:

1. AWP of administrative and managerial personnel;

2. Workstation of a designer of radio-electronic equipment, automated control systems, etc.

3. Workstation of a specialist in the field of economics, mathematics, physics, etc.
4. Workstation for production and technological purposes.

An important classification feature of the workstation is the mode of its operation, according to which single, group and network modes of operation are distinguished. In the first case, the workstation is implemented on a separate PC, all the resources of which are at the exclusive disposal of the user. Such a workplace is focused on solving non-standard, specific tasks, and low-power computers are used for its implementation. In the group mode of operation on the basis of one computer, several workplaces are implemented, united according to the principle of administrative or functional community. In this case, more powerful computers and rather complex software are required.

The group mode of operation is usually used to organize distributed data processing within a separate department or organization to serve stable groups of specialists and managers. The network mode of operation of the workstation combines the advantages of the first and second. In this case, each workstation is built on the basis of one computer, but at the same time it is possible to use some common computer network resources. One of the approaches to the classification of workstations is their systematization by types of tasks to be solved.

The following groups of workstations are possible:

1. To solve information and computing problems;

2. To solve the problems of preparing and entering data;

3. To solve information and reference problems;

4. To solve problems accounting;

5. To solve the problems of statistical data processing;

6. For solving problems of analytical calculations.

Reasonable attribution of workstations to a certain group will contribute to a deeper and more thorough analysis, the possibility of a comparative assessment of various similar workstations in order to select the most preferable.

A more complex form is an AWP using a PC as

intelligent terminal, as well as with remote access to the resources of the central (main) computer or external network.

In this case, several PCs are connected via communication channels to the main computer, while each PC can also work as an independent terminal.

device.

In the most complex systems, workstations can, through special equipment,

connect not only to the resources of the main computer of the network, but also to various information services and general-purpose systems (news services, national information retrieval systems, databases and knowledge, library systems, etc.).

The capabilities of the created workstations largely depend on the technical

operating characteristics of the computer on which they are based. In this regard, at the design stage of an automated workplace, requirements are clearly formulated for the basic parameters of technical means for processing and issuing information, a set of component modules, network interfaces, ergonomic parameters of devices, etc.

A prerequisite for the functioning of the workstation is technical support. This is a reasonably chosen set of technical means for equipping them.

Information processing tools - computers of different capacities and types - form the basis of the technical support of computer networks. characteristic feature The practical use of technical means in organizational and economic management at the present time is the transition to decentralized and network processing based on a PC.

If a PC is used as an workstation of a small local network, on which all the information necessary for work is centrally stored, the amount of information being processed is small. The speed of work is determined not by the speed of the computer, but by the speed of the dialogue between the operator and the machine. It follows from this that in this case a PC with low speed and a minimum amount of RAM is quite acceptable.

In another case, if the computer is intended for the regular preparation of voluminous documents and uses large amounts of information for this, it is necessary to install powerful machines with a large amount of external and internal memory.

The information content of the automated workplace in determining the range of users and clarifying the essence of the tasks they solve is carried out by the information support of the automated workplace. In the field of organizational management, users can be roughly divided into three categories:

managers, management staff and maintenance staff. Developed workstations for different categories of users differ in the types of data presentation. For example, service personnel usually deal with the organization's internal data, solve repetitive tasks, and usually use structured information.

Managers require both internal and external data to implement a management goal or decision.

The use of workstations should not disrupt the rhythm of work familiar to the user. Workstations concentrate the user's attention on the logical structure of the tasks being solved, and not on the characteristics of the software system that implements them. However, if the action specified by the system is not performed, the user must know the reason, and information about this must be displayed on the screen.

The Orion system is an object-oriented system designed for

organization of the workplace of the duty operator of the security service and management of the following subsystems: security and fire alarms, access control, video surveillance, fire automation control, management of engineering subsystems

The operator of the 'Orion' system works directly with the 'Operational task of the system' and must use the following commands and functions of this program:

1) program launch and operator identification;

2) change of duty;

3) arming and disarming zones and sections;

4) handling of alarms;

5) running control scripts;

6) management of access control elements;

7) display of statistics and regulation of smoke and dust thresholds;

8) start the screen saver;

9) disabling the alarm sound notification;

10) viewing the list of connected devices;

12) viewing the status of the program;

13) switching between floor plans;

14) receipt of a report for the shift;

15) regular shutdown of the program.

Also observe the 'Procedure in the event of an operating system failure'.

The increasing pace of informatization of society contributes to the increasing role of computer technology in management processes. The possibilities of modern computer technology for automating the process of information processing make it possible to increase labor productivity, improve the efficiency of working with documents and speed up the exchange of management information.

At present, the concept of distributed automated control systems aimed at local processing of information has become widespread. This allows you to organize the division of labor of management personnel and automate the performance of their functions. To implement this idea, it is necessary to create automated workstations based on personal computers for each level of management and each subject area.

Automated workplace(AWP) is a complex of computer equipment and software, located directly at the workplace of an employee and designed to automate his work within the specialty.

Automated workplaces must be created strictly in accordance with their intended functional purpose. However general principles creation of workstation remain unchanged:

consistency;
flexibility;
stability;
efficiency.

Under the principle of consistency the following is understood: an automated workplace should be a system of interconnected components. At the same time, the structure of the workstation must clearly correspond to the functions for which this workstation is created.

Principle of Flexibility is of great importance in creating modern and efficient workstations. This principle means the possibility of adapting the workstation to the proposed modernization of both software and hardware. At present, when the rate of obsolescence of software and hardware is constantly growing, compliance with this principle is becoming one of the most important conditions for creating workstations.

To ensure the principle of flexibility in real working automated workplaces, all subsystems of a single workstation are implemented as separate, easily replaceable modules. To avoid incompatibility problems when replacing, all elements must be standardized.

Great importance It has sustainability principle. It consists in performing the functions inherent in the workstation, regardless of the impact of both internal and external factors. In the event of failures, the performance of the system should be quickly restored, the malfunctions of individual elements should be easily eliminated.

The Principle of Efficiency implies that the costs of creating and operating the system should not exceed the economic benefits from its implementation. In addition, when creating an automated workplace, it should be taken into account that its effectiveness will be largely determined by the correct distribution of functions and workload between the employee and the machine tools for processing information, the core of which is a personal computer. Only if these conditions are met, the workstation becomes a means of increasing not only labor productivity and management efficiency, but also the social comfort of specialists.

Practical experience the use of workstations as one of the elements of distributed control systems makes it possible to distinguish the following requirements for an efficient and fully functioning workstation:

timely satisfaction of the information needs of the user;
minimum response time to user requests;
adaptation to the level of user training and the specifics of the functions performed by him;
the ability to quickly train the user in the basic methods of work;
reliability and ease of maintenance;
friendly interface;
the ability to work as part of a computer network.

Consider the structure of the workstation and the relationship between its components. Usually, the workstation consists of hardware and software of computer technology, as well as the necessary methodological documentation that allows the user to effectively interact with these tools.

Information support means constant information support for each individual workstation. The functioning of modern workstations is impossible without the supply of timely, reliable and high-quality information.

Methodical documentation is a set of documents relating to the operation of this workstation and, as a rule, includes input and output documents, instruction cards, job descriptions and etc.

The creation of a well-thought-out, easy-to-learn set of methodological documentation is especially important when a system of automated workstations is being introduced in an organization for the first time. In this case, it is necessary to explain in detail to employees the procedure for working with new equipment for them, as well as all the positive aspects of its use.

If necessary, attendance of advanced training courses on working with computer equipment should be organized for employees. It is necessary to do everything possible so that when modern information processing technologies are introduced in the organization, employees do not consider the emerging technical means as an obstacle to their normal work, but understand all the benefits and all the advantages of their use.

Currently, there is a huge selection of different software products that meet almost all the requirements imposed on them by representatives various professions. However, there are situations when there is a need for some other programs. In such cases, special workstations for professional purposes are developed. When creating such programs, it is necessary to take into account such points as:

tasks to be solved;
interaction with other specialists;
professional habits and inclinations of the employee;
development of not only functional software (FPO), but also special technical means (mouse, network, automatic dialing of telephone numbers, etc.).

The creation of efficient professional workstations allows to increase the productivity of specialists and reduce the number of staff. This increases the speed of information processing and its reliability, which is necessary for effective planning and management.

For the effective use of the AWS complex, it is necessary, first of all, to clearly define for which particular specialists (managers, economists, statisticians, accountants) automated workplaces will be created. The composition and number of workstations depend on the profile of the organization, its structure, scale and other parameters.

In practice, the development of specific workstations most often represents the automation of the most typical functions performed by an employee at a given workplace. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account that the employee's workstation should draw up only those programs that are really necessary for the specialist to work. An excessive amount of software in the workplace takes up PC resources and can distract an employee from performing their duties.

To solve this problem, it is necessary to clearly define the information needs of each specialist - the intended user of the workstation. Generally speaking, each user must formulate such needs independently. The optimal implementation of the system being created is possible only if users can define their goals and indicate the nature of the information they need to achieve these goals. In addition, such an approach to solving the problem of creating automated workplace software eliminates the psychological barrier in the relationship between man and machine. In this case, the user himself determines the operations that he constantly performs, and clearly knows which programs were installed for their automated execution.

However, in practice, it is not always easy for employees of an organization to clearly define their needs for the information necessary for their work. In this case, you can get information about the operations performed by the employee and the data used for this using two methods: different ways: asking the employee a direct question or receiving information indirectly.

In the first case, employees draw up special certificates in writing containing:

a list of their main responsibilities;
specific information necessary to fulfill the above responsibilities.

The information needs are determined by the employee based on the composition of the main duties and the decisions made in the process of their implementation.

In a different approach, responsibilities and information needs are obtained indirectly. The developer of the workstation asks employees - users of future workstations - to describe what happens in the process of performing them official duties. After that, the developer must formulate specific questions that need to be answered, assuming that the workstation is already functioning. This approach also allows the employee to gain a greater understanding of their activities and, in particular, the process of making complex decisions.

The result of applying any of the above approaches should be a clearly articulated list of functions performed by the employee and his information needs. The next steps on the way to creating an automated workplace are the definition of those functions from this list that can be automated, and the choice of programs with which this can be done.

An employee of any specialty using the AWP can perform the following operations:

enter written information from the keyboard and visually control this process using a monitor;
edit data;
move, copy, delete information;
display information on the screen, printer, record it on media;
transfer data from one PC to others using storage media;
exchange data via communication channels within the local area network or the Internet;
collect and store data;
search and collect the necessary information, update data;
receive information from databases;
protect information.

Let's determine the composition of the software required to create standard workstations. Recall that the composition of specific workstations largely depends on the specific organization and job duties performed by employees.

Let's consider the main approaches to completing the manager's workstation. Under the head we mean not only the head of the organization, but also his deputies, chief accountant, chief engineer, heads of structural divisions of the enterprise, i.e. managers at various levels. For these categories of employees, the functions performed by them are largely similar, so the composition of the functional software of the workstation will be approximately the same.

Most often, the manager needs information in connection with the implementation of the management process. The nature of information needs depends mainly on two factors: the personal qualities of the leader (knowledge of information systems, management style, understanding of information needs) and the organizational structure of management within which decisions are made.

The higher the competence of the manager in the field of information systems, the more complex and precise his information needs will be. A realistic understanding of the possibilities and costs involved puts him in a much better position to help develop an efficient system.

The manager's technical background, leadership style, and decision-making ability all influence the nature and amount of information they require. Some managers prefer to make decisions on the basis of detailed information, while others - on the basis of information of a more general nature, using personal consultations with subordinates.

Own representations of the manager about the needs for information are also of great importance on the composition of the AWP software. Leaders often vacillate between wanting to know only the data they need or wanting to know all the information. Many managers do not realize what information they need.

There are several points of view of managers regarding their responsibilities regarding the dissemination of information to their subordinates. A manager who is unable or unwilling to distribute authority usually seeks to withhold information.

The problems of management information support depend on the scale of the enterprise and the complexity of its organizational structure. Larger enterprises with more complex organizational structure require the use of more formal information systems, and the need for information becomes even more important for operations.

At each level of management, different types of information are needed and, as a rule, in different form. At the planning level, a one-time message, conclusions, or a single request is required; at the scheduling management level, reporting of deviations, findings, and various reports of periodic evaluations. At the level of operational control, a formal communication of established procedures and a daily communication of the implementation of the operation are necessary to ensure operational control of activities.

The more complex the structure of an organization, the easier it is to identify information needs. Where rights and responsibilities are clearly defined, relationships are understood, and decision-making areas are limited, information needs are easier to identify. The responsibilities of the leader include:

making managerial decisions within their range of responsibilities;
analysis and generalization of the information necessary for making these decisions;
definition necessary action for implementation decisions taken and determination of the circle of persons who should ensure their implementation;
formulating tasks for specific employees involved in the process of implementing a management decision, and bringing these tasks to them;
control over the execution of tasks.

Obviously, most modern workstations cannot take on the function of making managerial decisions, but they can significantly facilitate and speed up the performance of this function by the manager. It is advisable to include at least the following software tools in the functional software of the manager's workstation:

word processor;
spreadsheet processor;
DBMS (for working with databases on all aspects of the organization's activities, as well as for obtaining the necessary archival and operational information);
applied expert system (if necessary);
web browser;
email program.

When developing the workstations of specialists, it is necessary, first of all, to take into account the nature of their duties. The information needs of ordinary employees, as well as those of the managerial apparatus, depend on such factors as the personal qualities of the employee and the structure of the organization. With regard to personal qualities, knowledge of information systems and technologies, as well as an understanding of the need for information, is of great importance.

In the field of the structure of the organization, the profile of its activities plays a significant role. For example, although the functions of an accounting department are essentially the same in a large industrial enterprise and in a small trading company, the specific tasks performed by accounting employees, as well as the types of documents that they have to work with, can be very different. Therefore, the correct selection and configuration of software products for the work of a particular organization is extremely important.

Consider the composition of the software workstations of the most common specialties. The following programs constitute the minimum set of software tools for the average specialist.

Modern stage economic development Society has a significant impact on the composition and content of the functions performed by the accountant. It requires not only knowledge of traditional accounting, but also the ability to work with securities justify investments Money, to have an objective idea of the economic and financial condition of the organization, etc. In this, the use of modern computer technologies can provide significant assistance.

The use of computer technology allows you to automate many of the functions performed by an accountant. The main functions of accounting are:

accounting:
- - cash in the central cash desk and on the settlement account (accounts) of the organization in banks;
- - Settlements with personnel for remuneration of employees;
- – commodity transactions (for trade organizations);
- - materials and fixed assets available in the organization (of greater importance for industrial enterprises);
- – taxation;
maintenance:
– Settlements with supplier enterprises, customers, subcontractors, etc.;
- consolidated financial statements.

This list of accounting functions is far from complete, it gives only a general idea of the minimum range of tasks that the accountant's workstation software should provide. A separate range of tasks is to provide information links between accounting and external organizations. This means that it is necessary to organize the timely receipt of regulatory and methodological materials by accounting staff, as well as the transfer of consolidated reporting to relevant external organizations. These organizations include higher authorities and administrations, tax inspections, statistics agencies, etc.

It is desirable to organize machine-to-machine exchange of information with banks within the "client-bank" system. This service is offered by the bank that services the settlement account of this organization. It consists in providing the ability to manage this account directly from the office of the organization. Programs of the "client-bank" system allow implementing many useful functions: creating payment orders and sending them to the bank via modem, receiving statements from the current account, etc. To ensure the protection of transmitted data, it is mandatory to use special information security tools (encryption, electronic signature) . Using such a system has many positive aspects. It allows you to save time, speed up customer service (due to prompt receipt of information about the receipt of funds to the account). Also, the use of this technology eliminates the need for employees to constantly travel to the bank to make payments.

Thus, the functional software of the accountant's workstation should include the following programs:

word processor;
financial and economic information processing system;
personal information system (organizer);
DBMS;
email program;
programs that implement the "client-bank" technology.

On the modern Russian market of computer programs there are a large number of complexes for the automation of accounting. The main difference between software products is their focus on a large, medium or small enterprise. The programs are also available in local and network versions. Network options are somewhat more complicated and more expensive. They require special equipment, operating systems, etc. In addition, an organization needs a staff of qualified specialists to maintain the network. However, network options are convenient in that they include functions for computer processing of management information of the entire organization.

For small organizations, it is convenient to use the so-called mini-accounting packages. They are designed to automate the work of a small staff of accounting staff who do not have a pronounced specialization in specific areas of accounting.

These packages are designed for inexperienced users, they are easy to learn and work with. The main features provided by such programs include the formation of a number of primary accounting documents, keeping a journal of business transactions, compiling consolidated financial statements, etc. The most famous such software products are "1C: Accounting", "Turbo-Accountant", etc.

For larger small and medium-sized businesses, it is advisable to use packages such as "Integrated Accounting System". These packages allow you to conduct automated accounting for some areas offline with their subsequent integration into a single consolidated reporting. Software products of this type, which have received the greatest distribution, are a logical continuation of the development of mini-accounting packages. good quality have such packages as "Sail", "Compech +", "Bambi +", etc.

For organizations of medium and large businesses, packages such as "Comprehensive accounting system" are best suited. The main feature of such software products is their modular construction. In addition, each module is responsible for performing the functions of a specific area of accounting. All modules are interconnected, which makes it possible to compile consolidated reporting documents. Typically, such complexes include the following modules: "posting - general ledger - balance", labor accounting wages, accounting of fixed assets, accounting of fixed assets, finished products, accounting for production costs, analysis of the financial condition of the organization, etc. Such systems allow you to connect new modules and thus expand the complex and its functionality. In this case, it is necessary to observe the condition of interconnectedness of all components of the system. The best way this is achieved by purchasing separate software products (modules) from the same company.

In the market of accounting programs, packages such as "Complex accounting system" of such firms as "Infosoft", "Intellect-service", "Omega", etc. have proven themselves well.

The organization of automated workplaces for a manager and an accountant is the most developed direction in the development and implementation of computer technologies in the process of enterprise management. However, the functions of other specialists can also be performed more efficiently with the introduction of computer technology. Let's consider some of them.

Workstation of a specialist in personnel. The main functions of the Human Resources Specialist include the following:

determination of the personnel of the organization, drawing up the staffing table;
selection and placement of personnel;
current work with personnel;
storage of information about the employees of the enterprise (personal data, information about promotion, rewards and punishments, hours worked, etc.).

To solve these problems, the AWP of a personnel specialist should include the following software tools:

word processor;
DBMS;
e-mail program;
applied expert system for the selection and placement of personnel.

Secretary's workstation

The main functions of the secretary are:

providing the head with operational information about the activities of the enterprise;
keeping a calendar of business meetings, meetings, etc.;
ensuring communications between managers of various levels;
preparation of necessary documents.

To perform these functions, the following set of programs is required:

word processor;
spreadsheet processor;
DBMS;
web browser;
e-mail program;
document management system.

Workstation of a lawyer

The main functions of a lawyer are:

preparation of templates for the main documents of the organization (samples of contracts, external reports, certificates transferred to third parties, etc.);
legal support of transactions.

The composition of the corresponding workstation includes:

word processor;
personal information system (organizer);
DBMS;
web browser;
e-mail program;
specialized reference and legal systems ("Garant", "ConsultantPlus", etc.).

In addition, in the composition automated system management may include workstations of a sales department employee, workstations of a warehouse employee, workstations of a security officer, workstations of a marketer, workstations of a cashier, etc. (depending on the area of activity of the organization).

For each of these specialists, the corresponding software packages that make up the automated workplace are also developed.

When creating a complex of automated workplaces in an organization, it is necessary to ensure mutual exchange of information between them. This is necessary due to the fact that many tasks require the participation of various specialists in their solution and fixing data in various reporting documents.

So, for example, when accounting for the consumption of materials, it is necessary to use automated workstations of various specialists: the workstation of a warehouse worker, the workstation of an accountant for material accounting, the workstation of the marketing department, the workstation of an employee of the financial department, and, finally, the workstation of accounting for summary accounting.

When calculating the wages of employees, the corresponding workstation of the accounting department exchanges information with the workstation of an employee of the personnel department.

Thus, the introduction of automated workplaces in an organization should be carried out inseparably from the entire process of informatization of the organization and as part of the creation of an integrated automated management system for this organization.

It should be noted that at the moment there are a large number of companies offering ready-made automated workplaces of individual specialists or workstation complexes. In the event that the set of functions they offer meets the needs of a particular organization, then the use of these software packages will be the best solution. Otherwise, it is necessary to attract specialists to develop specialized software systems.

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Goals:

educational:

get acquainted with the concept of an automated workplace (AWP); workstation functions; the purpose of introducing AWS; examples of workstations of specialists from different fields; free programs for electricians;

developing:

to develop in students the ability to highlight the main thing;
develop cognitive interest, logical thinking;

educational:

continue educating information culture skills .

Lesson type : combined.

Visual aids : presentation.

Equipment: multimedia projector, screen.

Competencies:

OK 1. Understand the essence and social significance of your future profession, show a steady interest in it.

OK 2. Organize their own activities, choose standard methods and methods for performing professional tasks, evaluate their effectiveness and quality.

OK 3. Make decisions in standard and non-standard situations and be responsible for them.

OK 4. Search and use the information necessary for the effective implementation of professional tasks, professional and personal development.

OK 5. Use information and communication technologies in professional activities.

OK 6. Work in a team and team, communicate effectively with colleagues, management, consumers.

OK 7. Take responsibility for the work of team members (subordinates), the result of completing tasks.

OK 8. Independently determine the tasks of professional and personal development, engage in self-education, consciously plan advanced training.

OK 9. Navigate in conditions of frequent change of technologies in professional activity.

PC 2.4 Participate in the design of power and lighting electrical equipment.

PC 3.2 Organize and perform adjustment and testing of overhead and cable line devices.

PC 3.3 Participate in the design of electrical networks.

PC 4.1 Organize the work of the production unit.

Organizing time.
Knowledge update.
Goal setting motivation.
Assimilation of new knowledge.
Consolidation of knowledge.
Control of assimilation, discussion of errors.
Homework.
Summing up the lesson, grading.
Completion of the lesson.

Literature :

1. Appak M.A. Automated workplaces based on personal computers. - M.: Radio and communication, 1989.-176 p.: ill.

2. Bezruchko V.T. Informatics: Course of lectures: Textbook for universities. - M.: Publishing house "Forum", 2006.

The activities of management employees (accountants, specialists in the credit and banking system, planners, technologists, managers, designers, etc.) are currently focused on the use of advanced technologies. The organization and implementation of management functions requires a radical change in both the management technology itself and the technical means of information processing, among which personal computers occupy the main place. They are increasingly turning from systems of automatic processing of input information into a means of accumulating the experience of managerial workers, analyzing, evaluating and developing the most effective economic decisions.

An automated workplace (AWP) is defined as a set of information, software and technical resources that provides the end user with data processing and automation of management functions in a specific subject area.

The creation of automated jobs suggests that the main operations for the "accumulation, storage and processing of information are assigned to computer technology, and a management worker (economist, technologist, manager, etc.) performs some of the manual operations and operations that require a creative approach in preparing management decisions.Personal technology is used by the user to control production and economic activities, change the values of individual parameters in the course of solving a problem, as well as enter initial data into the AIS to solve current problems and analyze management functions.

For each control object, it is necessary to provide automated workstations corresponding to their functional purpose. However, the principles for creating workstations should be:

- systematic;

– flexibility;

- stability;

- efficiency;

– maximum focus on the end user;

- problem orientation to the solution of a certain class of problems;

– ergonomics;

- the principle of matching the information needs of the user to the technical means used;

– the principle of creative contact between workstations and their potential users.

According to the principle of consistency, workstations should be considered as systems, the structure of which is determined by the functional purpose.

The principle of flexibility means the adaptability of the system to possible restructuring due to the modularity of the construction of all subsystems and the standardization of their elements.

The efficiency of the workstation should be considered as an integral indicator of the level of implementation of the above principles, related to the costs of creating and operating the system.

AWP as a tool for rationalization and intensification of management activities is created to ensure the performance of a certain group of functions. The simplest function of the workstation is information and reference services. Although this function is inherent in any workstation to one degree or another, the features of its implementation significantly depend on the user category.

The localization of workstations makes it possible to carry out prompt processing of information immediately upon its receipt, and to store the results of processing for an arbitrarily long time at the request of the user.

The purpose of the introduction of workstations is to enhance the integration of management functions, and each more or less "intelligent" workplace should provide work in a multifunctional mode.

Workstations perform decentralized simultaneous processing of economic information at the workplaces of performers as part of a distributed database (DB). At the same time, they have access through the system device and communication channels to the PC and database of other users, thus ensuring the joint functioning of the PC in the process of collective processing.

AWPs created on the basis of personal computers are the simplest and most common version of an automated workplace for employees in the field of organizational management. Such a workstation is considered as a system that, in an interactive mode of operation, provides a specific employee (user) with all types of support exclusively for the entire session of work. This is consistent with the approach to designing such an AWP component as internal information support, according to which the information fund on magnetic media of a particular AWP should be at the exclusive disposal of the AWP user. The user himself performs all the functional duties of converting information.

The creation of workstations based on personal computers provides:

simplicity, convenience and user friendliness;
ease of adaptation to specific user functions;
compact placement and low requirements for operating conditions;
high reliability and survivability;
relatively simple maintenance organization.

efficient operating mode of the workstation is its functioning within the local area network as a workstation. This option is especially appropriate when it is required to distribute information and computing resources among several users.

In the most complex systems, workstations can be connected through special equipment not only to the resources of the main computer of the network, but also to various information services and general-purpose systems (news services, national information retrieval systems, databases and knowledge, library systems, etc. ).

The capabilities of the created workstations largely depend on the technical and operational characteristics of the computers on which they are based. In this regard, at the design stage of an automated workplace, requirements are clearly formulated for the basic parameters of technical means for processing and issuing information, a set of component modules, network interfaces, ergonomic parameters of devices, etc.

The information support of the workstation is oriented to a specific, familiar to the user, subject area. Processing of documents should involve such structuring of information that allows for the necessary manipulation of various structures, convenient and quick correction of data in arrays.

The technical support of the workstation must guarantee the high reliability of technical means, the organization of user-friendly modes of operation (autonomous, with a distributed database, information, with upper-level technology, etc.), the ability to process the required amount of data at a given time. Since the workstation is an individual user tool, it must provide high ergonomic properties and service comfort.

The software is primarily focused on professional level user, combined with his functional needs, qualifications and specialization. The user from the side of the software environment must feel the constant support of his desire to work in any mode, actively or passively.

Recently, unified workstations have been created that serve several subject areas. For example, the complex "Express analysis when concluding agreements, orders, contracts" provides the process of managing analytical information about the cost, price, and possible volumes of production of certain types of products. The complexes “Analysis of the formation, distribution and use of profits”, “Analysis of the material, technical and financial condition of the enterprise”, “Analysis of labor, pay and social development”, “Analysis of the implementation of state orders and economic contracts” correspond to the structure of the current legislation on the enterprise. The complexes “Analysis and forecasting of dynamic series”, “Correlation-regression analysis”, “Sampling method” make it possible to carry out automated socio-economic analysis using statistical methods. The "Service Programs" complex allows you to receive processed information in the form of graphs and diagrams, edit input information, and correct data stored in AWP files.

Automated workplace (AWS) - a complex of computer equipment and software, located directly at the employee's workplace and designed to automate his work within the specialty.

Automated workplaces must be created strictly in accordance with their intended functional purpose. However, the general principles for creating workstations remain unchanged, they include:

Consistency;

Flexibility;

sustainability;

Efficiency.

The principle of consistency means the following: an automated workplace should be a system of interconnected components. At the same time, the structure of the workstation must clearly correspond to the functions for which this workstation is created.

The principle of flexibility is of great importance in the creation of modern and efficient workstations. This principle means the possibility of adapting the workstation to the proposed modernization of both software and hardware. At present, when the rate of obsolescence of software and hardware is constantly growing, compliance with this principle is becoming one of the most important conditions for creating workstations.

The principle of sustainability is of great importance. It consists in performing the functions inherent in the workstation, regardless of the impact of both internal and external factors. In the event of failures, the performance of the system should be quickly restored, the malfunctions of individual elements should be easily eliminated.

The principle of efficiency implies that the costs of creating and operating a system should not exceed the economic benefits from its implementation. In addition, when creating an automated workplace, it must be taken into account that its effectiveness will be largely determined by the correct distribution of functions and workload between the employee and the computer means of information processing, the core of which is a PC. Only if these conditions are met, the workstation becomes a means of increasing not only labor productivity and management efficiency, but also the social comfort of specialists.

The practical experience of using workstations allows us to highlight the following requirements for an efficient and fully functioning workstation:

Timely satisfaction of the information needs of the user;

Minimum response time to user requests;

Adaptation to the level of user training and the specifics of the functions performed by him;

The ability to quickly train the user in the basic methods of work;

Reliability and ease of maintenance;

Friendly interface;

Ability to work as part of a computer network.

The means necessary for the operation of the operating workstation are shown in Figure 12

Figure 12 - AWP scheme

5.5 Personal computer as the basis of the workstation - its main
subsystems

A modern personal computer consists of several main blocks or nodes:

system block;

monitor;

keyboards;

mouse manipulator.

A personal computer, or the main hardware component of a computer, consists of a processor, memory, and input/output devices; each component is represented by one or more modules. For a computer to fulfill its primary purpose of running programs, the various components must be able to communicate with each other.

CPU. It controls the actions of the computer, and also performs the function of data processing. If there is only one processor in the system, it is often called the central processing unit (CPU).

main memory. This is where data and programs are stored. Typically, this memory is temporary. It is often referred to as real, random access, or primary memory.

I/O devices. Serve to transfer data between the computer and the external environment, consisting of various peripheral devices, which include secondary memory, communication equipment and terminals.

System bus. Certain structures and mechanisms that provide interaction between the processor, main memory, and I / O devices.

Simplified block diagram showing the main functional components computer system in their relationship is shown in Figure 13. Later we will get acquainted with these devices

Figure 13 - Scheme of a personal computer

An automated workplace can be defined as a set of information, software and technical resources that provides the end user with data processing and automation of management functions in a specific subject area of the management process.

Automated workstation (AWS) - a workplace of personnel of an automated control system or other information processing system (for example, a planner's workstation in an automated control system, an accountant, an economist-analyst), equipped with a personal computer (which is connected to a local computer network and other information networks), as well as special software designed to solve the tasks of the user of the workstation.

The creation of automated jobs suggests that the main operations for the accumulation, storage and processing of information are assigned to computers, and the manager performs some of the manual operations and operations that require a creative approach in preparing management decisions.

Personal technology is used in the process of user management to control production and economic activities, change the values of individual parameters in the course of solving a management problem, as well as enter initial data to solve current problems and analyze management functions.

An automated workplace as a tool for rationalizing and intensifying management activities is created to ensure the performance of a certain group of functions. The simplest function of an automated workplace is information and reference services. Although this function is inherent in any workstation to one degree or another, the features of its implementation significantly depend on the user category.

Automated workplaces have a problem-professional orientation to a specific subject area of the management process. Professional workstations are the main tool for human communication with computer systems, playing the role of autonomous workplaces, intelligent terminals of large computers, workstations in local networks. Automated workstations have an open architecture and are easily adapted to problem areas of management processes.

For each control object, it is necessary to provide automated workstations corresponding to their functional purpose. However, the principles of creating workstations should be general: consistency, flexibility, sustainability, efficiency.

According to the principle of consistency, workstations should be considered as systems, the structure of which is determined by the functional purpose.

The principle of flexibility means the adaptability of the system to possible restructuring due to the modularity of the construction of all subsystems and the standardization of their elements.

The principle of sustainability lies in the fact that the AWP system must perform the main functions, regardless of the impact on it of internal and external possible factors. This means that failures in its individual parts should be easily fixed, and the system's performance should be quickly restored.

The efficiency of the workstation should be considered as an integral indicator of the level of implementation of the above principles, related to the costs of creating and operating the system.

The localization of the workstation allows for the rapid processing of information immediately upon its receipt, and the processing results can be stored for an arbitrarily long time at the request of the user.

In the context of the implementation of the management process, the purpose of introducing an automated workplace is to enhance the integration of management functions, and each more or less "intelligent" workplace should provide work in a multifunctional mode.

An automated workplace based on personal computers is the simplest and most common version of an automated workplace for employees in the field of organizational management. Such a workstation is considered as a system that, in an interactive mode of operation, provides a specific user with all types of software exclusively for the entire session of work.

Let us consider the main components of the AWP of workers of economic services, management activities, etc., the prospects for their development and use. On fig. 1 submitted general scheme PC, which is the technical basis of the workstation.

Fig 1. Generalized scheme of a PC:

1-microprocessor, 2-main memory, 3-VZU, 4-display, 5-keyboard, 6-printer, 7-system highway

All PC devices interact through the system backbone. However, the information from the VZU must first be rewritten to the RAM, and only then it becomes available to the processor.

Recall that the most efficient organizational form The use of PCs is the creation on their basis of workstations of specific specialists (economists, statisticians, accountants, managers), since this form eliminates the psychological barrier in the relationship between man and machine.

The accumulated experience suggests that the workstation must meet the following requirements:

timely satisfaction of the information and computing needs of a specialist.

minimum response time, and user requests.

adaptation to the user's level of training and his professional needs.

ease of mastering the methods of work on the workstation and ease of communication, reliability and ease of maintenance.

user tolerance.

the ability to quickly train the user.

the ability to work as part of a computer network.

The generalized scheme of the workstation is shown in fig. 2.

Fig 2. Scheme of an automated workplace.

General software (software) ensures the functioning of computer technology, the development and connection of new programs. This includes operating systems, programming systems, and utilities.

The professional orientation of the workstation is determined by the functional part of the software (FPO). It is here that the focus on a specific specialist is laid, the solution of problems of certain subject areas is provided.

When developing FPO, very great attention is given to the organization of interaction "man-machine". It is interesting and exciting for the user to work on a computer only when he feels that he is engaged in a useful, serious business. Otherwise, unpleasant sensations await him.

An analysis of dialog systems from the point of view of organizing this dialog showed that they can be divided (according to the principle of user-machine interaction) into:

command language systems;

"man in the world of objects";

dialogue in the form of a "menu";

The use of the command language in applied systems is the transfer of ideas for building command interpreters for mini- and microcomputers. Its main advantage is the simplicity of construction and implementation, and the disadvantage is the continuation of their advantages: the need to remember commands and their parameters, repeating erroneous input, delimiting the availability of commands at different levels, etc. Thus, in systems with a command language, the user must learn the language of interaction. Outwardly, the opposite approach is “a person in the world of objects” - there are no commands and a person in the process of working “moves” around his object using cursor keys, special pointing devices (mouse, pen), and functional key combinations. A dialog in the form of a menu "menu" presents the user with a set of alternative actions from which he selects the necessary ones. Currently, the most widely used user interface combines the properties of the last two. In it, the entire working space of the screen is divided into three parts (objects). The first one (usually at the top) is called the bar or menu bar. With its help, the user can use various menus that make up the "skeleton" of the program, with their help, access to other objects (including control ones) is made. The second part (usually located at the bottom or may be absent altogether in small programs) is called the status bar. With its help, the most frequently used objects can be quickly called up or some current information can be displayed. The third part is called the work surface (table surface) - the largest. It displays all those objects that are called from the menu or status bar. This form of organization of the dialogue between man and machine is the most convenient (at least nothing better has been invented to date) and all modern programs use it to some extent. In any case, it must comply with the CUA (Common User Access) standard from IBM.

Let us now consider two approaches to the development of workstations. The first approach - functional is the automation of the most typical functions.

Let's see how functional software (FPO) adapts to specific application conditions. Let's note the software tools that are basic for the AWS for various professions related to the processing of business information and the adoption of managerial decisions.

The first to appear were software tools for automating the work of technical personnel, which was probably due to the large formalization of their functions. The most typical example is text editors (processors). They allow you to quickly enter information, edit it, search for errors themselves, and help prepare the text for printing. The use of text editors will significantly increase the productivity of typists.

Specialists often have to work with large amounts of data in order to find the required information for the preparation of various documents. To facilitate this kind of work, database management systems (DBMS) were created: DBASE, RBASE, ORACLE, etc.). DBMS allow you to store large amounts of information, and, most importantly, quickly find the right data. So, for example, when working with a card index, you constantly need to search through large data archives to find the necessary information, especially if the cards are not sorted according to the desired attribute. The DBMS will cope with this task in a matter of seconds.

A large number of specialists are also associated with the processing of various tables, since in most cases economic information is presented in the form of tabular documents. CATs (Large Format Spreadsheets) help create such documents. They are very convenient, since they themselves recalculate all the final and intermediate data when the original data changes. Therefore, they are widely used, for example, in forecasting sales volumes and revenues.

AWP software tools for monitoring and coordinating the activities of an organization are quite popular in institutions, where all management activities are described as a set of processes, each of which has start and end dates and responsible executors. At the same time, the activities of each employee are linked with the rest. Thus, a work schedule is created. The package can automatically generate tasks for performers when the deadline comes, remind you of the deadline for completing work and accumulate data on the performance of employees.

An important role in institutional activities is played by the rapid exchange of data, which takes up to 95% of the time of the head and up to 53% of the time of specialists. In this regard, software tools such as "e-mail" have become widespread. Their use allows you to distribute documents within the institution, send, receive and process messages from various workplaces, and even hold meetings of specialists located at a considerable distance from each other. The problem of data exchange is closely related to the organization of the work of APM as part of a computer network.

Currently, there is a trend towards the creation of so-called integrated packages that contain the capabilities of text editors, spreadsheets, and graphic editors. The presence of a large number of different programs for performing essentially the same operations - creating and processing data is due to the presence of three different main types of information: numerical, textual and graphic. To store information, DBMS are most often used, which allow you to combine all these types of data into a single whole. Now there is a rapid development of two other types of information: sound and video information. For them, their own editors have already been created, and it is possible that soon these types of information will become an integral part of most databases.

Although modern FPO meets almost all the requirements imposed on it by workers of various professions, something is still always missing. Therefore, a big plus of such software is the possibility of its refinement and change. As for the development of new software tools in the AWS, it is carried out in two directions: the creation of new software for new professions and the specialization of software for existing professions. At present, there is a trend towards the creation of professional workstations. It is expressed as follows:

accounting of tasks to be solved

interaction with other employees

taking into account professional habits and inclinations

development of not only FPO, but also special technical means (mouse, network, automatic dialing of telephone numbers, etc.)

Equipping specialists with such workstations makes it possible to increase the productivity of office workers, reduce their number and, at the same time, increase the speed of processing economic information and its reliability, which is necessary for effective planning and management.

The representation of freedom of choice in the variability of solutions, objectively speaking, allows you to determine the choice of a specific combination of CT tools and basic software in the absence of knowledge about them, and in addition, it allows you to reduce the dimension of the problem used to solve the model in order to increase the efficiency of using CT tools.

Looking into the future, it should be noted that the further development of market relations, as well as the widespread introduction of PCs and workstations based on them, should lead to a significant development of the domestic PS market and, accordingly, increased competition, which is already being felt very significantly. And competition, as you know, is an important factor in reducing the prices of PS, reducing the cost of their creation, as well as improving their quality.

The technical support of an automated workplace should guarantee high reliability of technical means, organization of user-friendly operating modes, and the ability to process the required amount of data at a given time. Since the workstation is an individual user tool, it must provide high ergonomic properties and user comfort.

The software, first of all, focuses on the professional level of the user, combined with his functional needs, qualifications and specialization. The user from the side of the software environment must feel the constant support of his desire to work in any mode, actively or passively. Therefore, during their interaction, it is envisaged to ensure the convenience of human work by improving software tools.

2. LOCAL AND INDUSTRY NETWORKS OF AUTOMATED WORKPLACES

Currently, most computers are not used in isolation from other computers, but are constantly or occasionally connected to local or global computer networks to receive this or that information, send and receive messages, etc.

If there are several computers in one room, building or complex of nearby buildings, the users of which must jointly solve some problems, exchange data or use common data, then it is advisable to combine these computers into a local network.

A local area network (sometimes the term "local area network" is used, abbreviated as LAN) is a group of several computers connected to each other by means of cables (sometimes also telephone lines or radio channels) used to transfer information between computers. To connect computers to a local network, you need network hardware and software.

Local networks allow you to provide:

collective processing of data by users of computers connected to the network and data exchange between these users;

sharing programs;

sharing printers, modems and other devices.

Therefore, almost all firms that have more than one computer combine them into local networks. Many laptop users connect to the company's local network either by coming to the office or by connecting to the company's computer via telephone channels using a modem.

To ensure the functioning of the local network, a special computer is often allocated - a server, or several such computers. Server disks contain shared programs, databases, and so on. The rest of the computers on the local network are often referred to as workstations. Workstations that only need to process data on the server (for example, enter information into a shared database of orders and sales) often do not install hard drives to save money (or for security reasons). In networks with more than 20-25 computers, the presence of a server is mandatory - otherwise, as a rule, network performance will be unsatisfactory. The server is also necessary for joint intensive work with any database.

Sometimes a certain specialization is assigned to servers (storage of data, programs, provision of modem and facsimile communication, printing, etc.). Servers are generally not used as user workstations. Servers that provide valuable data are often located in an isolated room that only specially authorized people have access to (as in a bank vault).

There are three main types of computer networks:

local area network (LAN);

regional computer network (RSN);

global computer network (Internet).

In addition, each of the listed networks can be:

Single-server - the network is served by one file server (FS);

Multiserver - the network is serviced by several FS;

Distributed - Two or more local networks connected by internal or external bridges (a bridge or interconnection controls the process of exchanging data packets from one cable system to another). WAN users can use the reserves (such as: files, printers or disk drives) of all connected local networks;

- multi-server local - when the local network is served by more than one file server;

— multiserver distributed.

Also, LANs can be peer-to-peer (all computers on the network are equal, i.e. there is no FS, Any workstation can access any other workstation) and with centralized management (dedicated server).

A local area network is a group of computers that can communicate with each other, share peripheral equipment (such as hard drives, printers, etc.), and access remote central computers or other local area networks.

A corporate network is a complex system that includes thousands of various components: computers different types, from desktop to mainframe, system and application software, network adapters, hubs, switches and routers, cabling.

The main task of system integrators and administrators is to ensure that this cumbersome and very expensive system copes as best as possible with the processing of information flows circulating between employees of the enterprise and allows them to receive timely and rational decisions that ensure the survival of the enterprise in a fierce competition. And since life does not stand still, the content of corporate information, the intensity of its flows and the methods of its processing are constantly changing. The latest example of a drastic change in the technology of automated processing of corporate information in full view is associated with the unprecedented growth in the popularity of the Internet in the last 2-3 years.

Group Information Systems are focused on the collective use of information by members of the working group (one unit), most often built as a local computer network PC or less often as a multi-terminal centralized computer system. Single-type or specialized workstations provide a call to one or more specific applications. The general information fund is a database or a collection of document files. Sharing of information is organized with the help of record and file locks. These applications are developed using multi-user "desktop DBMS", workgroup database servers (Btrieve, NetWare SQL, Gupta SQLBase, Sybase Anywhere SQL, MS SQL Server, Progress, Informix-SE, Workgroup Oracle, etc.) and appropriate development tools or document management systems and their tools. User interaction occurs through a centralized database or through a network file system or via e-mail.

Corporate information systems are the development of systems for workgroups and are focused on the scale of the enterprise, they can support geographically dispersed nodes or networks. They may have a hierarchical structure of several levels. The main feature is the provision of access from the unit to the central or distributed database of the enterprise (organization) in addition to access to the information fund of the working group. Such systems are characterized by a client-server architecture with specialization of servers. They are built on corporate SQL database servers (Oracle7, Informix-OnLine, Informix-DSA, Sybase, CA-Ingress, etc.) and related tools. In addition to proprietary development tools, independent multi-platform tools are often used, supplemented with interfaces, drivers, and gateways for communicating with different DBMS.

For such systems, the requirements for reliability of operation and data safety are increasing. The latter property is provided by maintaining the integrity of data, links and transactions in database servers. A transaction is an indivisible set of database operations, it completes successfully when all of its operations are completed, otherwise it rolls back to the state that preceded the transaction.

The main types of local area networks are Ethernet and ARCNET. Moreover, Ethernet can have several types of cable:

- thin Ethernet cable - otherwise called "Thinnet". Has a number of advantages such as the use of cheaper cable compared to a thick Ethernet cable system and the use of equipment that is easier to install;