Systems In A Theme Park
23 mins, 2003 Theme parks set out to scare and excite us. But behind the fun, information systems are at work. What are they? This film takes us behind the scenes at Drayton Manor Park. Ticketing: The theme park used to issue admission tickets using adapted bus ticket machines. Now a computerised system gives them… Read more »
The Great IT Horror Story
31 mins, 1999 This film tells the story of how a computer project drove one company almost to bankruptcy. Comic distributor Craven Books bought a new IT system with the aim of improving its efficiency. But the system was over-ambitious – they went for the “big-bang” approach. The result: disaster. Craven lost many customers. It… Read more »
Systems In Banking And Data Protection
29 mins, 2003 Banks rely on information systems but how do they work? Dave Nellist investigates. He pays a cheque into his bank. It enters the clearing system, becomes a piece of data and finally allows him to draw out cash to buy his mum a present. Every stage in the process involves systems and… Read more »
Systems In Local Government
35 mins, 2006 Local councils are often huge organisations, providing a wide variety of services, from running libraries to keeping the roads free of ice. Critical to their operation are information systems. This film visits Cornwall County Council to explore how five of these information systems work. ADMINISTRATION: Councils are vast bureaucracies generating mountains of… Read more »
Converging Technologies
31 mins, 2008 In 1994 it would have taken about seven days to send someone a copy your holiday snaps. Now using a digital camera and email it takes about ten minutes. This fast-moving documentary takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the world of convergence. TECHNOLOGY CHANGE: In the early days computers were huge… Read more »
The Internet In Business
25 mins, 1999 The film features case studies of three US companies relying on the Internet to conduct their business. RETAILING: CDnow is a record shop – without a shop. They offer customers a vast selection of CDs which they can buy via the Internet. CDnow doesn’t have to hold any stock – this is… Read more »
Systems In Retailing
25 mins, 2002 Bar-codes, electronic point sale systems, hand-held terminals… information technology has transformed UK retailing. At Marks & Spencer’s IT centre, mainframe computers monitor what’s been sold in all its stores and order up new stock. Computers control every step of the M&S national distribution system. And IT isn’t confined to inside the supermarket,… Read more »
Going Live
28 mins, 1994 A bakery swaps from its old information system to a new one — and runs into disaster. First they have to choose the system, then make sure it works. At last comes the day when the new system goes live – and it’s then that things really go wrong. Lack of training… Read more »
ICT And Business: The Great Revolution
30 mins, 2009 How has information and communications technology changed the world of commerce and industry? This wide-ranging film tells a remarkable story of our times. IMPACT ON WORK: In the 1970s office work was done with typewriters and paper and correcting fluid. Computers were giant devices in air-conditioned rooms. Then in the 1980s computers… Read more »
Managing Personnel
26 mins, 2006 Jenny Wooledge has one of the most important jobs in a supermarket – personnel manager. Crucial to her job is a computer system. This film tells the story of what she does in Sainsbury’s, Thanet branch. RECRUITMENT: First you need to get the workers to manager. Sainsbury’s goes in for what’s called… Read more »
All About E-portfolios & Multimedia
26 mins, 2008 Multimedia, it’s claimed, is the future for teaching and learning. The government’s plan is for every school student in the country to have an e-portfolio by this year. But what are e-portfolios? How do they work? This new documentary film explains the benefits and problems – and, most importantly, shows e-portfolios being… Read more »
Systems In A Cinema
27 mins, 2000 How do cinemas use information technology? We compare two very different examples. The huge Film Works multiplex, in Manchester, has its own web-site. The much smaller Gate cinema, in London, uses e-mails to keep in touch with its customers but otherwise has much more limited IT. The Gate still issues tickets manually,… Read more »