The Marketing Series 1: The Internet Revolution
31 mins, 2010 This film explores how technology has driven marketing over the past 50 years, from the golden age of television ads to the internet revolution of today. HISTORY: Marketing has been around from earliest times. But it was the industrial revolution which brought mass consumption, mass production and the mass media. In the… Read more »
Systems In A Factory
27 mins, 2004 This film looks at the key systems used in a factory. It focuses on two case studies: the Glaxo Smith Kline toothpaste factory and plastic injection moulding company, Time RPS. How do they compare? TYPES OF PRODUCTION: GSK is an example of continuous flow production: they make a million tubes of toothpaste… Read more »
Responsible Corporations? Apple, News Corp & Google
25 mins, 2012 This film looks at three famous companies in the world of media and technology and explores the ethics of their approach to business. APPLE has amazing products, but they’re made by people in China who work long hours for small wages. Some workers have even killed themselves: the “Foxconn Suicides”. Apple now… Read more »
Systems At Dickens World
25 mins, 2008 Behind the Victorian façade of the Dickens World theme park state-of-the-art systems are at work. You might not see them, but without them Dickens World wouldn’t have a business. This film explains how the systems work and what they do. TICKETS: It all starts at the front desk with a point of… Read more »
Inside A Factory 5: The PCB
28 mins, 2009 A printed circuit board is the electronic heart of the electrical products we use. But how is one made? This film follows a PCB for a DVD player through every stage of the production process in manufacturer Connor Solutions. CAD: It all starts with an electronic engineer, who designs the PCB. The… Read more »
Systems In Travel
25 mins, 2002 The film charts the radical changes that IT has brought, through the experience of tour operator Sunvil Travel and Internet-based travel agency Expedia. While Sunvil uses computers to put its customers’ holidays together, Expedia does everything on the web. Its website allows you to book your hotel room or seat on a… Read more »
Inside A Factory 1: The New Mini
26 mins, 2003 How is a car manufactured? Alison Hammond, of “Big Brother” fame, goes inside BMW’s factory in Oxford to provide a lively guide to the production process for its New Mini. PRODUCTION PLANNING: First comes production planning. Customers’ orders are analysed by a program called “Kiss” – this is vital to meet buyers’… Read more »
Systems In A Theatre
27 mins, 2005 A star from Eastenders, Toyah and a load of corny gags – the pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre has the lot. But how do their information systems work? TICKETING: The computerised ticketing system reserves you a seat and even warns if there’s bad language in the show. But the real prize is… Read more »
Inside A Factory 4: The DVD Player
28 mins, 2009 Many UK products are now manufactured in China. But Arcam designed and manufactured its upmarket DVD player Solo Movie in Britain. This film explains why and how. CAD: A key decision was what components to use – and how to put them together. Computer-aided design allowed them to pinpoint many problems before… Read more »
Inside A Factory 2: Cadbury’s
29 mins, 2005 This is the story of how Cadbury’s makes a chocolate bar. TV personality Alison Hammond takes us round their famous factory and explains the systems that underpin the process. QUALITY CONTROL: The process begins with the raw materials – beans brought from Ghana. Quality control and process control systems are vital to… Read more »
Systems In A Hotel
27 mins, 2000 This demonstrates the systems in a large hotel. The hotel’s booking system shows the rooms available and helps maximise income from the rooms, discounting prices when things are quiet. For each guest the system records a guest history, with details of their likes and dislikes. When a guest feels a room is… 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 »