Commercial-economic information system in the Czechoslovak chemical industry

Abstract

The development and perspectives of the Czechoslovak information system, the present situation of the Czechoslovak chemical industry as well as the organizational development of the information system in the chemical industry are shortly outlined. As to the last item the following trends are to be observed: efforts to utilize the computer technology; exploitation of possibilities hidden in services to be subscribed; and the broadening of information with commercial-economic information towards complexity. Commercial-economic information was processed first in the Czechoslovak chemical industry by the Industrial Chemical Works in Pardubice for its own needs. Starting in 1966 with an IBM 360/30 computer the Sagesse system was applied for this purpose, then it was changed to the IRMS system in the second half of 1970.
Within the range of commercial-economic information the following, fields are to be distinguished: product, regional, local (competition) and branch information. Most of the commercial-economic information have factografic character. Parameters to be processed for these fields are dealt in details. E.g. production capacity, production, requirements, consumption, prices, etc. Composition of information users (especially regarding to economic information) is also analysed as well as the intensity of needs for commercial-economic information with operative, tactical and strategic character. Commercial-economic information is of utmost importance in connection with leading and decision-making within the sphere of planning and futurology.
The sources of commercial-economic information are partly un-published, partly published. In the first group there are internal and external, respectively oral and written sources. The second group is divided into primary and secondary sources.
The systematic review – in most of the cases – is illustrated with concrete examples. From the sources the Chemical Industrial Works is utilizing mostly the specialized periodicals and the travel reports.
Methods of handling commercial-economic information in the Chemical Industrial Works is described. The system fulfilled the expectations and now its sphere of operation will be extended to the whole Czechoslovak chemical industry. This enlarged system could provide services on foreign chemical enterprises as a part of the information system of the International Information Centre in Moscow.