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This wide‐ranging paper answers some of the questions which the retailer might like to ask about the effect of data processing on the retail trade. And the author does not start with the assumption that everyone recognises the benefits of data processing: the first question he asks himself is why should the retailer invest in this area at all? He also goes into the cost effectiveness of data processing, and the need for very flexible computer systems in the fast‐changing world of retailing. Moreover, it is not just the retailing giants who concern him. With the drop in the cost of computer hardware, he believes that the availability of hand‐held scanning devices could be good news for the small retailer. What with the benefits of UPC and EAN for stock control. This paper was presented in November in Paris at the CIES conference, EDP: focus on store operations.

Dr. Gil Jones has been carrying out a research programme into the ways data can be captured, transmitted and used to provide retailers with improved management information. The full results of the research are to be published by the National Computing Centre later this year in a Report entitled “Data Capture in the Retail Environment”. In this two part article, Dr. Jones summarises his findings, identifying the technical options open to the retailer for preparation of management information, the costs involved and the likely benefits more sophisticated solutions can bring. Part I covers the effect the recent economic climate has had on management information strategy, the differing data requirements of various types of retail organisations, and the main options open to retailers for data capture and data processing. In Part II, Dr. Jones will go on to examine the costs of the various systems available and will look at the factors which must be considered in the economic justification of the necessary investment.

Words like “revolution” are frequently used to describe the impact of the silicon chip on industry; as far as retailing is concerned, there is no doubt that the availability of the mini and micro computer will have profound effects. In this article Gil Jones and Barbara Walman discuss first, the development of mini computers and how they are used; then what they describe as the “intriguing” prospect of how micro computers might affect the retail sector, looking both at small retailers and then at multiples. No retailer — large or small — can afford to ignore the implications of this remarkable technological development.

Are staff in retail companies being adequately trained to cope with the increasingly complex demands being made upon them by the computer and data processing techniques? The DITB carried out a study into the industry to identify areas of specific skills being used in the DP function — a first step in the development of appropriate training of DP staff to a national standard. The study identified the need for impartial training advice from a neutral body which could advise and update firms on computer hard and software. The writer also comments that “firms do not always seem able to obtain the training support from manufacturers and suppliers which they require.” But perhaps increased competition between suppliers will cause them to think more carefully about this — or they may find “consumer resistance” when they look for repeat business.

One of the reasons for the dramatic growth of the mini‐computer market is the realisation on the part of retail managements in both small and large companies that this type of equipment is versatile, powerful and relatively cheap. In this article Mike Eccles defines a mini, discusses the problems of buying and selection, and examines some specific retail applications. The author is a management consultant with Gil Jones & Associates, specialising in management information systems for retail organisations. He has recently been engaged in a programme of research into the growing importance of the mini‐computer in retailing. His findings will be published in full later this year in a Report. Mike Eccles will be presenting a paper on this subject at the forthcoming OnLine Conference on Retail Data Processing, to be held in London on June 2–3.

Electronic data processing in retailing is not new. It's been used for years for stock control, sales analysis, payroll. But now for the first time it's becoming commonplace for retailers to think in terms of the electronic cash register, treating it as an integral part of an information reporting system, and using it to collect data at the point of sale. This feature looks at progress to date in the field, both in this country and America, and summarises applications installed by some of the major manufacturers.

The Nature of Business Policy Business policy — or general management — is concerned with the following six major functions:

The continuing growth of digital technology has been accompanied by an explosion in digital data generation. These data are processed, stored, managed and exchanged in data centres but there is limited general awareness appreciation of the role such centres play as the driving hub of the economy. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to provide a simple review of the data centre property market and the changing geography of such centres and to review a number of the environmental and planning issues associated with the development of new data centres.

The paper begins with a description of the characteristics and origins of data centres, outlines the data centre property market and the changing geography of new purpose built data centres within the UK and discusses a range of the environmental and planning issues associated with the development of such centres.

The paper reveals that four different types of data centre can be recognised, that relationship between supply and demand within the data centre property market is a contested issue and that the geography of new data centre development is changing. Data centre developers are increasingly looking for designs that increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide and the planning issues associated with such developments include classifying the use class, environmental and design considerations and employment generation.

The paper provides an accessible review of the development of data centres in the UK and as such it will be of interest to those working in, engaging with, and studying the data centre market.

The paper provides an accessible review of the development of data centres in the UK and as such it will be of interest to those working in, engaging with, and studying data centres.

The purpose of this practice briefing paper is to provide an exploratory review of the sustainability agendas being addressed and publicly reported by the UK's leading data centre operators.

The paper begins with a short discussion of the characteristics of sustainability and an outline of the origins and development of data centres within the UK. The paper draws its empirical material from the most recent information on sustainability posted on the UK's leading data centre operators' corporate web sites.

The findings reveal that all the UK's leading data centre operators provide only limited information on their commitment to sustainability with the dominant focus being on its environmental dimension and with little attention being paid to social and economic issues. More critically the authors argue that these commitments are driven more by the search for efficiency gains, that they are couched within existing business models centred on continuing growth and that as such the UK's leading data centre operators are pursuing a “weak” rather than a “strong” model of sustainability.

The paper suggests that leading data centre operating companies may need to extend their sustainability reporting and to introduce external assurance procedures.

The paper provides an accessible review of the sustainability agendas being pursued by the UK's leading data centre operators and as such it will interest academics, students and practitioners interested in both sustainability and data centre operations and developments.

This article has examined the changing role of MKIS. The types of questions to which MKIS need to respond have been identified, and the range of types of MKIS systems are introduced. It is proposed that the marketing mix is extended to include 5 ‘P’s, the conventional four: product, price, place and promotion, plus data Processing. MKIS face a number of challenges over the next few years in response to changes in the marketing and information systems environment. In particular, they will need to develop to handle ever more complex market analysis and to accommodate the challenges posed by new methods of marketing and selling such as teleshopping and direct marketing.