C H A P T E R 7
A Dream of Wonderful Machines
The Reading, and Misreading, of Technological Change
J. LYONS & COMPANY’S decision to build the first business computer back in 1947 stands as one of the great acts of business innovation, a triumph of managerial foresight and ingenuity. And the decision paid off for the company, enabling it to automate labor-intensive business processes years ahead of its competitors. But for all its power and speed, the LEO computer could not save Lyons from obsolescence. The company’s teashops, a staple of English life before the Second World War, slowly fell out of favor after the war as customers’ tastes and routines shifted. The computer brought Lyons great operating benefits, but in the end, as one of the ...
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