Small-business machines: A management-oriented software package and stand-alone information graphics systems are among major new offerings

Small-business systems offered more of everything last year: more new personal office computers, graphics terminals, desktop minicomputers, and software designed to make programming easier for users. However, the big question of recent years is still on many minds: Will the growing list of office automation products raise the productivity of managers? Managers are reported to represent 80 percent of the costs in the average office, but automation has so far increased productivity largely in the remaining 20 percent of office costs, the clerical and accounting functions. Office systems are spewing out reams of data but relatively little pertinent information for making managerial decisions. The problem, in short, is software. Though signs of progress appeared last year, the surface was barely scratched.