A Minicomputer-Based Information System for a Small Business

Small businesses have generally relied on service bureaus for management information. In general, the services provided have been on an out-of-house basis, with transactions being periodically forwarded to a service's centralized computer installation. An edit of the data is performed, and any errors in the data are reported back to the client. Corrections may then be transmitted with the next batch of transactions. Summary operating information may be provided, possibly on a daily basis, but usually detailed reports are mailed back on a weekly and/or monthly basis depending on the particular function.