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These days, finding a computer system to run a club operation is far easier than it used to be. You might think, if you don't like it, you'd replace it easily, there are lots of computer companies out there, afterall. I want to show why that was not a ready choice in the past and to suggest that it has become an option today.
After a club invests in a computer system things change. You hear statements like, 'lets see what the computer thinks of all this', 'I will run that by the computer', 'the computer says this', 'you are wrong, the computer did not indicate that'. Number carrying staff and members can now quote statistics at the management, compare prices and services, and everyone seems to have more influence. It brought with it many changes - some popular, some unpopular.
Computers, essentially, get certain jobs done better or faster than humans, take the pain out of a process, cut costs, do thankless tasks like adding up numbers. We do not like to hear it, but they can be more reliable too. It was unsure what the long term effect of computerization would be on clubs, if it would damage that unique balance of people first, ambiance and special reputation that clubs had worked hard to achieve and protect.
There were fewer specialist companies years ago, and even today, to risk so much on one company's performance is not an easy matter. Management decides which computer system to purchase and the functions it needs to accomplish. This 'computer', becomes a significant part of the team. Now, I seriously do not mean to elevate a computer system to more than a parcel of electronics, but many veterans may well remember how dramatic it was to implement their first computer system, and later, how hard it was to conceive working without it. Once they arrived, they tended to stay. All that, and the cost was much higher years ago, made it an important long term decision. A computer system may work perfectly (oh, sure), or make a process better (most likely), and everyone is impressed - the financials were never stronger, the accountant smiles now. However, does that really mean it was a success? When people did not 'fit' the new order they were often let go or retired out, customers explained that the service used to be more personal and the flaws were actually liked.
Today's technology and globalization means there are more companies able to achieve the same objectives. However, expect them to be diverse. To replace a computer system that covers all areas of an operation, affecting many people's jobs, is very risky and costly. There are less suppliers that supply everything, and those companies are spread too thin to provide optimal quality in all those areas. Today, due to the portability of software and data, parts can be exchanged. Common data and interchangeable software components can make transitions happen cheaper, safer and faster. The availability of suppliers and the portability of the data enables the integration of all components, and the single point of contact is the system administrator or consultant.
To sum up, today's club may have several suppliers for it's systems, each maintained and evolved separately while maintaining integration, thus enabling shorter term decisions.
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