Burroughs B-280 Electronic Data Processing System

Updated 2 January 2024

A brochure from Ted Nelson's Junk Mail that advertizes the Burroughs B-280 EDP System. The graphic design is in the classic 1950's modern style. It is bold, enthusiastic and uses blank space as a picture in itself. The advertising pitch is focused on the ACT!ON method that combines computer sales with consuliting services.

Introduction

The Burroughs B-280 Electronic Data Processing System stands as reference in the development of mid-20th century computing technology. Emerging in an era marked by rapid technological advancements, the B-280 wasn’t just a machine, embodying the transformation from manual to automated data processing. This system, with its impressive capabilities and innovative features, was designed to meet the growing demands of businesses for faster, more efficient, and error-free data handling. The Burroughs B-280 was manufactured by the ElectroData division located in Pasadena, California.

At its core, the Burroughs B-280 was an embodiment of the transition from electromechanical computing to fully electronic solutions. It offered a blend of versatility and power that was unparalleled at the time, catering to a wide range of business applications. From accounting and payroll to inventory management and data analysis, the B-280 could handle a variety of tasks that were essential to the burgeoning corporate world of the 1960s and 1970s. I will discuss the marketing of this general purpose computer, and, in particular, the ACT!ON marketing theme.

And how much would all of this processing set you back? Vetrol quotes a the rental prices for a B-280 to be in the order of around USD$3,835/month. You also need to consider the housing, power and maintenance costs as well. Even in today's dollars, this is some serious cash for an enthusiast to throw at a hoby project.

The design of the B-280 reflected a deep understanding of the needs of its users. It was user-friendly, a considerable achievement given the complexity of computing technology during that period. The system boasted an array of features that streamlined operations, including advanced data storage and retrieval capabilities, swift processing speeds, and the ability to handle large volumes of data with ease.

ACT!ON Manufacturing Control Concept

The ACT!ON system was an early form of Manufacturing Resource Planning system, which were precursors to today's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The goal was to provide real-time information to manufacturers, enabling them to make informed decisions quickly to optimize production, reduce waste, and respond flexibly to market demands. The manuyfacturing control systems is designed to (a) minimize shortages, (b) reduce surplus, and (c) solve scheduling problems. In Burroughs' own words:—

Since the management problems of control over shortages, surplus and scheduling are essentially the same in most manufacturing firms, the basic principles and concepts of the ACT!ON system have broad potential in many kinds of manufacturing organizations.

1. Computers and people are partners in the ACT!ON system

In its most simple terms, the ACTION system is a balanced integration of (i) computer program, (ii) a Burroughs electronic data processing system, (iii) a manufacturing control plan, (iv) parts list, or bill of materials file (v) transacting documents that can be read by both machines and people.

A common pitfall that has stymied development of similar systems has been confusion over the proper role of the computer in relation to people. It is well to realize that the computer is only a tool, and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, however, many manufacturing firms have not fully understood the power and versatility of this tool, and have used their computers only to add speed to existing procedures. Little effort is made in these organizations to use the computer's extensive capabilities as an instrument of control—despite the fact that this is precisely the area in which the computer can be of greatest assistance to management.

The ACT!ON system puts the computer into its proper perspective in the manufacturing organization. It makes maximum use of the control capabilities of Burroughs EDP systems, provides the optimum amount and kinds of operating and management information individually addressed by name to the persons in the organization who need it, and makes it possible to hold each person accountable for the use he makes of this information. With the ACT!ON system, men control other men and operations with the fullest assistance of the computer.

2. The language of the ACT!ON system

If computers and people are to be partners, they must talk the same language. People use computers because of the tremendous speed with which the machines process information, their exceptional accuracy and reliability, and the flexibility with which they may be programed to handle an almost infinite number of tasks in a virtually limitless number of ways. That's why Burroughs computers, the most productive and versatile systems available today, are used to support plant management in the ACT!ON management system.

But computers have their limitations. The do what they are instructed to do—nothing less, nothing more.And despite thier inherent accuracy, the usefulness of thier results depends greatly on the quality of the raw data with work with. In many cases, so much attention has been given to the requirements of computer for clean input data that the users of the system have been forgotten.

In the ACT!ON system, the emphasis is on how the computer can help people. The basic documents in the system, for example, are punched cards called turn-around documents. They are extremely easy to use, because both people and the computer can read them, They are automatically produced by the computer when a production or inventory situation requires action, and are directed by the program to the proper person. When action has been taken, it is so noted on the document, which is returned to the data processing center and used to notify the computer that the action has occurred. The documents and reports produced by the ACT!ON system use common terms understandable by everybody, rather than complex coding systems.

3. Supervision and control in the ACT!ON system

The ACTION system thrives on complexity, for it applies practical, simple rules to the manufacturing control operation.

One of these rules is that every action request should be followed up. The computer program helps management do this, since it is able to record the date an action request was issued and log in a reply from the responsible person. The status of each outstanding request is examined frequently, and automatic delinquency notices are produced by the computer at planned intervals until action has been taken.

Many such control procedures, over and above those normally found in computerized manufacturing control systems, contribute to the effectiveness of the ACTION system. The performance of all responsible persons, and the effects of their actions or inactivity on the manufacturing operation, are regularly brought to the attention of their superiors in a concise fashion. And unlike even the best supervisors, the computer never forgets nor is too busy to follow up on all situations.

The ACT!ON system has been a remarkable success in its application of these and many other techniques, in a practical way, to manufacturing control problems. Through its contribution to effective management control over shortages, surplus and scheduling, it has helped cut manufacturing costs and increase profits.