LINC organisation is functional and tight

Press, 7 May 1987, Page 35

LINC organisation is functional and tight

The organisation of the LINC centre is functional and tight. The top tier is made up of the two inventors of LINC. Mr Peter Hoskins with his accounting/computer background heads up consultancy education and marketing and Mr Gil Simpson with his background in business software heads up product development.

In effect both are preoccupied with leading the creative thinking and strategic planning for the company. They take part in the initial brainstorming sessions that decide where LINC is going.

With their top executives they will frequently hold a two or three-day future design session. When they emerge the LINC leaders know what the centre is capable of producing and what they can get to work. Under them a Finance Director, a Marketing and

Public Affairs Director and Management Services Manager take care of much of the administration.

Every team has its cutting edge and in a software research centre this is the Product Development Group. This group, headed by a director, explores new concepts in software engineering and professionally develops' new products. These new products are passed on to the other main software group, the Consultancy and , Education group led by director, Colin McGavin.

The product is then certified in-house and at selected user sites before release.

Training and documentation is concurrently developed to support the new product. The Consulting and Education group is responsible for training curriculums for users of

LINC world-wide. They advise Burroughs subsidiaries globally on ways to ensure that their customers are using LINC to their beat advantage. The Finance Director, Mr Gordon Richards, designs and monitors the centre’s internal finance systems which are( of course developed and implemented with LINC software.

Because the LINC Development Centre is a research and development facility budgeting is even more important. With the LINC centre’s international connections, a floating exchange rate and the pace of software development, the centre’s budgeting systems have to be superb. The Marketing and Public Affairs Director, Mr Denis Breese, negotiates with national and local bureaucracy to ensure a smooth path for

the centre through government rules and regulations. He works with local bodies, government departments, business organisations and news media to ensure the LINC Development Centre maintains a high profile as a world leader in the development of information systems and also to promote the LINC philosophy and provide marketing support for Unisys LINC as the leading information technology solution to business information needs.

The Management Services Manager, Ms Mary Harvey, organises and runs office functions such as reception and typing, plans office space, supervised the new building complex and co-ordinates building maintenance. This core work is provided by a support team which allows the research tfork to proceed smoothly.