Experiences with an in‐house mechanized information system

Technical Information Systems (TIS) is the department responsible for the flow of techno‐commercial information in the Strip Mills Division of the British Steel Corporation (BSC). To give some idea of its size, the Division employs 64,000 people, has a gross turnover of around £600 million and has a number of steelmaking and finishing plants in the U.K., the majority being in Wales. TIS has been operating in its present form since 1968 when the industry was nationalised, and its initial aim from which it has not deviated was to set up small localised information units at each large works with a major back‐up facility at the Research Centre, Port Talbot.