The section Avoiding Technology Failure touches on the importance of management commitment from the very highest levels. Whichever philosophy you choose, follow-through is absolutely essential for success. Without real commitment at the top, you might as well not start. Computers don't reduce costs - never have. Trying to use computers to reduce costs is a sucker play.
Computers have to be justified by increasing income .
They can make it possible to increase income more, and at proportionally less additional cost, than otherwise possible, or to overcome limitations in available resources, or to make information available to more people faster. That is why you would want them. If you are shrinking, they are more likely to administer the final blow. If you can't get organized without computers, your mess is just going to be bigger, and a lot more expensive, and stuff will be screwed up a lot worse and a lot faster. That vein played out 15 years ago with word processors and accountant's spreadsheets.