But it soon became apparent that the capabilities would have general appeal and they were incorporated into the product, with Polaroid serving as a test site. Much of the manufacturing software available today started in the same way - filling a specific need that turned out to have a wider application. This is especially significant since there's a lot of seniority among the materials workers and I would have expected more resistance to change. Lamont credits the quality of the man-machine interface for the system's ease of use. In the warehouse, the process works as follows.
Information identifying the incoming parts is keyed into the mainframe computer.
A bar code label is then printed identifying the part as a carousel or shelf item. After inspection, parts are sent to the appropriate storage area. Next, for carousel items, an operator scans the bar code label. This action enables the system's computer, which stores data on all parts, to send the correct, average piece weight to the scale. The operator then places parts on the scale and the system computes their quantity.