MAGNETIC CARD SELECTRIC TYPEWRITER FOR RED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B05171A000200020094-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2004
• Sequence Number: 94
• Publication Date: September 2, 1970
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2004/03 T .Tr
NPIC/TSC/RED-198-70
2 September 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Technical Services Group, NPIC
SUBJECT Magnetic and Selectric Typewriter for RED
RET was reviewed PP!3 ' position on the IBM, Magnetic
c 'd Selects c titers. while we can understand and sy? und pathze Ea3.th =their reasandrw ithGei.ther theemethodcl-
the study, we"taainot totally aaree
any used in, _ the conclusions
cry.terxa,fra~astheffc~ctiver~css
Cost efgect~.veness was the sole
is an elusive term and a much over--workedhconcept~. DOD-sec:--
where the concept was born--is c~~r~ncr~teria for decisions.
ond thoughts about its validity
2. Let's talk, rather~aa~ticincreased
unitsfhaveei~rea.seci
getting the job done. The and they have
our efficiency. we have used then extensively,
it has
proven this to our satisfaction. our work is neat er, iihn
ft r errors, and it is becoming more wtiely. ith a siThle unit.
cast consciaus; we tried to get the Division is
is didn't work well, primarily because
ns
three separate floors with the bulk of our person-
"I son--
l located on the fourth and fifth aproMlerls~,pp rsanality
Of 't'he3uilding . This led to priority
conflicts, and to a loss of considerable secretarial time
while going from floor to floor and while waiting for a
ne. Furthermore, the equipment is somewhat complex, and
+sfecti.ve utilization comes ~n~f f ici~ncypcannotp3~c=ce~btaineu~~
of
the match~.ne ? A high level
with five girls sharing n not ideal, th is clidtwark quitting
with two machines. While
well. This is the current situation, and we are loathe for
jeapordize a wor`kincg system. With this contingency in mind
included money for the urrchaseiof stwo tatements infc~7ustifi~
ew.iipmefit budget along with
ion. This funding survived the nur,.erous budgetary revict:7s.
are not raising a new question or asking for additional
finds' Declass Review by
NIMA/DOD
fi ?R?~2i~f8fi"_
44kt-t gad
Approved For Relea
 Approved For Release 2004/O g 1 1-RDP78B06r171A000200020094-3
*ftw
SUBJECT: Magnetic Card Selectric Typewriter for RED
their own criteria, admits that RED can
BS
b
P
,
y
p
readily justify one machine and almost justify a second.
unit., This was on "cost effectiveness" alone--based solely
it
true
i
i
,
s
s
on the volume of copies per month. If th
would appear that placing any weight at all upon the other
factors involved would readily justify two card units for
RED alone. These additional factors are :
a. Improved neatness of documentation going
to the highest levels of the Agency.
b. Less errors, because the machine does not
create new errors while correcting old.
.c, raster response time, particularly on Projec
hpproval Requests, Staff Studies, and budgetary doc-
umentation and tables.
d. improved secretarial performance. Secretaries,
who are in short supply, type faster and have more time
to do other essential tasks such as filing, taking
dictation, etc.
The magnetic card provides an effective
original file and can be readily used to create new
documents or to modify existing documentation. It
reduces the requirement for Xerox copies and provides
a better copy than Xerox.
4. PPBS has suggested that RED share a unit with. ESD.
We have reviewed this option, and while it appears reasonable
on the surface, we strongly recommend against this approach
for the following reasons:
a. ESD requires a tape machine, while our opera-
dons require the use of a card machine. We have
Attempted to resolve this issue between ESD and our--
Selves. we cannot--the facts dictate two different
types of equipment.
We had conflicts and priority problems when we
b
.
share a single machine among branches--
d t
o
attempte
the sroblem between Divisions. ESD's use would
i
ne
i.mag
be for long documents which would tie up the machine
for several days at a time, while our operations re-
quire constant usage. Who allocates priorities? once
Approved For Release 2004/0 WJl -RDP78BO5171A000200020094-3
 Approved For Release 2004/03/26: CIA-RDP78B0512A000200020094-3
`CET
SUBJECT: Magnetic Card Selectric Typewriter for RED
people are used to rapid turn-around time in changing
words and getting back a smooth, will they understand
if the machine is being used by someone else for a day
s
or two; 14Ais J.
factor of maybe 20-25% of the working
that has a use
day. This is a secretary's standard working tool
that she cannot stand in line for. it would be com-
parable to asking several people to share one tele-
phone when some of them use it for hours or days at
a time.
Use across Divisions would result in no one
being familiar enough with the equipment to become
truely proficient. There are many operations required
in using it for formating and adjusting which must
become second nature to the secretary if she is to use
it rapidly when the occasion demands. Such items are
double spacing at the end of a line; putting in a code-
required hyphen in words requiring a hypen at all times,
not just divided words at the end of a line, since the
machine does not have a stop at the end of a margin
like standard IBM's, the girl must be used to listening
shewaiting theuntil
endyof.hits
for the bell andloherjust
the Margin.
limit stop to tol
PED strongly feels that the
d
d
,
ere
5. All things consi
use of these two pieces of equipment has provided us with a
demonstratable increase in efficiency, and that it would
prove to be false economy to attempt to return to a single
unit or to share a machine with another Division. The cost
does
ificant
i
,
gn
of I per year rental, while certainly s
not seem excessive in view of the manifold benefits to be
:ved.
25X1
Chief,
Research & Engineering Division, TSG
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - TSG/RED
SECRET
Approved For Release 2004/03/26 : CIA-RDP78BO5171A000200020094-3