Design and implementation of computer-aided workplaces at the State Central Statistical Office of the German Democratic Republic

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Neumann, K.^{; 1} | Vogel, J.^{; 2}

Affiliations: Staatliche Zentralverwaltung für Statistik, Hans-Beimler-Str. 70/72, DDR - 1026 Berlin, German Dem. Rep.

Note: [1] Klaus Neumann is, since 1971, director of the Research Centre in the State Central Statistical Office of the GDR. He graduated in 1958 (economics) from the University of Economics Berlin and got his Dr. rer. oec. in 1963 with a doctoral thesis about statistical measurement of scientific-technical progress. Since 1988 he combines his function in the SCSO with a professorship in accountancy and statistics at the Karl-Marx-University of Leipzig. He represented the GDR in the EDP Working Party of the CES and contributed several reports there and to ISIS seminars. He is ordinary member of the ISI and its Council, of IASC and of IAOS.

Note: [2] Jürgen Vogel is, since 1985, director of the EDP-Centre in the State Central Statistical Office in the GDR. He graduated in 1972 (economics) and got his Dr. oec. in 1980 with a doctoral thesis about the development of the services of the EDP-Centre of the GDR. Since 1985 he combines his function in the SCSO with a membership of the managing committee of the society of computer science of the GDR. He is member of the ISI and of IASC.

Abstract: Based on twenty years of experience in the use of statistical data banks and confronted with the arrival of new technologies, the State Central Statistical Office of the GDR has to fix its strategy for the nineties. The most important step will be the implementation of computer-aided workplaces. They will enable statisticians to use both the powerful centralized capacities of extended data funds, sophisticated hardware, software and orgware and the decentralized facilities offered mainly by the growing performance of a variety of microcomputers. The way into the near future is characterized by a steady process of transforming the traditional mainframe-oriented behaviour of both statisticians and computer specialists into more and more workplace-oriented procedures for the combined use of centralized and decentralized information technology. As a main result it is expected that the subject-matter specialist will be more and better assisted by the highly automated statistical information system as a whole but will be freed from technical duties.

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-1989-6205

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 167-175, 1989