Show INGENIOUS IDEAS HOW AMERICAS AMERICA'S BEST MANAGERS DO IT I. I New Industry Based On Old Century Invention Curiously an industry that's bristling with sophisticated sophisticated equipment and some some far out far out projects rests on an invention over a century old Microphotography is credited to an Englishman named John Joh B. B.- Dancer who in 1839 1839 reproduced a inch 20 document in an image one-eighth one of an inch long Then in 1870 Rene Dagron a French photographer photographer photographer photo photo- grapher and inventor used microfilm to send messages via pigeon over enemy lines and into Paris while the city lay under Prussian Prussia siege ru fAl For nearly a ce century tury it remained a minor novelty until the when a bank official devised a camera system to microfilm bank checks to retain a legal record of oC transactions But the big period of growth did not begin until World War Warn II n when the governments government's military V-mail V operation compacted some billion OI GI letters on microfilm for Cor shipment overseas where they were then photographically photographically photo photo- graphically blown up into readable copy This propelled propelled pro pro- microfilm into the biggest ent enterprise undertaken undertaken undertaken under under- taken up to that time Following the war other federal departments made increasing use of oC microfilm to cope with the mounting flood of personnel records reports and documents Interestingly all of oC our social security records are kept on microfilm preventing prevent prevent- ing error and making sure that checks go out on on time and for Cor the right amounts Government isn't the only user of oC microfilm says the National Association Today microfilm microfilm micro micro- film is a U versatile tool used by over types of oC business business business bus bus- iness and industry to store retrieve manipulate disseminate disseminate disseminate dis dis- dis- dis and use data Many of oC Americas America's best managers have found Cound that microfilm not only saves money and space but its small size and compact nature can put vast amounts of information at the users user's fingertips Volumes can be scanned in seconds and random lookup of oC data is simple Traditionally an economical economical eco eco- means of storing unused information and providing security for Cor documents documents docu docu- ments as protection against loss microfilming has emerged emerged em em- from its dusty comer into an efficient method of oC storing and retrieving information information mation used daily |