Regional Automated Data‐processing System for Blood Banks

There is significant advantage to be gained through a regional system for automatic data‐processing for blood banks. To achieve maximum savings there must be close cooperation between facilities, and the supply and demand problem must be monitored closely. The cost of operating a system allocated to inventory control must be justifiable but, if savings equal cost, the benefits of knowing the location of needed blood and of reducing commercial purchases also must be considered. The BIMACS system is modular and can be adapted to many computer configurations. Prototypes include inventory control, donor files, rare donor files, invoicing and billing, payroll, and special reports useful for administration, technical controls, and research. The protoype system will be installed June 1970. Details and documentation probably will be available November 1970.