The use, for example, of computer-assisted design instruments, machine tools, and inventory control systems has given our former, more rigid factory assembly lines greater flexibility. Businesses now can more quickly customize their production to changes in market conditions; design cycles are shorter, quality control has been improved, and costs are lower. Offices are now routinely outfitted with high-speed information-processing technology.
The set of eligible collateral was further increased during 2012, to support bank lending. These decisions, together with the announcement of Outright Monetary Transactions in August 2012, have been crucial in reducing financial segmentation and mitigating banks’ funding difficulties.