Office automation refers to the varied computer machinery and software used to d

igitally create, collect, store, manipulate, and relay office information needed
for accomplishing basic tasks and goals. Raw data storage, electronic transfer,
and the management of electronic business information comprise the basic activi
ties of an office automation system.
The history of modern office automation began with the typewriter and the copy m
achine, which mechanized previously manual tasks. Today, however, office automat
ion is increasingly understood as a term that refers not just to the mechanizati
on of tasks but to the conversion of information to electronic form as well. The
advent of the personal computer revolutionized office automation, and today, po
pular operating systems and user interfaces dominate office computer systems. Th
is revolution has been so complete, and has infiltrated so many areas of busines
s, that almost all businesses use at least one commercial computer business appl
ication in the course of daily activity. Even the smallest companies commonly ut
ilize computer technology to maintain financial records, inventory information,
payroll records, and other pertinent business information. "Workplace technology
that started as handy (but still optional) business tools in the 1980s evolved
into a high-priority requirement in the 1990s," summarized Stanley Zarowin in Jo
urnal of Accountancy. "As we enter the new millennium, it has taken another quan
tum leap, going from a priority to a prerequisite for doing business."
THE BASICS OF OFFICE AUTOMATION
Generally, there are three basic activities of an office automation system: data
storage of information, data exchange, and data management. Within each broad a
pplication area, hardware and software combine to fulfill basic functions.
Data storage usually includes office records and other primary office forms and
documents. Data applications involve the capture and editing of files, images, o
r spreadsheets. Word processing and desktop presentation packages accommodate ra
w textual and graphical data, while spreadsheet applications provide users with
the capacity to engage in the easy manipulation and output of numbers. Image app
lications allow the capture and editing of visual images.
Text handling software and systems cover the whole field of word processing and
desktop publishing. Word processing, the most basic and common office automation
activity, is the inputting (usually via keyboard) and manipulation of text on a
computer. Today's commercial word processing applications provide users with a
sophisticated set of commands to format, edit, and print text documents. One of
the most popular features of word processing packages are their preformatted doc
ument templates. Templates automatically set up such things as font size, paragr
aph styles, headers and footers, and page numbers so that the user does not have
to reset document characteristics every time they create a new record.
Desktop publishing adds another dimension to text manipulation. By combining the
features of a word processor with advanced page design and layout features, des
ktop publishing packages have emerged as valuable tools in the creation of newsl
etters, brochures, and other documents that combine text and photographs, charts
, drawings and other graphic images.
Image handling software and systems are another facet of office automation. Exam
ples of visual information include pictures of documents, photographs, and graph
ics such as tables and charts. These images are converted into digital files, wh
ich cannot be edited the same way that text files can. In a word processor or de
sktop publishing application, each word or character is treated individually. In
an imaging system, the entire picture or document is treated as one whole objec
t. One of the most popular uses of computerized images is in corporate presentat
ions or speeches. Presentation software packages simplify the creation of multim
edia presentations that use computer video, images, sound, and text in an integr
ated information package.
Spreadsheet programs allow the manipulation of numeric data. Early popular sprea
dsheet programs such as Visi Calc and Lotus 123 greatly simplified common busine
ss financial record keeping. Particularly useful among the many spreadsheet opti
ons is the ability to use variables in pro forma statements. The pro forma optio
n allows the user to change a variable and have a complex formula automatically
recalculated based on the new numbers. Many businesses use spreadsheets for fina
ncial management, financial projection, and accounting.
DATA EXCHANGE While data storage and manipulation is one component of an office
automation system, the exchange of that information is another equally important
component. Electronic transfer is a general application area that highlights th
e exchange of information between more than one user or participant. Electronic
mail, voice mail, and facsimile are examples of electronic transfer applications
. Systems that allow instantaneous or "real time" transfer of information (i.e.
online conversations via computer or audio exchange with video capture) are cons
idered electronic sharing systems. Electronic sharing software illustrates the c
ollaborative nature of many office automation systems.
Office automation systems that include the ability to electronically share infor
mation between more than one user simultaneously are sometimes referred to as gr
oupware systems. One type of groupware is an electronic meeting system. Electron
ic meeting systems allow geographically dispersed participants to exchange infor
mation in real time. Participants in such electronic meetings may be within the
same office or building, or thousands of miles apart. Long-distance electronic s
haring systems usually use a telephone line connection to transfer data, while s
haring in the same often involves just a local area network of computers (no out
side phone line is needed). The functional effectiveness of such electronic shar
ing systems has been one factor in the growth of telecommuting as an option for
workers. Telecommuters work at home, maintaining their ties to the office via co
mputer.
Electronic transfer software and systems allow for electronic, voice, and facsim
ile transmission of office information. Electronic mail uses computer based stor
age and a common set of network communication standards to forward electronic me
ssages from one user to another. Most of these systems allow users to relay elec
tronic mail to more than one recipient. Additionally, many electronic mail syste
ms provide security features, automatic messaging, and mail management systems l
ike electronic folders or notebooks. Voice mail offers essentially the same appl
ications, but for telephones, not computers. Facsimile transmissions are limited
to image relay, and while usage of this communication option has declined somew
hat with the emergence of electronic mail, fax machines remain standard in almos
t all business offices in America. In addition, new technologies continue to tra
nsform fax use, just as they have influenced other modes of corporate communicat
ion. For example, facsimile converters for the personal computer that allow remo
te printing of "faxed" information via the computer rather than through a dedica
ted facsimile machine are now available. Indeed, these facsimile circuit boards
for the microcomputer are slowly replacing stand-alone fax machines. Simultaneou
sly, other traditional office equipment continues to undergo changes that improv
e their data exchange capacities as well. Digital copiers, for example, are incr
easingly multifunctional (with copying, printing, faxing, and scanning capabilit
ies) and connectable to computer networks.
DATA MANAGEMENT Office automation systems are also often used to track both shor
t-term and long-term data in the realms of financial plans, workforce allocation
plans, marketing expenditures, inventory purchases, and other aspects of busine
ss. Task management or scheduling systems monitor and control various projects a
nd activities within the office. Electronic management systems monitor and contr
ol office activities and tasks through timelines, resource equations, and electr
onic scheduling. As in data exchange, groupware and network computer systems are
 gaining in popularity for data management. Under such arrangements, multiple me
mbers of the office environment are provided with access to a variety of informa
tion at a central electronic location.
OFFICE AUTOMATION CONSIDERATIONS: PEOPLE, TOOLS, AND THE WORKPLACE
Businesses engaged in launching or upgrading office automation systems must cons
ider a wide variety of factors that can influence the effectiveness of those sys
tems. These factors include budgetary and physical space considerations, changes
in communication infrastructure, and other considerations. But two other factor
s that must be considered are employee training and proliferating office automat
ion choices:
* Training People involved with office automation basically include all users
of the automation and all providers of the automation systems and tools. A wide
range of people including software and hardware engineers, management information
scientists, executives, mid-level workers, and secretaries are just a few of the p
eople that use office automation on a daily basis. As a result, training of pers
onnel on these office automation systems has become an essential part of many co
mpanies' planning. After all, the office automation system is only as good as th
e people who make it and use it, and smart business owners and managers recogniz
e that workplace resistance to these systems can dramatically lessen their benef
its. "It's true that as technology matures the need for special training will de
cline because tomorrow's software and hardware will be much more intuitive and loa
ded with built-in teaching drills that time is not here yet," wrote Zarowin. "Trai
ning is still essential."
* Choice A dizzying array of office automation alternatives are available to b
usinesses of all shapes, sizes, and subject areas. Such systems typically involv
e a sizable investment of funds, so it is wise for managers and business owners
to undertake a careful course of study before making a purchase. Primary factors
that should be considered include: cost of the system, length of time involved
in introducing the system, physical condition of the facility into which the sys
tem will be introduced, level of technical support, compatibility with other sys
tems, complexity of system (a key factor in determining allocations of time and
money for training), and compatibility of the system with the business area in w
hich the company is involved.
As the high-tech New Economy continues to evolve over the next several years, bu
siness experts warn small businesses not to fall too far behind. Some small busi
nesses remain resistant to change and thus fall ever further behind in utilizing
office automation technology, despite the plethora of evidence that it constitu
tes the wave of the future. The entrepreneurs and managers who lead these enterp
rises typically defend their inaction by noting that they remain able to accompl
ish their basic business requirements without such investments, or by claiming t
hat new innovations in technology and automation are too expensive or challengin
g to master. But according to Zarowin, "those rationalizations don't acknowledge
what many recent converts to technology are discovering: the longer one delays,
the larger the gap and the harder it is to catch up. And though many businesses
still can function adequately with paper and pencil, their customers and their co
mpetition are not sitting on their hands."
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What is office automation?
The term office automation refers to all tools and methods that are applied to o
ffice activities which make it possible to process written, visual, and sound da
ta in a computer-aided manner.
Office automation is intended to provide elements which make it possible to simp
lify, improve, and automate the organisation of the activities of a company or a
group of people (management of administrative data, synchronisation of meetings
, etc.).
Considering that company organizations requires increased communication, today,
office automation is no longer limited to simply capturing handwritten notes. In
particular, it also includes the following activities:
* exchange of information
* management of administrative documents
* handling of numerical data
* meeting planning and management of work schedules
Office suite tools
The term "office suite" refers to all software programs which make it possible t
o meet office needs. In particular, an office suite therefore includes the follo
wing software programs:
* word processing
* a spreadsheet
* a presentation tool
* a database
* a scheduler
The main office suites are:
* AppleWorks
* Corel WordPerfect
* IBM/Lotus SmartSuite
* Microsoft Office
* Sun StarOffice
* OpenOffice (freeware)