OFFICE AUTOMATION SYSTEMS: PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057526 |
| Date | 01 November 1988 |
| Pages | 13-16 |
| Published date | 01 November 1988 |
| Author | T.C.E. Cheng |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
OFFICE AUTOMATION SYSTEMS:
PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY
by
T.C.E.
Cheng
University of Manitoba, Canada
With the ever-increasing popularity of computers and microprocessors, more and more people are talking about
office automation systems to provide such functions as electronic
mail,
word processing, calendar management,
phone directories, personal computing and computer-based instructions (for example, user ID changes,
suggestion box, display current time, user's personal menu and action items).
Electronic Mail
Information technology provides a new approach to
correspondence. In office automation systems,
electronic mail and message systems allow for the
transmission and distribution of text material in
electronic form over computerised data and
communication networks. Although it is quite possible
to set up a simple two-way electronic messaging system
by connecting a pair of micros together via modems
and the public telephone line, true electronic mailing
comprises a network of addresses. Like the
conventional telephone
system,
it allows one to contact
anyone on the network provided one knows the other's
identity code. It is a system that usually requires a
mainframe providing software to take care of house-
keeping such as password protection, temporary
storage space and message routing.
Normally the mainframe remains in the background and
the user is given the illusion of a straightforward two-
way connection that presents the recipient's mailbox
as a pigeonhole where messages can be safely left for
minutes, hours or days to await collection, a process
known as store-and-forward. One can get ungarbled
messages to people even if they are unavailable at the
same time. Correspondence is almost as quick and
casual as the telephone, but can also be formally
documented if one saves the messages and replies on
discs.
This makes communication more cost-effective
and time-effective, reducing information float and
telephone tag. As a result, electronic mail would
drastically reduce the present flow of paper messages,
letters, memos and reports which flood our present
inter-office and postal systems.
Voice and video message systems will be another part
of this development. Backed by more than 40 big
corporations, the new Media Lab on the Charles River
in the United States believes executives will find
computers a lot friendlier in the office of the future[1].
Rather than constantly wrestling with keyboards and
obscure codes, the businessman will be able to run his
computer by talking to it, pointing at it, or even glancing
at it. The Conversational Desktop is being developed
as the Media Lab's talking computer. It can perform
such secretarial tasks as making phone calls and
reminding the boss of important meetings!
Word Processing
Word processing is the automation of the
transformation of ideas and information into a readable
form of communication relying on automated and
computerised typing, dictation, copying, filing and
telecommunication systems.
The activities of word processing can be viewed as a
system of input, processing, output, storage and control
components:
(1) Input — ideas are expressed in words and
recorded.
(2) Processing — keying into a word processor.
Global editing, spelling diction-
ary, text processing, or list
processing functions are nowa-
days readily available.
(3) Storage — stored and filed electronically, or
on magnetic, micrographic or
paper media.
(4) Control — under the direction of a word
processing program.
(5) Output — communicated electronically or
on paper to a recipient.
Basically, five major types of computerised word
processing systems can be readily identified, ranging
from simple smart typewriters using microprocessors
to perform basic word processing functions to
computer terminals connected to central computer
systems having word processing software and other
programs for various applications:
— intelligent electronic typewriters
— stand-alone word processors
— shared logic systems
— shared resource systems
— time sharing systems
Word processing, when used effectively, can:
(1) increase the productivity of secretarial personnel
and reduce the cost of creating, reviewing and
revising;
IMDS
November/December
1988
13
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