Name of the student: SWAPNIL JAIN

Year and Section: 5TH YR- ‘B’

Class Roll No. 23
Assignment no: 02
Date of submission: 11/03/2020
Topic: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
QUESTION

What do you understand by Office Automation, Information Storage

and retrieval? Highlight its importance in modern day office.

ANSWER

Office automation refers to the integration of office functions usually related to managing
information. There are many tools used to automate office functions and the spread of
electronic processors inside computers as well as inside copiers and printers is at the
center of most recent advances in office automation. Raw data storage, electronic data
transfer, and the management of electronic business information comprise the basic
activities of an office automation system.

The modern history of office automation began with the typewriter and the copy
machine, which mechanized previously manual tasks. Today, however, office
automation is increasingly understood as a term that refers not just to the
mechanization of tasks but to the conversion of information to electronic form as well.
The advent of the personal computer revolutionized office automation, and today,
popular operating systems and user interfaces dominate office computer systems. This
revolution has been so complete, and has infiltrated so many areas of business, that
almost all businesses use at least one commercial computer business application in the
course of daily activity. Even the smallest companies commonly utilize 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 Journal of Accountancy. "As we enter the new
millennium, it has taken another quantum 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: storage of
information, data exchange, and data management. Within each broad application area,
hardware and software combine to fulfill basic functions.

Information Storage

The first area within office automation is information storage which is usually considered
to include office records and other primary office forms and documents. Data
applications involve the capture and editing of files, images, or spreadsheets. Word
processing and desktop presentation packages accommodate raw textual and graphical
data, while spreadsheet applications provide users with the capacity to engage in the
easy manipulation and output of numbers. Image applications 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 more popular
features of word processing packages is its preformatted document templates.
Templates automatically set up such things as font size, paragraph styles, headers and
footers, and page numbers so that the user does not have to reset document
characteristics every time he or she creates 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, desktop
publishing packages have emerged as valuable tools in the creation of newsletters,
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. Examples
of visual information include pictures of documents, photographs, and graphics such as
tables and charts. These images are converted into digital files, which cannot be edited
the same way that text files can. In a word processor or desktop publishing application,
each word or character is treated individually. In an imaging system, the entire picture or
document is treated as one whole object. One of the most popular uses of computerized
images is in corporate presentations or speeches. Presentation software packages
simplify the creation of multimedia presentations that use computer video, images,
sound, and text in an integrated information package. Spreadsheet programs allow the
manipulation of numeric data.

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 the exchange of information among
multiple users. 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 considered electronic sharing systems. Electronic sharing software
illustrates the collaborative nature of many office automation systems.

Office automation systems that include the ability to electronically share information
between more than one user simultaneously are sometimes referred to as groupware
systems. One type of groupware is an electronic meeting system. Electronic meeting
systems allow geographically dispersed participants to exchange information in real
time. Participants in such electronic meetings may be within the same office or building,
or thousands of miles apart. Long-distance electronic sharing systems usually use a
telephone line connection to transfer data, while sharing in the same often involves just
a local area network of computers (no outside phone line is needed). The functional
effectiveness of such electronic sharing 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 computer.

Electronic transfer software and systems allow for electronic transmission of office
information. Electronic mail uses computer-based storage and a common set of network
communication protocols to forward electronic messages from one user to another.
Most of these systems allow users to relay electronic mail to more than one recipient,
although they refer to this in an old-fashioned way as carbon copying or "ccing."
Electronic mail, or e-mail systems, provide security features, automatic messaging, and
mail management systems like electronic folders or notebooks. Voice mail offers
essentially the same applications, but for telephones, not computers.

Other traditional office machines continue to undergo changes that improve their data
exchange capacities as well. Digital copiers, for example, are increasingly
multifunctional (with copying, printing, faxing, and scanning capabilities) and
connectable to computer networks. Laptops, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and
Blackberries (wireless cell phone and PDA units) use wireless data transfer
technologies to provide users with almost instant access to information stored on a
company's computer networks and servers from just about anywhere within reach of a
cell phone tower or wireless Internet transmitter. That means just about anywhere within
an urban area of the United States these days.

Data Management

Office automation systems are also often used to track both short-term and long-term
data in the realms of financial plans, workforce allocation plans, marketing expenditures,
inventory purchases, and other aspects of business. Task management or scheduling
systems monitor and control various projects and activities within the office. Electronic
management systems monitor and control office activities and tasks through timelines,
resource equations, and electronic scheduling.

THE BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING OFFICE AUTOMATION SYSTEM

Why is office automation imperative? In his Houston Chronicle article, Aurelio Locsin

explains: “automating processes reduces your involvement in mundane clerical tasks,
such as organizing customer data or creating reports, and leaves you to concentrate on
the parts of your business that you prefer…automating information systems reduces
storage space, speeds retrieval, and allows several employees to access the same data
at the same time.”
1. Data Storage and Manipulation: Data storage includes important and

confidential office documents and records. Office automation system includes data

applications, which are used to create or edit a document, file, spreadsheet or an

image. There are various types of word processing and desktop presentation

packages available, which allow creating or editing textual data. Similarly, you can

find dedicated applications for editing spreadsheets and images.

2. Data Management: Data management is one of the major components of office

automation system that offers strategic advantages by simplifying the management

of stored data and information. Large business organizations can monitor and

control various projects and activities within the office through an electronic

management system. Program schedules, tickler systems or reminder systems, and

task management are some of the features, which empower businesses to have an

eye on all business processes without any hassle.

3. Data Exchange: Exchange of stored or manipulated data and information is also

an important component of an office automation system. Sending files or

exchanging data or information between one or more than one member of an

organization has become possible with an electronic transfer application. Through a

network connection, all data and information, including text documents,

presentations, spreadsheets, images, and videos can be sent in real-time within a

few seconds. Illustrating the collaborative nature of an office automation system, this

would allow your employees to collaborate in real-time and enhance their

productivity.
4. Accuracy: Yes, it’s true! Computer systems and other machines are as effective

as a human brain. Once the bugs are removed from a program or an application, it

can help you in getting 100% accuracy in the day-to-day business processes. The

software programs are more reliable than the human, who actually made it.

Implementing an advanced business automation software reduces the probability of

errors.

5. Save Time and Resources: Office automation empowers businesses to save

both time and money. It simplifies and automates those complex tasks, which earlier

required a dedicated resource and a great amount of time. For example, with the

introduction of the latest computer technologies and network communications,

businesses are now not constricted by geographical limitations. And hence, they can

easily save both time and money spent on traveling. Another great example is the

digital storage, which eliminates the need of preserving hard copies and hence,

saving paper and nature as well.

6. Reduced Costs: Since every business process is now automated, you don’t

need to invest much on hiring new resources for taking care of those tasks, which

can be easily executed using an office automation system. As we know that time

saved is money saved, your business enterprise can easily save huge by

automating various complex business processes. With saving large on the overall

expenditure and investment on other resources, your profit margins are surely going

to improve.
In short, office automation can allow your company to:

 Save money (including power usage, materials, and labor costs)

 Enhance productivity

 Go green

 Securely store important information

 Track your output and operations

 Reduce the rate of errors in your work

 Improve colleague and client communications

 Schedule tasks and employee hours

 Better understand and control your budget

 Manage your resources