chap14.ppt 316KB May 20 2010 09:29:48 PM

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Chapter 14

The Virtual Office

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS 8/E Raymond McLeod, Jr. and George Schell

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Introduction

 Automation began in the factoryAutomation began in the factory

– Numerical control (NC)_{Numerical control (NC)}

– Direct numerical control (DNC)_{Direct numerical control (DNC)} – CAD/CAM_CAD/CAM

– _Robotics_Robotics

 Office automation (OA) began with IBM in the 1960’sOffice automation (OA) began with IBM in the 1960’s

– Word processing_{Word processing}

– Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter_{Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter}

 Office automation systems are characterized by Office automation systems are characterized by communication

communication

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Office Automation (OA)

 Formal and informal electronic systemsFormal and informal electronic systems  Communication of informationCommunication of information

 Persons inside and outside the firm are Persons inside and outside the firm are

affected affected

 Used by managers, professionals, secretaries, Used by managers, professionals, secretaries,

and clerical employees and clerical employees

– managers and professionals are collectively _{managers and professionals are collectively}

known as knowledge workers

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The Virtual Office

 Office work can be done at virtually any Office work can be done at virtually any

geographic location geographic location

 Must be linked by electronic communicationMust be linked by electronic communication  ImpactImpact

– _{Emerged with the appearance of low cost}_{Emerged with the appearance of low cost}

microprocessors

microprocessors – _{Teleprocessing}_{Teleprocessing} – Telecommuting_{Telecommuting}

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Advantages of the Virtual

Office



Reduced facility costs



Reduced equipment cost



Formal communications network



Reduced work stoppages



Social contributions

– Those unable to leave their homes can now _{Those unable to leave their homes can now}

work in new ways

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Disadvantages of the

Virtual Office

 Sense of not belongingSense of not belonging

 Fear of job lossFear of job loss

 Low moraleLow morale

 Family tensionFamily tension

These are disadvantages to the employee!

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Recommended Virtual

Office Strategy

 Provide computer resourcesProvide computer resources

 Provide access to information sourcesProvide access to information sources

 Provide noncomputer suppliesProvide noncomputer supplies

 Arrange to forward phone callsArrange to forward phone calls

 Utilize conference callsUtilize conference calls

 Schedule regular meetingsSchedule regular meetings

 Follow a work routineFollow a work routine

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Virtual Organization

 Extends idea of a virtual office to an entire Extends idea of a virtual office to an entire

organization organization

 No ties to physical locationNo ties to physical location

 Three I EconomyThree I Economy

– _Information_Information – _Ideas_Ideas

– _Intelligence_Intelligence

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OA Model

 Information and communicationInformation and communication

– No data_{No data}

 Computer and noncomputer applicationsComputer and noncomputer applications

 "Other problem solvers" "Other problem solvers"

– _Internal_Internal

– _{Environmental}_{Environmental}

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Environment Environment

The firm

Problem Solver Problem SolversOther

Database

Transform Noncomputer

Apps

Computer-Apps

Input

physical resources

Output

physical resources An OA Model

An OA Model Communications Information

Office Automation System

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Office Automation (OA)

Applications

 Word processing_{Word processing}

 Electronic and voice mail_{Electronic and voice mail}  Computer calendaringComputer calendaring  Audio conferencingAudio conferencing  Video conferencingVideo conferencing

 Computer conferencing Computer conferencing  FAXFAX

 VideotexVideotex  Imaging_Imaging

 Desktop publishing_{Desktop publishing}

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Word Processing

 Use of a computer to perform automatically Use of a computer to perform automatically

many of the tasks necessary to prepare many of the tasks necessary to prepare

typed or printed documents typed or printed documents

 Contribution to managers is the preparation Contribution to managers is the preparation

of more effective communications of more effective communications

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A Word Processing System

Secretary or manager

Document storage

CPU _{Typed documents}

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Electronic Mail (E-mail)

 Use of a computer network that allows users Use of a computer network that allows users

to send, store and retrieve messages using to send, store and retrieve messages using

terminals and storage devices terminals and storage devices

 Good when two-way conversation is not Good when two-way conversation is not

needed needed

 Easy asynchronous communicationEasy asynchronous communication

 Eliminates phone tagEliminates phone tag

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An Electronic Mail System

Mail storage

CPU

Mail display and entry

Mail display and entry User 1

User 2

User n

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Voice Mail

 Like e-mail except messages are sent and Like e-mail except messages are sent and

received over telephone systems in audio form

 Requires computers with an ability to store Requires computers with an ability to store

audio messages digitally and convert them back

upon retrieval

 Managers do not have to typeManagers do not have to type

 Less equipment and infrastructure than Less equipment and infrastructure than

e-mail e-mail

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Computer

Message coding and decoding unit

User 1 User 2

Secondary storage

A

Voice

Mail

System

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Electronic Calendaring

 Use of a networked computer to store and Use of a networked computer to store and

retrieve a manager’s appointment calendar retrieve a manager’s appointment calendar

 Allows other managers’ calendars to be Allows other managers’ calendars to be

accessed accessed

 Facilitates schedulingFacilitates scheduling

 Does not communicate problem-solving Does not communicate problem-solving

information information

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An Electronic Calendaring System

Calendar storage

CPU

Calendar display and entry

Manager 1

Manager 2

Manager n

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Audio Conferencing

 Uses voice communications equipment to Uses voice communications equipment to

establish an audio link between establish an audio link between geographically dispersed people geographically dispersed people

 Conference call was first form of this Conference call was first form of this

system system

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Rules for Added Efficiency

in Audio Conferencing

 Have a moderatorHave a moderator

 Keep participants to a manageable sizeKeep participants to a manageable size  Send an agenda firstSend an agenda first

 Identify yourself when speakingIdentify yourself when speaking  Keep a taped recordKeep a taped record

 Distribute a hard copy transcript or meeting Distribute a hard copy transcript or meeting

minutes

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An Audio Conferencing System

Audio Channel

Location 1 Location

n

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Video Conferencing

 Use of television equipment to link Use of television equipment to link

geographically dispersed conference geographically dispersed conference

participants participants

 Three general configurationsThree general configurations

– _{One-way video and audio}_{One-way video and audio}

– _{One-way video and two-way audio}_{One-way video and two-way audio} – _{Two-way video and audio}_{Two-way video and audio}

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Video channel

Video channel Location 1

Location n

A. One-way video transmission

B. Two-way video transmission

Video

Conferencing

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Desktop Video

Conferencing

 Video and audio equipment are attached to each Video and audio equipment are attached to each

workstation in the network enabling the two-way

communication of picture and sound

 Technical concernsTechnical concerns

– Many desktop computers are powerful enough already_{Many desktop computers are powerful enough already} – _{Requires high-speed communications network}_{Requires high-speed communications network}

– _{Cost is typically less that $1,000 for the additional}_{Cost is typically less that $1,000 for the additional}

equipment to make a standard PC a desktop video

station

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Computer Conferencing

 Uses a networked computer that allows Uses a networked computer that allows

participants with some common characteristic to

exchange information regarding a particular topic

 One of the largest was an IBM PC computer One of the largest was an IBM PC computer

conference

– Over 4,000 topic areas_{Over 4,000 topic areas} – Over 40,000 members_{Over 40,000 members}

 Computers must be networked togetherComputers must be networked together

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Teleconferencing



Incorporates all other conferencing

techniques



Includes:

•

audio

•

video

•

computer conferencing

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FAX

Original

document Facsimile_machine Analog_channel Facsimile_machine Document_copy Uses special equipment that can read a

document at one end of a communication channel and make a copy at the other end

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Videotex

 Uses a computer to store and display a Uses a computer to store and display a

stored narrative and graphic material on a stored narrative and graphic material on a

CRT screen CRT screen

– _{Can be created in the firm’s own computer}_{Can be created in the firm’s own computer}

– _{Can be owned by a service and accessed by the}_{Can be owned by a service and accessed by the}

firm (such as the Dow Jones News / Retrieval

Service)

– Can be owned by other firms_{Can be owned by other firms}

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Imaging

 Uses optical character recognition (OCR) to Uses optical character recognition (OCR) to

convert data on paper to a digital format for convert data on paper to a digital format for

storage in a secondary storage device storage in a secondary storage device

 Performed by a document management Performed by a document management

(DM) system (DM) system

 Conserves space since documents are not Conserves space since documents are not

stored in paper form stored in paper form

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A Document Management

System

OCROCR Reader Reader Network server Network server

DBM

S

Workstation

Workstation WorkstationWorkstation

Workstation Workstation Workstation Workstation Laser Laser printer printer Laser Laser printer printer Documents Documents

to be read

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Desktop Publishing

 Uses a computer to prepare output that is very Uses a computer to prepare output that is very close in quality to that produced by a typesetter

close in quality to that produced by a typesetter

 Requires high resolution monitor and printing Requires high resolution monitor and printing devices

devices

 Three areas of applicationsThree areas of applications

– _{administrative}_{administrative} – technical_technical

– corporate_corporate

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Desk-Top Publishing

System

High-resolution screen

Keyboard Microcomputer

Laser printer output

Document storage

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OA and Virtual Office in

Perspective

 Aimed at the heart of business problem Aimed at the heart of business problem

solving solving

– _{Supplements interpersonal communications}_{Supplements interpersonal communications}

– _{Provides opportunity for better communications}_{Provides opportunity for better communications}

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Summary

 Early OA was directed at secretarial staff Early OA was directed at secretarial staff

and clerks and clerks

 Communication needs of managers and Communication needs of managers and

knowledge workers were recognized knowledge workers were recognized

 Virtual office concept emergedVirtual office concept emerged

 Goal of OA is increased productivityGoal of OA is increased productivity

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Summary [cont.]

 Variety of applicationsVariety of applications

– Word processing_{Word processing} – E-mail_E-mail

– Voice mail_{Voice mail}

– _{Electronic calendaring}_{Electronic calendaring} – Audio conferencing_{Audio conferencing} – Video conferencing_{Video conferencing}

– Computer conferencing_{Computer conferencing} – Fax_Fax

– Videotex_Videotex