The Concept of Paperless Office - Report Example

The Concept of Paperless Office The Concept of Paperless Office Microsoft National Technology Officer, Daniel Akenine, expressed the possibility of attaining a paperless office to that of paperless toilet. Based on Akenine’s perception, the most fundamental aspect of the paperless office is an enhanced access to information through digital platforms. The concept of paperless office started as a revolutionary idea in the 1970s. Introduction of microcomputers and programs that support its use in the office set up such as word processors were key among the visionary ideals in the paperless office concept. According to Quiggin (2014, p. 1), the pioneers of the paperless office attributed it to increased efficiency in the workplace through seamless coordination of activities. It would replace the furniture office as envisioned by its pioneers. Founders of the computer idea such as George E Pake, the head of Palo Alto Research Center under Xerox Corporation, had a viewpoint an office that is free of congestion by paperwork. Vincent E. Giuliano envisioned the paperless office as an environment in which record handling is through proper electronic systems. Use of paper to process business records, according to Giuliano, would be on the decline from 1990. Giuliano predicted an integrated system based on great technological advancements with Xerox and IBM as the central players. In 1975, George E. Pake expressed confidence in a revolution that would change the office setup to a well-organized system by 1995, twenty years on (Editor’s Note 1975, p. 1). Bloomberg BusinessWeek editor described the office of the future as explained in an article that appeared in June 30, 1975, envisioning the future office. From the perspective of the 1970s, researches in office equipment had the determination to eliminate the labor-intensive office through a system that would revolutionize office operations. Office equipment manufacturers envisioned to improve office productivity through enhancing proper information systems. Over the past years, improvement in information technology has been a vital aspect that drives reforms in the workplace. Besides changing workplace organization, technological advancements transform several other aspects including communication among professionals. Key among the implications of advancements in information systems is the emergence of network organizations. Network organizations use technological infrastructure in coordinating communication and control of their activities. Collaboration among professionals in network organizations is through virtual networks. Features of Post-Industrial Organizations The contemporary workplace vastly differs from the traditional and pre-industrial setting. With the advancement in technology, professionals tend to eliminate face-to-face communication channels. Computer mediated communication dominates the contemporary setting of network organizations. Features such as teleconferencing are supported by networks set in the contemporary workplace and environments. Formerly, in pre-industrialized organizations, workplaces were in centralized structures set in a hierarchy. Contrary to the former settings of the workplace that were characteristic of hierarchies, contemporary settings involve networks that demand no physical supervision. Information technology has transformed departmentalism that was formerly initially characteristic or workplaces. Apparently, professionals operate through distributed work that does not require physical departments. Electronic control supported by information systems is a key feature of contemporary workplace environments. It replaces the past environments that involved direct controls and supervision of the workforce. Manual work that dominated past workplace environments are substituted by mental expertise involving execution of computer commands on programming software. Online Market Places and Knowledge Exchange The emergence of online marketplaces is a notable development in the workplace that represents transformations of the workplace. Online marketplaces are fast growing. Online labor exchanges have promoted the ability to have online workforces and employees. The web provides a platform for exceptional exchange of talents. The number of online works is highly increasing because of online workplaces. Firms outsource jobs by posting them on online marketplaces. ODesk, Elance and Freelance are examples of firms providing a platform for online labor exchanges. According to The Economist, online marketplaces attracted a sum of $1 billion in 2013. In 2014, the figure is most likely to rise to $2 billion in 2014. Talent exchange through an online workforce is a fundamental aspect in promoting quality service provision. Talent exchange promotes quality of services besides the fact that it is not highly demanding to control online workforces. It is easy to manage payments for online employees. E-commerce opportunities are interestingly becoming highly an applicable culture in contemporary business environments. Entrepreneurs are stating up e-commerce sites to attract a diverse workforce that works with utmost efficiency at a lower cost. Talent exchange has a potential to transform the entire global workforce. Technical skills including those that relate to information technology such as programming and making of mobile apps are available in online marketplaces for knowledge exchange. The Influence of Computers to Work Environment (Office) The computer is an efficient digital electronic device used for data storage and information processing. The introduction of computer in the working environments has really changed the way of communication interchange in organizations. The communication has become easy, reducing the burden of daily transactions. Industrialization has also increased because of the computer technology incorporated in the industrial management (Brotby, 2009) Since communication is the basis for any development project, computers have enhanced the flow of communication within organizations globally leading to the birth of information technology. Information technology is the science of coordination within the society via the computer networks called the internet. Internet is the interconnection of computer networks linking people from different geographical backgrounds. Internet increases the level of socialization leading to global integration. Information technology in office automation Computers have improved the quality of duties provided in the offices, by many employees finding it easy to deal with the records backup and retrieval provided by the use of computer systems. The knowledge of computer programming and Microsoft packages used in daily computer system application as database management systems, improves the data storage and permanent data backup. Information technology plays a great role in the society it automates the existing operations and increases the speed of communication thereby increasing the productivity of many organizations (Willard & Ginsburg, 2012). Information technology replaces paper and people with the electronic data storage systems without converting the work type. All the organizational processes are increased by the implementation of information technologies in the companies. For production, strategic marketing, and sales information, accounting and financial information are kept safely by the use of computing systems. There is a direct correlation between information technology investments and the productivity in industries and firms, the more the investment in information technology the higher the annual company returns. Information technology leads to the collaboration of many organizations from different locations by decentralization (Sharma, 2013). Information technology has elevated the level marketing through the social networking media services like face book, twitter and the blogs. Many international companies place their marketing strategies online to fetch many customers. This has lead to the abandonment of the common advertisement like the television ads. Information technology has expanded the improvement in healthcare industry. Medical diagnosis has become cheap and efficient leading to quick treatment of patients with emergency cases in the hospitals. Information technology has promoted E-commerce in the transactions done locally or internationally based on the customer’s interest. Money exchange through the international money exchange bureaus like the money gram and western union money transfers accelerates the rate of global online business. Many organisations share the management technologies within the shortest time possible by the use of information technology this expands the productivity and industrial development (Stair & Reynold, 2014). The security measures of most corporations have improved because of the use of computers .There is safety and confidentiality of most of the companies’ information, Money from the companies are wired online reducing the risk of attacks by robbers. Although information technology has improved the society, it also has cause caused some problems like inadequate job opportunities evolving because of the rise in computer use in the society. Similarities at the workplace despite the emergence of new technology Although there are reforms in the workplace operations, some factors remain similar. The use of information as a means of coordination remains similar in the past and contemporary work environments. Similar to the past, contemporary network era managers of personnel at the workplace must use information. Information is vital for control, coordination, and supervision of work at different levels of management. Workplace ethics are vital today as they were in the past before the emergence of networks. Although there is a reduced level of physical control and supervision of employees because improved information systems, they must comply with set ethics. Regulations that were formerly applicable in the case of physical communication networks still exist in the contemporary setting of a network society. Employees have set codes of conduct that they must observe even when operation from decentralized points or workstations. Punctuality, for instance, is a key virtue that employees must embrace although they may be operating away from physical offices. Incentives to Make Consumers Use Better Technology Although there is an emerging trend of increased population of personnel using advent technologies in diverse areas of management, disconnect in the manner in which different businesses embrace the change exists. For instance, disconnect exists in the manner in which CEOs and other management staff members utilize emerging technologies to enhance knowledge exchange that would promote productivity and efficiency. Knowledge exchange is an indispensable aspect in ensuring proper delivery of quality services and, therefore, should be institutionalized by all businesses. As CEOs and management professionals, it is prudent to adopt incentives that would promote the use of technology to enhance knowledge exchange in cooperate governance. Improved access to improved technology Enhancing better data sharing Information should be accessible to a great population in the workplace through enhanced data sharing. Access to information at the office should be complete, timely, and accurate. High quality information is vital to enhance productivity at the office. Open access and information sharing is critical in the office. CEOs should ensure enhanced and easy coordination of activities at the workplace. Information sharing enhances efficiency and decision making strategies. Set up office or workplace web portals Regional or work place web portals are important platforms to share information among professionals through integrated systems. The portal serves as a data hub for from where coordination of office activities is attainable. CEOs should ensure full and timely access to the data hub at the workplace. Data-sharing pilot projects are important in gaining ideas among professionals at the workplace. Provision of Technical Assistance Technical assistance provided to staff is critical in enhancing their level of productivity at the office. Workforce development promotes a high level of competence in data sharing. It enhances knowledge of best practices in handling and sharing data at the workplace. Infrastructure support for Technology transfer as an incentive Among the key frameworks to promote technology use by business involves enhancing technology transfer. Technology transfer incentive would involve promoting the extent of ownership infrastructure for use in enhancing knowledge exchange among businesses. Incentives would promote ownership and installation of infrastructure to support technology use by businesses. Ensuring a strong culture of knowledge exchange CEOs should inculcate the culture of knowledge exchange among businesses. Relevant services that are available to support knowledge exchange. Knowledge exchange culture will promote interactions among business partners. Business CEOs should promote knowledge exchange by external partners by ensuring proper enhancement of database that supports communication. Experts in business organizations should serve to collate information needed for knowledge exchange. Acknowledging need for enhanced technology CEOs should acknowledge that technology use is indispensable in businesses. Setting a task force to ensure proper development of technology in the business is important. Promoting startups for technology and innovation is important in enhancing technological development for businesses. Conclusion The paperless office concept envisioned in the 1970s is a reality in the contemporary workplace. Today’s offices are characteristic of computers that are used for diverse purposes. Information sharing and office work is easy to execute now compared to the past. Knowledge sharing and e-commerce are characteristics of contemporary today’s offices supported by information technology. Although integrated systems and information technology in the paperless office is enhanced, CEOs have a role to promote the concept through different strategies. Bibliography Willard, H. P. D., & Ginsburg, G. S. (2012). Genomic and Personalized Medicine: V1-2. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Brotby, W. K. (2009). Information security governance: A practical development and implementation approach. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Sakhuja, V., & Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. (2011). Asian maritime power in the 21st century: Strategic transactions : China, India and Southeast Asia. Singapore: ISEAS. Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. (2014). Principles of information systems. Australia: Course Technology Cengage Learning. Sharma, S. K. (2013). Adoption of virtual technologies for business, educational, and governmental advancements. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Editor. (Jun 1st 2013). Online labour exchanges. The workforce in the cloud. “Talent exchanges” on the web are starting to transform the world of work. Retrieved December 10, 2014 from, http://www.economist.com/news/business/21578658-talent-exchanges-web-are-starting-transform-world-work-workforce Read More