Identify key features of widely used business application programs - Research Paper Example

Running Head: Business Application Programs Business Application Programs [Institute’s Business Application Programs Application programs are computer software, used to carry out many important tasks such as secretarial work, making reports, and graphics consuming much less time than the time required in doing them by hand. These programs require operating systems (like Windows) and at times other system utilities to run. Business application or enterprise software works with the needs of information flow.

Organizations carry out major structural and analytical processes through these various business application softwares. Certain business application software is under discussion below. Word processors have now become one of the basic requisites of businesses. Using a word processor, one can make a document, save it in an electronically conducive format in a disk or drive, display it on monitor, make amendments to it by inserting commands and various typescripts from keyboard and eventually print it (Dibbern, 2004).

It has various advantages, which makes it highly popular among literate individuals. Above all, it is convenient then a typewriter in which you have to retype the whole document in case of any error. However, in Word Processor, editing words, paragraphs and formatting is very easy. Word processing applications provide you with “file management systems, font specifications, referencing systems, graphics, layouts, grammar and spelling checkers, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) etc” (Dibbern, 2004).

Some of the popular word processing applications include “Microsoft Word, Notepad, Google Docs, Lotus Manuscript, WordPad” (Dibbern, 2004), and many more.Presentation software is another category of application program that creates a continuity of words and pictures to present an idea or story. Business presentation applications are user friendly, compatible, and transferable as well. They enable the user to include images, audio, as well as video developed with other tools. Its advantages are many but primarily it helps in appearance of documents, providing snapshot of ideas, sound effects and much more.

Some popular presentation software include “Microsoft PowerPoint, Lotus’s Freelance Graphics, and Corel Presentations, etc” (Dibbern, 2004). These softwares enable a user to have animations attached to their work and improve appearance of data to maximize value.Spreadsheet is one of the most powerful programs used for bookkeeping, scheduling, and data storing purposes. It contains arrangement of cells in the form of table of rows and columns. Each cell has a value and each value may have a predefined association with values in other cells (Deborah Morley, 2009).

Spreadsheet application creates and alters spreadsheet by electronic means. The user can define relationship of one cell to another by the use of formulas or other linkages. The user can apply various what-if scenarios that will help him discover the best possible solution to analytical problems. A few well-known spreadsheet applications floating in the market are Lotus 1-2-3 and Ms Excel. These applications produce charts, graphs and other ways of pictorial representation as well. In the current competitive business environment, a manager has a competitive advantage among other employees if he is well equipped with application softwares such as Ms Excel.

Data of enormous size is screened to shape into a presentable form through spreadsheet applications.Lastly, business application software is the need of the hour therefore; every business manager needs to be highly equipped with its functions to provide a competitive edge to the organization.ReferencesCurtin, D. P. (1990). Application software. Prentice Hall.Deborah Morley, C. S. (2009). Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, Comprehensive. Cengage Learning.Dibbern, J. (2004). The sourcing of application software services: empirical evidence of cultural, industry and functional differences. Springer.