Understanding the 3 fundamental activities of an Office Automation System (OAS)

Office automation involves the integration of software applications and hardware devices “to  digitally create, collect, store, manipulate, and relay office information needed for accomplishing basic tasks”.

The process of office automation first became popular in the 80s because of the spread of processors inside computers, copiers and printers, and increasingly pervasive due to the introduction of personal computers in the mid 90s. Today, almost all businesses have some form of automation software and/or device used internally to perform at least one of the fundamental activities of an office automation system.

This pervasiveness is epitomized by Stanley Zarowin in Journal of Accountancy when he said, “as we enter the new millennium, it (office automation) has taken another quantum leap, going from a priority to a prerequisite for doing business.”

Zarowin could not be more right when he said that office automation is now “a prerequisite for doing business”. It is one of the common denominators between businesses that succeed and the ones that fail. In the information age, using office automation systems to efficiently store data, to securely transfer data and effectively manage data is a vital key to success in the business world today!

Data Storage

The data storage function of an office automation system involves the capture and editing of files in various formats. These include text, spreadsheets and images. Word processing and desktop presentation applications are used to handle textual and graphical data, while spreadsheet applications allow users to easily manipulate numeric data. Image applications allow the capture and editing of visual images.

Data Exchange

The collaborative nature of the modern working place makes data exchange an important function in any office automation system. Users ability to transfer, share and distribute data is essential, especially for businesses that run various departments and have branches in different locations. Examples of data sharing applications include electronic mail, facsimile and online document sharing applications.

Data Management

Data management includes activities such as monitoring and controlling office activities and tasks. These tasks must be managed efficaciously through timelines, resource allocations, and scheduling.

A shift towards integrated solutions

In the last decade, the industry has seen a shift towards a more integrated and comprehensive enterprise online office automation systems that seek to streamline all business procedures in one centralized location. Users do not have to use different standalone applications to store and access different file formats.

An example solution - Laserfiche

Laserfiche Cloud is a Software as a Service (SaaS) enterprise document management solution that provides a central digital repository accessible from anywhere.

Laserfiche provides businesses with  content management solution that comes with powerful capabilities, from; capture, electronic forms, e-signatures, workflow, records management and security - Laserfiche Enterprise Content Management allows organizations to securely manage and share documents, videos, photos and other content.

Laserfiche makes it easy for users to integrate with third-party and proprietary applications and that is because of its highly adaptable interfaces.

For more information on how Laserfiche can help you in automating your business processes, please learn more here.