The E-Office: What Exactly Is It? - Technology Information

The electronic office is an administrative, virtually centralized component of an organization where data, information, and communications are based and disseminated via some form of telecommunications.

The e in e-office can stand for electronic or extinct--it depends on your company's ability to strategically compete in the technology arena. With today's emerging telecommunications technology, high-speed broadband networks, and the Internet, offices have become eclectically electronic. Office tasks that were performed manually for centuries have become electronic--some even virtual. The e-office uses telecommunications technology to provide electronic office administrative services to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

How can your company have an e-office?

There are several examples of the use of technology to enhance the effectiveness of the e-office. Let's explore some of the most recent trends to making your office more technologically complete.

Many companies allow their employees to telecommute from home or some other remote location. All the telecommuter (employee) needs at the remote site is a computer, a telephone, and a telecommunications connection to the office. Not only does this provide convenience to the employee, but it also provides cost-savings to the employer in the form of less required office space and other overhead expenses.

"Smart offices" allow employees to communicate with the office via wireless devices while they're away--at home, in the car, or on vacation. BeAtHome software, a dot-com company in Fargo, N.D., provides an interactive Website interface to control temperature, security systems, and other activities from a remote location. The e-office just needs a sensor resting on the desktop to tell the out-of-the-office manager the status of who is in the workplace, inventory numbers, temperature and humidity, and other statistics. A traveling manager can even log on to see activities within the office or to participate in an electronic meeting with staff. The boundaries and physical limitations of geography no longer exist.

Conference rooms with built-in presentation equipment are impressive and give the company a great public image when outsiders are invited in to speak. I recently conducted a seminar at the Alerus Convention Center in Grand Forks, N.D., (a brand new facility in a city with a population of about 50,000). The meeting rooms were phenomenal! The technology I needed to effectively conduct a professional presentation was at my fingertips. The equipment was in exceptional working order, and everything was flawless--it made me look good as the presenter. How many times have you given or attended a presentation where some technology glitch occurred during the seminar? Embarrassing, isn't it? Especially at the beginning of a seminar on technology. Remember when Bill Gates was going to demo a new version of Windows software and the equipment wouldn't work? It happens to all of us. Think of the image presented when all the technology runs smoothly and the presentation flows effortlessly. The audience is wowed. Your poten tial customers are in awe. That's what the e-office and the electronic meeting rooms are all about.

Wireless technology is another new trend that allows employees to carry the office with them wherever they go, permitting them to be in contact with customers throughout the day. Some small companies don't even employ a receptionist. They find greater benefit in using wireless phone and messaging services. The automated service takes phone calls, manages faxes, and allows e-mail to be read over a cell phone. Basically, employees have continual access to all crucial data.

For a few years now, videoconferencing has allowed individuals to meet face-to-face without physically being in the same room, the same city, or even the same country. The difference in today's e-office is that companies don't need to buy their own satellite dish and conferencing equipment. All they need is software and a PC camera, which can be purchased for less than a few hundred dollars--less than the price of one airline ticket!

The e-office should have a company Website that provides 24/7 service. The site may be as simple as a kiosk used for informational purposes and answering frequently asked questions-eliminating the cost of paying an employee to answer routine inquiries all day. Annual reports, stockholder information, and financial data can also be included to provide background on the company. Other convenient features that may be available to Web surfers include registrations, product orders, and job applications.

Its important that Web pages be appealing to the potential customer. PowerPoint presentations, hyperlinks, sounds, animation, video, interactive pages, and graphics should be attractively designed. Because the personal touch from employees and executives is crucial to the humanistic approach to customer service, it's imperative that an experienced professional designs the Website. If developed in-house, human resources personnel, marketing directors, and information systems designers should collaborate on the development of the site. If the design and development of the site is outsourced, ask to see previous Web pages that were created by the company. K2 Interactive (www.K2interactive.com) designs and builds Web pages and develops creative paths for customers to reach a company's Website by integrating Internet marketing and Website development.

Finally, auto-response software programs may be used to answer routine inquiries or respond when individual staff members are away on vacation. Auto-response call-screening answering systems give the caller specific information on hours of operation, prices, directions, and other commonly asked questions. Software is also available to answer and forward calls, route messages, and make a single telephone line appear as though there were several incoming lines to the organization that allow multiple extensions.

The use of appropriate technological tools will make the difference in the competitive edge that your company has over the competition. Does that mean you must have the latest and the greatest in technology trends? No. Does that mean older technologies have no place in your office? No. There are some technologies that have been around for several years and are still the best choices for the functions they perform. The use of magnetic tape as a secondary storage device is a perfect example. Tape has the longevity, functionality, and commercial viability to continue to be an effective storage medium. Magnetic tape maintains its high-demand status by providing the cheapest gigabyte data storage technology, a secure and reliable data backup, and a safe archive for posterity. If the technology is still effective for your office, use it.

Other simple ways to make your office more electronically literate:

* Put a handheld bar code scanner in the supply room so the employee who takes the last pack of pens can scan the UPC code, log on to the supplier site, click on the items to order, and send the list to the supplier.

* Utilize a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service to deliver high-speed data. DSL converts a dedicated, secure copper wire into a high-speed line at a fraction of the cost of other Internet services. DSL also transmits a broader range of frequencies and can achieve speeds up to 140 times faster than a 56Kbps modem.

* Establish an intranet to electronically connect specific constituencies of the company and allow them to share files and data. The intranet can be accessed by suppliers, sales people, employees, and potential customers.

* Strategically capture e-mail addresses through hits on the company's Website in order to build a customer database. Therefore, e-mail announcements could be sent to groups of customers via a list service (Listserv).

* Distribute catalogs and presentations via some type of microform, CD-ROM, or DVD.

* Disseminate information to current and potential employees via online newsletters and classified job postings.

* Use software to create databases on past, present, and prospective customers and to keep detailed accounts of all customer transactions.

* Take advantage of electronic document management systems (EDMS) for electronic routing of mail and electronic scheduling.

What are the components of the e-office?

There are several components that are included in today's e-office:

* a microcomputer with these minimum requirements--a 900MHz or Pentium III processor, 128MB RAM, a CD-ROM drive or backwards compatible DVD drive, a sound card, and a 56Kbps modem

* a backup device--Zip drive, magnetic tape drive, or CD burner

* an intelligent printing device--a digital copier/printer that works with all the functions of a traditional copier and a traditional printer and can also be connected to the network

* training--don't forget about the most important asset you have in the e-office--people! People must be trained to effectively use new technology.

* ergonomics--another crucial concept of the e-office. Technology in the office has brought about long-term health concerns, such as repetitive stress injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome, for example), back problems from sitting most of the day, and eye fatigue from staring at a computer screen for hours at a time. Ergonomic software and exercise/break policies should be used and enforced for the employees' well-being.

Of course, when students ask me what requirements they should have for a new computer, my first response is, "What will you be using it for? And, more importantly, what software will you be using?" In the office setting, there are other criteria that should be addressed as well. End users should be asked what their needs are. Employee input is essential. Also, a vendor with an excellent reputation for technical support should be selected. Compatibility with other functional areas (accounting and payroll) should be checked. And finally, training must (not should, but must) be conducted. It's pointless to spend thousands of dollars on bells and whistles that will never chime or blow.

The e-benefits of the e-office

The e-office is a professional office. Technology must be used as a tool for customer service, supplier information, employee interaction, and so forth. Among the benefits that may be reaped from a superior e-office are the following:

* Technology--literate employees can use technology to enhance productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

* Your employees will have the ability to provide quality and convenient services for customers.

* Workflow and communication levels will undergo ongoing assessment and evaluation.

* The public will perceive your organization as being a leading-edge company.

* Your organization will be able to communicate with multinational companies.

E-Summary

The initial costs of technology acquisition and implementation may be high, but the cost of not staying abreast of technology may be even higher. Businesses, suppliers, customers, and employees should be interconnected through the e-office.

Electronic or not, the office is still about people. A company's success is determined by its people. Don't be a slave to the e-office, but a master of it. After all, people will never become electronic.

Dr. Marcel Rables is an assistant professor and chairperson for the Information Systems and Business Education Department at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. As a faculty member, she teaches courses in office management, telecommunications, management information systems, records management, and business education.

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