Office Automation (OA, Office Automation), developed a comprehensive technology that developed significant impact on enterprise productivity in the mid-1970s. Its basic task is to use advanced science and technology to make people resolve the treatment of a part of office business, achieving the purpose of improving productivity, working efficiency, and quality, facilitating management and decision making. OA's knowledge is covered by science, management science, sociology, system engineering, etc. Due to the emergence of OA, the labor employment ratio structure in the traditional organ transaction office business has changed. According to statistics in 1980, the labor ratio of the four major industries in the US Department of Labor Statistics is about 50% of the information industry. 30% of the service industry, 13% of the industry, 2% agriculture. Therefore, OA applications will be further developed.
Definition of OA
The so-called office automation refers to the application of advanced technology, and some of the office business is substantially outside the personnel, and the human-machine information system of office business is completed by these equipment and office personnel.
OA compares to MIS, DSS, rarely apply management models, and emphasizing the use of technology applications and automation of office equipment. Office automation can also be understood as that office staff use modern science and technology, such as through a local area network or remote network, using various media forms, management and transmission information, changing the face of traditional office, and implement paperless office.
Features of OA
OA has the following characteristics:
1. Management issues for unstructured management;
2. The working object is mainly the office business of transaction processing;
3. Emphasize the Method of work;
4, device driver.
OA's design idea is to use automation equipment as the main means of processing, relying on advanced technology to create a good automation of office environment to increase staff's office efficiency and information processing.
Classification and typical form of office business
The classification of office business mainly refers to the classification of office business, classification of office personnel, classification of office information form.
According to the degree of business process, office services can be divided into three categories:
1. Determine, things / data processing is determined, easy to computer programming.
2, non-determination, the transaction process has more uncertainty, the programming method is not easy to implement.
3, the mixing, between the two, the partial processing process is determined, and the other partial processing process is uncertain.
OA is mainly in the face of non-determining office services, and other two types of business can be met.
According to business, the office business department can be divided into two categories:
1. Procedural information processing as the main function, such as the company's planning department, financial department, information center, etc.
2. Office, administrative department, secretariat, etc., based on non-programmed information processing, such as corporate leaders, administrative department, secretariat.
The former's functions can be achieved through the general transaction system, and the latter functions are mainly relying primarily on OA.
There are many specific forms, such as the transceiver, the case, investigation, statistics, approval, recognition, inquiries, etc., and departmental notification contact services, entrusting business, negotiation adjustment, meeting discussions, consulting services, etc. Classify the specific office business, can be divided into four typical ways:
1. Data processing and text processing, such as file generation, information retrieval, calculation, storage, etc .;
2, transfer function, information distribution or delivery, such as phones, meetings, talks, documents, etc.
3, real-time management, such as determining the time, procedures, location, etc. of the meeting or talk;
4. Judgment decision, such as documentation, approval, problem discussion, determination, etc.
OA support technology and function
1, OA support technology
The support technology of office automation is: computer technology, communication technology, automation technology. From the perspective of materialization, it is the hardware and software of OA. The OA hardware system includes computer, computer networks, communication lines, and terminal devices. The computer is the main device of OA, because the business operation of the person is dependent on the computer. Computer networks and communication devices are media interior information sharing, communication, and transferring media, which makes the system to a whole. Terminal equipment is responsible for information collection and transmission, undertakes tasks for system and external links, such as typewriters, displays, plotters, etc. OA's software includes system support software, OA general software and OA-specific software. The system support software is software that maintains computer operation and managing computer resources, such as WIN95, WIN98, UNIX, etc. OA General Software refers to office applications that can be commodified, such as Word, Excel, etc. OA dedicated software refers to office applications for specific units, departments, and targetedly, such as document processing, meeting arrangements, and financial statements, market analysis of the company.
2, OA function
In order to meet the needs of office business, the OA has the following functions: improve text processing functions, strong data processing functions, voice processing functions, image processing functions, communication functions, etc.
OA system model
On the basis of summarizing the office, Neuman proposed a five-class OA system model in 1980:
1. Information Flow Model describes the mutual transfer and processing of office information in office and offices in various units;
2. Process model (Procedural Model) describes the specific implementation processes and steps of completing specific tasks, office work;
3. Database Model (Database Model) describes the information structure, database structure, and their storage and access methods related to office services;
4. Decision Model (Decision-Making Model), communicating the structured part of the office information processing, and makes corresponding decisions according to the existing specific decision models;
5. Behavioral Model, the processing of office information is to occur in human social activities.
The development of OA has now entered the maturity period, which is reflected in the OA's equipment constantly updated and the layers of OA software are endless. The OA products in the United States have grown at 20% per year, with the cost of hardware costs about 120 billion US dollars, and the software cost is about 200 billion US dollars. To date, 70% of the US information industry has achieved office automation. my country has started late in OA, and there is a longer way to go in this regard.
