Impact of IT Flashcards
0ffice layout: cellular
A cellular office layout is made up of a series of individual offices or rooms where small numbers of employees work.
office layout: open plan
An open plan office layout is a larger communal work space which can be divided into distinct work areas using screens/furniture to create work areas.
key terms for office layout
hot office - bookable office to conduct meetings/discussions
touchdown area - informal area where employees can connect laptops or mobiles to WIFI to quickly check e-mails etc.
breakout area - informal areas to chat/have discussions
cellular office advantages
gives employees more privacy and a less distracting work environment.
offers a work environment which is used by one employee and can therefore be organised to suit their requirements
offers opportunity to engage in confidential work using equipment based in their own work space.
provides more security of personal belongings.
employees may experience a sense of status and privilege in occupying their own individualised work space.
cellular office disadvantages
employees may feel isolated from each other
communication between employees is more difficult
supervision of employees is more challenging
difficult to share equipment between individual office spaces
inflexible layouts which can be difficult to change or adapt.
open plan office advantages
space is flexible and can be adapted more easily according to organisations requirements.
employees can communicate easily with each other.
equipment can be shared between teams/departments thus decreasing costs.
employees can easily be supervised in one big area.
work environment can be more sociable - employees do not feel isolated.
team working/buddy systems are more useful and likely to succeed in an open plan layout.
open plan office disadvantages
a lack of privacy exists to conduct confidential or private meetings/discussions.
secure storage may be more difficult fro personal belongings - increase risk of theft.
difficult to adjust settings, e.g. temperature or lighting, to suit individual requirements.
May be noisy - can decrease productivity of employees.
Employees may become easily distracted as it may be difficult to concentrate.
ergonomic work enviroment
Employees who work in large open-plan office environments sometimes complain of illnesses such as headaches, sore throats, or fatigue. This is known as sick building syndrome. Causes can be due to drafts/leaks/poor ergonomics.
Ergonomics is the study of the office environment and its impact on the employee.
It is the process of re-designing the office environment to promote health and work productivity.
advantages of ergonomic work environment
improves morale and motivation - increases productivity.
ensures effective flow of work.
results in an improved image/reputation for the organisation.
can be cost effective.
Features of an Ergonomic Work Environment
Adjustable office furniture/computer screens allow staff to work comfortably - which limits back injury and eye strain.
Office temperature should be regulated by staff via air conditioning and heaters.
Certain relaxing wall colours should be used - associated with calming moods and uplifting employees.
Positioning of all desk items is important so that they are at the optimum position for working, e.g. keyboard, mouse, height of computer screen.
Lighting should be non-glare and natural where possible with good quality day lightbulbs provided - helps reduce eye fatigue and headaches.
Anti-glare screens on computers prevent headaches
Impact on Employer of Flexible Working ✅:
Being able to offer flexible working patterns may suit employees with children -retaining good staff.
Happier and more motivated staff will improve morale - increasing productivity.
Less absenteeism/lower staff turnover.
Less costs on rental of premises/less work space needed
Impact on Employer of Flexible Working ❌:
Not always easy to ensure appropriate health & safety, and security, at home.
Difficulties in communication.
Technical difficulties when equipment breaks down.
Difficult to supervise staff working at home.
Impact on Employee of Flexible Working✅:
improved work-life balance - increased morale.
lower stress levels - freedom to choose where to work and personalise work environment and more able to focus.
reduction in travel - means can complete more work due to time saved.
more accessible for people with disabilities.
Impact on Employee of Flexible Working❌:
However, may feel isolated in home environment - increased stress and decreased morale.
More difficult to establish new working relationships.
key terms
Flexi-time is when employees choose the hours they work, but they must work during the organisation core hours.
Home-working is when employees work from home, using IT to keep regularly in touch with the workplace. Very commonplace now due to COVID.
Job-sharing is when 2 people split the hours, salary and responsibilities of a job.
Videoconferencing
Uses a webcam or digital camera in addition to a microphone and uses a live internet connection.
Allows both audio and visual communication.
Shows demonstrations/facial expressions/body language which is useful for interviews or presentations.
Saves travel and accommodation costs/time.
Can be recorded electronically for later reference.
Audioconferencing
Uses a microphone or loudspeaker and can be used simply through a phone signal using a loudspeaker.
Uses verbal communication only.
Limited in terms of having spoken discussion only.
Saves travel accommodation costs/time.
Can be recorded electronically for later reference.
❌ of Audioconferencing and Videoconferencing
BUT, not everyone likes these types of meetings!
They also require technology to work, and time zones and language barriers can make the meetings ineffective.
IT used in Flexible Working Practices:
Intranet
can be accessed remotely, allowing employees to work anywhere outside the office.
Provides secure access to files for employees working remotely.
IT used in Flexible Working Practices:
web conferencing
allows staff to have a face to face meetings, and view reactions and emotions of participants - this can build team spirit.
IT used in Flexible Working Practices:
Google docs or Teams
can be used for co-workers to concurrently create/edit and share files.
IT used in Flexible Working Practices:
Instant Messaging
allows short messages to be communicated passing on info.
IT used in Flexible Working Practices:
Virtual Whiteboards
allow real-time collaboration of ideas acrros the team, through drawings or diagrams fro example.
IT used in Flexible Working Practices:
E-diary
can be used to inform others of meetings dates, reminders can be set and colleagues can accept/provisionally accept or reject.
Data Management:
Word proccesing
used to produce letters, reports, manuals etc. As well as creating/editing tables, forms, using mail merge and editing page layouts.
Results in improved speed & accuracy.
Data Management:
Spreadsheets
used to perform calculations, analyse &present numerical data.
Calculations are more accurate, data is updated if inputs are changed, data can be analysed& presented graphically to aid understanding.
Data Management:
Databases
used to store vast amounts of data.
Data can be sorted quickly, tables & queries can also be presented in reports.
Mail merge can be used to link data to other documents.
Databases can be accessed by staff throughout the business.
Data Management:
Presentations
allow text, numbers, tables, charts to be integrated onto slides.
Animation effects and slide transitions add interest to slides, and notes can be added to keep presenter on track.
Helps aid audience understanding, allowing corporate image of business to be presented
NetworksLocal Area Network (LAN) ✅
Easy to share peripherals such as printers and photocopiers, which can reduce costs.
Make it easier to share files and information with employees.
Back-ups can be taken on a regular basis, which reduces the chance of losing files.
Security can be set to restrict access to certain areas of the network (access rights).
NetworksLocal Area Network (LAN)❌
If the network goes down, then no-one can access files, which will slow down productivity.
If the file server is damaged or stolen then all files could be lost.
A virus can spread very quickly over a LAN.
Wide Area Network (WAN)✅
Data can be transmitted between branches very quickly.
Gives easy access to the internet.
Wide Area Network (WAN)❌
People outside the organisation could have access to your data so there needs to be tight security measures in place.
There is no control over external websites - they can be removed or changed by the owner - so some pages could become unavailable.
Security Measures
Some equipment may be locked down or secured to desks or walls.
Information held on electronic storage devices should be stored securely.
Data held on paper should be destroyed (shredded) if no longer needed or relevant.
Data should be backed-up regularly in case of accidental or deliberate loss, deletion or damage to data held.
Training should be provided to staff on good practice or updates to an organisation’s IT systems.
Staff should be trained in GDPR. A member of staff should be appointed to ensure the organisation is complying with legislation.
consequences to an organisation of having poor data security measures:
Data may be at higher risk of being stolen.
Data may become destroyed or corrupted - leading to unhappy customers.
Legal action may be taken against an organisation if it fails or, or is unable to, adhere to legislative guidelines.
Poor or delayed decision-making which may result from inconsistent, inaccurate or missing data will result in a loss of productivity - important deadlines may be missed.
Organisation’s network may need to be rebuilt if a virus causes problems - which takes time and costs money.
Organisation may receive bad publicity - resulting in customers going elsewhere -resulting in lower sales.
File Management:
File locations
information/guidance should be given to employees about where files should be stored, eg. on the server, or in which location.
File Management:
File names
files should be stored in named folders with appropriate file names that will make it easier to find them.
File Management:
Routine maintenance
information should be provided to employees about deleting unnecessary files as storage may need to be freed up on the server.
File Management:
Back-up procedures
back-up copies should be made on a regular basis and staff should know the procedure for this.
File Management:
Version control
when documents are being worked on concurrently by team members, they should be named appropriately to track and monitor progress, eg V1, V2etc.
Benefits of good file management:
No data is lost due to regular back-ups.
Makes it easier and faster to find information needed - improves productivity and staff are not wasting time trying to find files.
Having a central system means all staff are accessing the same information and reduces the chances of someone using out-of-date information.
Saves space on the network as there are no duplicates of files and files which are no longer needed are deleted.
Ensures efficient workflow and good time management.
