Impact of IT Flashcards
Use of Technology for Remote Working
E-mail can be used to send documents to the office whilst working from home
Intranet can be accessed remotely, allowing employees to work anywhere outside the office
Skype allows employees to have face to face meetings on phones while on the move
E-diary can be used to inform others of meeting dates, reminders can be set
Teams can be used to create & edit files
Cellular Office - Advantages
Gives employees a less distracting work environment
Offers a work environment suitable for one worker
Provides security of personal belongings
Employees may feel a sense of status & privilege in occupying their own work space
Cellular Office - Disadvantages
Employees may feel isolated
Communication between employees is more difficult
Supervision of employees is challenging
Difficult to share equipment between individual office spaces
Inflexible layouts can be difficult to change
Open Plan Office - Advantages
Flexible spaces can be adapted
Employees can communicate easily with each other
Equipment can be shared between teams
Employees can be easily supervised
Work environment can be more social
- Employees don’t feel isolated
Open Plan Office - Disadvantages
Lack of privacy to private meetings
Secure storage more difficult for belongings
- More risk of theft
Difficult to adjust settings
May be noisy
- Disrupts productivity
Employees may become easily distracted
- Difficult to concentrate
Ergonomic Work Environment
Improves morale
Ensures effective flow of work
Results in improved reputation
Can be cost effective
Benefits of Flexible Working - Employer
May suit employees with children
- Retains good staff
Happier staff will improve morale
- Increases productivity
Lower staff turnover
Less work space needed
Costs of Flexible Working - Employer
Not easy to ensure appropriate health & safety at home
Difficulties in communication
Technical difficulties when equipment breaks down
Difficult to supervise staff working at home
Benefits of Flexible Working - Employee
Improved work-life balance
- Increased morale
Lower stress levels
Reduction in travel
- Saves time
More accessible for those with disabilities
Costs of Flexible Working - Employee
May feel isolated in home environment
- Increased stress
More difficult to establish new working relationships
Videoconferencing
Saves travel & accommodation costs
Can be recorded for later reference
Allows audio & visual communication
Shows demonstrations which is useful for presentations
Audioconferencing
Uses verbal communication only
Limited in terms of having spoken discussion only
Saves travel accommodation time
Can be recorded for electronic reference
Poor Data Security
Data at higher risk of being stolen
Data may become corrupted
Organisation’s network may need to be rebuilt
Benefits of Good File Management
No data lost due to regular back-ups
Faster to find information needed
Ensures efficient workflow & good time management
Consequences of Poor File Management
Time wasted looking for files
- Increased stress
Relationships with customers could deteriorate
Computer systems hold too many files
- Systems slow as a result
Could be legal implications regarding data handling
