Successful implementation of an office system

Abstract

Office Automation systems can offer major improvements in communications throughout an organization and significantly decrease the administrative workload as well as provide opportunities to shape organizational structures to a changing environment. The tools for complete Office Automation exist today, they are efficient, inexpensive (for the services they provide) and easy to manage when adequately introduced. This paper sets out the implementation of such a system in a large industrial company. It is subdivided in five parts: (1) General considerations about the value and use of Office Systems, (2) Needs to be met by the proposed Office System, (3) Steps involved in the implementation, lasting almost two years, (4) Difficulties encountered and overall results, (5) Some conclusions about Office Automation possibilities and recommendations for future implementor. The company is a large industrial corporation with branches established in Belgium and subsidiaries in the US. Its general DP philosophy was based on a package approach. A new computer network had been recently established (X.25). An important reorganization was at hand and for that reason, more computer integration was urgently required. Also, due to staff compression, typists and secretaries were in short supply.