What Office Automation Is and Why It’s Important? (The Benefits)

In today’s fast-paced business environment, office automation plays a crucial role in improving productivity, lowering costs, and fostering seamless collaboration. From here, we’ll  explore what office automation entails, why it’s essential, and how it benefits modern organizations.

Office automation refers to the use of technology to streamline repetitive tasks, manage data, and enhance communication within a workplace. By automating routine processes like scheduling, document management, and data entry, businesses can boost efficiency, reduce human error, and free up time for more strategic work.

Automated technology offers many conveniences, including in the workplace. It makes sense to adopt computerized tools for efficiency. Webopedia defines office automation as using computer systems for operations like word processing, accounting, and email. Optimizing these functions improves workflow and productivity. Kelley Create, with experience in office technology since 1974, knows how essential these tools are. Keep reading to discover why office automation matters.

History

Office automation may seem like a purely contemporary concern, but it actually has quite a long history. If you stop and think about it, even the assembly lines of the early twentieth century technically fall into this category. Computer scientists, information technology specialists, and forward thinking executives began using the term “office automation” more than three decades ago.

In their Communications of the ACM article “The Impact of Office Automation on the Organization: Some Implications for Research and Practice,” Margrethe H. Olson and Henry C. Lucas, Jr. explain: “computer technology has recently been applied to the automation of office tasks and procedures…The development of automated office systems raises a number of issues for the organization…The need for further research examining the potential effects of office automation is emphasized.” Even in its inception, professionals knew the trend toward computerized office work would be important.

Office Automation Today

Over the years, this trend came to fruition with the advent of better, faster technology. Inc. explains: “the modern history of office automation began with the typewriter and the copy machine, which mechanized previously manual tasks,” but now it also includes “the conversion of information to electronic form.” A true turning point in the history of office automation was the invention and widespread use of the personal computer—Inc. notes: “[it] revolutionized office automation…this revolution has been so complete, and has infiltrated so many areas of business, that almost all businesses use at least one commercial computer business application.” Rather than an up-and-coming luxury, some degree of office automation has become a basic necessity for companies.

In her article, “Importance of Office Automation System for Business Enterprises,” Saritha Pujari illustrates the four basic uses for this technology: “a) producing outgoing documents (using text processors), b) storage and retrieval of documents (using document management systems), c) transmission of messages (using message communication systems), and d) scheduling and meeting management (using video-conferencing systems).” There are hundreds if not thousands of tools that automate these crucial activities.

Of course, computers, printers, wireless networks, and other information technology systems can help optimize your operations. Today, office automation has become so ubiquitous and advanced that scientists are even considering the potential of robots and artificial intelligence in the workplace. While you probably won’t be purchasing a workplace robot anytime soon, staying up to date with your office automation is pivotal. With greater and greater progress being made in this field, author Stanley Zarowin’s statement from over a decade rings especially true: “as we enter the new millennium, [office automation] has taken another quantum leap, going from a priority to a prerequisite for doing business.”

Benefits of Office Automation

Why is office automation imperative? In his Houston Chronicle article, Aurelio Locsin explains: “automating processes reduces your involvement in mundane clerical tasks, such as organizing customer data or creating reports, and leaves you to concentrate on the parts of your business that you prefer…automating information systems reduces storage space, speeds retrieval, and allows several employees to access the same data at the same time.” Furthermore, Reference for Business notes: “benefits in using electronic management systems include savings in production and service costs as information is quickly routed for optimal office performance.”

In short, there are many different benefits of office automation, including:

• Save money (including power usage, materials, and labor costs)
• Enhance productivity
• Go green
• Securely store important information
• Track your output and operations
• Reduce the rate of errors in your work
• Improve colleague and client communications
• Schedule tasks and employee hours
• Better understand and control your budget
• Manage your resources
• And more!

Office Automation Experts

Kelley Create helps businesses modernize with tailored office automation solutions. We provide advanced print management options and comprehensive IT services. With expertise and cutting-edge technology, we make automation seamless and highly effective for your operations.

We would be delighted to help your business come in to the twenty-first century with modern technology. Contact us today to learn more about office automation or begin implementing it in your company.