An electronic office, or e-office, relies heavily on computer technology to operate and reduces the need for paper documents. It offers higher security and can allow employees to work remotely, reducing operational costs.
Also known as an e-office, an electronic office is a term that refers to any office environment that makes significant use of computer technology to operate. The term was first coined in the mid-20th century and began to come into common use during the 1980s as more office environments gave up on manual methods and began to rely more on a combination of desktop computers, mainframes and servers to handle a variety of work-related tasks. Today, an electronic office is more commonly equated to a virtual office, which involves the use of wireless technology to enable people to work from virtually anywhere with the right type of laptop or notebook and a reliable wireless connection.
One of the major benefits of an electronic office is the ability to rely less on paper documents to manage various business tasks. For example, an accounting or billing professional would be able to significantly reduce the use of traditional paper ledgers by using accounting software to invoice orders, create invoices, and even record payments received on outstanding invoices. Similarly, a salesperson can benefit from using an electronic office by using a sales database rather than keeping paper files on every customer and prospect. Even many secretarial tasks such as writing letters or preparing presentations can now be done electronically, further reducing paper consumption and making data organization and retrieval easier.
Besides reducing the paper consumption associated with performing various tasks, an electronic office environment also offers a higher level of security. Users can password protect various documents, restrict access to databases with passcodes, and even block access to files placed in a remote data storage solution by encrypting the access in some way. While not foolproof, this level of security is generally considered an improvement over the use of locked filing cabinets, safes, and vaults that were commonly employed before the advent of the desktop computer.
While the electronic office has not eliminated the use of paper in a corporate environment, responsible use of software programs and corporate networks greatly reduces the need to maintain paper records. Because documents can be printed when and if needed, the space required to set up an electronic office is greatly reduced, an advantage that is especially important when space is limited. In some industries, the use of the virtual office has made it possible to allow employees to work remotely rather than in a central location, a benefit that can significantly reduce operational costs.
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