Libro en PDF - DIT - Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

An integrated framework for office information system design and managementHigher level activities provide meaning and coherence, establishing goals throughoffice functions. These are Systemic Processes, composed of several individualactivities, communicating with one another, and connected to build processeswithin the organization: processing purchase orders, patents and financial reports,etc. Someone not familiar with these environments will just notice first level activities.Managers deal with Systemic Processes.One step further, all those Systemic Processes must be coordinated to fulfill requirementsthat affect the organization as a whole. These requirements define higherlevel activities: the Global Process. This view of the office is our second distinction,depicted in figure 2 and with the same hierarchical meaning of figure 1.3.2 Apply technologyOnly with a thorough understanding of the way each office works can technologybe correctly applied. Implemented technology must mirror, as far as possible, theenvironment's personality. Thus, with the office interpreted as a hierarchy oflevels, Office Automation can be seen as having a similar structure. In the past,Office Automation practice has only recognized the lowest level and it is startingto become aware of the second one. Many tools are devoted to individual activities:text processors, electronic sheets, electronic agendas, graphic programs, laserprinters, calculators, etc.OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEMOFFICETOOL BOXOFFICE TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMFig. 3. Office Automation seen through three complexity levels335