Office automation systems (OAS) are applications that are designed to make the daily processes of information management within a business setting more efficient and less time-consuming. OAS is widely used by medium and large-sized companies that have a lot of daily tasks to tackle such as email, word processing, accounting, inventory tracking, facility management, and more. Want to learn more about OAS and how it may benefit your company? Keep reading to learn about the top 6 perks of an OAS system.
1. Data Management
One of the top components of an OAS is the ability for this type of system to simplify data management. With OAS, organizations can control and monitor a variety of projects and activities that are ongoing in the office. An electronic management system provides all sorts of functionality including reminder systems, task management, schedulers, and more. All of these features empower businesses to stay abreast on business processes without getting bogged down with them.
Outside from managing data, OAS also makes storing and manipulating data much easier. OAS systems include a variety of data applications that can be used to create and modify all sorts of file types such as spreadsheets, files, and even images.
2. Improved Communication Within An Organization
OAS systems are extremely beneficial when it comes to communications within and between organizations. These systems help to facilitate information exchange through convenient methods such as teleconferencing and email. With video-based phone calls, organizations can share data without having to travel or find a suitable conference room.
An improvement to communication and information exchange often means less meeting expenses. This improved communication also saves time and provides a way to share critical information immediately. With less time spent organizing or in meetings, employees have more time to focus on other pertinent activities.
3. Quick Data Exchange
Remember the days when you had to send faxes to share documents with someone outside of your organization? With the creation of OAS, these traditional forms of sharing information have largely become methods of the past. Using OAS, you can not only store and manipulate data quickly, you can also exchange it in record time. Sending files between organizations or members is easier than ever thanks to electronic transfer applications. With electronic transfer you can share:
- Spreadsheets
- Documents
- Videos
- Images
- Presentations
The best part? Electronic transfer can handle extremely large files. The lack of limitations with an OAS system makes it highly convenient, especially if your company processes and manages a lot of documentation.
4. Improved Accuracy
Us humans make mistakes but sometimes those mistakes can be costly. While an application is only as accurate and effective as those who built it, once software is updated to fix bugs, it’s generally highly accurate. In fact, software is infinitely more reliable when compared to humans. Software can be used to crunch numbers in a budget spreadsheet, or you can use it to create templated data sheets without the need for human intervention. Automation is well praised for its accuracy. With an OAS system you can minimize human error, especially when it comes to business critical processes.
5. Workflow Tracking
If you’ve ever experienced the nightmare that is sending email attachments back and forth, you know how hard it can be to keep track of workflows. With an OAS system, the days of worrying about file versions are over. OAS offers web-based document collaboration. This means users can see the current working version of a document along with recent changes. The ability to track workflows and document versions reduces confusion and time spent re-editing and sending files.
6. Money Savings
What business owner isn’t a fan of saving money without cutting costs? By deploying an OAS into your business environment, you can expect to save all sorts of money. The use of automation means less time and money you have to spend on hiring new employees to take care of certain tasks and processes. Because OAS systems can be used for a variety of business processes, you can rely on the automated tool to get the job done for you. In turn you can invest your savings into other business resources.
OAS systems also save your business money by simplifying complex tasks and sometimes fully automating them. When a process is automated, you can usually put that dedicated resource to work in another section of your company.
Conclusion
No matter if you’re looking to save costs as a startup or get more work done with less effort, there are all sorts of benefits to consider when using an OAS system. Though the upfront cost and set up of these systems takes time and money, the benefits are well worth the initial process.
