Методические указания по теме "Моя специальность" для студентов 2 курса отделения "Прикладная информатика (в экономике)". Терехова Г.В. - 13 стр.

3.4 Read the text and ask some questions
                            Automation and office worker

      While the mechanization of office work has been going on for over half a
century, a revolutionary development has taken place in the last twenty years.
Electronic equipment has been applied to virtually all branches of office work and its
use is steadily expanding. The most important piece of equipment is the computer. A
great deal of office work can be reduced to simple routine and routine operations are
easy to automate. In some ways office work is easier to automate than the production
of goods: figures and letters have none of the inconvenient natural properties of
materials.
       Although automation has been an important subject of discussion, it is often
assumed that it does not differ basically from earlier forms of mechanization. This
assumption is not justified. The early office machines were designed to simplify and
speed up particular operations, and involved little or no change in organization. Both
punched card machinery and electronic equipment necessitate the introduction of a
computably rationalized system of work organization which eliminates many old
jobs. Automation also encourages the trend forward the centralization of
administrative and clerical functions, promoting the development of government,
commercial and educational data processing centers. Further, there are growing
possibilities for small and medium sized firms to use computers will the expansion of
facilities for the hiring of the time on a computer. All this will affect the working life
of an increasing number of office - workers.
       The physical environment and working conditions of office – workers have
undergone many changes during this century. The automation of office work does
have some beneficial effects on the physical environment and working conditions of
employees. Lighting, space and cleanliness requirements are usually specified to
ensure efficiency and low maintenance costs. But there are some unfavorable
consequences. The office environment becomes much more like a factory, with a
constant high level of noise and vibration from the equipment. Employees have to
spend much more time on their fut and the speed with which the equipment operates
frequently entails a rapid, continuous working pace.
       Electronic equipment does not produce physical fatigue,as some mechanical
equipment does. However, there is pressure for fast work in the preparation of data to
maximize the volume of work carried out by the equipment.
       In the past there have been several changes in the nature of office work and in
the type of skills required of office employees. The early machines eliminated a great
deal of laborious routine work but did not displace skilled work. But the introduction
of automation necessitates an entire reorganization of work procedures and
computably changes the patterns of skill requirements in the office. The impact
depends largely on the previous degree of mechanisation. Where a computer system
is introduced directly into a manually operated office, the change will radically alter

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