The acceptance of novel office automation devices and systems depends primarily on their potential for increasing productivity and their ease of use. This paper discusses the technology and ergonomics of several new office automation devices. Four major office interactions are noted: transacting, documenting, elephoning, and meeting. For each, human factors characteristics are examined to provide an understanding of which systems can most easily be incorporated into existing office environments. Systems design methodologies, originally developed for military use, will find increasing utility for solving complex civilian problems. There is now a need to apply this methodology to the design of equipment, tasks, and systems. More research is needed to increase our understanding of office automation and how it may be implemented. Particularly important are comparative field studies of office tasks and office automation devices and systems.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Allen, R. B.(1983). Cognitive factors in the use of menus and trees: An experiment. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication, 1, 333–336.
2.
Bailey, R. W. (1982). Human performance engineerillg. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
3.
Bair, J. H. (1979). Planning for office automation. In: The automated office. Atlanta: American Institute of Industrial Engineers.
4.
Birch, D. (1981, Fall). Who creates jobs? The Public Interest, 12–15.
5.
Blomberg, M., Elenius, K., and Lundin, F. (1983). Voicecontrolled dialing in an intercom system. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications (pp. 233–238). Helsinki: General Directorate of Posts and Telecommunications.
6.
Bolger, W. F. (1983, January). E-COM: Modern technology to help move mail better. The Office, p. 124.
7.
Brecht, M. (1978). A meeting is not a meeting is not a meeting: Implications for teleconferencing. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 22nd Annual Meeting (pp. 335–338). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
8.
Chapanis, A., Parrish, R. N., Ochsman, R. B., and Weeks, G. D. (1977). Studies in interactive communication: II. The effects of four communication modes on the linguistic performance of teams during cooperative problem solving. Human Factors, 19, 101–126.
9.
Cohen, B. G. F. (1984). Human aspects in office automation. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
10.
Cole, I. (1982). Human aspects of office filing: Implications for the electronic office. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 26th Annual Meeting (pp. 59–63). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
11.
Conrath, D. W., Irving, R. H., Thachenkary, C. S., and Zanetti, C. (1982). Measuring office activity for burotique: Data collection instruments and prucedures. In N. Naffah (Ed.), Office information systems (pp. 403–414). Amsterdam: North-Holland.
12.
Crump, S. (1984, September). Cellular radio use spreads. Communication News (p. 107).
13.
Dubrovsky, V., Siegel, J., Kiesler, S., and McGuire, T. W. (1983). Simultaneous mode versus sequential mode in real-time computer-mediated conferencing. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 27th Annual Meeting (pp. 536–540). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
14.
Duncanson, J. P., and Williams, A. D. (1973). Video conferencing: Reaction of users. Human Factors, 15, 471–485.
15.
Eason, K. D. (1982). The process of introducing information technology. Behaviour and Information Technology, 1, 197–213.
16.
Engel, G. W., Groppuso, J., Lowenstein, R. A., and Traub, W. G. (1979). An office communications systems. IBM Systems Journal, 18, 402–431.
17.
Galitz, W. O. (1980). Human factors in office automation. Atlanta: Life Office Management.
18.
Giuliano, V. E. (1982, September). The mechanization of office work. Scientific American, 247, 148–165.
19.
Gould, J. D., and Boies, S. J. (1983). Human factors challenges in creating a principal support office system-The speech filing system approach. ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems, 1, 273–298.
20.
Gould, J. D., and Boies, S. J. (1984). Speech filing-An office system for principals. IBM Systems Journal, 23, 65–81.
21.
Gould, J. D., and Lewis, C. (1983). Designing for usability-Key principles and what designers think. In Proceedings of CHI '83 Conference (pp. 50–53). New York: Association for Computing Machinery.
22.
Hanson, B. L. (1983). A brief history of applied behavioral science at Bell Laboratories. The Bell Systems Technical Journal. 62, 1571–1590.
23.
Helander, M. G., Billingsley, P. A., and Schurick, J. M. (1984). An evaluation of human factors research on visual display terminals in the workplace. In F. A. Muckier (Ed.). Human Factors Review 1984 (pp. 55–130). Santa Monica, CA. Human Factors Society.
24.
Holmgren, J. E. (1983). Toward Bell System applications of automatic speech recognition. The Bell System Technical Journal, 62, 1865–1880.
25.
Hough, R. W., and Panko, R. R. (1977). Teleconferencing systems; A state-of-the-art survey and preliminary analysis. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford Research Institute.
26.
IBM. (1982a). Proceedings of Probe Research Seminar on Voice Technology. New Brunswick, NJ: Probe Research. Inc.
Johansen, R., and Baker, E. (1984). User needs workshops: A new approach to anticipating user needs for advanced office systems. Office: Technology and People, 2, 103–119.
29.
Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and effort. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
30.
Karhan, C. J. (1983). Human factors issues in applying automatic speech recognition for network services. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications (pp. 247–254). Helsinki: General Directorate of Posts and Telecommunications.
31.
Klapman, R. N. (1983). Enhanced communications in an executive office. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, 1, 327–332.
32.
Klemmer, E. T., and Dooling, D. J. (1983). Making human factors effective in industry: Examples from business telephone systems. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 279–283.
33.
Klemmer, E. T., and Snyder, F. W. (1972). Measurement of time spent communicating. The Journal of Communication, 22, 142–158.
34.
Komatsubara, A., and Yokomizo, Y. (1982). Characteristics of office work. In Proceedings of the 8th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association. Tokyo: International Ergonomics Association.
35.
Knopf, C. (1982). Proceedings of Probe Research Seminar on Voice Technology. New Brunswick. NJ: Probe Research. Inc.
36.
Krueger, C. P., and Chapanis, A. (1980). Conferencing and teleconferencing in three communication modes as a function of the number of conferees. Ergonomics, 23, 103–122.
37.
Lea, W. A. (1984). Voice controlled office machines: A critical overview. In Proceeding of Office Automation Conference(pp. 179–86). Reston. VA: AFIPS Press.
38.
Lerch, I. A. (1983, May). The movablc confercnce. Byte, 104–120.
39.
Lieberman, M. A., Selig, G. J., and Walsh, J. J. (1982). Office automation. New York: Wiley.
40.
McCauley, M. E. (1984). Human factors in voice technology. In F. A. Muckler (Ed.), Human Factors Review 1984, (pp. 131–166). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
41.
McQuillan, J. M. (1983). Electronic mail: The planning gap. In Proceedings of Conference On Office Automation (pp. 103–106). Reston. VA: AFIPS Press.
42.
Malone, T. W. (1983). How do people organize their desks?ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems. 1, 99–112.
43.
Naisbitt, J. (1982). Megatrends. New York: Warner.
44.
Ochsman, R. B., and Chapanis, A. (1974). The effects of 10 communication modes on the behavior of teams during cooperative problem solving. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies. 6, 579–619.
45.
Olson, M. A. (1984). Working at home and telematics: Myths and realities. In Proceedings of Office Automation Conference (pp. 243–247). Reston, VA: AFIPS.
46.
Pagery, P. D., and Chapanis, A. (1982). Communication control and leadership in telecommunications by small groups. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 26th Annual Meeting (pp. 483–487). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
47.
Parsons, H. M. (1985). Automation and the individual: Comprehensive and comparative issues. Human Factors, 27, 99–112.
48.
Price, H. E. (1985). The allocation of functions in systems. Human Factors, 27, 33–45.
49.
Ross, I. (1984. May). Rapid technological advances write near charter for telecommunications. Communications News, 46–77.
50.
Sallio, P., Boudeville, J .-P., and Cabon. P. (1983). Visual ergonomics of a future videoconference service. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications (pp. 65–71).
51.
Schurick, J. M., Williges, B. H., and Maynard. J. F. (in press). User feedback requirements with automatic speech recognition. Ergonomics.
52.
Sheridan, T., Senders, J., Moray, M., Stoklosa, J., Guilaume, J., and Makepeace, D. (1981). Experimentation with a multi-disciplinary teleconference and electronic journal on mental workload. Cambridge. MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
53.
Shinohara, S. (1983). Human factors in the design of hands-free telephone set for mobile telephone system. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications (pp. 145–146). Helsinki: General Directorate of Posts and Telecom-munications.
54.
Smith, S. A., and Benjamin, R. I. (1983). Projecting demand for electronic communications in automated offices. ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems, 1, 211–229.
55.
Spine, T. M., Maynard. J. F., and Williges. B. H. (in press). Error correction strategies for voice recognition. International Journal of Man-Machine Systems.
56.
Strategic Incorporated. (1984, May). Communication News, p. 57.
57.
Straw. R. J. (1982). The implications of the new technology on employment and training needs. Statement made before the Employment and Productivity Subcommittee of the Labor and Human Resource Committee, U.S. Senate. Washington, DC: Communications Workers of America.
58.
Strom, B. I. (1982). Computer conferencing-Past, present, and future. In N. Naffah (Ed.). Office information systems (pp. 287–315). Amsterdam: North-Holland.
59.
Suchman, L. A. (1983). Office procedure as practical action: Models of work and system design. ACM Transactions on Office Infomzation Systems, 1, 320–328.
60.
Thachenkary, C. J., and Conrath, D. W. (1982). The office activities in two organizations. In N. Naffah (Ed.), Office information systems (pp. 453–467). Amsterdam: North-Holland.
61.
Thompson, R. A. (1983). Accessing experimental telecommunications services. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, 1, 316–321.
62.
Wang, F. A. (1982, December). Office automation. Mini-Micro Systems, 198–207.
63.
Waterworth, J. A. (1982). Man-machine speech dialoguc acts. Applied Ergonomics, 13, 203–207.
64.
Waterworth, J. A., and Cox, A. C. (1983). Interaction with machines by voice. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Human Factors in Telecommunications (pp. 263–270). Helsinki: General Directorate of Posts and Telecommunications.
65.
Williams, R. D. (1982). A systems analysis approach to office automation. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 26th Annual Meeting (pp. 302–306). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
