Disadvantages of video conferencing
- May mean that some of the jobs get outsourced seeing as they do not need to be completed within the local office. Potential job loss for the individuals in the company that are not up to date with these technological advances.
- Months may be required to enable video conferencing capability within a large organization; this is including time required for designing the network and installing video conferencing equipment. Initial cost of equipment is higher than if an outside service organization were used.
- Using conference rooms for video conferences makes sense from a facilities perspective but this can cause video systems to be under utilized. Normally, in an organization, most meetings and conference room use are for local business without a need to communicate with other facilities or locations. Therefore, video equipment investment can be stranded during every day normal use of conference rooms for local meetings.
- Many organizations assign a central staff to run a video conference network without considering the needs of each remote site. Video conferencing requires at least two locations, each with its own system, network, conference or meeting room and operating instructions. Each location, therefore, normally should have a skilled operator of video systems to assist users in getting a conference started and keeping it running. Few organizations are willing to expend the funds to ensure each endpoint is staffed with a skilled technician and so this skill deficit can cause conference failures in some locations, particularly those that turn systems off daily or reboot frequently.
Other methods of communication that can be used
as well as email and the two types of conferencing, there are other methods that reporters can use when they want to communicate. Fax, reporters can fax details across the channels in order to get details across, however this may take a long time and depending on where you are based in the world may incur a large cost. Although fax does have the facility of including images as well as text. A problem with fax is that it could be intercepted or there is no guarantee that it has been received on the other side by the right person or if it has been delivered at all. A standard telephone call using an STD could prove to be efficient in time however may cost a lot of money again based on where you are calling from and to. However with a telephone you have the satisfaction of knowing that you have either contacted or not contacted the person you sought after. A text message can be used in the case that it is only a small amount of information that needs to be transferred maybe information such as a date/time/number etc.
The use of AGVs to move rolls of newsprint and its impact on the employees and the company
AGVS Advantages
- Reduce Manpower
- Increase Productivity
- Eliminate Unnecessary staff just to move paper form one section to another
- Reduce Product Damage
- Maintain Better Control of Material Management
An Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS) can be an integral part of a conventional warehouse characterized by long distances and "same path" movement. It offers an alternative to fixed-path conveyors and overhead materials handling equipment for this type of facility.
A wide range of vehicles move pallet loads of materials and perform various functions such as lift-lowering, towing carts, transferring loads to and from high level pallet racks, and precision placement of loads in pickup and delivery stations. Loads of varying weights (including several thousand pounds each) can be handled.
AGVS Systems are now controlled by flexible, on-board microcomputers. Intelligent terminals and radio frequency controls are incorporated into the system to track and direct vehicles.
This will mean that employees in the company will be facing a potential chance of a job loss as these AGVs can carry out all the duties that formerly the employees had to do, however it does mean that the company will have to make sure that it has the correct staff to maintain and control these AGVs and in case something goes wrong with the equipment there needs to be someone who can cover for the job they were doing. On the whole the newspaper company will receive the benefits I have bullet pointed above.
Use of GPS devices by reporters on location
Global positioning system will allow the reporter to be tracked. This is very useful for the reporter if he/she is going to unfamiliar and unknown parts of the world where they may be little or no communication with other humans, the GPS can be used as a method of security. GPS can also be used by reporters to track down certain elements, similar to how they would use a map. If some one was to tell the reporter to go to a certain destination the reporter can use the GPS technology to find his/her way there.
The GPS can also be used for personal emergencies if the reporter needs to phone the emergency services and doesn’t know where he/she is using the GPS the emergency services can track him down.
Task 2-
The fitted bedroom company’s use of ICT
How a website for online sales would affect the customers and the company
Almost no business can afford to ignore the internet. It has become an essential business tool for everyday correspondence, marketing, customer feedback, and customer support.
In the case of Mr Smith the website can act as shop from where customers can browse 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The website will allow global access so that the business can be accessible not just only to the people within the reach of Mr Smith.
Advantages to the business
- There is a huge saving on overheads: no costly warehouse space, rent. Heating or employee facilities
- The virtual shop can stock all the designs and instead of Mr Smith having to print of large amounts of designs he can save himself ink and in turn money by allowing the viewers to print of the designs they find interesting.
- It can be prove to be a valuable market research tool as the purchases of the internet can easily be recorded into a database showing a list of customers’ names and address showing consumer buying habits.
- The company would need less staff as the website would be taking care of a large number of factors therefore there would be less expenses in terms of pay.
- Mr smith does not have to be constantly travelling around from door to door.#
Advantages to the customer
- They can see the design without having to arrange Mr Smith to come over. As some people may feel uncomfortable with a stranger promoting his goods within their house
- They can sample a range of different products before they choose the one they like. They can also compare the products mr smith has to offer with other products on the net
- They are not limited to the printings that Mr Smith gives them and can print of as many different designs as they please.
Drawbacks
- There are always worries about the security of the credit card numbers being hacked and therefore some consumers will be put off from ordering off the internet which may reduce their overall sales.
- The company will lose motivation because the employees will feel threatened about their jobs.
- Competitors have easier access to the company’s plans and designs which can be used for their own benefit. As companies may start issuing similar designs but for cheaper.
- There are health issues such as stress due to the amount of pressure that will be related to these new i.c.t based jobs, also RSI and eyesight problems play a major factor.
- The company would need to retrain some of its staff in order for them to have the knowledge to operate the system; this would cost money and time.
Additional facilities the website could offer
The website would allow the additional facility, as I have mentioned before, of the products and designs being accessible by people worldwide. The website could also encompass a scheme using some sort of java technology to allow users to create their own custom bedrooms using the materials colours and patterns that the company supports according to their own needs and then submitting these custom made designs to Mr smiths company for a valuation on price and how long it would take to complete the project. The website no allows online sales; the website could allow a facility in which customers can log into monitor the progress of their order. Using this same system if each customer was given a user name and password Mr Smith could build a better relationship with the consumers buying habits as he could monitor which consumer buys what and which items and designs are in popular demand.
Impact of website on environment and society
The website has a good benefit to the environment and society in which it reduces the amount of paper that is being used as documents that would have formerly been printed out on paper can now be displayed on the website. The website may also have negative effects on society such as the fact that it would increase the usage of electricity; more people accessing the website within society would mean that there would be a higher emission of co2 which is quite dangerous. There would also be less interactivity between business and customer as 90% of the transaction would be completed through the internet.
The use of ICT by sales staff, such as Mr Smith, when visiting clients.
Mr Smith uses Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computers to assist the design process. Specialized CAD programs exist for various types of design: architectural, engineering, electronics, roadways, and woven fabrics to name a few. CAD programs usually allow a structure to be built up from several re-usable 3-dimensional components, and the components (such as gears) may be able to move in relation to one another. It is normally possible to generate engineering drawings to allow the final design to be constructed.
The laptop can be used as an extremely powerful potable source of transferring large masses of data from one place to another. The laptop can be used by Mr Smith to show video clips and images. The laptop can be used to record data about the customer as part of a database. The laptop is linked directly with the digital camera, the digital camera can take pictures of the room and upload them into the laptop and using appropriate software he can manipulate these images and print them off using the portable printer. Because the digital camera will display the images instantly there is no need to wait for the images to get developed and the potential customer can look at the image and discard it if he/she feels that it is not suitable. The printer allows a hard copy to be printed which can be handed to the customer for his/her reference.
How legislation will affect the use of photographs by Mr. Smith in publicity materials.
Legislation on the photographs means that Mr. smith has to have a signed documentation to ensure that images that he is taking and storing will not be distributed to third parties without strict consent by the owner and that the images will not be accessed by any un-authorized individuals, this all forms part of the data protection act (1988). He will need to follow this data protection act if he is to make sure that he protects the confidentiality of information kept about the individual. He will also have to abide by the copyright, designs and patents act (1988) which will confine him to not take any images that are under the copyright act. This will mean that the images Mr Smith can use in his publicity material will be restricted and he can not contain as many images as he’d like to. This will affect the material as it will not be as vividly descriptive.
How ICT can be used to monitor and control emissions from the factory supplying the furniture.
New - and cheaper - sensor systems could play a significant role in improving the environmental knowledge base in the future. Sensors can monitor pressure, moisture, vibration and much more. Thus, they can collect information about emissions to the environment or measure the state of the environment. The use of ICT for comprehensive data processing and modeling is another application with potential benefits. Online measurement and control of industrial processes, energy systems, building management and infrastructure systems holds very obvious potentials for environmental improvement. ICT is a key to more efficient control and regulation of energy consumption, emissions and waste production. The use of ICT in energy technologies has resulted in improvements in energy efficiency through control of lights, motors, boilers, air-conditioners and water heaters.
Task 3 using the internet for research
A report for Mr. Smith’s manager evaluating the use of internet by customers for research before they make a purchase.
People are aware that the internet is a source of an extensive range of information. It is highly unlikely that they will come across one website and find that they are convinced by the prices listed there and will not further shop around.
The internet is a valuable resource for shopping around. Search plays a role in roughly half of all online purchases. This can be quite important for Mr Smith as he has to realise that people are not going to just look at his website and not take into consideration prices from other retailers
The majority of pre-purchase search activity (searches and clicks) involves generic terms, not the merchants’ brands. This can prove to be a good or bad factor for Mr Smith. If his company is providing generic items similar to those that designer companies are providing, then people will go to Mr Smith as a cheaper alternative to get the same product which is a good factor. However on the negative side if consumers look at the products that Mr Smith is providing and believe them to be generic to the products that well known established designer companies are providing, they may believe that his products are of low quality, as people associate brand with quality.
Most buyers complete their relevant search activity well in advance of the purchase. This means that the potential customers will have already looked into various outlets before they start talking to Mr Smiths Company. Therefore when he goes for a sale he needs to be aware that those people who have access to the internet have already done their research about the products and will be well informed about the type of prices to expect and what to expect for each price, this may lead to a considerable amount of negotiating and bargaining which Mr smith should be prepared for.
Customers can now even use search engines which are specifically set up for just researching shopping products. These search engines allow the customers to type in the name of the product they are looking for and the search engine will give a whole list of shops that provide the same product and the price that they are providing the product at. This is very convenient for internet shoppers as it saves them browsing through many pages to get quotations.
Mr Smith will need to keep his costs fairly low as he will be competing against all these factors. The internet can offer consumers a wide range of choice at different prices. It is a very efficient way for customers to shop around as they do not have to do any physical travelling and therefore can get more done. Many shops on the net have forums or areas where customers can leave comments on a product; this will help the customer when he/she is buying the product as they can consider the opinions of other people.
Task 4
Using ICT in shops
Owners of the shop
Efficient- the epos system allows owners of the shop to have a better output and production of their business. This is because the epos system allows faster transactions at the point of sale because there is little or no need for manually entering the price of the item as the barcode will be quickly read.
Performance and sales monitoring- because the sales are being electronically recorded, information on sales and trends can easily be recorded to show which items seem to be most popular and which ones aren’t as popular. This can be used to set strategies for future, as they can change certain aspects in order to allow better performance of the company. The epos system can be linked to the stock control system which will allow an automatic deduction from the stock list every time an item is purchased.
Theft- theft can easily be monitored as all the items have been recorded as part of a stock take. Any items which are missing but have not been recorded on the stock database may be accounted to be damaged or stolen. And when the company is doing a stock take and the number of items sold does not match the number of items left in the company at the end of the trading period they something has gone wrong.
Costs- the costs of installing, training needs to be provided and also the cost of maintaining the system to be up and running to its best ability.
Breakdown- a breakdown of the system would mean that there needs to be an alternative back up system. This may not be as efficient as the epos system and would mean that at that point in time the company would be facing a slump in performance. Customers may also be upset by the inconvenience caused and may take their business elsewhere.
Employees
The employees will feel insecure about their job as those without the ability to run the epos system and adapt to the new method of dealing with transactions may feel that they will be made redundant. However on the positive side epos system may allow for current employees to better their skills and this would create a motivation for the employees to remain at the company and work hard as the company is providing them with new working skills which maybe beneficial to their later career. Employees have options to make wage claims as they have more skills and because there is less employees at the company the few employees that are working there could have opportunities to make higher wage claims.
Customers- will feel happier to know that there transactions are going to get dealt with faster this would hopefully lead them to coming back to the shop more often as there transactions get dealt with quicker. However some customers may feel put of by the introduction of this technology as some existing customers will feel settled in with the way the business was currently being operated. If the system breaks at any point the customers would be left waiting until the shop finds a backup to continue trading.
Smart cards be used in shops
Smart cards are similar to debit and credit cards in the shape and form that they take. However the electronics inside them are completely different. The inside of a smart card contains a microprocessor. The micro processor on the smart card is there for security, the computer which is hosting and the card reader will physically talk to each other. The micro-processor allows access to the data on the card. Here are some technical details about a smart card: may have up to 8 kilobytes of RAM, 346 kilobytes of ROM, 256 kilobytes of programmable ROM, and a 16-bit microprocessor. The smart card uses a serial interface and receives its power from external sources like a card reader. The processor uses limited instructions set for applications such as cryptography.
Smart cards are now becoming a popular technology. The following are a number of different uses for it:
- Credit cards
- Electronic cash
- Computer security systems
- Wireless communication
- Loyalty systems (like frequent flyer points)
- Banking
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Satellite TV
- Government identification
Task 5 the Impact of use of ATMs and debit cards
- atms can be used in banks to replace the system of using cash books to take money out and check your bank balance. In most modern ATMs, the customer identifies him or herself by inserting a plastic card with a magnetic stripe that contains his or her account number. The customer then verifies his or her identity by entering a passcode (PIN) of four or more digits. If the number is entered incorrectly several times in a row (usually three), most ATMs will retain the card as a security precaution to prevent an unauthorised user from discovering the PIN by guesswork (these cards are sometimes destroyed after being removed from the machine to prevent bank staff from misusing them). In some cases, the customer's PIN may be changed using the machine.
Some ATMs use smartcards to store customer data.
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Banks- Atms replace the cash book and passbook. The atms allow people to transact money from a bank even though they may not be banking with that particular bank. It will allow banks to save money because atms are a lot cheaper to run and maintain than a full scale building society as there are no multiple employee fees and the atm can run 24-7. atms are also proven o be more efficient and can therefore attract more customers than if for example customers had to come into the store and line up and wait to be seen by a cashier. Atms are used globally and therefore can become a source of revenue for the bank from all across the globe.
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employees of the bank- employees of the bank will benefit because they can get other jobs done rather than previously when they were handling minor money withdrawals and payments. Also some employees who have previous technical knowledge maybe trained to a standard which will allow them to perform basic maintenance of the machine, this will better their skills and will add to their motivational factor as they are learning new things. However employees may feel threatened that they may face potential job losses or some sort of job cut. The bank managers may choose to cut the wages if they feel that the ATMS can get a high proportion of work done that they were previously paying employees for.
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The customers- customers can benefit from a sort of 24-6 banking scheme in which they can transact money at any time and from anywhere in the world. They do not have to go to the specific bank that they are banking with to withdraw their money as they can use any link or visa card in a compatible machine. However some customers may feel uncomfortable using an Atm because of potential security issues such as fraud and also the risk of carrying a card around which holds your money on it which can be accessed by simply four digits.
Debit cards
Advantages of debit cards
- Obtaining a debit card is often easier than getting a credit card. If you qualify to open a bank account, you can usually get a debit card.
- Unlike when you write a check, using a debit card saves you from having to show identification or give out personal information at the time of the transaction.
- It frees you from carrying cash or a checkbook.
- It can save you from having to stock up on traveler's checks or cash when you travel.
- Debit cards may be more readily accepted than checks, especially in other states or countries.
- If you return merchandise or cancel services paid for with a debit card, the transaction will be treated as if it were made with cash or a check. Customers usually get cash back for on-line purchases; for off-line transactions, the amount is credited to your account.
- Most ATMs will allow you to get a cash advance against the line of credit on your credit card, using your credit card and a separate PIN. You do not necessarily have to have a bank account to do this.
Disadvantages of debit cards
- Unlike a credit card, debit card transactions give you no grace period. They are a quick, pay-now deal.
- They can make balancing your account tricky if you are not fastidious about keeping receipts and recording transactions in a timely fashion. It is easy to forget, for example, when you pay at the gas pump with a debit card and drive off without your receipt.
- Using a debit card may mean you have less protection than you would with a credit card for goods that are never delivered, are defective or were misrepresented. But, as with credit cards, you can dispute unauthorized charges or other mistakes within 60 days. Contact your bank if a problem with a merchant cannot be resolved.
- Fees -- The convenience can be costly, especially when using an ATM that is not affiliated with your bank.
All the transactions on debit card are recorded and all the information about your location when you withdrew money or paid it in is recorded. If this was to be obtained by the wrong person can be crucial to the way you bank in the future as you will feel like your privacy is being invaded. Also the fact that your money can be occupied if someone gets your card and works out the pin, considering the technology these days it is possible to acquire information of a smart chip or magnetic strip using basic equipment. The debit card will also store information of the goods which you might have purchased. Companies will be able to see what customers are buying and use the data to promote goods and services.
