Working practices ca

Working practicesBy the end of the presentation you should be able to answer the

following questions:

1. Describe how jobs have changed from traditional office-based employment

2. Explain how ICT applications are used in particular jobs

3. Describe the different methods of communication used by businesses

TASK: Teleworking

Review IGCSE knowledge:

in pairs, mindmap: definition, advantages and disadvantages of Teleworking

Teleworking: ReviewDefinition: Teleworking is another name for Working from HomeAdvantages to the employer• Office running costs and overheads (rates, electricity, heating etc.) can be reduced.• Less office space needed.• Travel-related problems may be reduced.• It may tempt better staff to come and work for the company.Advantages for the employee• You can work from the comfort of your own home.• There is no time wasted traveling and no travel costs.• You can live in an affordable far from work.• It enables you to work around the needs of your family and/or children.• It is more convenient - you can plan the working day to suit you, which could help

reduce stress levels.Disadvantages• There is less opportunity to meet people and share ideas - teamwork is more difficult.• There may be more temptation to spend time on non-work-related activities.• People often work longer hours than they should and find it hard to switch off.

TASK: Teleworking

In pairs, answer this question:

• What areas of ICT have developed in order to make teleworking possible?

Teleworking

The ability to communicate at distance hasincreased due to New technology e.g:• Portable communication devices• Networks• Broadband connection• Virtual private Network (VPN)• Mobile phone /PDA with wireless features • Laptop

Virtual Private Network

VPN

• A process whereby software is used to create what appears as a private network running over a public network i.e the internet

• The network typically uses encryption to keep information secure

What does a teleworker need?

Hardware• PC with internet access• Access to email• A fax machine• A landline phone• A mobile phone• A printer/photocopier/scanner (laser/inkjet)• Video conferencing equipmentSoftware• Word processing/web browsing software• Spreadsheet/database software

Examples of teleworking jobs:

• Professional services e.g. tax advice, legal advice, financial advice

• Writing• Book editing• Proof reading• Translation• Technical/customer support• Telesales/marketing

Teleworking – suits professions that are done on an individual basis

How a manager decides which employee will telework:

• Type of work

• What type of person/employee are they?

• Can they work well on their own?

• How frequently they need contact with their employee? (once a week?/daily progress?)

A teleworker must:

• Have good time management skills

• Be motivated

• Have good communication skills

• Have good self-discipline

How a manager builds relationships with teleworkers:

• Personal contact- visit office once a week or receive daily update emails

• Involves teleworkers with other office staff for; training, staff meetings and company outings

Remote working• This includes teleworking/homeworking

but also, when people literally work at a distance from the office. E.g. a travelling salesperson, doctors on call and engineers working on site

Remote working technology

• PDA’s/Smart phones

• Mobile phones with wireless capability

• Laptops with wireless capability

Examples:

• Engineers: use a pda to email reports, view technical manuals and use word processing or other software

• Doctors: use laptops to connect to a VPN to access patient records, x-rays

• Travelling salesman: use PDA/mobile phone to talk to other salesman, connect to their office to access customer files, sales figures, email orders etc. Mostly use Hotspots around town

Remote access services (RAS)

• These are services used by remote workers to access their own PC

Office based working

• Even though there is increasingly more teleworking; offices still exist in large numbers

Company reasons for not allowing teleworking

• Fear: employees do not trust employees to work at home; believing they will watch TV and be unproductive.

• Security concerns: data is not safe/confidential when sent out of the office

Employees reasons for not wanting to telework

• Social aspect

• Team work

• Fear: that they could lose their jobs easier if the employer doesn’t see them

Office-based technology

• Desktop computers connected to a LAN/WAN

• Internet access

• Email access

• Networked printers

• Photocopiers

Video conferencing

Review IGCSE:

In pairs, mindmap what you know about

video conferencing

Task

• Fill in the table about Office communication called Communication methods found here:

• Y:\ICT\A Level Applied ICT\- Unit 2 - Organisations use of ICT\2b. ICT in the Workplace

Video conferencing equipment

Hardware:PC, mouse and keyboardMonitorSpeakersNetwork connection: ModemHigh broadband speedWebcamMicrophoneVideoconferening software

How does it work?

2 types of conferences:• A person has individual access to the

conference• A group has access to the conference

Steps:

1. Members log in to the system

2. Then all delegates can see/hear each other

3. Documents: delegates view using software

Where is it used?

• Schools: used to communicate with other schools around the world

• Doctors: used to speak to other doctors/experts

• Business: used by teleworkers, or in the office to communicate to customers or other offices based elsewhere

Task: Video conferencingREVIEW IGCSE, In pairs, mindmap advantages & disadvantage of

video conferencingAdvantages of video conferencing• Meetings can take place without leaving the office.• Travel costs and the time taken to travel can be reduced

significantly.• Meetings can be called instantly worldwide with little notice.• Delegates can still attend meetings even if they are physically

unable to.Disadvantages to video conferencing• May not be as productive as a discussion around a table.• Confidential documents may need to be viewed and signed in

person.• There will always be times when you need to be able to meet face

to face.

Phone conferencing

• This is the linking together of people on a phone line so they can have a collective conversation

• This can be achieved via, mobile phones, landlines and VoIP

• All you need is a touchtone phone

How it works:

1. Delegates: agree a time/data for the call

2. Delegates are sent the phone number and individual PIN’s

3. The organiser dials the conference number (using a special PIN) first to set up the conference call

4. Then delegate dials the conference phone number and enters their PIN

EmailAdvantages • Quick communication around the world.• Free once an internet connection has been paid.• Send a message to many people at once.• Send documents in digital form to be printed for signing.• Access to instant messaging allowing for real time discussion.Disadvantages• Email is prone to viruses and hacking; software protection can be

expensive.• Not instant. Written responses take time to write.• Documents that require signature will still need to be sent by

facsimile (facs)• Messages can be misunderstood causing time delays.

Instant messaging

• This is the exchange of text messages between two or more people logged into an IM service

• It is an interactive service allowing people to reply immediately to others logged in

• It is instant, so better then email. However it does not store the messages and does not offer format features.

How it works:

1. Username + password is required to login

2. First time, you make a contact list

3. These people are sent invitation and have to agree to join

4. Then, you select who you want to chat to, however they must be online

Faxing

• Short for Facsimile(this is how it will appear in the exam)

Needs:• A phone line (usually has its own)Works by:• A document is scanned and then

transmitted over the phone lines to another fax machine which then prints it out

Faxing

Disadvantages:Uses a modem so the speed of transmission tends to be

slowLack of confidentialityQuality is not reliableAdvantages:Good, when exact copies of the original are required

Examples of fax use:In the USA, publishers send a newspaper fax to the

newspaper plant for printingSigned copies of a fax are legally accepted in the UK

Electronic faxing

• This uses the internet to fax

• The user receives the fax on their fax machine or via fax software

• Then the user prints it out

Electronic faxing advantages over faxing

• Saves time going to and retrieving faxes

• Equipment costs are lower (no fax machine needed)

• Running costs are lower (another fax phone line is not needed)

• Confidential faxes are secure

• Can receive a fax anywhere – don’t have to be in the office

Task list

• Communication worksheet

• Vocabulary – update your dictionary for

• Control systems

• Spreadsheet

Enter definitions – english and vietnamese

Enter examples of function syntax and/or screenshots

ICT Development

• Higher speed broadband

• Lower cost of internet connections

• Higher quality and lower cost of hardware