Office Space
May 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By C. William Day
How will technology affect the education office environment?
The office future
Video teleconferencing at the office level is a fast-growing technology. With the initial cost of the unit and either an LCD screen or a data projector in a conference room, a video teleconferencing system enables faculty and staff to collaborate with other faculty and staff anywhere in the world via the Internet. The most persuasive selling point for this technology is the savings in travel time and cost.
One more essential tool is a pop-up device in the conference room table that enables laptops to be plugged in, and provides power, data and VGA connections so that the laptop display can be shown on a display device in the conference room.
Don't overlook the phone. If you need to buy a new phone system, a digital solution is the way to go. Consider leasing, which sets a fixed life for office equipment, forcing schools to evaluate new capabilities periodically. Aim for as short a lease contract as possible. Another reason for short contracts is that the day is rapidly approaching when land lines will give way to cellular.
Office innovation is about to take another leap. Wireless communication tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated. These unobtrusive, portable tools are expected to combine the functions of multiple pieces of hardware — such as personal computer, phone, fax, scanner, electronic organizer or camera — into a single device. School administrators will use them to participate in videoconferences; check e-mail; return calls; upload and download documents; distribute reports; collaborate on projects; conduct research; schedule virtual meetings; scan printed documents or images; and send or receive text, audio and video.
Some common questions administrators should consider before upgrading office space:
Are there office tasks that can be accelerated or done less wastefully by using technology?
Are there additional benefits, such as automated recordkeeping, that can be accomplished more productively via technology?
What linkages between different pieces of technological equipment might save time, money, human resources, or produce additional benefits?
How can resources be best allocated to gain the most from new or upgraded technologies?
There's a lot administrators need to consider before creating an office for the future. It can't be accomplished in one step. But, at the very least they must plan for improvements in a unified way. Planning must be coordinated so that all the pieces work as a team. Recognize that tomorrow's technology also will change. The best an administrator can do is plan three to five years into the future. But that's better than not planning at all.
How has your school office changed over the years? Let us know by commenting on this article.
Day is senior research analyst with KBD Planning Group, Young Harris, Ga. He also is AS&U's "Tech Talk" columnist. He can be reached at bday@kbdplanning.com.
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