How Do I Choose the Best Collaborative Workflow Software?

Office Automation (OA for short) is a new type of office method that uses modern technologies such as computers and communications to traditional office methods. Office automation uses modern equipment and information technology to replace traditional manual or repetitive business activities of office staff, to process office affairs and business information with high quality and efficiency, to achieve efficient use of information resources, and to achieve productivity and assist decision-making Aim to maximize work efficiency and quality and improve working environment. ^[1]
OA Synonym OA office software generally refers to OA system

Chinese name: office automation system
Foreign name: Office Automation System
Short name: OA system

operating system: Most frequently used by employees and managers
Advantage: Improve work efficiency and improve working environment
development trend: Platform, network, and intelligence

OA system overview

Office Automation (OA), the abbreviation of English Office Automation. It can be linked with daily affairs through specific processes or links to make documents more efficient in terms of circulation, approval, and issuance, to achieve standardized office management and information standardization, and to reduce business operating costs. ^[1]

Office automation (OA) is a collection of all information processing and management of an enterprise except production control. Different users have different functions: For the senior leaders of an enterprise, office automation (OA) is a decision support system (DSS). It uses scientific mathematical models, combined with internal / external information of the enterprise, to provide reference and basis for the decision-making of enterprise leaders. For middle-level managers of the enterprise, office automation (OA) is an information management system (IMS), which uses business The basic "data" provided in the link extracts useful management "information", grasps the business process, reduces business risks, and improves business efficiency. For ordinary employees, office automation (OA) is a transaction / business processing system. Office automation (OA) provides office workers with good office tools and environment to make it work accurately, efficiently and happily. ^[1]

OA system development history

OA system abroad

As early as the 1990s, foreign countries began to explore the design of office automation. And a simple automation system was designed. Although the system was very simple at the time, it directly set off the exploration of automated office. ^[2]

The research of office automation theory and technology emerged in the late 1970s in the United States, Britain, Japan and other economically developed and technologically advanced countries. Among them, the United States is one of the earliest countries to implement office automation. The development process of office automation can be divided into Four stages: the first is the stand-alone equipment stage before 1975, with the goal of using a single machine to complete a single job. The office automation technology at this stage is also known as the "secretary level"; the second is the local area network from 1975 to 1982. In this phase, many stand-alone devices are integrated into the local area network by using some integrated equipment such as private switches and local area networks, and then data and equipment are shared. This stage of office automation technology is also known as "director level"; the third is 1983 The integration stage of the period from 1990 to 1990, using multimedia information such as data, text, sound, images, etc., as transmission, processing, and storage means through the WAN. This stage of office automation technology is also known as "decision level"; the fourth is 1990 In the multimedia information transmission phase after the year, the technology of voice, image, audio and video will be better applied. Office automation system to achieve a more advanced office automation. ^[2]

OA system domestic

At present, domestic office automation systems have also developed rapidly, and more and more enterprises have begun to pay attention to the use of automation systems. The development of office automation technology in China can be divided into four stages: ^[2]

The first stage: 1980-1999, file-based office automation. The earliest office automation started with stand-alone office application software such as Lotus12-3, WPS, MSOffice, and realized the shift from manual office to computer office. It was called "paperless office" at the time. On the one hand, the company's information exchange and sharing has been realized, and on the other hand, the establishment of enterprise approval and process has been established, thus forming the concept of OA. ^[2]

The second stage: 2000-2005, collaborative office automation. This stage is mainly centered on the workflow. On the basis of the document OA, practical functions such as official document circulation, process approval, document management, conference management, and asset management are added. Based on the realization of personal office automation, the office automation system at this stage has improved the communication and information sharing mechanism between various functional departments, established a collaborative working environment within the enterprise, and extended office automation to all office organizations in the enterprise to ensure All employees can implement office automation and can understand the required information and complete their own tasks according to their respective authorizations. ^[2]

The third stage: 2006-2010, knowledge-based office automation. With the gradual deepening of OA system application, the requirements of enterprises and users have continued to increase, and the development of office automation systems has also spawned a new climate, forming a "knowledge management" as the main idea, and "collaboration" as the working method, A "knowledge-based office automation system" that integrates information resources within the enterprise with "portal" as a technical means. In this sense, the office is actually a management process, and the business transaction processing objects brought by the e-commerce era are changing rapidly. This requires that the office automation system as an enterprise can provide sufficient flexibility and open interaction capabilities. ^[2]

The fourth stage: after 2011, intelligent office automation. With the continuous solidification and improvement of enterprise organizational processes, the accumulation and application of knowledge, and the innovation and improvement of technology, the final office automation system will be completely reborn. The new "smart office automation system" will become the future development direction. Type OA can provide services such as decision support, knowledge mining, and business intelligence, and pay more attention to the decision efficiency of enterprises. ^[2]

OA system main features

1. Handle various affairs automation

In the office management of enterprises and units, secretaries and administrative tasks and the application of office automation can be used to understand the administrative affairs and personnel relations in a timely manner to ensure more accurate transaction processing. ^[3]

2. Process file automation

In traditional office management, each document must be closely analyzed and interpreted, and constantly revised in paper form. This not only reduces work efficiency, but also increases the workload of employees, and it is also very It is easy to make mistakes in modification or loss of file information, resulting in loopholes in the information in the file. The office automation system can automatically manage all kinds of files. Use computer network technology to classify and uniformly transmit files, and put forward some feasible suggestions on the premise of retaining the original files. At the same time, the enterprise must strictly manage the office automation system, and require workers to log in to the system through identity verification, and view the required documents, effectively ensuring the tightness of the internal documents of the enterprise. ^[3]

3.Automate decision making

In enterprise management, whether the correct decision is the basis of ensuring office management, the use of office automation systems can automatically check documents, such as personnel relations, financial accounts, etc. Office automation can scientifically analyze the relevant data related to decision-making, which can effectively improve the scientificity and accuracy of data. ^[3]

OA system related technology

1. Office portal technology

Portal technology is an emerging technology that integrates content and applications and creates a unified collaborative workplace. Information portal technology provides a personalized information integration platform and an extensible framework. It can integrate a full range of information resources as needed, enabling application systems, data content, personnel and business processes to interact. In the office automation system, the portal site and the portal system are two common forms of expression, such as an enterprise portal system established according to the needs of the enterprise, an electronic office system based on the portal technology established using different technologies, and a portal site established according to different needs Wait. ^[2]

2.Information exchange, document transmission, transmission encryption technology

The sharing of information resources is an important content of office automation systems. In order to improve the efficiency of office automation, a unified, safe and efficient

OA system Information resource sharing and exchange platform. The information exchange platform consists of a centrally deployed data exchange server and various data interface adapters. It provides a complete set of standardized, efficient, and secure data exchange mechanisms to solve data exchange problems such as data collection, update, aggregation, distribution, and consistency. Sequence query, public data access control, etc. ^[2]

3. Business collaboration mechanism

Digitization, networking, and informationization are the trends of office automation development, and multi-dimensional and multi-field "collaborative office" is the new direction of office automation development. To put it simply, collaborative work means that multiple people cooperate to complete the same work goal. According to this understanding, in order to achieve the exchange, combination, and information sharing of various business information in office automation, it can be considered as collaborative work. ^[2]

4. Workflow technology, assisted decision-making technology

The concept of workflow technology formed in the field of production organization and office automation is a new research hotspot in the field of computer applications. The definition of workflow by the International Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC, Workflow Management Coalition) is: a type of business process that can be fully or partially performed automatically, and can be performed by different performers according to a series of process rules, documents, information or tasks The three basic steps of delivery, execution, and workflow implementation are: mapping, modeling, and management. ^[2]

In the office automation system, the implementation of workflow technology is mainly realized through the workflow management system. Workflow management system is a software system, which completes the definition and management of workflow through the support of computer technology, and advances the execution of workflow instances according to the workflow logic predefined in the computer. The workflow management system will be in the real world The business process is transformed into some kind of computerized form representation, and the execution and management of the workflow is completed under the drive of this form representation. ^[2]

OA system advantages

1. Save work costs and facilitate document circulation management

Compared with the previous method of reviewing paper documents, OA system processing of sending and receiving documents and sharing of information resources can save a lot of paper and reduce office costs. Leaders can directly read, approve, and revise electronic documents on the OA system, and keep traces of reading and modification, which solves the problem of wasting a lot of paper in the past due to repeated revisions of draft documents. In addition, electronic documents can be sent to multiple OA systems at the same time. Human circulation shortens the cycle of document circulation and eliminates the possibility of paper documents being lost. ^[4]

2. Convenient retrieval and information promotion and information sharing

The functional modules such as public documents, public information, and notices in the OA system are platforms for all departments to share information resources. Employees can learn the latest information of the hospital in time through the OA system, which is conducive to communication and cooperation between departments. The powerful condition retrieval function on the OA system provides great convenience for employees to quickly find documents, and solves the problem of spending a lot of time searching paper documents in the past, thereby improving the efficiency of collecting documents. ^[4]

3. Enhance monitoring capabilities and improve administrative management

The OA system can effectively and timely monitor the schedules, documents, and use of conference rooms, vehicles, and office supplies in various departments and employees, and has the function of reminding and supervising, and automatically reminding, on the one hand, preventing delays in business processing time The situation, on the other hand, is conducive to the overall monitoring of the administrator, to identify problems in time and coordinate and solve in a timely manner. In addition, the process steps processed on the OA system have traces of approval, which are traceable and convenient for future inspection and management. ^[4]

4. Improve work efficiency and build excellent team awareness

The OA system's information transmission, schedule and other functional modules have greatly improved the collaboration efficiency and communication ability between employees, and created an excellent team with strong cohesion, high work efficiency, and quick response ability. Through the establishment of work forums and other modules, the communication and interaction between leaders and employees, employees and employees have been strengthened in a more timely and effective manner, and employees have learned from each other's strengths, learned together and made progress, promoted the improvement of business standards, and strengthened the team team spirit. ^[4]

5. Achieve automatic office and build a scientific management model

The use of the OA system has comprehensively promoted office automation. With the help of advanced computers and network information technology, it has achieved efficient, safe and standardized processing of business affairs in the office, greatly improving work efficiency and service quality. At the same time, it provides efficient and convenient services for leaders at all levels to conduct macro management, and provides a reference for scientific decision-making, so as to build a scientific management model. ^[4]

Practical application of OA system

1. Make the office model more mobile

With the popularity of smart terminals and the rapid development of the Internet, office mobility has become a development trend in modern office. Some developed cities have been actively practicing and constantly exploring mobile office, and gradually realize the mobile office. At present, the financial department has solved the limitations of working space and working hours, and achieved the goal of being ready to work at any time, greatly improving work efficiency. The most important issue of office mobility is to deal with data and network security. Since the mobile office needs to cooperate with the local network communication operator of the enterprise, this requires that the mobile network communication must have a secure data transmission form and a secure access. This also requires mobile network operators to set up in different areas when designing the platform, and assign different virtual constrained networks, so that management and control can be better separated. In terms of network technology, the use of China Unicom or mobile 4G network and wireless virtual private network technology to access, and the use of virtual networks to establish a virtual private data network, so as to better perform data transmission services, but also need to provide users with A variety of security verifications and strict controls are designed for connection and entry, and advanced technology is used for protection to make the mobile platform for office automation more secure and reliable. ^[3]

2. Make administrative management more integrated

In the administration of the enterprise, the application of office automation system can integrate administrative approval with the circulation of documents, and use the office automation system to achieve a series of administrative management tasks such as finance, meetings, logistics, personnel, etc., such as in daily administrative work As long as you log in to the automated office system, you can quickly and easily handle the car dispatching, employee attendance, etc., which not only improves the work efficiency and management level of the administrative department, but also makes the work of the financial department more convenient and efficient. ^[3]

3. Make system functions more usable

In the construction of office automation systems in China, we adhere to the principle of proceeding from reality and seeking truth from facts, and build office automation systems suitable for our own development according to the actual conditions of each city and region. And adhere to the simple and practical, people-oriented design principles. Each region can also carry out independent research and development. Through the company's own business capabilities and market share, design an office automation system suitable for its own development, make the office system simple and intelligent, and significantly improve people's work quality and work efficiency. The automated office system mainly connects the departments of the enterprise with each other, so that the relationships between departments and employees are closer. At the same time, the distribution of responsibilities and rights can also be reflected in enterprises, enabling them to better cooperate and communicate. Enterprises apply office automation systems, and some projects can also be carried out through the network. Continuous communication and collaboration can effectively solve the problem of lack of enterprise information, which greatly improves the comprehensive management level of enterprises. The application of office automation systems is also for enterprises. Development plays an important role. With the continuous development of Chinese enterprises, blindly expanding the scale cannot represent the healthy development of the enterprise, which requires enterprises to increase their internal management level while expanding the scale. Therefore, enterprises need advanced office systems and office equipment. Through scientific management, they can ensure that all departments within the enterprise can obtain accurate information in a timely manner, improve work efficiency, and make office more convenient, fast, and intelligent. ^[3]

OA system security issues

OA system risk

1. Computer virus infection.

With the continuous development of network technology, the spread and invasion of computer viruses has become increasingly serious, and its destructiveness is beyond imagination. Once these viruses invade the OA office system, it will cause inestimable losses, such as computer systems being in a paralyzed state, lost data, and Internet servers not functioning properly, etc., which will also bring certain losses to the economy. ^[5]

2. Stealing confidential attacks.

There are many ways to steal information, and hacking is the most important. When hacking into the OA office system, the purpose is to steal and destroy data information, and maliciously delete and tamper with the original data in the server hard disk, and damage the program ; In addition, you can also use the virus to tamper or delete the sector and file directory of the system. ^[5]

3. Disaster damage.

First of all, due to improper user operation or inattention during operation, errors will occur and the system will be damaged. Secondly, when the application software of the computer's internal system experiences errors and abnormal data, the operating system cannot run normally, and the final file is damaged. In addition, there are hardware failures, such as problems with the motherboard, chip, and hard disk; network failures, such as drivers and network connections, will affect the normal operation of the OA office system to varying degrees. ^[5]

OA system prevention

1.Improve the ideology and technology of system operation and use

As users operate and use the system, the system will be damaged due to human negligence, misjudgment and other reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the awareness of the use of the system and information technology. Only when the user fully realizes the importance of the OA office system, can he actively improve his technical level in the use of learning and communication and training. For example, training users can be conducted through lectures and on-site training. , Develop corresponding training content and programs for different management levels and different user rights. Through different levels of training on OA theory, operation, system functions, and data collection, users can clearly understand what needs to be paid attention to when operating OA office software, and will not affect the normality of the system due to human factors. Operation, in strict accordance with the system's operating procedures, can achieve standardized operation, the purpose of safe use of the system. ^[5]

2. To further improve network security In order to solve security problems such as computer viruses and hacking, corresponding technical measures must be taken for prevention and control, such as network access control, intrusion detection, data recovery, firewall protection, and data encryption and other related technologies. ^[5]

(1) Network access control. Network access control, as the first security protection measure of the OA office system, can effectively protect user information. Generally, it is divided into three procedures: user name and user password identification and verification, and user account default check. When an error occurs in one link, users cannot access the network. ^[5]

(2) Intrusion detection. Intrusion detection is to collect and analyze information from key points in the network system, check the behavior or signs of violations of security policies in the network, analyze and monitor users and system activities, find unauthorized operations by illegal and legitimate users, and evaluate the integrity of system data information In this way, you can find the problem in time and take effective measures to solve it. ^[5]

(3) Strengthen data recovery functions. After the internal structure of the OA office system is damaged, its recovery mainly depends on the computer's own data backup method. Data backup can be performed in accordance with the actual needs of system security, such as large-capacity data storage backup and recovery, off-site data storage backup and recovery, and so on. They all have better protection, and in addition, they can effectively prevent attacks that access the network without authorization. ^[5]

Development direction of OA system

(I) Platform orientation.

In today's network age, OA, as a basic information system with enterprise-level cross-sector operation characteristics, effectively connects employees at various positions in the enterprise, and effectively combines the enterprise information system with various types of information resources. Nowadays, many companies have successfully established their own office systems and used various financial management software. They have been introduced into various systems such as ERP systems, SCM systems, HR systems, CRM systems, and so on. These systems will form a variety of unique styles and cannot make the enterprise more efficient. It can be seen that the integration of various systems and whether they can work together efficiently are very important. In terms of future development, OA needs to manage the business management of existing MIS systems, ERP systems, and financial systems in the enterprise The unification of business data, system interface and accounts, tight and smooth business processes, integration with the circulation of official documents, release of information, verification and approval, so as to achieve a seamless integration and collaborative office platform. ^[6]

(B) Networking direction.

The comprehensive and popular use of the network makes the software more inclined to the network of the software, so the automated office must also be a convenient and fast connection between the OA system and the Internet. Many domestic OA software still need to be further improved. Although it integrates network office functions, it is not perfect. Based on this reason, learning some outstanding management systems abroad, such as the online document processing software and spreadsheet software launched by Google, can achieve efficient and fast online office; and the perfect interaction between Microsoft Office and the Internet to achieve office Mobile. These are some good examples that can enable people to learn and learn from. The current OA system is to interact with the Internet efficiently, instead of not pursuing interaction with the Internet. This is the goal of OA, which will play a decisive role in improving the market competitiveness of enterprises and the rise in market position. ^[6]

(3) Intelligent direction.

In today's network and information era, users often need to spend a lot of time and effort to process business data. In the face of huge amounts of data, if office software needs to help users to do some basic tasks of BI and intelligent business analysis, the use of office automation systems can find some business opportunities that may be inconspicuous, and such opportunities are inevitable. Demand, work performance will be improved, which is a great benefit for users. For example, Microsoft Office 2013 version provides a lot of such functions, the effect is very good, such as providing decision-making support, knowledge mining, business intelligence and other comprehensive system services. ^[6]

(4) Humanization direction.

The OA function is constantly expanding, and the internal situation of each enterprise is different. The needs of each enterprise are also different. Customers require a more humane and diverse system, so that different business groups can be satisfied. ^[6]