Automation and Collaboration software at ImageStream

Essay by oldcowhandUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, October 2004

download word file, 4 pages 5.0

Automation and Collaboration Software at ImageStream

Today's companies use office automation software to simplify daily tasks and assist with group collaboration. Central schedules, PC-to-PC video and teleconferences, e-mail software, fax machines and scanners, office servers and similar tools are commonplace in today's businesses. This paper highlights how ImageStream uses a few of these key automation and collaboration systems.

Office Automation

Individuals in office or virtual office environments often do not work autonomously, but within teams, committees, departments, and similar types of workgroups. To collaborate on common tasks, workgroup members can have meetings, teleconferences, and videoconferences, or send faxes, e-mails or written letters. Especially in virtual office environments, employees working on projects within a workgroup do not have the luxury of regular face-to-face meetings and cannot efficiently contact or and update every member of a team individually. To facilitate efficient workflow, teams complete many of these tasks by using office automation software and group collaboration tools.

ImageStream focuses on maintaining a worldwide presence with channel partners and employees. With a headquarters in Indiana and customers, partners and employees worldwide, ImageStream's success depends on successful collaboration. With the demands of a global enterprise and fast-growing business, the company must automate communication both inside and outside its physical and virtual offices, partner and customer locations. The company relies on many standard tools and some custom developed tools to ensure a high level of efficiency and collaboration.

First and foremost, ImageStream uses collaboration tools as communication aids. Using inexpensive hardware and software, ImageStream uses the Internet and its intranet to communicate via e-mail with its customers, distributors and vendors in over 75 countries. The messages span the range of topics from small follow-up messages to extremely large design drawings, network diagrams or other file attachments. With the advent of e-mail-to-fax gateways, ImageStream also uses...