Hardware and software improvements: Task Sheet 1

Hardware and software improvements: Task 1

Your task is to advise one of these small business as to how IT could support or impact upon how their various tasks get done. Read their brief background notes and consider what changes could be made to help meet their needs.

Peter's background notes [Word version here]

Peter is a carpenter, specialising in oak timber construction but also happy to take on a wide range of building jobs.

He works with three or four self-employed colleagues from a small workshop in a converted barn in Astcote, Northamptonshire.

They have access to all modern utilities including internet and landline services. a bit old-fashioned, though, they have only recently thought about having a web site and promoting what they do.

They do their own accounts and designs for customers in a small office. Peter and some of his colleagues have good IT skills but currently use agencies for everything to do with accounts and promotions, keeping paper records of almost all their administrative stuff.

Peter’s laptop is about 5 years old, running Windows XP which seems to suffer from frequent virus problems and is really slow when handling the photos he likes to take of his work on his phone. He uses a wireless internet connection to his parents’ house nearby but thinks he should now have a separate one.

His printer is an HP inkjet model, also about 5 years old.

He has some decent profits this year and is thinking about some new equipment and software and wondering how he might be able to put IT to good use in running and developing his business.

• What would you recommend? Indicate how you feel your recommendations could benefit his business. 
• Where possible, suggest specific products and advise the current costs of them. 

Judy's background notes [Word version here]

Judy used to be a Personal Assistant and is very IT-literate but struggling a bit financially as her new business in hypnosis and alternative therapies is only just getting under way.

She works with three associates who help with clients’ treatments and interviews but she likes to do all her own administrative and promotional design work.

She is very much into using ‘cloud’ (on-line) applications but doesn’t know much about what’s available. She understands, though, that some software will have to be installed on her equipment as ‘the cloud’ can’t do all tasks.

She has a three year old PC, running Windows XP and uses a copy of Microsoft Office 97 still as that has Word, Excel and PowerPoint which are all she tends to use. She did see a price of £468 quoted for a latest version of Microsoft Office so didn’t buy it as that was too much!

Judy wants to do all her administrative work and design leaflets etc. efficiently in her spare time but she understands that she needs modern software. She also wants to be able to make a web site. She tried using Dreamweaver and PhotoShop but they were too hard for her to learn and the trial copies expired anyway. She has hundreds of photos of scenes she wants to edit and use selections from in a gallery for visitors to her premises but needs some software and a quick and easy way to make on-line albums.

• Remembering that she’s not got much money to spare, what IT solutions would you suggest? 
• Low-cost internet deals? 
• What options are there for working with documents on-line? 
• What options are available for photo editing and web design? 
• How much should she pay for Microsoft Office if she does decide to buy a new version? 

IT that I use

Hardware and Software Improvements Task Sheet 2

You work in one of the departments of Future College Solutions. They provide helpful guidance notes for assignments for a fee.

The departments of this business include: Marketing, Finance, Customer Service and Administration.

1. Discuss with colleagues what hardware and software you would like to use in order to improve how you perform your duties in a given department. For example, in any department, a speedy internet connection or fast processor would make research and general operations of all kinds more efficient. Or having light and portable devices might make staff less tied to a particular desk or office and encourage collaboration. You can assume that the current set-up in your office is a bit dated!

2. Summarise the key changes you’d recommend – at least two should be hardware improvements or acquisitions and two regarding software.

3. Be prepared to explain your recommendations and research some typical costs for the updates or upgrades or purchases so you can estimate the cost impact on the business.

4. Consider also any potential problems or barriers to improvement that might be encountered and the how these might be overcome.

Sample output:
What I / we use in our department

A list of recommended improvements or purchases

Costs

Barriers to change and possible solutions

Sample answer for Task 1C

Sample answer for Task 1B

Sample answer for Task 1A

Links between Departments

Example of a business process model diagram

This example of a Business Process Model diagram is based on an online order-through-to-delivery process.

It's a flowchart, which makes it very easy to see the process and the key elements within it.

Here is a better quality picture of the same Business Process Model diagram example in PDF format.

Introduction

Aim and purpose
The aim of this unit is to enable learners to gain a knowledge and understanding how IT is used by organisations and the impact of IT has on organisations and individuals.

Unit introduction
The focus of this unit is on understanding the ways, reasons for and impacts of the use of IT within organisations. IT is used extensively by organisations and continues to spread into more and more diverse areas using increasingly powerful and innovative technology. This unit starts by giving learners the background to the use of IT in business. The unit encourages learners to consider how IT supports business functions and to understand why IT is used for those purposes. The introduction of IT into organisations has not only been used to automate existing systems and processes but in many cases has allowed and prompted fundamental changes to be made in the way organisations function. It is assumed that learners will have some knowledge of the capabilities of general applications software before undertaking this unit, although they do not have to have acquired the skills to use the packages. Learners will discover the positive and negative aspects of using IT for both employers and employees. The impact of the use of IT on individuals within organisations has progressively increased. In particular the life span of particular skills has decreased and this generates a need for constant re-skilling and adaptation. IT technologies are being developed all the time and the latest trends in IT development will be considered. IT has affected not only employers and employees but the whole business environment. In this unit learners will come to understand the issues of ergonomic design and health and safety that relate directly to IT, and ask questions such as are employees sitting comfortably, do they have enough space, do they need specialist equipment to overcome repetitive strain injuries?

Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit a learner should:

1 Know the ways in which organisations use IT

2 Understand the reasons why organisations use IT

3 Understand the impact of IT on individuals and organisations

4 Be able to plan a working environment to incorporate IT.