Saint benilde

International school (calamba), inc.

MODULE 2
SELECT, USE, AND MAINTAIN COMMON BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the student must be able to:
1. Identify and access business technology required to achieve work outcomes;
2. Use technology in a way which promotes a safe work environment;
3. Select appropriate business technology and/or software applications to achieve the
requirements of work task;
4. Demonstrate the ability to use typical systems and procedures for the maintenance of
common business tools and technology Use business tools efficiently and effectively

1. Selecting Appropriate Business Technology and/or Software Applications To achieve

the Requirements of Work Task
Which Business Tool? any asset that helps or assists the organization to achieve its stated aims
or objectives.
Before a business tool can be selected it is important to be clear
and certain of the purpose of the tool. What are the objectives or
outcomes that will result from using the tool? What do we want
the tool to do?
For example, there is a significant difference in a camera that is
designed to capture still images and one that is designed to
capture moving images. There may be cases where a cellphone is a better solution than a landline
phone.
What features or characteristics will be required? A laptop computer does not need a power
supply but most desktop computers do.
You need to create a complete picture of all that is required from the tool in as much detail as
possible. Then it is a matter of matching the requirements of the tool with the tools available.
There will be situations where there are none of the required tools in the register and
management will have to decide if a purchase is warranted or, especially in the case of a one-off
situation, a hire arrangement will be satisfactory.
Consider the consumables that will be required. If the use is to be off site there may not be the
same availability of resources as in the business. This may apply whenever a tool is used. A
memory card for a camera needs enough space to be able to store the images that are to be taken.
Buy or Hire?

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International school (calamba), inc.

If the tool is not in-house then some assessment will need to be made as to future demand.
If this is a once-off situation then a once-off hire arrangement may solve the immediate problem
without committing the business to a significant capital outlay. Remember, it is not only the
purchase price that must be considered, but the tool must be stored and maintained should a
future use develop. In some cases, although hire costs may seem
high, the lack of responsibility and care because the tool is hired
can compensate the business for the extra cost.
If it is deemed that a purchase is required, the usage
requirements can act as a set of specifications that will assist in
determining the correct model. Estimated future use will also act
as a guide as to the robustness of the tool and how much should
be spent on the tool.

2. Using Technology in a way which promotes a safe work environment

Training
In all cases the efficient use of any tool requires some training before the tool can be used
efficiently and safely. The efficiency refers to the ability to achieve the desired results or
outcomes within an acceptable time frame and a reasonable effort. (differentiate effective and
efficient)

Assume that a user wants to take a photograph from a digital phone and further assume they have
no training. The results could be anything and the time involved could be significant as they can
create mistake and take pictures of fingers that cover the lens.
Safety needs to be considered for the person and the equipment. A camera flash close to the eyes
can injure and possibly blind. There is also a consideration of damage to the equipment. More
than one phone has fallen from a top pocket into a sink or other body of water; plugging parts of
a computer in while the computer is operating has been proven to be damaging to a computer.
All these dictate that, before a person is allowed to use a business tool, they must undergo some
level of training, and perhaps a refresher level of training for those using the same tool later to
remind them of the first set of skills.
There can be no definitive program for every tool in a business, but it is inconceivable that a tool
does not require some training. When the tool is acquired a skill set and a training manual or
form should be developed, and this will probably be unique to each tool. As the user does the
training this should be recorded before they are allowed to use the tool. Possible skill sets could
be:

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International school (calamba), inc.

Facsimile:
 Page up or down
 Add 0 to the beginning of the number
 How to enter the telephone number
 How to send from a list of contacts
 How to send the fax
 How to unjam the fax
 Ability to print the journal record (if this is required)
 Charge codes if applicable

Digital Camera:
 Insert batteries
 Insert and remove memory card
 Transfer images to a computer.

Summary
Select and use common business technology
 Software and information must be considered as tools
 Access must be controlled
 Technology has safety implications and therefore requires training
 Training should include minor problem fixing as well as use.

3. Maintaining Technology

The Business Register

A consumable is any item that is consumed by the business tool in use, and without the
consumable the tool becomes useless. A photocopier requires power, paper, and toner to produce
a copy. Without these items, copies cannot be made and the efficiency of the business suffers. It
is therefore very important to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of all consumables, they are
available, and users have sufficient skills to be able to install them.

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International school (calamba), inc.

The business register will record all details of the asset, including the consumables with a
description and part number if applicable. It is not enough to list the model of the tool, but also
the part number as this will ensure the correct item is supplied.
Not all consumables are user replaceable. In some photocopiers the toner is replaced by
technicians, while in others the user is expected to replace them. In most cases there are
consumables that will need replacing to ensure the tool is fully functional.

Who has Access Rights?

In some cases, there will be the manufacturer's brand and there will be aftermarket or
alternatives. Management will need to make a decision as to which type of product the company
is going to use. There are usually cost advantages associated with using the aftermarket, but they
may void warranty and there may be performance issues. Regardless of which choice
management decides, the decision needs to be recorded.

Supplier
The supplier of consumables should be identified, either in the register or in the stock list. With
some business items there are many suppliers and the quality may not be significantly different.
In the case of business tools there may only be one supplier so that it is important to identify the
supplier to they can be easily found. This is especially true if an aftermarket supplier has been
chosen and the contact details are unknown or unclear. It is also important to know the supplier if
should there be any issue with the performance of the part and there is a warranty issue.

Training
There is also the issue of training. In some cases, a local expert will install the item to ensure that
it is installed and installed correctly. Installing paper in a photocopier may be obvious, while the
removal of the back of a mobile phone to replace the battery may be a little more challenging. As
well as the physical process, there may be operational considerations, such as turning off the
phone before removing the battery.
The process and procedure for replacement for each of the consumables for each of the tools
needs to documented and stored in an accessible location. In some cases, this documentation will
be written in-house to explain what and how to make the changes. In other cases, it may be a hint
list that is used in conjunction with the instructions on the tool.

Documentation
Any documentation that was provided with the tool and any notices or documents that were
created in-house to support the tool need to be stored in a known and accessible location.

Ordering
In any order process there is a lag time between the order being made and the
order arriving. As consumables are a stock item, the quantity to be ordered
must consider the lag time, the normal consumption that will occur over this
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International school (calamba), inc.

time, and the reliability of supply. There is also the question of who is allowed to order in the
business. These are standard business decisions relating to the purchase of any item for the
business, and the process of ensuring there is an adequate supply of consumables should follow
the same process.

Maintenance
Most business tools require some type of maintenance, ranging from the simple in-house
operation to complete machine services that requires technicians.

Maintenance is the process of preparing a tool for operation and

ensuring that it is in a suitable operating condition to minimize the
possible of future failure. In most cases there is a set of stated
procedures for each tool that needs to be performed on a regular
basis. It is impossible to identify all the possible procedures that all
tools may require, but it is important to be able to identify the
various common events that will be done by employees and the
procedure to be followed when outside assistance is required.

In-House Maintenance
The most common type of maintenance required for all business tools relates to the supply of
consumables. These are the items or materials that the tool consumes during its normal
operation. Cars consume petrol, copies consume paper and toner, facsimile machines consume
paper and toner, and there are many others. Often these items involve an order process so a
procedure needs to be established where a person is allowed to order the consumables and a
source of supply has been established.

Although the detail for each tool will be different, the process involved is the same and once
established for one tool can be followed for a range of tools. To demonstrate the process, we will
apply it to a photocopier as it will cover the wide range of considerations.

Repairs
The repair process returns a faulty tool into an operational condition.
Something is broken on the tool and the repair process makes the machine
functional again. Unlike maintenance repairs are not predictable and
cannot be planned. There may also be an element of time pressure as the
tool is not available and it may be needed. Repairs could be considered as
simple as replacing the batteries in a camera, to the complete replacement
of the tool because the required repairs are not economically feasible
Who Does the Repairs?

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International school (calamba), inc.

If a machine does require repair there will need to be a record maintained of the relevant service
authority. This can be in the tool register or alternately a list of authorized repairers can be kept.
Contact names, numbers and people can be recorded. A database in Excel can be kept that will
allow the relevant people to be contacted and arrangements made.
Repair vs. Maintenance
In most cases repairs imply some immediacy where action needs to be taken promptly to ensure
the tool is in working order. For example, a broken tail light on a motor car may make the car
unroadworthy. Likewise, it is foolhardy to drive a car without a serviceable spare tire. This
elevates the urgency of the repair and also increases the importance of reporting the issue to
ensure that prompt action is taken. In other cases, a repair may not be immediate and the tools
are still serviceable, although not as efficient before the damage. A mobile phone may have a
cracked screen that makes the image hard to read but is still usable. Maintenance and repairs
without a time pressure component can be arranged to suit the needs of the business and match
with the time available for service repair times. Users may be willing to suffer some
inconvenience in return for use of the tool.
Establish an Expert
Usually this means allocating the responsibility of the machine to a single person who has
authority to spend the company’s money on service calls and other items. They will often be
versed in a wider range of activities on the tools than others.
Cleaning
As well as these functions which are on demand, there can be regular maintenance functions that
can be performed by in-house staff with a little training. Copiers need the platen cleaned. This is
a plastic or glass area that can get dusty or dirty from fingerprints and dirty hands. A spray with a
common glass clear is all that is required, but this should be done on a regular basis to maintain a
high quality of copying.
Some machines have similar internal cleaning procedures which are simple and straightforward,
but have to be regularly performed. A failure to do these procedures will not lead to machine
failure, but there can be a noticeable impact on quality, which increases as the time between
cleaning increases.
Summary
Maintain technology
 All tools require maintenance
 Some will require repairs
 Most tools have a consumable element and insufficient consumables will affect the use of
the tool
 Maintenance will render the tool unavailable and this must be planned

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International school (calamba), inc.

 Consumables must be purchased in accordance with business procedures

 Consumables need to be monitored to ensure there is a sufficient supply
 Training may be required to replace consumables
 Documentation and access to relevant documentation can be very important.