Office management is a profession that involves designing, implementing, evaluating and maintaining the work process within an office or organization, in order to maintain and improve efficiency and productivity.
Shifting technologies - including personal computers, slide projectors, movie projectors, overhead projectors, television monitors, videocassettes, videodisc players, multimedia systems and the Internet - have had a major impact on the office environment since the beginning of the 20th century. The ability to use technology is an essential skill in the ever-changing 21st century workforce.
The modern office has changed dramatically since the 1990s. Offices in today's society are transmitting information via e-mail, electronic calendars and teleconferencing, as well as other electronic devices. Communication through technology is as important as oral and written communication in the work environment. Technology continues to play a vital role in transforming the business environment.
Technological advances have transformed the world of work. As the work environment has changed, individual workers see how their work connects not only to their particular workplace, but to the entire value chain.
The backbone of the technology is the local area network (LAN), a single-site computer network, or the wide area network (WAN), which supports working groups worldwide. Both networks provide tools for users to transmit data, graphics, mail and voice over the network. LANs and WANs allow distributed work teams to complete projects using groupware and decision support systems.
Fusion in the fast lane of the twenty-first century work world information highway, faster information systems, an eye-popping access to the global marketplace, virtual offices, virtual teams and virtual organizations are coming into existence . The impetus is technology. The explosion of technology has transformed all levels of the business environment, from the typical office worker to the CEO, which is a challenge for everyone. Technology is creating new genres of content. Office technology focuses on office information functions such as word processing, data processing, graphics, ezine publishing and communication.