SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1985
STUDY SHOWS WIDESPREAD USE OF AUTOMATION
******
THE USE OF AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT IN HONG KONG CAN BE REGARDED AS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD, WITH THE VALUE OF SUCH EQUIPMENT IMPORTED SHOWING RAP ID INCREASES YEAR BY YEAR.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FINDINGS OF A STUDY CARRIED OUT BY TH TOWN PLANNING DIVISION OF THE LANDS DEPARTMENT AT THE REQUEST OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LAND SUPPLY.
KNOWN AS THE STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF OFFICE AUTOMATION+, A TOTAL OF 488 FIRMS WERE CANVASSED ON THE USE OF VARIOUS EQUIPMENT RANGING FROM COMPUTERISED TELEPHONE SYSTEM TO WORD PROCESSORS.
THE SURVEY SHOWS THAT 42 PER CENT OF ALL SURVEYED FIRMS USED COMPUTERISED EQUIPMENT OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER. THE PROSPECT IS ALSO GOOD AS 66 PER CENT OF THESE FIRMS INDICATED THEY INTEND TO UNDERTAKE FURTHER AUTOMATION IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
IT HAS ALSO FOUND THAT LARGE FIRMS HAVE A HIGHER DEGREE AS WELL AS A LONGER HISTORY OF AUTOMATION THAN MEDIUM AND SMALL FIRMS.
IN TERMS OF TRADE, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, COMMUNICATION, AIR AND WATER TRANSPORT FIRMS HAVE USED MORE AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT THAN OTHERS.
YEAR,
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY, WHICH STARTED IN OCTOBER LAST
ARE:
*
IDENTIFYING THE TRENDS OF OFFICE AUTOMATION IN HONG KONG;
* ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF OFFICE AUTOMATION ON FLOOR SPACE
REQUIREMENT;
* EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF OFFICE AUTOMATION ON EMPLOYMENT;
FINDING OUT THE FLOOR SPACE ALLOCATION PER OFFICE WORKER; AND
*
*
APPRAISING THE EFFECT OF OFFICE AUTOMATION ON THE LOCATION OF OFFICES.
ON THE IMPACT OF AUTOMATION ON FLOOR SPACE REQUIREMENTS, THE MAJORITY OF THE SURVEYED FIRMS EITHER REPORTED NO CHANGE IN SPACE REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THEY COULD NOT ATTRIBUTE THE INCREASE TO AUTOMATION OR GENERAL EXPANSION. ONLY 13 PER CENT ATTRIBUTED THE IR INCREASE IN SPACE REQUIREMENTS (MOSTLY 10 PER CENT OR LESS) DIRECTLY TO OFFICE AUTOMATION.
/THE AREA