A
URDAY, MARCH 24, 1985
THE AREA OCCUPIED BY COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE SURVEYED FIRMS IS LESS THAN EIGHT PER CENT OF THE IR OFFICE AREAS.
IN FACT, SOME 21 PER CENT OF THE FIRMS HAVE NO SPECIFIC AREAS DESIGNED FOR THE INSTALLATION OF AUTOMATIC MACHINES. FURTHERMORE, OFFICE AUTOMATION HAS STREAMLINED OFFICE OPERATIONS AND REDUCED SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION STORAGE.
THE STUDY SUPPORTS THE RESULTS OF OVERSEAS RESEARCH THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SINGLE OUT THE IMPACT OF OFFICE AUTOMATION ON SPACE REQUIREMENTS FROM OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION OF BUSINESS.
IN THE CONTEXT OF OVERALL DEMAND FOR OFFICE SPACE, NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS CREATED NEW TRADES AND EXTENDED THE SCOPE OF EXISTING TRADES WHICH MAY OFFSET THE SPACE SAVING EFFECT OF AUTOMATION ON INDIVIDUAL FIRMS.
ON EMPLOYMENT, THE STUDY SHOWS THAT AUTOMATION HAS SAVED LABOUR ESPECIALLY IN ROUTINE CLERICAL FUNCTIONS. HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT REDUNDANCIES HAVE NOT OCCURRED DUE TO REDEPLOYMENT, RETRAINING AND NATURAL WASTAGE.
IT IS, NEVERTHELESS, ENVISAGED THAT AUTOMATION MAY HAVE A DAMPENING EFFECT ON THE GROWTH RATE OF OFFICE EMPLOYMENT IN THE LONG RUN.
BUT, ACCORDING TO SOME OVERSEAS RESEARCH, IT HAS BEEN POSTULATED THAT THE LABOUR SAVING EFFECT OF AUTOMATION WILL BE OUTWEIGHED BY NEW JOBS CREATED. TO WHAT EXTENT THIS PHENOMENON IS TAKING PLACE IN HONG KONG HAS YET TO BE ASCERTAINED.
TURNING TO FLOOR SPACE ALLOCATION, IT SHOWS THE AVERAGE OFFICE FLOOR SPACE ALLOCATION RATIO FOR THE TERRITORY IS 13.15 SQUARE METRES PER WORKER. THE RATIO FOR FIRMS WITH AND WITHOUT AUTOMATION ARE 13.65 SQUARE METRES PER WORKER AND 12.96 SQUARE METRES PER WORKER RESPECTIVELY.
IT HAS ALSO BEEN FOUND THAT FIRMS WITH A LONGER HISTORY OF AUTOMATION HAVE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER RATIO THAN THOSE UNDERTAKING OFFICE AUTOMATION FOR A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME.
ACCORDING TO SOME OVERSEAS RESEARCH, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAS ENABLED DECISION-MAKERS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY, CONTROL AND COMMAND DIRECTLY WITH BRANCH OFFICES OVER LONG DISTANCES.
IN THIS STUDY, IT HAS BEEN NOTICED THAT A FEW LARGE COMPANIES HAVE DECENTRALISED PART OF THEIR OFFICE OPERATIONS WHICH REQUIRE LITTLE DIRECT CONTACT WITH CLIENTS OR CUSTOMERS.
/WHETHER OTHER