Chapter 5 Introduction to Office Automation

Multiple Choice Questions

P05M001
Which of the following kinds of software is developed for office automation?
A. Anti-virus software
B. Spreadsheet
C. Disk defragmenter
D. Operating system
Answer
B

P05M002
Which of the following kinds of software can create and manage data files systematically?
A. Database management software
B. Word processor
C. Presentation software
D. Communication software
Answer
A

P05M003
Which of the following kinds of software has a function called mail merge?
A. Word processor
B. Spreadsheet
C. Presentation software
D. Database management software
Answer
A

P05M004
Which of the following is not an advantage of office automation?
A. Increased productivity
B. Better data management
C. Better data reliability
D. Better communications
Answer
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C

P05M005
Which of the following is not an example of office automation?
A. A credit card company prints monthly statements for its customers.
B. A jewellery shop prints advertising information for its potential clients.
C. A trading company calculates the monthly payroll.
D. An IT company performs hard disk checks for all the computers in the company.
Answer
D

P05M006
Which of the following peripherals cannot be commonly found in an office nowadays?
A. VDU
B. Typewriter
C. Scanner
D. Network printer
Answer
B

P05M007
Which of the following peripherals is most probably not required for sending e-mails?
A. VDU
B. Keyboard
C. Scanner
D. Mouse
Answer
C

P05M008
Which of the following networking equipment can be found in an office nowadays?
(1) Switch
(2) Wireless router
(3) NIC
A. (1) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
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D

P05M009
Which of the following is not a type of data application?
A. Data backup
B. Data analysis
C. Document production
D. Report generation
Answer
A

P05M010
Which of the following software is used for data analysis usually?
(1) Word processor
(2) Spreadsheet
(3) Presentation software
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
B

P05M011
Which of the following media is not used for permanent data storage in an office usually?
A. Hard disk
B. Memory card
C. DVD
D. RAM
Answer
D

P05M012
Which of the following software can be used for data exchange?
(1) E-mail
(2) Video conferencing software
(3) Groupware
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
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C. (1) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
D

P05M013
Which of the following functions is/are provided in a database management system?
(1) Data storage
(2) Data query
(3) Data access
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
D

P05M014
Which of the following functions is/are provided in a task scheduling system?
(1) Resource booking
(2) Resource management
(3) Task scheduling
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
C

P05M015
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(1) The office automation system should be compatible with the original system.
(2) To save cost in the implementation of an office automation system, training for the
management staff is not necessary.
(3) More work space is required for an office implementing office automation.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
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Answer
A

P05M016
Which of the following is not application software?
A. Image editing software
B. Driver
C. Spreadsheet
D. Presentation software
Answer
B

Short Questions

P05S001
(a) State three advantages of office automation.

(3 marks)
(b) Give one example of each advantage mentioned in part (a).

(3 marks)
Answer
(a) Increased productivity / better data management / better communications / reducing
company expenses (any three × 1)
(b) Increased productivity:
Word processors can edit documents easily. It is not necessary to retype the whole
document for any kind of change.
Better data management:
Data and documents in a digital form can be effectively stored, reused and referenced
through a computer network.
Better communications:
Multimedia files can be attached in an e-mail but traditional methods like fax cannot.
Reducing company expenses:
Storing documents electronically can save a lot of office space, so a lot of money can be
saved from office rental.
(any three × 1)

P05S002
(a) Suggest one office automation solution for each of the following situations:

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 (i) A boutique sends promotion letters to all its customers. A lot of paper is used.
(1 mark)
(ii) A staff in Hong Kong attends courses held in Shanghai. The company needs to spend
high travelling expenses and the travelling time of the staff is long.
(1 mark)
(iii) A school keeps a lot of student records. A large amount of paper needs to be stored
that occupies plenty of office space.
(1 mark)
(b) State one type of application software that is most suitable for each of the following
tasks.
(i) Send a large digital image to a friend.
(1 mark)
(ii) Browse a blog.
(1 mark)
(iii) Plot charts for a survey.
(1 mark)
Answer
(a) (i) The boutique can send the promotion letters through e-mails. (1)
(ii) The company can choose the online courses for the staff. The staff can therefore
attend the course and download the course materials via the Internet. (1)
(iii) The school can scan all the records in electronic forms that can be saved in magnetic
tapes or DVDs. (1)
(b) (i) Communication software / instant messaging software (any one × 1)
(ii) Web browser (1)
(iii) Spreadsheet (1)

P05S003
Complete the following table:

Application software Usage

(i) Create, modify, format, and print documents.

Spreadsheet (ii)

(iii) Store and manage data systematically.

(iv) Manage address books and e-mails.

Image editing software (v)

Presentation software (vi)

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Answer
(i) Word processor (1)
(ii) Organize, calculate, chart and present data. (1)
(iii) Database software (1)
(iv) Communication software / e-mail software (any one × 1)
(v) Create and modify images. (1)
(vi) Create slides with multimedia elements for presentations. (1)

P05S004
The following peripherals are commonly found in an office nowadays:
Speakers, microphone, printer, scanner, webcam

What kind of application software and which of the above peripherals is / are required for each
of the following tasks?
(a) A manager in Hong Kong has a video conference with an investor in New York.
(4 marks)
(b) Insert a picture from a newspaper into a survey report.
(2 marks)
Answer
(a) Peripherals: webcam, (1) microphone and (1) speakers (1)
Application software: video conferencing software / communication software (any one ×
1)
(b) Peripheral: scanner (1)
Application software: word processor (1)

P05S005
Networking devices are required to enhance the communications both within an office and
with the outside world.
(a) Assume an office has all its computers equipped with NICs, state one type of networking
devices that is necessary for the following tasks respectively.
(i) Share computer files among staff.
(1 mark)
(ii) Visit a web site.
(1 mark)
(iii) Send an e-mail to a client.
(1 mark)
(b) State one type of application software that is required for the tasks stated in part (a)
respectively.
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 (3 marks)

Answer
(a) (i) Switch (1)
(ii) Router (1)
(iii) Router (1)
(b) (i) Instant messaging software (1)
(ii) Web browser (1)
(iii) Communication software / e-mail software (any one × 1)

P05S006
Data application is one of the four basic activities of office automation.
(a) State four kinds of data application.
(4 marks)
Data storage is another basic activity of office automation.
(b) State two secondary storage devices that can be used in an office.
(2 marks)
Answer
(a) Data analysis, (1) digital image modification, (1) document production (1) and report
generation (1)
(b) DVD / magnetic tape / hard disk / memory card (any two ×1)

P05S007
(a) Describe the main use of groupware. State one of its applications.
(2 marks)
(b) Describe the main use of a database management system. State one of its applications.

(2 marks)
(c) Describe the main use of a task scheduling system. State one of its applications.

(2 marks)
Answer
(a) Groupware is a typical application of exchanging different kinds of information in an
office. (1)
Application: Share files among staff in an office. (1)
(b) In a database management system, data is stored and managed systemically with a
specific structure. It provides tools and functions for efficient data access and generating
reports. (1)
Application: Execute queries to retrieve certain data. (1)
(c) A task scheduling system provides tools for monitoring and managing various projects
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 and activities. (1)
Application: Allocate resources. (1)

P05S008
(a) State two main factors that determine the effectiveness of office automation.
(2 marks)
(b) Regarding the answers in part (a), state four factors that should be considered before
office automation is introduced.
(4 marks)
Answer
(a) Equipment (1) and people (1)
(b) The cost of installing and maintaining the required equipment is controlled within budget.
(1)
The new office automation system is compatible with the existing system. (1)
The time required for system implementation is well controlled. (1)
The technical features are tailor-made for users. (1)
(or any reasonable answers)

Long Questions

P05L001
Robert has a traditional office without using any computers. He wants to implement office
automation in his office.
(a) (i) Apart from keyboard and mouse, state three kinds of peripherals that are often used
for office automation.
(3 marks)
(ii) State one use of each kind of peripherals mentioned in part (a) (i).
(3 marks)
(b) (i) State three kinds of application software that are useful for office automation.
(3 marks)
(ii) State one use of each kind of application software mentioned in part (b) (i).
(3 marks)
Answer
(a) (i) Printer, (1) scanner (1) and webcam (1)
(ii) Printer: To print out documents stored in computers for managers to sign (1)
Scanner: To convert hardcopies of documents into electronic forms (1)
Webcam: To deliver images of attendees during meetings using video conferencing
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 technology (1)
(b) (i) Word processor, (1) database management system (1) and e-mail software (1)
(ii) Word processor: To create and edit documents (1)
Database management system: To store and manage data systematically (1)
E-mail software: To send and receive e-mails (1)

P05L002
(a) What is meant by office automation?
(3 marks)
(b) (i) State four reasons that office automation is beneficial.
(4 marks)
(ii) Give one example of each reason you have given in part (b) (i).
(4 marks)
(c) Which user interface, command line or graphical, is more suitable for software used in an
office?
(1 mark)
Answer
(a) It refers to the mode of office operations that computer hardware and software are widely
(1) used for creating, collecting, storing, processing and transferring digital information
(1) to accomplish tasks in an office as automatic as possible. (1)
(b) (i) Increased productivity, (1) better data management, (1) better communications (1)
and reducing company expenses (1)
(ii) Examples:
 The feature mail merge in word processors can automatically generate
documents with similar content but different customer information. (1)
 Electronic records can be searched easily through DBMS or the built-in file
search function of each operating system. (1)
 Face-to-face meetings can be held anytime through video conferencing
software. (1)
 Using the supreme calculation features of spreadsheets, a lot of labour and time
is saved from manual calculations and so fewer employees are required. (1)
(c) Graphical user interface (GUI) (1)

P05L003
Besides keyboard and mouse, state the peripherals and application software required for each
of the following tasks:
(a) Convert completed application forms into editable document files.
(2 marks)
(b) Conduct face-to-face meetings with overseas colleagues through the Internet.
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 (4 marks)
(c) Generate promotion letters for all the clients of a bank and send them through postal
mails.
(3 marks)
(d) Build a company web site with text and images only.
(3 marks)
Answer
(a) Peripheral: scanner (1)
Application software: OCR software (1)
(b) Peripherals: microphone, (1) webcam (1) and speakers (1)
Application software: video conferencing software (1)
(c) Peripheral: printer (1)
Application software: word processor (1) and DBMS (1)
(d) Application software: web authoring software, (1) image editing software (1) and FTP
program (1)

P05L004
Data application is a basic activity of office automation.
(a) (i) State four types of data application.
(4 marks)
(ii) Suggest one kind of application software for each type of data application
mentioned in part (a) (i).
(4 marks)
(b) State four secondary storage media for data storage in an office.
(4 marks)
Answer
(a) (i) Data analysis, (1) digital image modification, (1) document production (1) and
report generation (1)
(ii) Spreadsheet, (1) image editing software, (1) word processor (1) and database
management system (1)
(b) DVD, (1) CD, (1) memory card (1) and hard disk (1)

P05L005
(a) (i) State two kinds of application software that can help data management.
(2 marks)
(ii) List four features of each kind of application software mentioned in part (a) (i).
(8 marks)
(b) Suggest two kinds of application software that help exchange information in an office.
(2 marks)
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Answer
(a) (i) Database management system (DBMS) (1) and task scheduling system (1)
(ii) DBMS:
 Store data systematically. (1)
 Formulate forms for data entry. (1)
 Execute queries for data retrieval. (1)
 Generate reports to present data in an organized way. (1)
Task scheduling system:
 Task scheduling (1)
 Cost management (1)
 Resources allocation (1)
 Quality control (1)
(or any reasonable answer)
(b) Video conferencing software (1) and groupware (1)

P05L006
(a) Suggest the most appropriate application software for each of the following tasks.
(i) Find the personal information of a student in the school office.
(1 mark)
(ii) Plot a pie chart for a survey.
(1 mark)
(iii) Present the newly released software in a conference.
(1 mark)
(iv) Write a resume for a job application.
(1 mark)
(v) Remove the ‘red eyes’ of a digital photo.
(1 mark)
(vi) Record an appointment with a client.
(1 mark)
(b) Suggest one office application for each of the following peripherals.
(i) Scanner
(1 mark)
(ii) Webcam
(1 mark)
(iii) Digital camera
(1 mark)
(c) State three considerations for the effectiveness of office automation.
(3 marks)
Answer
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(a) (i) Database management system (1)
(ii) Spreadsheet (1)
(iii) Presentation software (1)
(iv) Word processor (1)
(v) Image editing software (1)
(vi) Scheduler (1)
(b) (i) Convert a piece of photo into a digital image. (1)
(ii) Conduct meetings using video conferencing software. (1)
(iii) Capture images for a web site. (1)
(c) The cost of installing and maintaining the required equipment is controlled within budget. (1)
The time required for system implementation is well controlled. (1)
The office automation system should be compatible with the original system. (1)
(or any reasonable answers)

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