Chapter No 5 The effects of using ICT

 The four main area where ICT has had an effect on employment include:
 Manufacturing: Robots have replaced human workers in many areas of manufacturing such as :
 Welding car bodies
 Spraying metal items with paint
 Assembling items
 Manufacturing circuit boards
 Shop work: Online shopping has reduced the need for high-street shops, leading to a loss of staff.
 Banking: The introduction to ATMs and online banking has led to the closure of many high-street branches.
 Office work: Application software such as spreadsheets, word processor and databases have taken over many
of the tasks carried out by office staff.

5.1 The effects of ICT on employment

 The use of computers and microprocessors has revolutionized many aspects of how we work.
 From the offices to manufacturing, every task humans do has been affected in some way by electronic devices and their
associated software.
 This has had positive and negative effects on employment.

5.1.1 Negative effect – job losses

 The introduction to ICT systems – whether to improve efficiency, reduce cost and improve safety – has led to
redundancies in many areas of industry and commerce.
 The following sections consider the impact that ICT has had on office work and manufacturing.
 Office work:A company’s day to day tasks are carried manually by people in following departments:
 Administration
 Human resources
 Payroll
 By introducing computer systems and new software, the work could be done by fewer staff and in a much shorter
time scale.
 The 3 types of software have had the most impact in offices:
 Word processors:
o It is used to make it easier to update documents
o No need to file documents in large filing cabinets since documents can be stored in hard disks.
o Documents needs to be printed only when required.
o Work can be outsourced to countries.
o This leads to huge increase in efficiency and the need for fewer staff to carry out these
administrative tasks.
 Spreadsheets:
o Spreadsheets have revolutionized the way that payroll clerks calculate monthly salaries or
wages.
o No need to do calculations manually
o Spreadsheet can be used to create graphs or charts to compare the data.
o Can perform conditional formatting
o Can use functions for sorting data and calculating averages.
o Fewer staff required to do the task, but the staff has to be trained to use the software.
 Databases:
o Office work such as human resources has been changed by the introduction of computers and
software.
o Staff record could be easily centralised.
o Shortlist of potential candidates could be produced.
o The office has also become a more pleasant and safer place to work as no noisy typewriters or
heavy over filing cabinets.
o Fewer human resource staff is required.
 Manufacturing:
 Car manufacturing make considerable use of robotics. One robot is capable of doing the same tasks as a
number of workers. Robots can complete the work quickly and accurately by reducing the human labour.
  Tasks performed by robots:
 Spraying the bodies with paint using spray gun
 Assembling body parts using welding gun
 Assembly of engine and transmission
 Fitting the windscreens using vacuum/ suction cups

 Factory workers have to be retrained to gain the following new skills:

 Maintenance of the robots
 Quality control
 Design and development
 Marketing
 Training other workers
 Advantages of robots over humans:
 Higher productivity
 More consistent results
 Non-stop work without breaks, holidays or time for shift handovers
 Don’t get bored by repetitive tasks and don’t go on strike
 Disadvantages of robots over humans:
 Robots are expensive
 Often need to be reprogrammed
 Maintenance cost is high
 Halt production due to errors

5.1.2 Positive effects

 The following are positive effects of introducing new software packages:
 Creation of new ICT-related work
 No noisy typewriters
 No over filing cabinets
 Pleasant working environment
 Increase in job opportunities in some areas, for example:
 Network managers and computer technicians
 Website designers
 Systems analysts
 Programmers and computer engineers
 Delivery drivers to deliver goods

5.2 The effects of ICT on working patterns:

 The introduction of ICT into the workplace has led to a number of changes in working patterns for staff. The four
main additional types of work pattern are shown below:
  Advantages of working patterns:
 Contented workforce is more likely to stay in job, reducing company’s recruitment training costs for new staff
 Flexi-time allows them to remain for longer hours
 Job sharing ensures the company has more than one person with a particular skill set
 Compressed hours often lead staff to be focused on their work
 Varied work patterns give more flexibility during busy times and during staff sickness.

5.3 Microprocessor – controlled devices in the home:

 Many common household devices are now fitted with microprocessors to control a large number of their functions.
 Labour – saving devices:
 Automatic washing machines
 Microwave ovens
 Cookers
 Automatic dishwashers
 Robotic vacuum cleaners
 Bread – making machines
 Smart fridges and freezers
 Other types of devices
 Alarm clocks
 Television sets
 Central heating and air conditioning systems
 Home entertainment systems.
 Advantages and disadvantages of microprocessor-controlled labour – saving devices
Advantages Disadvantages
 No manual tasks at home  People become lazy
 No need to stay at home while clothes are  People can become less fit
washed  There is potential to lose the household
 More time for leisure activities things
 Possibility to control the devices while the  Can lead to unhealthy lifestyles
owner is out
 More security (Alarm systems)
 More healthy lifestyle (Smart fridges and
freezers)

 Advantages and disadvantages of other microprocessor-controlled devices

Advantages Disadvantages
 Can save energy  Leaving in stand-by mode is waste of
 Easy to program electricity
 Some people find them complex to operate
 Not cost effective