1. Use Common Business Tools and Technology
D1.HGE.CL7.12 D1.HGA.CL6.12 D2.TCC.CL1.13
Trainer welcomes trainees to the unit.

2. Business Tool Anything that helps the business meet it’s aims
Emphasis on smaller, mobile tools.
Tools are used by every business
They require a financial and time investment
They need to be monitored and controlled to ensure the business can operate
If the telephone system of the business failed, how would customers make reservations?
Smaller tools pose unique challenges

3. Tools Considerations Portable – easily moved and lost Require training
Use involves a cost for the organization
Require maintenance
Possible repair issues
Software is a business tool
Websites.
There are various types of business tools and this class will concentrate on the smaller, portable tools that are found in a business.
Q - What would be an example of a business tool?
A – cameras, phones, pagers,
There are cost factors and management issues in various forms associated with these tools

4. Which tools? Which tools should be considered a business tool?
Criteria is needed to classify a tool that needs control.
A freezer is an asset that helps a business meet its objectives. However, it requires little training to use, is hardly portable, and not subject to misuse. A mobile phone does require training, can be easily lost, and may have a high cost.
The business will need a definition or guidelines to identify the tools that are to be classified as business tools
Q: What could be a requirement?
A: Easily lost, misplaced, require training, used by many people in the organisation, potential for misuse.

5. A tool register The tool register:
Is a list of all tools that are to be controlled
Certain information is required for every tool
Need to store data to solve future problems
Need to be able to distinguish one tool from another.
Many tools look the same and cannot be easily distinguished.
The business will need methods to distinguish one from another.
Assume there are 3 mobile phones that are exactly the same – how can one be distinguished from another?

6. Which tool is Which? The following should be recorded in the register:
Brand
Model
Purchase date
Supplier
Warranty Expiry Date
(continued)
A register should have all the details about the tool to allow proper management
Identify one from another
Provide the information required to be able to care and maintain the tool
Make informed decisions about the future life of the tool

7. Which tool is Which? Depreciation Department Physical location
Serial number
Asset number
Barcodes
Associated equipment
Storage location.
This is data about the tool that may appear in the registry
Some will be on the tool, such as serial number
Others can be made in-house
Others relate to how to attach the data to the tool.
A barcode can be used to attach business specific data to the tool
Every camera has a serial number, but the business may wish to add their own asset number to provide more detail

8. Associated Equipment
These are the other items that help the asset function. For example:
Power cables
Lens for cameras
Memory cards
Mice
Carry bags
Cleaning cloths.
Some tools need other parts to operate
A copier is useless without paper
A camera will not work without a memory card
Some battery charges are impossible to relate back to the original equipment with labeling
It is important to know what equipment needs what to function

9. Exercise
Write a selection criteria that will identify each of the above items as controllable and exclude a stapler that costs $300.00
What is the difference between a serial number and a business constructed asset number? What would make a serial number a better choice?
Devise a format for a hotel for the asset number.
Construct a page to act as storage register
(Continued)
Trainer can decide to discuss the answers to these questions either as a full class group or by dividing the trainees into smaller groups or pairs which will report their answers back to the whole class on completion. Some if the exercises may need to be done individually and written up and handed to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

10. Exercise
What are the security issues with using a single page as a register?
What advantage would an electronic file present?
Produce a description for your own mobile phone
Where may such a register be used in a home?
What registers do you have where you work?
Would a corporate motor car be considered as a business tool?
Trainer can decide to discuss the answers to these questions either as a full class group or by dividing the trainees into smaller groups or pairs which will report their answers back to the whole class on completion. Some if the exercises may need to be done individually and written up and handed to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

11. Where will it be stored? As the device is portable:
The standard storage location should be in the register
Extra location details makes the device easier to find.
If the tool is common – used by many people – it will need to be stored when not in use
There should be rules about the storage
The location should be in the register so that the tool can be easily found
In some cases a room is adequate, but in others it may, for example, detailed as ‘shelf 5 in hole 7’ so there is no doubt where the tool is located.
The same applies to support equipment if it is not stored in the same position as the tool

12. Usage What is acceptable business usage?
Establish rules or policies on tool use
Have controls that restrict use to business purposes
Inform staff of usage rules
Consider out of hours use of the tool.
For some tools there is a possibility of private use.
The business needs to establish policy or rules about the use.
There have been cases where people have been dismissed for misusing the internet.
Will staff be able to borrow the company camera to take a few pictures at home over the weekend?
What are the consequences if the tool is lost?

13. The Business Web Site Must establish rules on: Who can update the site
Who will check that the material is correct?
The business website is a tool that allows the business to communicate with millions of people.
What are the consequences of material appearing that should not?
Allowing a person free access to a website can be dangerous.
Spelling mistakes and poor grammar can badly impact on the business.
However it can be much worse if the material is obscene.

14. Software Presents unique challenges: Often required in an emergency
Serial numbers may also be required and stored separately
Storage material may not suit a new computer
Very attractive for theft.
Software is a tool and needs to be maintained like any other tool.
If the software disks are required there is often an emergency aspect where time is important.
As well as the software install disks there may be passwords or serial numbers that are required.
The software may be delivered over the Internet but it needs to be stored on a disk in case it is needed and the computer cannot function.
These items are attractive to steal because software has a home use and is often expensive.
Loss may not be easily detected.

15. Exercise
What would be the typical computer programs that would be used where you work?
Do Case Study 1 in the Trainee Manual.
The Work Project Case Study should be done individually and handed in to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

16. Wiki Means fast – easily updateable Great for internal information
Must have access rules
Must have content rules.
A wiki is a website that can be quickly updated.
What wikis are common on the internet?
A business may also have an internal wiki to store information that is to be used by employees.
Whatever is stored will require management.
What can all people read?
Who can update?
What can be stored?
Some businesses have private sections where personal details can be stored to share with others. Baby photos would be an example.

17. Landline Need to set access rules where calls can be made to
Also set rules on how long for personal access
Some systems may require training
Answering the telephone to external people will impact on the business.
Landline telephones can be expensive to the business in normal practice, and very expensive if not controlled.
There are two considerations :
The cost of the call. Management may not want staff to call another country for personal reasons.
(b) The time involved. Management may not want staff to spend all day talking to family and not working.
Correct business use will require training on the physical operation – how to transfer calls
Training is also required on how to answer calls in terms of the correct business manners

18. Exercise Do Case Study 2 in the Trainee Manual.
The Work Project Case Study should be done individually and handed in to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

19. Email Very similar rules to telephone: Rules on private use
Rules on content
May have rules about the presentation of s.
There are similar problems with the use of the Internet to that of telephone usage.
What is allowable in an attachment?
Can the business computer be used to send personal s?
How much time is allowed?
There may also be rules about the presentation of s and the format of s.
Common signature files may be required
Consider the problems that can arise when an inappropriate is sent with the company’s details within the .

20. Exercise
Write a set of minimum skills for sending corporate . Use the format: ‘The user will be able to’:
Devise a set of rules for the use of with the business
Write a set of minimum skills for using a mobile telephone. Use the format: ‘The user will be able to’:
Explain why software presents different issues to other items
Are there any additional procedures that can be applied when considering software?
What issues do you for see if access to the Wiki is completely uncontrolled?
Devise a set of rules for Internet access within the business
Are there any other sites that pose a risk to the business other than Facebook?
What are the rules about mobile telephone use in class and in the school?
Trainer can decide to discuss the answers to these questions either as a full class group or by dividing the trainees into smaller groups or pairs which will report their answers back to the whole class on completion. Some if the exercises may need to be done individually and written up and handed to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

21. Allocation Who has the tool?
Tools can be given to staff for business use
Need to record who has the tool
Need to record that it has been returned
Include check out and check in procedure
What to check for when the tool is returned
What should be explained when the tool is given out.
If the tools are portable there are issues of locating the tool.
A record of the tools must be maintained to ensure it can be found and to know when it is to be returned.
For similar reasons to a library, the movement of the tool must be tracked and monitored.
There must be a checkout and return process.
There may also be special information that needs to be supplied when the tool is checked out – such as passwords, or support equipment
There will also be a check-in process to ensure that all parts have been returned and that it is in full working order.

22. Rosters This determines who can have the tool
Ensures the tool is available
Resolves conflict should this arise due to more than one person requiring the tool on the same day.
Rosters allow a planning process for access to the tool.
Who will have it on a specific date.
Allows a priority system if there is a conflict.
Allows people to plan where there is flexibility.
Ensures that customers can be looked after correctly. If a customer has asked for a few photographs the business can be certain that the camera will be available because there is a booking in the roster.

23. Damage Any damage to the tool must be recorded
Action to be taken to repair damaged tool
May be some urgency if the damage is significant
Consideration as to cause of damage and cost.
What are the business rules about damage to a tool?
The damage can be from normal use e.g. a camera is dropped accidently.
The damage can be from misuse e.g. a phone is thrown against a wall in frustration.
The damage needs to be tracked so that appropriate action can be taken.
Perhaps an incident report will be required.
There may be some urgency as to repair as the tool may not be usable until it is repaired.
Also, there is always the issue of repair or replace. In some cases the answer will be easy as the costs are obvious but in other cases it may not be clear

24. Storage Must be some level of security in the storage location
Conflict between easy access and flexibility compared with control and security
Cost of security and the cost of the tools
Should consider if the tool has special storage requirements.
If the tools are valuable and important to the operation of the business there will need to be control over who has access.
However, access controls remove business flexibility and inconvenience to people who want to get the tool quickly with a minimum of effort.
There is a cost in terms of time as tool access will take longer.
There is also the cost of the security system.
These costs must be compared to losses involved.
Some tools may have special storage requirements and special control aspects.

25. Access Controls Locks Swipe card access Passwords Security cameras
Police checks.
Key locks are cheap to install but are complicated if a set of keys are lost and all keys need to be replaced.
Swipe card access will provide access history but is expensive to install and maintain.
Passwords will be forgotten and need to be replaced.
Police checks can provide important information about personal history.

26. Employment Contracts
Can specify special considerations regarding employment before they commence work
Ensure that staff understand importance of issues
Identify and advise staff of consequences of breaking the rules.
These agreements can include details that are not part of a standard employment contract.
Customer confidentially should be considered.
Rules about Internet and use
Acknowledgement of consequences of breaking the rules.

27. Privacy
Some data is usually confidential and should not be available to everyone
Must have a legitimate need to read the data
The data may be company knowledge such as:
Recipes
Customer details
Management practices.
Open access to all data is not acceptable in a modern organisation
Personal employee details must not be published
Customer details – which may include their behaviour – should also be considered
Company information needs to be kept secret. Consider the formula for Coke, or the ingredients in a Kentucky Fried Chicken chicken.

28. Internet Same rules apply to the internet as email
Downloads consume bandwidth and time
Some sites may be objectionable
Rules are required relating to how much time can be spent on the internet for private purposes
Software may be used to limit the sites that can be visited.
The internet can consume employment and other company resources.
Certain sites may be objectionable to some.
Some sites present dangers from viruses and other dangerous software.
The business needs to set and communicate rules about Internet use and consequences of breaking the rules.
There are programs and procedures that a business can implement to restrict access to particular sites.

29. Lockable Storage Locks limit access. They can be: Standard keys
Cables with locks for laptops
For high security control
Retina Scans
Voice Prints
Facial Recognition
Cost of security measures versus the control required.
There are many different kinds of locks with different costs and different benefits.
The simplest is a lock and key, but there are higher security devices.
Much will depend on the other security procedures on the premises.
The size of the business and the level of resources.
As well as installing the locking procedure there is also the cost of maintaining the system and the level of skill required to keep the system functioning.
If a laptop has a combination lock then the number needs to be set and also stored in case is it forgotten and it needs to be unlocked.

30. Lockable Storage
Name three tools that may have become obsolete in recent times
Explain how the usage history may affect the future of the tool
How would you approach the previous user of a tool that had unrecorded damage?
Of the tools listed at the beginning of this book, which could be stored with lockable access?
What type of locks would be most appropriate?
What type of locks are used where you work?
What are the problems associated with using passwords as locks?
Trainer can decide to discuss the answers to these questions either as a full class group or by dividing the trainees into smaller groups or pairs which will report their answers back to the whole class on completion. Some if the exercises may need to be done individually and written up and handed to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

31. Audit This is a check on the control procedures:
Do the control procedures function correctly?
Can they be improved?
Are they reasonable?
Should be conducted on a regular basis
Is the tool still required?
Should it be replaced?
An audit is a process of checking that the installed systems function correctly.
Do they meet the needs of the organization?
Can they be improved?
The audit can also cover the need for the tool.
Has the tool been used recently? Is the tool still required?
Is it time for the tool to be replaced with a new model?
These are questions that the audit process can resolve.

32. Stocktakes This is a procedure to check that the tool is there:
Should be done on a regular basis
Forms in stock take order
Check each item to confirm that it is there.
Stock take is a process to determine that the asset exists.
An audit checks on procedures and the need for the asset.
A stock take determines that the camera listed in the register exists and that it has not been lost or stolen.
It should be quick and done on a regular basis.
For some this could be monthly, for others it will be every six months.

33. Information Information can change
Does the data stored reflect the actual situation?
Recipes can change and not be recorded
Procedures can change and not be recorded
Can new staff get up to speed on procedures quickly?
Information, unlike many of the other tools, is not physical and cannot be touched.
However, many of the rules that apply to other tools also apply to information.
If it is stolen there may be a loss to the company.
If it is distributed there may be a loss to the company.
Information can change and records are not updated.
Telephone lists can be long and can be tiresome to update, but inaccurate information can be costly to the business

34. Legal Implications Is all the data within the company secure?
New and changed legislation can have an impact on the data that can be made available
Need to monitor legislation to plan for the impact of any change.
Information that was available can be controlled by new legislation.
Computer screens have been changed because details on the screen were not required by the computer operator and access was illegal.
Privacy legislation is an important and changing area that needs vigilance to ensure that a company is up to date and compliant.

35. Exercise Do Case Study 3 in Trainee Manual.
The Work Project Case Study should be done individually and handed in to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

36. Which Tool is Required?
It is important to select the best tool for the job:
What will the tool be required to do?
What consumables are required?
Detail is important to be able to select the correct tool.
e.g. There is a big difference between a movie camera and a still camera.
In some cases similar tools can do very similar jobs
There may be situations where a mobile phone or pager may suit.
The objectives of the tool use will help to determine which tool will be the best match for the needs.
Consider also the consumables that will be required.
A detailed picture of the user’s needs will help in the best tool selection.

37. All Tools require training
All tools require a training program:
May be brief when collecting the tool
May actually require a training course
Each tool will have some details that users need to made aware of.
All tools require some training.
For some, the training will be extensive. To adequately understand a digital camera can require a few hours in training.
Landline telephones have the ability to put people on hold, transfer calls, conduct conference calls, redial numbers and maintain a contact list.
Training may be as simple as how to turn the item on and enter the password.
The business should develop a training plan for each tool.

38. Consumable
A consumable is an item that the tools require to be able to function:
A sufficient supply of consumables is important
Sources, stock levels, and order levels need to be recorded
Who has access to consumables?
Who does the ordering?
What has to be ordered?
Without the consumable the tool will not function.
Knowing where the consumables are is important.
Knowing how to access them is important
Knowing which consumables are required is important
Ensuring adequate supply is also important.
In some cases there are original brands and aftermarket brands. Decisions on which to purchase need to be considered.
As with any business purchase, rules are required on who, what, and how much to buy

39. Training There are two levels to training:
Minimum level to be able to use the tool
Advanced knowledge:
How do you put staples in the copier?
Where is the documentation?
All users get training to a minimum level. This may be when they are employed or when they check the tool out.
A common tool – a photocopier – may have training as part of a person’s induction process.
There may be a need to establish a person (‘local expert’) to whom questions can be directed.
There needs to a designated person who deals with technicians and other experts.
Documentation is often misplaced and not easily located when required so this needs to be stored in a known location.

40. Ordering From whom do we order?
What is the lag time between order and receiving?
Simple rules:
What do we order? Part numbers help to ensure the correct item is received. “Can I please have a toner cartridge?” may be confusing if there are four different copies in the premises.
If there is a long time between ordering and receiving advance ordering or higher stock levels may be required.
As the item has a cost, who has the authority in the business to order?

41. Exercise
What details would be required to ensure a smooth order process to stock up on toner for a copier?
Where should these details be stored?
Considering a digital camera, what skills would require a minimum level of training?
What details would be required about a supplier to be able to place an order?
Trainer can decide to discuss the answers to these questions either as a full class group or by dividing the trainees into smaller groups or pairs which will report their answers back to the whole class on completion. Some if the exercises may need to be done individually and written up and handed to the Trainer for correction and feedback.

42. Maintenance Most tools require maintenance:
In-house done on a regular basis
Something as simple as cleaning
Regular maintenance that must be done by an expert
Some maintenance requires a higher level of skill than simply using the tool.
Most tools require maintenance, which will require planning.
Some are in-house such as cleaning the top of a copier.
Other maintenance will require an expert or technician.
The business will need to determine who schedules the maintenance.
As there is usually some flexibility as to when it occurs, undertaking planning so as to impose the least disruption to the business is desirable.

43. Repairs Repairs are often required to keep the tool functioning
Who authorises the repairs?
Should maintain records of how the damage occurred
Did the damage occur as a result of normal use?
If not, who pays?
Repairs are often time sensitive
Usually unplanned so there may be disruption to the business
Records need to be maintained as to how the damage occurred in case there is cost recovery involved.

44. Common Skills These are skills that are required to use the tool:
Clear paper jams
Change batteries in the camera
Replace consumables:
Change paper in the copier.
The common skills form the basis of determining the minimum training.
What should each person be able to do to use the tool efficiently?
This will vary from tool to tool, and also vary with the intended usage.
Q: Consider a mobile telephone. What skills are required by every user?
A: Add to contacts. Make a call from contacts, make a call by dialing, , send SMS (Short Message Service).
This may be as simple as a checklist and a few questions.
Can you do this? If yes, then tick.

45. Faults
Faults need to be reported so that corrective action can be taken:
What is the reporting process?
Have a register of faults.
Every tool will have faults where something is not working as it should. It may be that the tool keeps working but not at 100%.
Unlike repairs there is no obvious damage, and it may only impact on a few e.g. the flash does not work on a camera. If all pictures are outdoors then the lack of a flash is not important.
Other examples, batteries do not keep their charge as they once did. There phone does not connect to Internet as it once did.
The business needs a process to record the faults. If left unattended they may result in serious damage to the tool.
Where are the faults to be recorded?
Who will check the list?
Who will action the fault?
Who has the authority to pay?
These are all are important questions.

46. Congratulations! You’ve completed ‘Use Common Business Tools and Technology’ unit
Summarise unit
Ask for comments or general questions.