1. Economy

2. The rapid developments in computers and the features offered have changed the way the economy operates. Automation by interacting with computers enables greater productivity, which equals reduced costs. The range and accessibility of interfaces and the input/output devices support employees in the way in which they are able to interact with computers i.e. adjusting a robotic machine to cut sheet metal.

3. Productivity per individual In the world of business, time is money. Users being able to quickly and efficiently input and respond to commands through interfaces results in greater productivity. It takes less time and expertise to analyse data by producing a graph using a wizard than to produce one without a wizard or indeed without a computer.

4. When developing HCI you will need to consider how to reduce the amount of effort or knowledge for the user to input and whether the use of text readers might be beneficial. BT voice message which relays a text message sent to a land line. Although the message is somewhat inhuman it does allow the recipient to listen to a message while carrying out another task.

5. Automatic Judgment of output Grading of produce: apples, eggs or potatoes by size and weight: they pass along a conveyer belt containing holes- a predetermined grade of produce drops through the hole, thus batching items of equal size. Computers are used to measure overall output: nuclear industry, processes use online monitoring systems to test chemical makeup and ensure quality.

6. Voice Input Voice input has provided organisations with the opportunity to reduce the need for call centres. Telephone banking: uses automated voice input to request, record and relay bank account details for fielding. Utility suppliers – meter readings GPS (global satellite systems) respond to voice input – GPS instructs the user to turn right, go left etc. An example of the user being part of the process.

7. Thought Input Some may say that since the introduction of computers the user has to think less? Example “the computer says NO…..”

8. Working environment Employees are experiencing an ever changing working environment because of advances in technology. In the 1980s fax machines had only just been introduced, mobile phones were the size of bricks and very rare and most administrative tasks were carried out manually with little help from computers.

9. Shift in environment Home and remote working Mobile communications – PDAs, mobile phones, wireless internet connection, Bluetooth