How Has the Use of E-Mail Changed Business Communications?

How Has The Use Of E-mail Changed Business Communications?

One cannot underestimate the impact that e-mail has had on the workplace. E-mail could quite possibly be

the most significant development of the recent technological advancements, as many business managers have

recognized it as the single most important part of today’s information technology (Currid, 1993). It is more convenient that the old methods of face-to-face meetings, “snail mail”, and telephone calls. It allows more precise communication, as well as allowing for various attachments to drive that message home. E-mail allows us to reduce our use of paper, thus being environmentally friendly. Most importantly, there is a tremendous time savings with proper e-mail use, which is a big factor for any manager. You take all these facts together, and the picture becomes very clear about how e-mail has changed business communications.

All businesses depend on communication. This communication can be across the room, across the country, and even across the world. There was a time when it would take costly measures to overcome the distance barrier. Now it’s as easy as logging on to your Lotus Notes, typing up what comes to mind, and pressing “send”. Do you need to send a message to Jim down the hall, or Hans out in Europe? E-mail has allowed us to traverse these distances without thought. Not only can you send each one a note almost instantaneously, you can also send them the exact same message, and anyone else in your phone book, all at the same time. This type of communication wasn’t even dreamed of 100 years ago, but now has become a standard that businesses have come to depend on.

E-mail has also come to be a very convenient tool for businesses. No longer does the sender and receiver need to have the same time available on their schedules, like with a phone call. The sender will get his message out when he has the time, and the receiver can read that message at his leisure. Sometimes you have situations where one person can talk at a faster rate than the listener can comprehend, with e-mail it can be done at their own pace. Its convenience is also felt when comparing it to fax machines. E-mail can deliver a more clear document at a faster rate than a fax, and can be printed at a location that is quite often closer than the facsimile. It is clear to see how much easier e-mail has made the business environment.

Almost every business decision is made while keeping the companies profit margins in mind. “The most

obvious cost savings can be measured in terms of paper (most e-mails are not printed), long distance telephone

charges, postage (none is required), and time (the most valuable of all resources).” (Schrum & Benson, 2002). In this example e-mail has been shown to save money, with the added benefit of being environmentally friendly.

Making money for the company isn’t always about dollars and cents, often it is about time. A well known saying in business is, “time is money”. This is very evident when you view how much time e-mail has saved companies over the years. It takes about 30 minutes to write a business letter,