Volume 4. No 1
Information Technology News of the University of California, Davis September 1995
Information Technology News of the University of California, Davis September 1995
Marilyn Kays hasn't installed any new filing cabinets lately. Well, make that filing cabinets with metal drawers.
When appointed Management Services Officer for Pomology and Environmental Studies, Kays knew she had to work efficiently to get the job done.
"I don't have time to go running upstairs because I have to get a file," says Kays, sitting in her office on the first floor of Wickson and pointing the other office she manages above. So she created electronic filing cabinets.
Always at her fingertips, most of Kays' files rest in her Pentium computer. Contents include personnel information, salary scales, benefits updates, purchase requisitions, campus directives, and all the other information needed to manage a workforce of more than 400 faculty, staff, and students.
To keep her files up to date, Kays depends on her network connections and scanners. Local Area Networks (LANs) connect staff in both Pomology and Environmental Studies. The Environmental Studies LAN is connected to the campus network (and Internet), providing Kays with electronic access to Purchasing, Benefits, Office of the President, and virtually any other information port in the world.
To navigate the network and access the information she needs, Kays uses a World Wide Web browser - usually Netscape. She then uses e-mail ( Microsoft Mail) to send memos, directives, and Web addresses to interested individuals.
"I can find answers to almost any question I have on the network," says Kays, who downloads salary scales from the Office of the President and researches knowledge-bases for software solutions.
To facilitate the transfer of files across the network and save time, Kays installed a variety of software programs on her desktop. For instance, she uses Word and Wordperfect for wordprocessing and Excel and Quattro Pro for spreadsheets.
While network connections have enabled Kays to meet the challenge of managing two campus departments, she is most enthused about what the future will bring. She sees the same economies provided by distributed databases like the BANNER Student Information System becoming possible in finance, purchasing, and other areas, as well.
"Some of these things are just in an infant stage, and I see really good things coming down the road," says Kays.
If you are interested in learning more about streamlining your office functions or joining the Access 2.0 Users' Group, contact Marilyn Kays at mmkays@ucdavis.edu.
You can visit Environmental Studies on the World Wide Web at http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/
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