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channel of communication
will impact on the effectiveness of the communication process. The 
characteristics of the message will determine what communication tool is best for a given situation. 
Technological advances have increased the number of communication tools available. The features and 
limitations of ten common tools are outlined in the following table.
BPP Tutor Toolkit Copy

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PART E: PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS 
 
442
 
Tool 
Features/Advantages 
Limitations 
Conversation
Requires little or no planning 
May be easily forgotten 
Meeting
Allows multiple opinions to be 
expressed 
Can highlight differences and become 
time-wasting confrontations 
Presentation
Visual aids such as slides can help the 
communication process 
Requires planning and skill 
Telephone
Good for communications that do not 
require (or you would prefer not to 
have) a permanent written record 
No written record gives greater 
opportunity for misunderstandings 
Facsimile
Enables reports and messages to reach 
remote locations quickly 
Complex images do not transmit well 
Memorandum
Provides a permanent record 
Can come across as impersonal 
Letter 
Provides a permanent record of an 
external message 
Adds formality to external 
communications 
If inaccurate or poorly presented provides 
a permanent record of incompetence 
May be slow to arrive depending on 
distance and the postal service 
Report
Provides a permanent, often 
comprehensive written record 
Complex messages may be 
misunderstood in the absence of 
immediate feedback 
Email
Provides a written record 
Attachments (eg reports or other 
documents) can be included 
Quick – regardless of location 
Can be sent to multiple recipients 
easily, can be forwarded on to others 
Long messages (more than one 'screen') 
may best be dealt with via other means, 
or as attached documents 
Videoconference
This is in effect a meeting conducted 
using a computer and video system 
Some non-verbal messages (eg 
gestures) will be received 
Image quality is often poor – resulting in 
not much more than an expensive 
telephone conference call! 
2.8 The effect of office automation on business 
Office automation has an enormous effect on business. We discuss some of the most significant effects 
in this section. 
2.8.1 Routine processing 
The processing of routine data can be done in