You are the chief internal auditor for a large public utility that has used computer systems for many years in most areas of its operations. One day you are called to a meeting with the general manager and the information systems manager. The general manager indicates that she has called the meeting to discuss major difficulties that are being experienced with respect to data preparation and data entry activities within the utility. She provides statistics that show there has been a threefold increase in workers compensation claims paid by the utility to data preparation and data entry staff over the past five years because of repetition strain injury (office trauma). In addition, she indicates that morale among keyboard operators is at an all-time low because several operators who have been with the utility for more than ten years have been forced to give up their jobs as a result of RSI.

Other difficulties have also arisen: the utility is in conflict with several unions over the RSI problems; there has been a major loss in productivity in the data preparation and data entry area; the error rate for keyed data has risen dramatically; and customers are complaining vociferously about poor turnaround time and errors in their accounts.

The general manager points out that part of the problem lies in the poor office environment in which many keyboard operators work. Several years ago data preparation and data entry activities were removed from the information systems facility and dispersed to user departments. Unfortunately several departmental managers now responsible for data preparation and data entry activities have been negligent in their management of these activities. Keyboard operators have been working for too long with poorly designed furniture, improper lighting, too few rest breaks, and so on. She also argues that some departmental managers have adopted an intolerant attitude toward workers who have shown symptoms of RSI, thereby aggravating relationships with their staff and the unions.

In an attempt to overcome the problems that have arisen, the general manager indicates she has called in a consultant to advise her on office and task redesign. She points out, however, that the consultant has been asked to focus only on long-run solutions to the problems that have arisen. It will take some time to implement any of the consultant's recommendations, such as purchasing new equipment, redesigning office layouts, and redesigning data preparation and data entry tasks. In the meantime, some action must be undertaken to restore productivity levels and to reduce data preparation and data entry error rates. In this light she seeks your advice on short-run strategies that might be followed to help alleviate the problems that have arisen.

Required. Prepare a brief report for the general manager outlining the courses of action you recommend to help increase productivity and to reduce error rates in the data preparation and data preparation function. What advice, if any, will you provide to your external auditors about the problems that have arisen with respect to data preparation and data entry?