Gone are the days when one had to send a letter, give it a week for delivery and patiently wait for another two weeks before getting a response. Taking an example of a business setup that has branches in other towns, a network of computers with internet access and other customized programs would ensure quick communication and timely responses to important queries.
At my first work place, I implemented an online payroll system which allowed users to view their pay slips at their convenience, search for old pay slips, submit their time cards and print only the details they needed. Earlier on, the same documents had to be printed, manually put into envelopes and dispatched to various branches via paid courier service. These then had to be manually sorted out at the recipient's end causing a delay and misplacement of some documents.
I have also seen the intranet working wonders in many organizations. If well managed, the intranet can hold all the information that the company would like to share its employees. Suppose the managing director wants to send a memo to the whole organization, instead of pinning the printed information on physical notice boards, he can post the same on the intranet and have all employees read the information at the click of a mouse.
Other kinds of information such as sales targets, company performance, appraisal targets, company's product information, telephone directory, photo gallery for various events and anything else that one would like to share can be posted on the intranet.
Information technology has for sure changed the way business is conducted and has enabled smooth business operations.