Letters Fax and Email

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Letters :
Letters can be used for internal communication but are mainly used for external communication. The personnel departments to inform workers of wage rises, promotion or redundancy and disciplinary procedures will often use them. They provide written means of communication and can also include diagrams. Depending on how the message is sent, it will take a certain amount of time to reach the recipient, e.g. if it has to be delivered abroad through airmail, it can take longer than delivering it from London to Leicester. This can also depend on what class stamp the letter is being sent through. If it is through first class it will reach the recipient much quicker.
The advantages to letters are:
• provides written communication
• visual information is included
• can range from one to many pages
• doesn’t use any electronic means so is a lot cheaper
• a written record of the message will be kept
• the message is communicated in written format and therefore should be unambiguous
• can contain detailed information such as figures
• enables long distance communication to take place

The disadvantages to this method are:
• can take time to deliver
• can be lost
• not 100% sure of security , can easily be opened and read or sent to the wrong address
• Takes time to produce letter and can be inconvenient if an urgent message has to be delivered
• No guarantee or assurance that message has been received unless feedback has occurred
• If recipient does not understand any information, then they have to reply to the message stating the problem and then wait for another message reply from the sender.
The channels of communication are usually restricted as they are normally addressed to one individual unless otherwise stated. This ensures that the information goes to specified people only. This can also contribute to the confidentiality and security of information. Letters are written formally if it is between organizations but they can also be informal if sent to a friend.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Faxes
Advantages of Faxing
• Provides an immediate hard copy of a document, often necessary in legal matters.
• Often considered more personal and professional than e-mail.
• Lessens the likelihood that documents will be altered by the destination source.
• Requires only a fax machine and a phone line, which are sometimes much easier to use than e-mail programs.
• More common than e-mail.
Fax technology has come a long way from its original design from Giovanni Caselli. Now a days Email Fax Services have totally reduced the importance of fax machines in the market. The following paragraph tries to outline some of the disadvantages of fax machines.
Disadvantages of Faxing

• Need a separate space for the machine.
• Needs a telephone line.
• Needs power/electricity
• Requires paper for receiving and sending faxes
• Machine needs to be on always to receive faxes. If the machine is off, we may lose the faxes.
• Large probability of losing faxes, which could potentially be important.
• Storage and Archival of these Printed Paper Faxes are very cumbersome. They'll need a good amount of space in the office.
• Aging of papers could lead to difficulties in managing records.

Advantages of E-mail
• Eliminates the need for paper.
• Does not require leaving the work station.
• Easier, faster and more reliable method of delivery.
• Document can be printed if a hard copy is required.
• Quality of resolution does not diminish in the transmittal process.
• Documents sent via e-mail can also be sent in a form that allows for editing.
Disadvantages of E-mail
Junk E-mail
Face –Face Dialogue
Systems Fail
Delays in script can be UN predictable and excessive
Access constraints (to hardware) can be limmiting