UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO OFFICE MANAGEMENT Structure 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Process of Office Management 1.3 Maintenance of Office Records 1.3.1 Importance of Office Record 1.3.2 Filing 1.3.3 Classification of Files 1.3.4 Indexing 1.4 Skills Required in Office Management 1.4.1 Principles of Office Layout , 1.4.2 Staff Employed in an Office 1.4.3 Functions of an Ofice 1.4.4 Tool Box 1.4.5 Skills of the Manager 1.5 Let Us Sum Up 1.6 Key Words 1.7 Answers to Check Your Progress 1.0 OBJECTIVES After completing this unit, you should be able to: state the activities involved in management; describe the areas involved in Office Management; describe importance of maintenance of Office Records; and explain the skills required for Office Management. INTRODUCTION Management is the key to success for any organization; it is universally applied in all fields of organized human activity. Therefore office management is an integral part of the total management of the organization. It provides centralized guidance, which diverts the individual efforts towards a common goal or objectives. Every office therefore requires making decision, co-ordinate activities, handling personnel and conducting evaluation of performance directed toward the objectives. Office activities are also camed on by a group of people (office personnel) working with appropriate means (tools and equipment) and under suitable environment for a common objective or purpose - that of providing efficient and economical clerical service to the ' organization. It is the function of Office Management to organize, guide and control the activities of the office personnel to achieve these common objectives. That is why Office Management has been defined as the art of guiding the personnel of the office in the use of means appropriate to its environment in order to achieve its specific purpose. Office Management and created new challenges. In general usage the word ''OfXice Management" identifies a Computer Application special group of people whose job is to direct the effort and activities of other people towards common objectives. In other words it is defined as the process by which a cooperative group directs actions towards common goal. , 1.2 PROCESS OF OFFICE MANAGEMENT In this unit you would be acquainted about the introduction of office management for better efficiency from the employee. We will also discuss about the process of office * management filling and indexing. One way to view the process of Management is to identify the basic functions, which together make up the process of Office Management. These key functions form the cone of activities in Office Management such as: Decision Making : the process by which a course of action is consciously chosen from available alternatives for the purpose of achieving a desired result. Organizing : the process by which the structure and allocation of jobs are determined. Staffing : the process by which managers select, train, promote and retire subordinates. Planning : the process by which a manager anticipates the future and discovers alternative courses of action open to him. Controlling : the process that measures current performance and guides it towards some predetermined goal. Communicating : the process by which ideas,are transmitted to others for the purpose of effecting a desired result. Directing(1eadership) : the process by which actual performance of subordinates is guided towards common goals. Supervising is one aspect of this function at lower levels where physical overseeing of work is possible. All these functions are closely interrelated, however, if is useful to trust each as a separate process for the purpose of spelling out the detailed concepts important to the whole job of the manager. At times it may be desirable to consider several functions jointly in order to show their close interrelationships. Leadership involves personal qualities, which enable one person to induce others to follow. These qualities are particularly important to the directing function of Office Management. The essence of leadership is interpersonal relationship and action-oriented behaviour. When we talk of Office Management in Nursing Services we usually think of Nursing Superintendent's/Metron's office, Deputy Director of Nursing Service's Office or may be Direct Public Health Nursing Officer's Office. Whichever office it might be, it has to run efficiently and its functioning has to follow the general process of Office Management. The method of running the specific nursing office remains the same as that of any other office. 1.3 MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE RECORDS In this sub-section you will learn maintenance of office records. Day to day you are maintaining so many records now you will learn about importance of office records. Office work is primarily concerned with the records of an enterprise. Records include all types of written documents and books of a business enterprise via letters, reports, invoices, contracts, vouchers etc. The primary function of a modern office is concerned with making of records, using of records and preservation of records for future use. In the course of performing its primary function the office receives or collects information in the form of letters, invoices, orders A- m- !-l----.-r: -->- ---- :..-> --- ----.--r-l !-A_ ...-:rr-- 2,. :- *L- F-- ^C -^^-A,. and tabulated in the form of statistical and financial statements and reports. Finally Introduction to Office information contained in the records have to be communicated to the management Management executives as well as the staff in the form of statements, reports, budgets and estimates, notices, circulars etc. 13.1 Importance of Office Record Records constitute a valuable source of information, which help management and administration in any type of organization not only in formulating policy decision but also in guiding and controlling its day-to-day activities. Thus records management has become one of the most important functions of office managers. The value of records in any business enterprise depends upon the speed and accuracy with which it can be obtained and put to use. Records management is a vital part of Office Management, involves maintaining the records in a systematic way so that information contained in records may be located and supplied to executives promptly and of preserving the records safely for repeated future use. Filing and indexjng are two very important aspects of record management. Filing refers to the system of maintaining records in an orderly way, whereas Indexing refers to the system by which the location of records can be easily known. 1.3.2 Filing In this sub-section we will discuss about filing system. It is very important for you to learn how to keep all the file in order. Filing is also a form of record keeping. The main object of filing is to preserve business correspondence and documents in such a way that they can be used for easy, accurate and speedy reference. The value and importance of filing in modem business is immeasurable. The four major functions are performed by a filing system: a) It provides a historical record of past events and transaction of the enterprise. As such it provides a documentary evidence of facts and may be used as a legal proof in settling points of disputes. b) It performs the library function. Files are readily available sources of information required for conducting business and may be referred to by business executives whenever required. c) By preserving records of previous decision it helps the business executives in the determination of future policies. d) It preserves a systematic and continuous record of the progress of the business. Organization of the filing work refers to the problem of deciding whether filing work should be decentralized and spread out among the different departments or there should be a centralized filing department. Under the decentralized or Departmental Filing arrangement each department will have its own filing system and equipment. The main object of filing-that of speedy and accurate location of records and correspondence at less cost can however be attained better under the centralized filing arrangement. Centralized filing means the location of all filing equipment and personnel in a single area of the office, which is easily accessible to the departments or workers using them. The . place should be well lighted and ventilated. Proper selection and use of filing equipment are essential for maintaining efficiency in filing work. Filing cabinets, folders, guides sorting tables, sorting trays, portable ladders are required for the filing department. I* A good filing system ensures efficient working of the filing department and the attainment of its main object. An essentia1,feature of good filing system is its capacity to dispose off old and dead files and records when they are no longer useful. 1.3.3 Classification of Files The main Dumose of classification is to ~ivea head in^ nr title tn each file so that thev can OhManagement and quick and accurate location of files. Since time is the essence of filing work, Computer Application classification greatly helps in saving the time required for accurate location of files. It also facilitates indexing which is an essential adjunct of some filing systems. The alphabetical and numerical methods of filing are most widely used. Under the alphabetical method each folder bears the name of a correspondent. These folders are arranged in the strict alphabetical order of the surnames of the customers. Under numerical method, each customer or subject is allotted a number. All papers relating to a particular customer or subject are placed in one folder bearing his distinctive number. These folders are arranged in the cabinet in the numerical sequence. 13.4 Indexing The wo;d 'Index' is derived from the word 'Indicate' which means 'to point out'. The function of an index is to indicate the location of some information, data or record.