MANAGEMENT OF OFFICE SYSTEMS SYSTEM Interrelated procedures necessary to achieve a well-defined goal. PROCEDURE Related complete work process.

method necessary to

DESIGNING AN EFFICIENT OFFICE SYSTEM Efficient office system is the result of careful planning and design. When a new system is required to be developed, it would be appropriate to proceed through the following steps sequentially: 1. Determination of objectives and forms of office services. 2. Study and analysis of various office services. 3. Development of simple procedures and methods. 4. Simplification and improvement in procedures. 5. Development of the system itself.

METHOD Specific clerical operations or activities.

or

mechanical

For each operation within a procedure, there is a method for accomplishing that phase of work. For instance, in an order processing procedure, there is a method for acknowledging the incoming order, checking the credit status of the customer, preparing the sales invoice and distributing the copies of invoice. A method is thus concerned with sequence of motions used in performing an operation and with the specific equipment.

VALUES AND LIMITATIONS OF MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Systems make the following contributions to management effectiveness: 1. Focus upon end results. Purposed must be clearly discerned if systems are to be used effectively. 2. Plan of action that is purposeful, orderly and efficient. Managers and employees are given a track to run on. 3. Coordination of specialised activities. The conflicting interests of functional specialists can be fitted together in an overall pattern. 4. Basis for control. Current work can be guided, consistency can be achieved, results measured against the standard, then reported to provide feedback necessary to adjust methods.

OBJECTIVES OF SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES Some of the major objectives for using the systems concepts are the following: 1. To bring efficiency in the utilisation of the organisational resources. It means greater effectiveness and more economy. Effectiveness here means prompt services to the customer and economy means higher productivity at lower costs. 2. To control operating costs. Systems are a basis for controlling operating costs. Current working results can be measured against standards. 3. To improve operating efficiency. It means that wasteful motions, delay and uncertainty are to be minimised. 4. To help achieve the objectives of the organisation. If systems are well-designed and are used effectively, they help achieve the objectives of the organisation. 1

CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-DESIGNED SYSTEM

If the System Analyst has done a good job of design, the resulting system should possess the following characteristics: 1. Effectiveness. A system is effective if it accomplishes the purposes or achieves the goals for which it was established. 2. Efficiency. Not only a good system must accomplish its purpose, but it must also achieve it at a cost less than the value of the objective. 3. Dependability. A well-designed system produces consistent results; its output is reliable. 4. Flexibility. The ability to absorb changes in environmental conditions or input factors and the ability to accommodate exception. 5. Simplicity. The system does not need to be complex to be good. 6. Acceptability. If a system is not acceptable to those who are using it, it is destined to fail either through disuse or overt sabotage.

There are different levels of system likely to be found in an enterprise: 1. The total system of operations, designed to achieve general enterprise goals. 2. Integrated systems such as the linking of production control with inventory control, or of sales with accounts receivable or of purchases with accounts payable. 3. Subsystems such as the entire inventory control made up of separate procedures for requisitioning, issuing, reordering, receiving an updating records. 4. Procedures such as the inventory requisitioning procedure, made up of a series of operations such as checking stock, preparing a materials requisition, securing proper authorisation and transmitting the requisition. 5. Methods which are simply the means of performing individual operations.

A SPECIAL ROLE OF PROCEDURES THE MEANS OF INTEGRATING SYSTEMS A generalised approach to integrating systems has already been indicated. There are 2 basic approaches in the integrated system: 1. Defining the outputs or goals desired from the total system. 2. Then defining major inputs which influence achievement of these goals. There are two major steps needed to move towards integration of systems: Development of a master plan of systems and subsystems. Development of information flow which guides operative activities. A PROCEDURE as suggested earlier: o o A specific work sequence. A series of operations pointed towards achieving a particular objective. It stands between a system and an operation. It layouts the sequence of steps usually followed in performing a recurring type of work. It also specifies work steps necessary and assigns responsibility. Is the working level of system. It is an actual guide to employees on how to proceed each time in a particular recurring type of work.

o o

o o

THE MASTER SYSTEMS PLAN

A well-designed procedure serves as: 1. A standing plan of work. 2

2. A means of coordinating effort. 3. A tool of communication. 4. A basis for control of performance. FLOW CHART It is concerned with the way the work moves along from one operation to another, the quantity or volume of work done through, the rate at which it moves along and the smoothness of its passage. It is basically an exercise aimed at greater efficiency in every sphere of office activity so that not only costs are cut down but also delays are eliminated. Flow charts are prepared to know whether the flow of work is ideal or whether there is scope for improvement. NEUNER AND KEELING has suggested three types of charts for the analysis of flow of work: 1. FLOW OF WORK It should be planned in such a way that there is least possible wastage of time. It must always move forward from beginning to end. It depicts the actual flow of work in offices.

Advantages of having a straight line of flow of work: o o o o The work will be speeded up. There will not be backtracking of work. There will not be any interruption in the flow of work. Avoidance of delay.

2. OFFICE LAYOUT CHART This chart analyzes the flow of each part of office activity throughout the organization. In every chart, lines are drawn to indicate the movement of various business throughout the office Charts are compared to spell out the waste of effort, motion, and back tracking. Consists of a series of connected steps where each step follows without delay or gap and ends just before the subsequent step may begin.

Fig. 1 Office Layout Chart

3. FLOW PROCESS CHART Also known as work simplification chart as they aim at simplifying office work. It seeks to depict the flow of work under a specific system or procedure to make its presentation more effective. 3

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers New York published the operation and process flow charts. These symbols are given below.

 Compiles the specific plan which comprises a hardware and a software. STEP 4: SYSTEM ANALYSIS Involves in collection, recording, verification and analysis of how the operations are being carried out presently. STEP 5: SYSTEM DESIGN Designing input files and output layouts Specifying the media to be used and methods of file accessed. Construction of decision tables. STEP 6: PROGRAMMING ANALYSIS Fig. 1.1 Flow Process Chart Breaking down the designs into input/output calculation, logic/comparison, and storage/retrieval operations etc. STEP 7: PROGRAM PREPARATION STEP 1: AREA SELECTION Preliminary examinations are done to examine the unit which needs computerisation. In this step, they ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of present system. They also assess the attitude of union leaders towards computerising system. STEP 2: OVERALL ANALYSIS Documentation of the current system. Analysis of the present system Determining several alternatives Producing preliminary schedules budgets. Feasibility Study is conducted. STEP 3: MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN Objectives of the proposed system. Capabilities of the organization. Possible technological development. 4 It comprises translation (coding) by Programmers of the specific operations.

STAGES IN COMPUTERISING SYSTEM

STEP 8: SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION Concerned with those tasks which are necessary to make the system full operational. It also includes software writing and also the final testing. The other tasks are space management, training of staff and operators, training supervisors, installation of equipments and development of files. STEP 9: SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND REVIEW Examines whether the system in use is suitable to meet the changing conditions. Analysts also ensure if the system fully meets the objectives of the system for which it was created.

and

EDUCATION AND TRAINING The changeover to the computerized system can indeed be traumatic to the Managers. Those affected by the change have therefore to be educated in the new system. Education is to be imparted to the departments carrying out the changeover. Ways of achieving this are the following: 1. Articles in magazine. 2. Organising visits to the computer room. 3. Discussion meetings. The education is aimed at broadening people`s mind to accept the change, dispelling mystique, and allaying any apprehensions. There has also to be a FORMS DESIGN AND CONTROL Office forms are one of the important tools used in an office for its efficient functioning. A form is a piece of paper used for communication purposes. In the words of Frank M Knox "nothing happens in an office except to or by means of pieces of paper". There are different forms used in the office, and they are: Continuous It is a set of forms that are attached to one another. In order to separate one form from another, perforations are used. Continuous forms are especially suited for automatic printing equipment such as computer printers. It saves considerable amount of time because continuous forms are automatically fed through the equipment. This process eliminated the task of individuality inserting each form in the equipment. Unit set form As the name indicates, it is an individual form or a separate form and is not attached to another set like continuous form. This type of forms may be either single or multiple copy forms. Where multiple 5

comprehensive training programme that is intended to train the employees in their new assignments. BENEFITS OF OFFICE MANUAL PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS. It reduces the need to explain the procedures/methods. o UNIFORMITY. It relieves the management the necessity to repeat the same instruction. o ASSISTS IN TRAINING OF NEW EMPLOYEES. It gives the employees a handy form the policies, instructions, practices, systems and procedures. o REDUCES DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS. Reduces the overlapping of responsibilities. o AUTHORISED GUIDE. Serves as a record of standards and record of operating systems and procedures. copies are desired, a sheet of carbon paper is inserted within each form. MICR forms Magnetic Ink Character Recognition forms It is a type of form frequently used by banks on which MICR number appear. Such forms are used by banks to expedite the sorting and processing of numerical data found on banking documents. The equipment reads the number printed with a magnetic ink and then transmits the data to the computer. OCR Forms / Optical Character recognition The ocr forms are both alphabetical and numerical date as compared to MICR forms which use only numerical data. When the data is read on the ocr form, the data is transmitted to the computer where it is processed. Mark sense forms It is a type of form that involves the use of a special pencil for entering the data in appropriate areas on the form. The location of the mark which is in coded form, can be read by the special data processing equipment. o

Forms design Forms design is concerned with the 1 size of the form 2 the content 3 the colour 4 the number of copies each form 5 the thickness and quality and paper used IMPORTANCE OF GOOD FORMS DESIGN 1 Forms serve as tools of office work. Forms are one of the most important tools of office management as they assist in performing some of the important functions such as recieving, recording, arranging, and giving info in the office. 2. It improves the morale of the staff. A badly designed form will have a psychological effect on the staff using such forms. And can reduce the efficiency of office work. 3 It avoids clerical mistakes. The decisions based on such wrong information will lead to serious consequences on the mgt. 4. It reduces cost of maintenance. A well designed form results in saving in the cost involved in preparing, recording, and filing the forms. 5. It improves the prestige of the organization. A well designed form results in building up the goodwill and public image of the concern. 6. It helps in effective implementation of the office system. Office forms are closely related to office system. A well designed form enables the successful implementation of office system. Factors affecting forms design 1. Quality of paper. Frequent handling of paper and long preservation of records call for better quality of paper. 2. Good printing. Elegant type of printing enhances the appearance of the paper itself.It should be read with in natural and artificial light. 3. Paper size. Planning the standard size of forms will avoid unnecessary wastage of paper. 4. Tilting and numbering. Each form must have a title and number. It must be short and simple. 5. Simplicity. It means clear column heading, adequate space for numbering and simple language of instructions for use. 6. Punching and perforating. It must be ensured that forms must allow for punching and perforating. Perforation means punching small holes in a straight line so that some portion can be detached. Method of form designing The different methods of form designing as given below should be carefully considered, -Boxing. Under this plan the entire surface of the form is boxed in with most of the printing to show the data to be inserted in the upper left hand corner or top of every boxed area. -Lines. This plan of designing forms provides for the use of lines chiefly as a basis both of printing and entering the data. 6

-Headings. In designing forms, headings are used commonly to call attention to the information areas in which data is to be entered. -Columnar Design. This type of design is particularly applicable to tabulation of figures where this is a form of information to be recorded.

-Spacing. Spacing is the important for both appearance and use. Typing requires spacing in multiples of one sixth inch. Handwriting requires one fourth inch to one third inch between lines.

Functional file uses classification forms collected by subject, operation and function served FORMS CONTROL Forms are basic tools for an office work, office systems and procedures. It has become essential to exercise control over forms in order to have effectiveness in use. Number: Forms are organized according to the identification number each is assigned. Numerical file includes a sample of form, specifications and changes that may affect the design or quantity to be ordered at the next printing. 3. Eliminating Forms: Eliminating forms that are no longer needed. 4. Consolidating forms: Once the unwanted forms were eliminated, the remaining forms may reveal that certain forms contain same details. 5. Design guidelines: This are established for developing new forms or revising the existing forms. It helps with the consistency with the other forms. 6. Development of forms. This refers to the preparation of either a new form or revising an existing form by taking into consideration the form design discussed earlier. 7. Continuous supply of forms. Under this step, efforts are made to get continuous supply of forms without interruption.

The cost of producing and processing form may total a sizeable amount. Forms control is a mean of exercising management control over these costs. Specific purposes of forms control include: 1. Proper design of forms, which will insure maximum clerical efficiency. 2. Elimination of obsolete forms. 3. Consolidation of forms to minimize duplicate effort. 4. Minimization of printing costs. 5. To lessen clerical work. 6. To minimize the use of number of forms. 7. To make alterations whenever required. 8. To economically use the forms.

Advantages of forms control 1. Saving in costs.

Steps involved in efficient form control programme 1. Forms cataloging: Enables those individuals responsible for the forms control program to determine the nature, type, and purpose for forms used throughout the organization. 2. Form classification: Function: Forms are organized according to their specific purpose. 7

2. Simplification of work. 3. Reduction of errors. 4. Improvement in communication. 5. Ensures continuous supply.