Module-I: Office Management and Automation - B. Com, FCMS, Sri Sri University

Office Management and Automation – B.
Com, FCMS, Sri Sri University
Module-I
Introduction to Office Management
1. Introduction: Meaning, functions, importance, principles and

organization of office management.
2. Modern office: Introduction and activities of modern office. Changing
Office environment. Functions of an office and increase productivity.
Factors contributing to the growth of office work. Relations of
departments. Centralization vs. decentralization of office services.
Challenges of the office. Scientific office management.
3. Office Manager: Qualifications and qualities of office manager. The
status of office manager in total organization. The authorities and
responsibilities of an office manager.
4. Office accommodation: Selection of site. Office layout. Environment and
working conditions.
1 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

Office Management and Automation – B. Com, FCMS, Sri Sri University
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Meaning and Definition
Two words: Office and Management
-Office refers to the work center where all the managerial functions including
clerical works are performed.
-Management is the function of planning, organising, controlling, directing. Here

manager engages in these activities, combines human resource, finance and
information to effectively and efficiently achieve organizational goals.
Office management is a profession involving the design, implementation,

evaluation, and maintenance of the process of work within an office or other
organization, in order to sustain and improve efficiency and productivity.
Office management is thus a part of the overall administration of business and

since the elements of management are forecasting and planning, organising,
command, control and co-ordination, the office is a part of the total management
function.
1.2 Functions
The functions of a modern office may be classified into two categories:
1. Basic functions (or) routine functions, 2. Administrative management

functions.
1. Basic functions (or) routing functions
(a) Receive and collecting information: About the activities of the organization the
source may be: (i) Internal sources: ex. different departments, sections, etc. (ii)
External sources: Govt. departments, financial Institutions, universities, general
public etc.
(b) Recorded of collected information: In a suitable form, this recorded information

is needed for preparing future Policies, and taking decisions.

(c) Arranging (or) Processing of Information: In all the information received cannot
be used in the same form. Office has to convert it in form of notes, reports,
diagrams, graphs etc, and showing different aspects of business.
(d) Communication of recorded and arranged information promptly: Office has to

supply the information to different departments and outside bodies who are
related in some way or the other Ex. Planning is to be done for which future
information and projections are to be made on the bias of part information which
has to be supplied by the office in the most suitable form.
2. Administrative Management Functions
A part from the basic functions of an office, there are certain administrative
management functions which have to be performed for a smooth functioning of
the office. These functions are outlined below
(i) Management Functions: For efficient functioning of an office the management

function includes.
(a) Planning.
(b) Organising.
(c) Staffing.
(d) Directing.
(e) Communicating.
(f) Controlling.
(g) Co-coordinating and
(h) Motivating.
Office work has to be properly planned, and then organized and executed
according to the plan.
(ii)Public Relations Functions: An office has not only maintained relations with the
other departments, it also needs to maintain a good relation with the outside
world the public. Maintaining good relations with the company increases the
reputation and good will of the company.

(iii) Retention of the Records: Office Records includes correspondence, letters,

invoices, orders, financial and cost records, minutes etc. These records have to
be retained for future reference.
(iv) Safeguarding Assets: It is the function of the office to safeguard the assets of
the organisation, which may be fixed assets like buildings, plants, Machinery,
office equipment, lighting and air conditioning equipment, movable assets like
furniture, office machinery, or the cash, title deeds, records and documents etc.
(v) Controlling Office costs: With the adoption of scientific methods for office
management, a modern office is further supposed to discharge the function of
Controlling office costs This may be done by.
(a) Mechanization of the office.
(b) Adopting time and labour saving devices in the office.
(c) Using better forms.
(d) Analyzing the existing office routines and adopting improved ones.
Personal competencies useful in the role are: problem solving skills, good
decision making abilities, integrity, resourcefulness, creativity, assertiveness,
flexibility, time management skills and the ability to cope with pressure.
1.3 Importance
An office is an important and indispensable part of every organisation, big or

small. Be it a government institution, trading or manufacturing organisation, a
hospital or an educational institution, an office is vital for its functioning. The
office acts as a storehouse and nervous system of every operation of a business
concern. A well-managed Office is an indispensable aid to management. It helps
the management to plan its operations intelligently and to put them in action
competently. The office coordinates all the activities of the business. Without an
efficient and organised Office, business activities cannot be carried through
systematically.
“The importance of the office to a business enterprise arises from the fact that a
modern business, with its varied and complicated operations, cannot be
managed efficiently without clerical assistance in some form or the other.” In
fact, ‘competent clerical service is a precondition for the efficient conduct of

business affairs’. It has been rightly said that “the office is to a business what
the mainspring is to a watch”.
Importance of the office in the following manner:
1. Office as Information Centre: An office may be described as the

information centre of a business. It collects information from all sources,
internal and external, records it, arranges and analyses it and provides it
to the management when required. (See “Functions” above). The
information furnished by an office helps the management to forecast and
plan its operations well in advance and to exercise control over the entire
spectrum of business activities. An office is also called a “storehouse of
information” or a “memory centre of an organisation” since all kinds of
information and figures, whether past or present, are available in the
office.
2. Office as an Intermediary: An office connects different departments with

the outsiders and vice versa. For instance, all the “purchase orders” are
routed through the office and all the “sales orders” are received through
the office. It is office that links the business organisation with its suppliers,
customers, the Government and the general public. It is, in short,
responsible for:
(i) Attending to enquiries, orders and complaints of its customers and
suppliers;
(ii) Creating a good image of the organisation in the minds of people; and
(iii) Maintaining liaison with the Government and other institutions.
3. Office as a Coordinator: The processing of information in a modern office

may be grouped under four headings: namely, communications, written
and oral; computing and summarizing operating results; record-keeping
through accounting and filing records; and systematisation and cost
reduction — through systems and procedures analyses. These four
activities are necessary for the efficient coordination of production,
distribution, and financing of the merchandise or services in a business
concern. This coordination is provided by the focal center — the office. The
process of coordination is almost impossible without an office, which
provides competent clerical services to all in the business who need it. It
keeps contact with all the other departments, and provides necessary
information and knowledge for the coordination of the various activities of
the organisation.

4. Office as a Service Centre: Since an Office is the focal point in a business

organisation for the co-ordination of the work of production, distribution,
finance and personnel, its activities are in the nature of services to all the
other departments and to the business as a single unit. Frequently an
Office is referred to as the Office services department. It exists to provide
clerical and other services to the various departments, divisions, sections
or branches of the organisation, and cannot operate apart from them.
5. Office as an Administrative Nerve Centre: As an inclusive executive

function, an Office acts as an administrative nerve centre. It helps in
making the decisions about the products to be manufactured and sold,
when to purchase materials, what reports to prepare, and a variety of
similar activities. It becomes the heart of all business activity, through
which circulates information on purchases, sales, finances and
communication.
6. Office as Control Centre: An Office also acts a “control centre” of the

organisation, since it helps the management to take decisions and
implement them. It prepares and presents all the necessary data,
information and plans to the management so that it might take decisions.
It is the Office where all the policy decisions originate, and it is from there
that the activities of the organisation are controlled and remedial or
corrective action taken to ensure that the objectives of the organisation are
accomplished.
Leffingwell, and Robinson have summed up the importance of an Office thus: “A

well organised Office makes it possible for the management to plan its operations
intelligently, to put its plans into effect surely, to follow their progress currently,
to determine their effectiveness promptly, to appraise their result without delay
and to coordinate all the activities of the business”.
1.4 Principles
A principle may be defined as a fundamental statements or general truth

providing a guide to thought or action. The principles of management are the
guidelines are the ground rules for the efficient management of any undertaking.
The following are the principles of management outlined by Henri Fayol:

i. Division of work: Principles of specialization are necessary to increase

the efficiency in the utilization of labour.
ii. Authority and Responsibility: Responsibility is the corollary of authority

and arises from it. Authority is a combination official and personal.
iii. Discipline: Respect for agreements which are directed at achieving

obedience, application, energy and outward marks of respect.
iv. Unity of command: Each employee should have one superior only.
v. Unity of direction: Each group of activities having the same objectives

must have one head and one plan.
vi. Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest: The interest of

groups should supersede those of the individual. When they are found to
differ, it is the function of management to reconcile them
1.5 Organization of office management
Meaning
Organization is one of fundamental functions of management. After having

thought out the objective or goal of an enterprise and course of action to be
followed, it is necessary to give a practical shape to the work to be performed to
meet that objective. In organization, we divide the work, and prepare a structural
plan.
Definitions
“Organization is a group of people who are co-operating under the direction of

leadership for the accomplishment of common end”-Ralph C.Davis.
“Organization is the arrangement of function deemed necessary for the

attainment of the objective and is an indication of the authority and the
responsibility assigned to individual charged with the execution of their
respective functions”

Characteristics
(i) It is a group of individual which may be small or large.
(ii) The group in the organization works under the direction of executive
leadership.
(iii) It is a function of arrangement.
(iv) It consists of some direction authority which controls the collective efforts of
the group.
(v) It refers to a structure of duties and responsibilities.
(vi) It is established for accomplishments of common objective.
(vii) It is continuous function and is preferred in varying degrees by all levels of

management, from the first line supervisor to the top executive of the enterprise.
(viii) It cannot be static for simple reason that an organization which is effective
today may not be satisfactory tomorrow. it needs periodic changes and
modifications according to current needs and situations in terms of objective,
jobs and personnel.
Steps in Organization Management
Organizing refers to the grouping of activities necessary for the attainment of

objective. It also indicates the authority and the responsibility assigned to
individual charged with the execution of their respective functions. The following
steps are involved in organizing the structure of an enterprise:
(a) Knowledge of objectives: While organization, it is important bear in

mind the objective or target of organization or department. The objective
must be determined, keeping in view the environmental situation. They
must be clear, precise and complete, and free from ambiguity or confusion.
Unless the manager or supervisor knows the objective, he may not be able
to organize properly and motivate people towards the attainment of the
objective.
(b) Division of work into activities: After laying down objectives, the manager
must identify the total work involved in achieving them. For instance, the

total work involved of a manufacturing enterprise may be divided into

production, finance, personnel, marketing and such other activities.
(c) Grouping the activities: The next step is to group the various activities
into practical units based on similarities and importance, and to indicate
the person who would do the work. For instance, purchasing, machining,
assembling may be placed under manufacturing while recruiting, training
job grading, compensation may be placed under personnel.
(d) Defining and assigning activities to jobs: Jobs must be clearly defined
and the activities related to them must clearly identified and assigned. This
will help the management to fix the authority and responsibility of the
employees concerned.

2. Modern office
2.1 Introduction modern office
These days, a company’s office is an extension of its brand. It’s not just a physical
place where business activities take place. It’s the hub of ideas that make the
business unique. As a result, many companies, from large corporations to small
businesses, pay attention to the details when it comes to designing a modern
office.
Technology as a Business Advantage
The new traditional office definition includes technology as a business

advantage. By using technology to make its employees’ day-to-day processes
easier, businesses can improve their efficiency and increase employee morale.
Technology isn’t limited to state-of-the-art computers. Software and mobile

applications make up a big part of the modern office. Using software to mine
competitive and industry data can help businesses to learn about the market
and increase its share. Mobile applications that enable employees to more easily
communicate with each other about projects help the business to keep workflow
on track.
In a world where global companies are the norm, many businesses operate with
remote colleagues and teams in different office locations. Video and audio
software, coupled with project management applications help to keep the team
connected while working toward a shared goal.
Modern Office Work Spaces
The modern office answers the question of whether flexible work spaces can help
productivity. For many companies, rows of cubicles or desks are no longer
common. Instead, many modern offices offer varied work spaces so employees
can move around from their desks and find a spot that meets the needs of their
current task.
For example, many offices have open-concept seating where employees can have
a clear view of all of their teammates from their desks. When someone needs to
have a meeting or a private conversation, many offices offer small meeting rooms.
10 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri

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In addition, the modern office often boasts comfortable couches for when
colleagues need to converse and collaborate in an informal setting.
For people who require a space where they can really buckle down and focus,
many modern offices have quiet rooms designed for one or two people to work.
Some modern offices offer standing desks in addition to the more traditional
ones. In any case, the goal is to provide employees with a variety of work spaces
other than their desk.
Focus on Culture and Company Mission
One of the primary functions of an office is to exhibit the main qualities of the
company culture. For a modern office, it means ensuring all employees, from the
CEO to the temp, are well versed in the company mission and vision and embody
the core values the business holds dear.
This doesn’t mean that everyone has to memorize the mission and recite it daily.
Instead, many businesses now have corporate events where the company
volunteers it’s time for a special cause or gets together to celebrate a milestone
within the company. Instead of high-ticket corporate retreats, many businesses
today have small, intimate lunches and team-building activities instead.
The company culture is embedded into the office space as well. In many offices,
meeting rooms are named after themes that embody the organizational culture.
The colors used throughout the office and on the walls, flooring and furniture
can be specifically picked to foster an emotion that is in line with the company’s
core values.
Small but Valuable Perks
In the modern office, employers need to offer their team the kinds of perks their
competitors aren’t. The workforce today isn’t just looking for a job. Instead, they
are looking for a career where they can grow. Modern offices offer their employees
perks, including education reimbursement plans that encourage continuous
learning.
Flexibility is also a perk that is common in many modern offices. This includes
working hours other than the usual nine to five and the option of working
remotely. In addition, many modern offices have gyms or fitness classes on site,
in addition to day care services for children. Some companies also offer tokens

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such as free lunches and snacks. While a small gesture, they add to the greater
culture of the company and the modern office.
2.2 Activities of modern office
Each office has a personality of its own. This personality is a reflection of the
purposes for which an office exists. The Manufacturing Office will have a profile
that differs from that of a Sales Office. The accounting Office will have a different
orientation from a research and development Office. “In organising a new office,
the Office Manager must first determine the prime reason for the existence of
that Office and then add the necessary ingredients to bring about an efficient
operating entity that achieves predetermined results. Although offices differ from
one another in prime responsibility, many activities are commonly carried out
by all the offices. Some of these activities are:
(i) Processing Incoming Mail;

(ii) Processing Outgoing Mail;
(iii) Dictation;
(iv) Transcription;
(v) Typing;
(vi) Printing;
(vii) Copying;
(viii) Filing;
(ix) Records Retrieval;
(x) Records Disposal; and
(xi) Communication.
2.3 Changing Office environment

Current trends of office environment
Office Yesterday
A few decades ago, a typical business Office presented a gloomy picture. Housed
in one or two small rooms, poorly lighted and ill-ventilated, it was generally
situated in the least conspicuous part of the building. There was a small volume
of paperwork, which was handled by a few clerks manually and without the aid
of mechanical and labor-saving devices. Since typewriters were somewhat rare,
the clerks had to do all the written work with their own hands. Letters were
copied before dispatch on loose sheets or in fat leather bound registers. All the
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internal and external communication was performed or carried on through the

human agency, for telephones and intercom systems were not generally in use.
The proprietor of a business or the head clerk would be found sitting in the office
room, supervising and guiding office work, and personally dealing with the
visitors or customers. There was no departmentalization of office activities, and
the techniques of scientific management were either not known or not practiced.
Historical Developments
The following technological developments made during the last 150 years have
led to the evolution of the modern office:
1870 : First commercial typewriter introduced.

1880 : Alexander Graham Bell invented telephone.
1920 : Electric typewriter introduced.
1930 : Important machines like duplicators, dictaphones, intercoms
developed.
1950 : Calculators, computers, copying machines, addressographs,
franking, tabulating and accounting machines developed.
1961 : Memory electronic typewriters launched.
1964 : Word processing equipment, cash registers, etc.
1970 : Introduction of digital networks local area networks (LAN).
1980 : Computerised telephone networks, picture phone, etc.
1990 : Personal computers, microprocessing equipment, electronic mail,
fax machines, modems, pagers, Cellular Phones, Internet Systems, etc.
2000 : Internet Banking, Internet Trading, BPO servicing, Internet
Telephony, Digitised office.
2008 : Apple i-Phones, Voice Mails, Teleconferencing, Handwriting and
speech Recognition Softwares, Broadband Spectrum, L.C.D. and Plasma
T.V.s. 3D image Videoconferencing (telepresence), etc., Black Berry, Google
gphone, Robotics; etc.
2012 : Voice/Face/Handwriting Recognition, 3D Printing, Apple iPhones
4S, ITB Hard Disk,
2014 : Blue Ray Disc, Voice Navigation, Wi-fi, Wireless Printers, Cloud
Computing (Google Drive, DropBox, Skydrive-Microsoft), iPad, Business
Analytics (for Cash Management, Website Management, Employee
Management, etc.) SaaS (Software as a Service), LED, Mobile Banking,
Virtualisation, Android, Ubuntu, Internet of all things etc.

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Office Today
Office activities have undergone vast changes in the last five or six decades. A
Modern Office is well-planned, well-laid out and well-organised. The scope of
office activities has widened tremendously following spectacular developments
in science and technology, industrialisation, transport and communication, etc.
These developments have led to an expansion in the scale of production and
business activities, to greater governmental and legislative interference and
control, and the consequent enlargement of the volume of office work. In today’s
Office, activities are performed not by general purpose clerks but by specialised
clerks — by receptionists, accounts clerks, cashiers, stenographers, typists.
There is, thus a greater division of labour.
The old fat leather-bound ledgers have been replaced by loose-leaf binders. Filing
and indexing techniques have been developed. Departmentalisation of office has
been effected. A greater and wider use of machines (typewriters, dictaphones,
calculators, accounting machines, computers, etc.), is made to save time and
labour. Work standardisation, job evaluation, merit rating and other techniques
of personnel management are being practised. Telephones, intercoms, telex and
other communication device are used for rapid and global communication. Many
large sized offices use computers to handle the enormous volume of work. The
use of carbonless copy paper has become very popular.
In short, Offices today are organised on scientific principles, and their

management and administration is in the hands of highly specialised managers.
The term “Office Management” is rapidly being replaced by the term
“Administrative Office Management” and “Information Management”.
Office of the Future
Advancements in technology are having enormous impact on the working of the

office. The New Office Technologies are converting the information that was
written or typed, transmitted and stored on paper to be processed by computer-
based machines more accurately and at much greater speed. However, it may be
stressed that the rate of introduction of the new technology is very 'Variable' and
it night take many years before all offices resemble ‘office of the future’. In India,
we usually find a mixture of traditional and new machines in the same office.
Few organisations have the finance or are prepared to take the risk of replacing
all their old office equipment with the new machines all at once. We are, in fact,
in a period of transition which might extend to a few years or even more.

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In the more distant future, we might see an Office that is virtually 'Paperless'.
However, in near future, there will be an important reduction rather than a total
abolition of paperwork.
The Office of the future has to face a variety of challenges — social, political and
economic. For instance, with the increased mechanisation of office activities and
the installation of sophisticated machines like the computers, it seems we are on
the threshold of office automation. With the increasing pace of industrialisation
and government control of business, the need to employ more experts and
specialists to perform office activities has become pressing, and has led to the
utilization of consultancy services to a greater extent. These developments call
for a greater “professionalization of management” and increased application of
the principles of management to the Office. The other challenges faced by the
office of the future include:
(i) The challenge of legal provisions;

(ii) The challenge of reducing paperwork; and
(iii) The challenge of reducing office cost.
Once these challenges are met, the productivity of an Office would increase, and
its importance would be enhanced in relation to the business organisation of the
future.
The Paperless Office
The 21st century Offices will be an electronic wonderland where expensive

paperbased routine work will be replaced by result-oriented and advanced
information technology. Office automation, with its micro circuitry and visual
display screens, is surely to take over the old and worn-out methodology, in
Office management. In all probability, within next 3-5 years, Office information
system would be installed and developed to such an extent that it would replace
the desk, the typewriter, the filing cabinet and the plethora of paperwork.
With the evolution of a new work style, based on speed, accuracy and efficiency
the Offices which fail to wake up to the implications of modern information
technology will find themselves lagging behind. They would become vulnerable
to the technological onslaught of their better equipped competitors. A US study
on office automation has indicated that 100% of the banking industry has
already installed Office automation systems of some kind. An average of 85 word

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processors per 1,000 employees was reported. Together with these, the banks
are likely to add private videotex, electronic mail, online management
information systems with graphics and voice information systems. Future
developments also imply adoption of multifunctional workstations with a wide
variety of capabilities. The technological advances have also invaded Offices in
Europe, UK and Japan, etc. However, in India, the position has started to emerge
and in certain sectors rapid computerization is taking place particularly in BPOs,
Stock Market Operations, Banking, Retailing, Higher Education, etc. The
concept of paperless Office encompasses the following:
(1) The omnipresent desk will now be replaced by the multifunctional

workstation with a personal computer linked to other personal computers
via a high-speed Local Area Network (LAN) system. The workstation can be
further linked to the main station so that the staff positioned at the
workstations can contact and manipulate information from the Office
records.
(2) Computers, equipped to process words as well as figures, will totally

replace typewriters. The present day, word processor will slowly give way
to personal computers.
(3) The electronic-magnetic or optical-filing is the one to succeed the paper

filled filing cabinets in our offices. Microfilming will also reduce paper
records and facilitate retrieval of records.
(4) For outward communication, fascimile (FAX) system will replace

dispatch section.
(5) For inward communication, shorthand notebooks and typewriters will

give way to dictating machines and printer computers, etc.
(6) Desktop Publishing System will look after the entire printing work of
office. It will write and format documents, create and incorporate graphics,
prepare camera ready copy for printing, keep data bases of mailing and
subscription lists, create official advertising files and brochures and keep
all financial records — no matter how large or small it is.
(7) Various machines like accounting machines, billing machines, payroll

machines, addressing and mailing machines, punched card machines,
etc., shall be replaced by computer network (LAN) system.
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(8) The automatic answering devices and automatic electronic branch

exchanges will reduce the workload of the reception counter of the office.
(9) The new emphasis will be on LAN system — a low cost method of
connecting microcomputers, printers and data storage devices on a single
site. Imaginative use of the information technology helps to create new
opportunities. It cuts down operating costs, provides faster and more
accessible information and reduces time spent on clerical functions and
unproductive tasks.
Are the Days of Paper Limited?

The increasing use of Office machines in transmission, storage and data
processing has facilitated the Offices to abandon the use of paper to a large
extent, but the realisation of the goal of ‘Paperless Office’ is subjected to the
following problems:
1. Transmission: Facsimile transmission is already possible but it requires
that the receiver and sender both have compatible electronic apparatus,
which will restrict transmission for sometime to come.
2. Storing: Microfilm has long been used as a storage medium but as yet
it has made no serious inroads into the use of paper. Data storage of huge
quantities of information is already carried out by computers. Yet the most
used device of many computers are not video display units (VDU) but
printers.
3. Data Processing: Again, computers already perform many data
processing tasks which previously were being carried out by clerks armed
only with pencils and paper. However, aspects like — financial,
organisational and resistance to change — will inhibit the rapid
elimination of paper.
As such, the transformation of the Office is not an easy task. An integrated
approach where
information is treated as a primary resource, is necessary to reap maximum
benefits from Office automation. Further, the software supporting an electronic
office should be totally reliable, accessible to everybody and easy enough to be
operated by everybody irrespective of their ability or status, “Office automation
can be carried out in a phased manner starting with the clerical staff and later
moving on to the professionals and managers”. Managers can have desktop on
to workstations, which can be used for electronic mail, finding information from
large central data bases and typing text while producing reports. Through a

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properly linked network system, a manager can send electronic messages to his
colleagues and arrange meetings and appointments.
He can also type letters from his own laptops (screen-based/workstation). For
maximum results the technology used should be matched to the needs of the
business and business objectives. The persons who are coordinating the
‘Information Technology’ (IT) activity must be familiar with the business
objectives of the organisation.
Tips For A ‘Paperless’ Office
Many people who use computers — whether it’s for their home or business —
are moving towards a “paperless” Office. Simply, they are tired and overwhelmed
by scraps of paper, heaps of old file folders, envelopes — and they want to reduce
the clutter.
Take a look at how many messages are stored in your e-mail’s in-basket. Now
imagine how much paper would have been generated if they hadn’t come to you
from cyberspace.
Many companies have made at least a partial move to a paperless Office. They’re
doing so this way: by using scanners instead of copying machines, sending
electronic faxes instead of paper faxes, storing information electronically instead
of in filing cabinets, giving staff clients or vendors information on CDs or through
Internet attachments instead of in bound folders.
In short, they’re getting greater return on their hardware, software and
technology investments. Here are six things to keep in mind as you move towards
a paperless home or business office.
1. Without paper, make sure you’re backing up files. In the traditional

backup system, you would make a photocopy of a document and put it in
a properly-labeled folder that can later be retrieved from a filing cabinet.
Many people and businesses develop electronic filing systems that mimic
the old paper systems, using Microsoft Word or customized programs for
storing documents by type of document, client, project or other
prioritization. But those files can’t just be created — they have to be
backed up as well. Backup solutions can include backing up to second
hard drives, to removable drives or to Internet and off-site locations to
minimize the risk of loss of data from a computer failure. So, the message

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here is to have a system in place for regular and consistent backing up of

your information.
2. Realize that a paperless Office doesn’t happen overnight. Your home

Office or business won’t go from all-paper one day-to-paperless the next.
It’s a progression. You might start out by scanning all incoming bills into
your system, and then expand to include all general business
correspondence. Initially, you might imagine you’re creating more work
instead of less —especially if you run a business. It’s just another way of
backing up information.
3. You’ll need to rearrange your office — a good thing. There usually aren’t
tremendous savings of office space when you first start focusing on using
less paper. After all, you still have all those paper documents housed in
your big, clunky file cabinets. At some point during your transition to a
‘paperless office’, however, the difference in your physical storage space
will become apparent.
4. “Paperless” often really means “less paper”. Yes. it’s possible to scan all
received documents into your computer, and to store all in-house
documents in your system as well. You can virtually eliminate paper faxes
by generating faxes on your computer and having in-bound faxes delivered
to your computer system. You can even electronically sign or signature-
stamp outgoing documents. But you’re still likely to have some paper
floating through your Office. Not all of your clients or customers will want
to be billed electronically. Some vendors will still want to communicate by
snail mail. And tax and regulatory requirements could force you to either
do some current business on paper or to keep hard copies of your past
home or business records.
5. Everyone has to participate in change. Merely saying as head of

household, owner or manager of a business that you want those around
you to embrace your paperless office doesn’t make it so. Your partner or
staff has to buy into the transition as a permanently-new way of doing
business. Change can be difficult. People who have been making
photocopies, sending paper faxes, putting documents into legal sized
folders — or saving tons of mail and catalogues that they just can’t part
with — are going to have to change their perceptions. They will have to
learn new routines that they already feel skilled at.

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6. Realize that less paper is just the beginning of the pay-off. The most
visible impact of a move to a paperless office is the reduction in the cost of
printing, mailing, shipping and storing paper. Overtime, lots of other
benefits should become apparent: Less time spent looking for paper lost
in the shuffle. Fewer hours looking for bills, documents and, if you’re in
business, copies of client documents. The ability to access all sorts of
information from computer files — in a matter of seconds without having
to search your office. If you’ve got a home Office that serves as a satellite
office of a business, you can have access to all of your business files, using
a product like Terminal Services or other software, even if you’re not at
your business location. In short, change can be hard — but it can be
profitable.
Working towards the Paperless Office
The paperless office — promised since the first desktop computers started
appearing in the 1980s — has yet to become a reality for most companies.
Despite the increasing use of computers in all types of businesses, a good portion
of most day-to-day work is still paper-based. In addition, basic human behaviour
works against a truly ‘paperless office’: employees will always want to print
documents for more careful study or to bring to meetings. For now, the perfect
paperless Office system remains an elusive goal. Despite these challenges, you
can drastically reduce the amount of paper documents your business depends
on by choosing a document management system. The term “document
management” (DM) covers a range of systems for managing paper and electronic
files. To work towards a ‘paperless office’, a more specific term is “document
imaging systems” — they include tools to help convert paper records into
electronic files.
Benefits of a Paperless Office Solution
One of the biggest benefits of getting rid of paper files is the cost savings: It
provides additional cost savings by eliminating paper records. Converting
records rooms into usable office space can let you make much better use of
expensive real estate, and to eliminate warehousing costs entirely. Other benefits
include increased security, better disaster recovery protection, environmental
benefits and remote access for your important documents.

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The Automated Office

Till now, it was customary to transfer and store information on paper. With new
electronic procedures and systems becoming more and more popular in use in
modern Automated Office, the so called “Paperless Office” is becoming a near
reality. A ‘Paperless Office’ is one in which paper has been replaced by electronic,
digital, micrographic and microprocessing systems and equipments. It is aptly
said that.
“The Office is now in a period of transition” where more and more information
processing functions are being automated through sophisticated electronic
systems, the Paperless Office is attainable today.”
“It may be noted that though paperwork can be reduced by up to 95 per cent in
the traditional Office, many people believe that a completely Paperless Office will
not be attained in near future.”
According to William Benedon in the ‘Paperless Society; fact or fiction,’ there are
six majorbarriers to a totally paperless office; namely
1. Traditional Values;
2. Legal Requirements;
3. Accounting and Audit Values;
4. Legislative Values;
5. Societal Values and;
6. Procedural Values;
In contrast, the System Analysts, Records Managers, and other management

professionals often complain of the high cost of creating, storing, retrieving,
reproducing and disseminating paper documents. Modern offices are
increasingly converting all incoming and original data to either electronic form
or microfilm, which can then be edited, indexed, stored, retrieved or converted
to paper.
In some companies’ ‘Paperless Office’ integrates voice inputs, word processing,

optical character recognition, electronic mail, calendars, message sending, filing
directions and text editing, computer indexing and processing, COM,
Micrographics, automated storage and retrieval, telecommunications and colour
graphics systems into a fully automated office facility. The Integrated Office has
evolved into “Communicating Integrated Office”. Office Systems Communicate
with each other by the use of satellites. Several Modern Offices provide satellite
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communication, video teleconferences, electronic mail and computer-to-

computer hookups for intra-company use.
Subsystems of an Automated Office
The Modern Office System is said to have the following subsystems that are
integrated into the Automated Office.
1. Voice System.
2. Word Processing.
3. Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
4. Data Processing.
5. Reprographics.
6. Micrographics
7. Communication and Fascimile
8. Graphic systems.
9. Telecommunication
(i) Teleconferencing
(ii) Videoconferencing.
(iii) Computer conferencing
(iv) Telepresence (Latest innovation by CISCO Inc.)
10. Electronic Mail.
11. Photocomposition.
12. Computer Networking
13. Robotics, etc.
The Business Office is currently undergoing a dramatic change, an abrupt

transition from antiquated procedures that have been evolved fundamentally for
over a century to sophisticated, integrated systems involving electronic and
advanced microcomputer technology.
Virtual Office
Run Your Business Virtually Anywhere
What is Virtual Office?
A Virtual Office is an integrated suite of applications that are accessed via the
internet and available 24/7. The 18 applications include calendar, addressbook,
webmail, etc., and can also synchronise with PDA or Phone. One can receive
agenda by SMS/Text Message every day and send SMS/Text Message right out
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of Virtual Office. One may access the Virtual Office even from a pocket PC or
mobile phone.
A Virtual Office may be created by an individual or may be opened up to a group
of employees, collergues, vendors or anyone else within or outside the business.
One can decide as to who joins, what to share and who can share what. Anyone
who has access to the Internet has access to the Virtual Office, if allowed.
The Virtual Office offers the following features:
1. Calendar - Personal and group calendar. Share public events within

your group, view other member’s calendar and sync it with your PDA or
wireless phone.
2. Addressbook - Personal and group addressbook. Share public addresses

within your group and view other member’s addresses.
3. WebMail - Compose, send, receive, reply, forward e-mail with your new
“@office.com” e-mail address. Includes POP3, folders, attachment, address
books, templates, signature, anti-virus and anti-spam.
4. Documents - Full document management center with automatic backup.

Share and jointly edit your personal or group’s valuable information.
5. To Do’s - Be better organized. Manage your tasks, send tasks to other

group members and control completion.
6. Forum - Broadcast company news and ideas with your group effortlessly.
Great for keeping everyone on the same page or brainstorming.
7. SMS - Get your daily calendar by wireless phone via SMS (Short Message
Service, commonly known as Text Messaging) or send reminders
by SMS, send SMS directly from your address book.
8. Virtual Drive - Using the virtual drive, you can access all your private
and group documents directly from your PC or Mac computer.
9. Groups - Create groups (or Virtual Offices) to share information with

other members, such as addresses, documents, and bookmarks.

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10. Meetings - Schedule your meetings online in seconds and automatically

invite others in your group to attend. See the responses as they roll in.
11. Calls - Don’t miss another important phone call. View a list of the calls
“while you were absent,” marking them off as you return to them.
12. Notes - Create, save and stick notes to any object in your Organizer.
Better than all those “Post-It” notes stuck to your monitor. Keeps the notes
where you will see them, when you need them.
13. Reminders - Meetings, birthdays, reminders on time of any events.

Reminder displayed by screen pop up, e-mail, messages or SMS.
14. Bookmarks - Save bookmarks which can be used from any browser,
share them with other members.
15. Fax - Using your messaging account, you can send faxes worldwide.
You simply send a message in the same way that you send an e-mail.
16. Synchronize - Synchronize your personal calendar, addressbook, tasks

and notes with your PDA or PC. Whether it is Palm, Outlook, Lotus
Organizer, iPaq Pocket PC or Treo, you can sync up and run.
17. WAP - Access your Virtual Office through WAP in order to check and
enter information, using your WAP enabled wireless phone.
18. Encryption - Use secured transfer when required (documents,

calendars, addresses, or e-mails) or faster, non-secured transfer for
nonsecure transfer.
Advantages of Virtual Office
The advantages of working from a Virtual Office may seem obvious, such as
— More freedom, more flexibility

— Opportunity to operate from anywhere, e.g., home, airport, train, car,
park, anywhere.
— Time saved (plus savings on Petrol, etc.) in commuting to an office.
— Reduced stress benefits
— A more relaxing work environment.
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— More opportunities to hire part-time or contract workers.
Disadvantages Include:
— Lack of face-to-face communication

— Technical difficulties in communication or managing work progress.
— Feelings of disassociation among employees.
— Lack of support — both administrative and managerial.
Both the lists can certainly go on. However, one can always identify the
disadvantages and turn them into advantages. Through good planning,
communication, and outside technical support when needed, the virtual office
can succeed and help foster future virtual businesses.
2.4 Functions of an office to increase productivity/ Factors

contributing to the growth of office work
The office work has tremendously grown in the modern economy. Due to the
expansion of economic activities, the work has been increased manifold. The
following factors have contributed to the growth of office work:
i) The management needs proper and timely information all aspects of

business operations in order to arrive at intelligent decision –making.
ii) When the business grows, office work also grows proportionately.
iii) The work concerned with the preparation of returns to Govt., financial
statements, dealings with employees etc., increase office work.
iv)With increase of service activities such as accounting, banking,
advertising, marketing, insurance damages etc., the paper work has
increased tremendously.
v) The importance of office in relation to customers is of great significance.
Office acts as the channel that links the business organization with its
customers.

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2.5 Relation between departments

Large organizations are divided into various departments such as office,
production, purchase, sales, finance, personnel etc. It is the office which is
concerned with receiving, recording, arranging, analyzing and giving of
information. All the departments depend upon the for various information needs.
The office serves as the coordinating link in any organization. For coordinating
the activities of different departments is an organization, office has to keep
relations with each and every department. For example, orders for raw materials,
sales, complaints, appointments etc. are passed through office only. Office needs
information of many kinds from different functional departments for framing
general policies. Office supplies information needed in performing the functions
of production, sales, personnel etc. and collects information from these
departments for general policy framing and coordination relationship of office
with other department of an organization is given below:
1) Office and production department: The production department is

concerned with the production of goods and services. Raw materials,
machines, equipments etc. are needed to produce goods. They depend

upon office to get their requirements. The office makes purchases on behalf
of the production department and also informs the production department
the requirements of consumers and customers. The office also provides
common services to production department, like purchases
correspondence, filing, market research, the trend of the market etc.

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2) Office and Marketing/Sales Department: The office is always keep

relations with customers. It is the office receives enquires orders etc.
Enquiries are replied. Orders are executed by the sales department and
the bill is sent through office. Complaints from customers are received by
the office and convey them to sales department. When sales go down, the
office helps in marketing research to find out the reasons for low sales.
The reasons are known to departmental heads, who take step to overcome
the situations. Office receives information on behalf of sales department
and office gives information to sales department, apart from general or
common service, such as mailing, filing, communication etc.
3) Office and Purchase Department: Materials, stores, plant, machineries

etc. needed for purchase department is arranged by the office. Office
assists the purchase department in inviting quotations or tenders, in
sending orders, receiving invoices, making payments etc. it also gives
general services to purchase department and maintains purchase
journals, ledgers etc.
4) Office and Accounts / Finance Department: The accounts department

maintains all the records of all business transactions with the help of
office. The office prepares various financial statements and reports for the
top management correspondence on behalf of accounts department is
conducted by the office. It renders assistance to maintain the books of
accounts, budgets, salaries and wage bills, invoices, collection of debt etc.
5) Office and Personal Department: The personal department is created

only to provide necessary help to the managers in performing the staffing
function. Without the productive efforts of human being, material
resources would be meaningless and idle. Recruitment, training etc. are
routed through office. The office maintains the records of all the
employees. The workers or the employees can communicate with the
management through office. There is a close link between the office and
personal department.

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2. 6 Types of office
The various types of office are as follows:
1. Front Office: It is a business term that-refers to a company’s departments that

come in contact with clients including the marketing, sales and service
departments. The front office welcomes visitors, meets and greets them and
handles their queries.
2. The middle office: Middle office comprises departments of financial service that
manage position keeping. These divisions ensure that transactions capture profit
flows. The middle office is usually a part of operations division, which is also in-
charge of settlement. Due to their critical role, middle office functions along with
front office and is supervised by the back office managers.
3. The electronic office or e-office: It was a term coined to cover the increasing use
of computer-based information technology for office work, especially in the
1980s. it is widely used since all modern office are electronic offices. E-office
reduces most of the paper work and also makes the office communication
electronic. E-office requires the use of individual computers loaded with software
applications which are inter connected in Local Area Network (LAN).
4. The virtual Office: It is the combination off-site live communication and

address services that allow users to reduce traditional office costs while
maintaining business professionalism. Virtual office implies space utilization,
but a full application includes professional live communications of tele
conferencing.
5. Back Office: It is a part of most operations where tasks dedicated to operating

the company are performed. The term comes from the building layout of early
organizations where the front office would contain the sales and other customer
facing staff and the back office would be those manufacturing or developing the
products or involved in administration but without being seen by customers.
Although the operations of a back office usually not given a lot of consideration,
their contribution to the business is significant. Examples of Back Office tasks
include Accounting, Computerization of transact running (operation
architecture), accounting and human supported by software and database.

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2. 7 Centralization vs. decentralization of office services
Meaning of Centralization:
An office is not established for its own sake. An office is necessary for an
enterprise. Every enterprise has its own objects, either trading or non-trading.
According to the nature of the objects an organization needs to perform some
functions and for each function there is a department. Functions cannot be done
in vacuum. Every function needs some services and a place for functioning.
The office fulfills both the needs. The services consist of communication,
computation, and recording. When all the common services are done jointly by
the same people for all the departments, there is centralization of office services.
For example, the telephone is needed by every department.
Challenges of the office
If there is one telephone line having internal branches with P.B.X. or P.A.X.
system, it is enough. There is no need for having a separate telephone connection
for each department. That part of an office where centralised functions are done
is called the General Office and the secretary is normally in charge of that.
Another good example is the Cash Department.
When the office services are separated and each functional depart-ment like
production, marketing, etc. has its own office services then there is a case of
decentralisation. For example, each department has its own typists instead of
having a typists’ pool. All the files may be kept at one place in a centralised
manner.
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Need of Centralization:
Centralisation and decentralisation are tendencies. It is a matter of policy

whether the former or the latter system will be followed. In fact, there is a very
little scope for a choice between the two. Certain services need be centralised for
the sake of convenience and economy while certain services can be better
decentralised.
Centralisation has great advantages but decentralisation is not totally bad. There
may be a typists’ pool for typing out letters of different departments but at the
same time the secretary requires the exclusive services of a typist so that he can
have the confidential matters typed out.
All files cannot be preserved in a centralised manner so that anyone can look
into them. It is desirable to have an ideal combination of both, centralisation and
decentralisation. There are some advantages of centralisation which are, more
or less, the disadvantages of decentralisation and vice versa.
Advantages of Centralization:
There are many advantages of centralisation. (They are the disadvantages of
decentralisation). They are:
(a) Specialisation: Since each employee does a particular type of work

repeatedly, may it be for different departments, he becomes a specialist
in that line of work and by that his efficiency is enhanced.
(b) No Duplication of Work: In case of decentralisation every department
has to do the same types of functions but if there is centralisation a group
of employees does the same nature of work for all the departments. If
there is a typewriter for each department then for each department there
are expenses for paying the salary of the typist, oiling and cleaning of its
typewriter, etc.
(c) Economy: With the avoidance of duplication of work, there is economy
too. If there are four departments then under decentralisation four typists
have to be employed. But if there is centralisation and there is a typists’
pool then probably two or maximum three typists will be enough. Less
capital will be required as the number of machines to be purchased will
be less as well as there will be less payment of salaries.
(d) Balanced Distribution of Work: The volume of same kind of service to
every department is not the same. Some department may have to prepare
more letters’ than another department. Therefore, if there is
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decentralisation then a typist of one department has to do more labour

than that of the other. But, if there is a typists’ pool, the work can be
distributed more or less evenly among the typists. There is neither too
much pressure on one typist and one machine nor there is idle capacity
in the others.
(e) Standardisation and Mechanization: As the same work has to be

repeated a number of times the work can be standardised and can be
simplified. More it is simplified greater is the possibility of using
machines.
(f) Better Supervision and Control: Supervision and control will be more
effective and economic because:
(a) The number of employees is reduced;
(b) Most of the people sit together as there is open type of lay-out;
(c) There is less number of supervisors too and so they can be controlled
better.
(g) Less Equipment: Less number of equipment, particularly furniture and

machines, will be required reducing (mainly capital) expenditure and
demand for space.
Disadvantages of Centralisation:
There are some disadvantages of centralisation. (These are the advantages of

decentralisation.) They are:
(a) Wastage of Time: As for every service help of the general office has to be
taken, much time is wasted. A letter is to be sent to the typists’ pool for
typing and this will be done only when in turn it comes to the hand of a
typist.
(b) Loss of Secrecy: The secrecy of any work of a department is lost as the
different steps are processed through general office.
(c) Technical Work Hampered: Some acts of a particular department require
some technicalities which may not be available in general office. For
example, any typist in the typists’ pool may not be able to type a
complicated financial statement required by the finance department.
(d) Lack of Loyalty: No department can have its own loyal employees
rendering office services. The staffs of the general office have no special

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attachment to any department. It is difficult to get some urgent work done.

Much of the advantages may be lost if there is absence of proper
coordination and control in the office.
On the other hand, much of the disadvantages may be overcome by proper

coordination and control. In fact, centralisation helps to maintain, coordination
and control. All depends on the ability of the chief of the office, the office manager
or the secretary.
In all modern big concerns, there is an ideal combination of both centralisation

and decentralisation. The routine office services are centralised and are left
under a superintendent or office manager, while some confidential and technical
functions are decentralised and are allowed to be performed by the departments
concerned. This is often called functional centralisation plan. The secretary
maintains overall supervision and control, being the chief executive and advisor.
2. 8 Scientific office management
Scientific management is a theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes

workflows. Its main objective is improving economic efficiency, especially labor
productivity. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the
engineering of processes and to management. Scientific management is
sometimes known as Taylorism after its founder, Frederick Winslow Taylor.
Taylor began the theory's development in the United States during the 1880s
and '90s within manufacturing industries, especially steel. Its peak of influence
came in the 1910s; Taylor died in 1915 and by the 1920s, scientific management
was still influential but had entered into competition and syncretism with
opposing or complementary ideas.
Although scientific management as a distinct theory or school of thought was

obsolete by the 1930s, most of its themes are still important parts of industrial
engineering and management today. These include: analysis; synthesis; logic;
rationality; empiricism; work ethic; efficiency and elimination of waste;
standardization of best practices; disdain for tradition preserved merely for its
own sake or to protect the social status of particular workers with particular skill
sets; the transformation of craft production into mass production; and
knowledge transfer between workers and from workers into tools, processes, and
documentation.

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Techniques of scientific management involve the following steps:
1. Setting up of standard tasks through scientific investigation and

research (time, motion and method of studies)
2. Analysis of operations to evolve the best method of doing the standard

task.
3. Scientific selection of personnel and their training in the methods

involved.
4. Standardization of materials, equipment and working environment for

workers.
5. Introduction of specialization in the administrative and organizational

set up.
6. Improvement of worker management relations through good faith,

perfect understanding and better incentive wage plans.
The principles and techniques of scientific management are equally applicable

to office management and lead to increase productivity of labour. Elimination of
waste of all types, whether men or materials is aimed at.
Elements of the Office Management:
The four elements of office management are:
1. Purpose: The office manager must be fully aware of the aims and
objectives of the organization in order to make correct decisions. If he
knows the purpose of office, he will provide direction to the office activities
and thus make it easy to evaluate the performance of different individuals.
2. Environment: The office environmental is not only the physical

environment but also the external factors such as the laws and customs
of the community within which the firm operates. Efficiency of office
personnel depends upon the perfect understanding of office environment.
The environment is always changing and the officer must take decisions
accordingly.
3. Personnel: It is the most important element. The office manager must

select suitable personnel and place them in appropriate jobs. They must
be given proper training and then only they can increase their efficiency.
To realize the desired objective of the office, the personnel must be
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provided with sufficient incentives to motivate them to contribute their

efforts whole- heartedly.
4. Means: It is a tool and include materials, methods, machines and

equipments with the help of which office activities are performed by the
office employees. The office manager must know how to use these means
in the best manner. The best use of means leads of greater efficiency and
effectiveness in the work.

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3. Office Manager
3. 1 Who is an Office Manager?
Basically, an office provides service to all the departments of an organization and

to the management executives also. An office can collect, receive, record, process
and communicate the information with the help of group of people. These office
activities are to be organized and controlled by a responsible person who is called
office manager.
3.2 Qualification of Office Manager
There is no hard and fast rule for qualification of office manager. Even though,
an office manager should have a sound educational background. The sound
educational background means proficient in English and be able to
communicate effectively both writing and orally. This is minimum expectation.
Moreover, an office manager must be well aware of office organization, business
administration, accounting and accountancy knowledge, nature of business and
business environment. Office manager should also be well trained in office
systems and procedures, office machines and equipment and data processing
methods. The following subjects may be particularly helpful:
 business administration/business management

 computing and information technology
 human resource management
 management
 public administration.
3.3. Qualities of office manager
 Excellent organisational and time-management skills

 Knowledge of microsoft office suite (word, powerpoint, excel) and other
commonly-used office packages
 Strong it and typing skills
 The ability to prioritise tasks and work under pressure
 Good teamworking skills and the confidence to lead and motivate a team
 The ability to manage your workload and supervise others concurrently
 Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
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 Attention to detail
 Flexibility and adaptability to changing workloads
 A problem-solving approach to work
 Project-management skills
 A familiarity with legislation in the areas of employment, equality and
diversity and data protection - this is useful, but not essential.
3.4 Responsibilities of an office manager
 Use a range of software, including email, spreadsheets and databases, to

ensure the efficient running of the office
 Manage online and paper filing systems
 Develop and implement new administrative systems, such as record
management
 Record office expenditure and manage the budget
 Organise the office layout and maintain supplies of stationery and
equipment
 Maintain the condition of the office and arrange for necessary repairs
 Organise and chair meetings with staff - in lower-paid roles this may
include typing the agenda and taking minutes, but senior managers
usually have an administrative assistant to do this
 Oversee the recruitment of new staff, sometimes including training and
induction
 Ensure adequate staff levels to cover for absences and peaks in
workload, often by using temping agencies
 Carry out staff appraisals, manage performance and discipline staff
 Delegate work to staff and manage their workload and output
 Promote staff development and training
 Implement and promote equality and diversity policy
 Write reports for senior management and deliver presentations
 Respond to customer enquiries and complaints
 Review and update health and safety policies and ensure they're
observed
 Check that data protection laws are being adhered to in relation to the
storage of data, and review and update policies
 Arrange regular testing for electrical equipment and safety devices
 Attend conferences and training
 Manage social media for your organisation.

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3.5 The status of office manager in total organization
Office work is regarded as a service function or staff function and as such, the
office manager assumes the status of a staff executive. He aids and advises the
departmental offices. In large business houses, office manager enjoys the status
of a dual role. On one hand, he enjoys a membership and advisory role and on
the other hand, he has a leadership role to the subordinates.
The status and role of a supervisor b determined on the basis of organization

structure. In small organization or in line organization he becomes a transformer
of authorities, as he is not vested with substantial amount of authority. In staff
organization, the supervisor enjoys a manager-like status. As a manager-like
status, he takes decision and formulates policies. He exercises a complete control
over the activities of the organization.

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4. Office accommodation
It is the process of selecting appropriate building in a favorable location,

establishing different sections and departments, proving or arranging resources
in a scientific way. The purpose of office accommodation is to create sound
working environment and to bring efficiency and rapidness in office work. It is
important for both employees and outsider. Office employees spend a long time
office. Bad accommodation can cause boredom and frustration among
employees. Bad environment also may cause bad impression to outsiders.
4.1 Office Space

The main purpose of an office environment is to support its occupants in
performing their job—preferably at minimum cost and to maximum satisfaction.
With different people performing different tasks and activities, however, it is not
always easy to select the right office spaces. To aid decision-making in workplace
and office design, one can distinguish three different types of office spaces: work
spaces, meeting spaces and support spaces. For new, or developing businesses,
remote satellite offices and project rooms, serviced offices can provide a simple
solution and provide all of the former types of space.
Work spaces
Work spaces in an office are typically used for conventional office activities such
as reading, writing and computer work. There are nine generic types of work
space, each supporting different activities.
open office

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team space
cubicle
Open office: An open work space for more than ten people, suitable for activities
which demand frequent communication or routine activities which need
relatively little concentration
Team space: A semi-enclosed work space for two to eight people; suitable for
teamwork which demands frequent internal communication and a medium level
of concentration
Cubicle: A semi-enclosed work space for one person, suitable for activities which
demand medium concentration and medium interaction
private office

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shared office
team room
Private office: An enclosed work space for one person, suitable for activities which
are confidential, demand a lot of concentration or include many small meetings
Shared office: An enclosed work space for two or three people, suitable for semi-
concentrated work and collaborative work in small groups
Team room: An enclosed work space for four to ten people; suitable for teamwork
which may be confidential and demands frequent internal communication
study booth
work lounge

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touch down
Study booth: An enclosed work space for one person; suitable for short-term
activities which demand concentration or confidentiality
Work lounge: A lounge-like work space for two to six people; suitable for short-
term activities which demand collaboration and/or allow impromptu interaction
Touch down: An open work space for one person; suitable for short-term
activities which require little concentration and low interaction
Meeting spaces
Meeting spaces in an office typically use interactive processes, be it quick
conversations or intensive brainstorms. There are six generic types of meeting
small meeting room
large meeting room

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Small meeting space

Small meeting room: An enclosed meeting space for two to four persons, suitable
for both formal and informal interaction
Large meeting room: An enclosed meeting space for five to twelve people, suitable
for formal interaction
Small meeting space: An open or semi-open meeting space for two to four
persons; suitable for short, informal interaction
large meeting space
brainstorm room
meeting point

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Large meeting space: An open or semi-open meeting space for five to twelve
people; suitable for short, informal interaction
Brainstorm room: An enclosed meeting space for five to twelve people; suitable
for brainstorming sessions and workshops
Meeting point: An open meeting point for two to four persons; suitable for ad hoc,
informal meetings
Support spaces
Support spaces in an office are typically used for secondary activities such as
filing documents or taking a break. There are twelve generic types of support
filing space
storage space
print and copy area

Filing space: An open or enclosed support space for the storage of frequently
used files and documents
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Storage space: An open or enclosed support space for the storage of commonly
used office supplies
Print and copy area: An open or enclosed support space with facilities for
printing, scanning and copying
mail area
pantry area
break area
Mail area: An open or semi-open support space where employees can pick up or
deliver their personal mail
Pantry area: An open or enclosed support space where people can get coffee and
tea as well as soft drinks and snacks
Break area: A semi-open or enclosed support space where employees can take a
break from their work

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locker area
smoking room
library
Locker area: An open or semi-open support space where employees can store
their personal belongings
Smoking room: An enclosed support space where employees can smoke a
cigarette
Library: A semi-open or enclosed support space for reading of books, journals
and magazines
games room

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waiting area
circulation space
Games room: An enclosed support space where employees can play games (e.g.
computer games, pool, darts)
Lactation room: as of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a
requirement for companies in the United States.
Waiting area: An open or semi-open support space where visitors can be received
and can wait for their appointment
Circulation space: Support space which is required for circulation on office floors,
linking all major functions
4.2 Selection of site
Selection of office location:
a) Nearness to customer: The office should be accessible to customers.

They do not like long distances to make business inquiries. The office
should be accessible to other parties who are in regular contact.
b) Nearness to related business: It is desirable to locate the office near

the offices of related business. It should be established in the same line of
trade.

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c) Availability of infrastructure: The infrastructure should be available

in office location. It consists of transport, communication, power, water
and parking facilities.
d) Nature of business: The nature of business affects location of office.

Office of manufacturing business in located near the source of raw
materials, labor and service facilities. Office of trading and banking
business is located in commercial centers near the customers. Office of
perishable goods business is located near the market for such goods.
e) Availability of human resources: Needed human resources should be

available for office. They can be skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled. All
facilities must be available for employees.
f) Environment: The office location should have healthy environment.

It should not be near polluted rivers or waste disposal sites. It should be
free from noise, dust and pollution.
g) Cost of space: Sufficient space should be available at reasonable cost

for the office. Space should be available for future expansion.
h) Government laws: The selection of location should comply with

government laws and regulation at national and local levels.
4.3 Selection of the office site

1. Shape and size of office building: It is one of the major factors that
should be considered while selecting office building. It should have
adequate space to accommodate all machines, equipment, and employee
with furniture and enough space for flexibility. It should be considered
taking the base of both present and future needs
2. Lighting and ventilation: An office building should have adequate

lighting and ventilation. It helps a lot to increase efficiency and enhance
worker’s morale. Well lighted and ventilated accommodation puts less
pressure on the employees and also reduces the physical and mental
strain and consequently the efficiency is higher.
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3. Convenience to customers and employees: While selecting office

building it should consider the convenience of customer and employees. It
should not be far from the related trade center, must have proper toilet
and canteen services and food hospitality and utilities.
4. Cost: The cost of building affects on total budget of organization. The

building purchased or built must be within the budget of organization.
There should be balance between requirement of space, capacity of the
organization and the cost for covering the expanses.
5. Flexibility: Flexibility of office building in its shape and size should be

considered while selecting the office building. It must also match the
nature of organization.
6. Layout facility: The efficiency of men and machine depend upon the
layout. The proper layout makes office attraction. For this furniture,
machine and other goods are necessary. This also helps in the internal
arrangement of office.
4.4 Office layout
It is systematic arrangement of office amenities. It is arrangement of staffs,

machines, equipment, furniture and other physical facilities within the limit of
available floor space. Its purposes are to utilize space in the best possible
manners, to make the outlook of the office attractive and to increase efficiency
of the staff. It is defined as arrangement and placing of men, material, machines
and money to the optimum level.
Main aims are
 To utilize the floor space properly

 To run the office work smoothly
 To help for the motivation of person.
 To help for the minimization of physical hazards and accident
 To make proper supervision
 To maintain the attractiveness for impressing the customers and
visitor.
 To try for the provision of comfort and satisfaction of employees
 To help to provide security

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Principle of office layout
a. Principle of flow of work: It is the layout which helps for smooth and
effective flow of office works. Simple, easy and prompt work flow and
essential for work progress
b. Principle of free movement and observation: Office layout should

allow the free movement of employees. There should also be proper
supervision and observation of works of movement too
c. Principle of effective supervision: There should be free supervision of

flow of works, movement of personnel, cost, wastage, balance of budget,
quality of office works etc.
d. Principle of departmental relationships: For the office layout related

departments are inter related and those inter related departments should
be placed side by side.
e. Principle of flexibility: Office should be flexible enough to facilitate

the expansion in the future.
f. Principle of maximum utilization: As the time flows, there is increase

in cost of every thing as per the situation of the economy if the country
and the area where office is established. There are very les cases of
deflation basically in developing countries. Therefore, when office is set up
then there must be maximum utilization of employees, materials, space,
machines and resources. There should be reduction of wastage.
g. Principle of pleasing appearance: Interior design, lighting, ventilation

and cleanliness should be maintained. Office must be well furnished and
pleasing enough to make it attractive to all the customers and visitors
h. Principle of good ventilation: Office must have enough doors,

windows, and ventilation for constant supply of fresh air.
i. Principle of good lighting: Office should try to provide natural light

that is sunlight. Dark places should be avoided for establishment of office.
j. Principle of safety: An office layout must be based on the safety. It
should reduce office accidents like theft, fire, damage and so on office
machine must be implemented properly.
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k. Principle of service facilities: There must be provisions of good

canteen, lights, lifts, telephone, and toilets.
l. Principle of providing private offices: In an office. Separate rooms

should be provided to some important employees. If the work is
confidential in nature, then private room should be provided. it is better
to use movable partition to provide privacy
Steps in designing office layout:
1. Securing the blue print of the organization: It is the first step to secure
the blue print of office building to know about the space available of office
works. It should be secured from top management. It blue print is not
available then the space should be measured and the sketch of building
should be made
2. Assessing the need of the organization: Need of all department should

be identified. Managers should consult the department heads to access
space requirement. Number of employees, method and nature of works ,
equipment and machines. Present and future requirement should be
determined. It is the second step of designing the layout
3. Arranging templates: It is the third step in designing the office layout.

The manager should prepare model known as template. Templates are thin
plates of board or metal that represents actual space with decorations.
They provide tentative design of office space. Several adjustments, change
might be made before final model is finalized.
4. Indicating the electric wiring: While designing the office layout, electric
wiring should be properly managed. The location should be properly wired
to avoid the risk of short circuits and fluctuation of voltage.
5. Submitting the plan to top management for approval: After making

plans and policies, it is submitted to the various departments. The plans
must be discussed with the departmental heads and supervisors. They
check the plans and finally approve it. Then only the plans are ready to be
implemented
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4.5 Work Environment and Condition
The work environment comprises the physical, geographical location and the
immediate surroundings of a workplace (including factors like air quality, noise
level, etc.), as well as the perks and benefits associated with an employment.
Working conditions are defined as the circumstances such as working hours,
stress, degree of safety, or danger that affect the workplace.
Purpose & link to integrity
Improving the work environment and conditions contributes greatly to the staff’s
motivation, and subsequently to their performance. An improved work
environment and better work conditions can also reduce staff turnover and the
related costs.4,5
Workplace climate is also one of the nonfinancial factors affecting morale and
motivation. Staff members that are satisfied with their work environment will
more likely comply with the organisation’s rules and interests. As they strive to
keep their position, they will prefer to put their personal interests behind the
organisation’ and refrain from dishonest behaviour such as fraud,
embezzlement, accepting bribes, engaging in corrupt activities, or theft.
How To
Initiatives to improve work environment and conditions should focus on four key
areas:
 Customer/staff relationship
 Staff/supervisor relationship
 Workplace environment
 Worker wellness
To ensure a good and enabling working environment, the organisation´s

management needs to:
 help employees achieve work-life-balance

 foster open communication
 allow for constant development of skills
 recognise hard work
 strengthen team spirit

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Other factors of work environment and conditions that could be improved by the
organisation include:
 Vacation and holidays

 Payment and compensation of overtime
 Job security
 Work intensity and pace
 Teamwork
 Autonomy and freedom
 Flexibility of working hours
 Health and safety
 Training and personal development
You might also consider getting ISO certification. The International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies.
The following ISO standard is applicable for this tool:
ISO 6385:2004 Ergonomic principles in the design of work

systems(https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:6385:ed-2:v1:en):
Technological, economic, organizational and human factors affect the work
behaviour and well-being of people as part of a work system. Applying ergonomic
knowledge in the light of practical experience in the design of a work system is
intended to satisfy human requirements.

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Office Management and Automation – B.

Com, FCMS, Sri Sri University

Introduction to Office Management

1. Introduction: Meaning, functions, importance, principles and

1 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

1.1 Meaning and Definition

Two words: Office and Management

-Management is the function of planning, organising, controlling, directing. Here

Office management is a profession involving the design, implementation,

Office management is thus a part of the overall administration of business and

The functions of a modern office may be classified into two categories:

1. Basic functions (or) routine functions, 2. Administrative management

1. Basic functions (or) routing functions

(b) Recorded of collected information: In a suitable form, this recorded information

2 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

(d) Communication of recorded and arranged information promptly: Office has to

2. Administrative Management Functions

(i) Management Functions: For efficient functioning of an office the management

(g) Co-coordinating and

3 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

(iii) Retention of the Records: Office Records includes correspondence, letters,

(a) Mechanization of the office.

(b) Adopting time and labour saving devices in the office.

(c) Using better forms.

An office is an important and indispensable part of every organisation, big or

4 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

Importance of the office in the following manner:

1. Office as Information Centre: An office may be described as the

2. Office as an Intermediary: An office connects different departments with

3. Office as a Coordinator: The processing of information in a modern office

5 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

4. Office as a Service Centre: Since an Office is the focal point in a business

5. Office as an Administrative Nerve Centre: As an inclusive executive

6. Office as Control Centre: An Office also acts a “control centre” of the

Leffingwell, and Robinson have summed up the importance of an Office thus: “A

A principle may be defined as a fundamental statements or general truth

The following are the principles of management outlined by Henri Fayol:

6 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

i. Division of work: Principles of specialization are necessary to increase

ii. Authority and Responsibility: Responsibility is the corollary of authority

iii. Discipline: Respect for agreements which are directed at achieving

v. Unity of direction: Each group of activities having the same objectives

vi. Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest: The interest of

1.5 Organization of office management

Organization is one of fundamental functions of management. After having

“Organization is a group of people who are co-operating under the direction of

“Organization is the arrangement of function deemed necessary for the

7 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

(i) It is a group of individual which may be small or large.

(iii) It is a function of arrangement.

(v) It refers to a structure of duties and responsibilities.

(vi) It is established for accomplishments of common objective.

(vii) It is continuous function and is preferred in varying degrees by all levels of

Steps in Organization Management

Organizing refers to the grouping of activities necessary for the attainment of

(a) Knowledge of objectives: While organization, it is important bear in

8 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

total work involved of a manufacturing enterprise may be divided into

9 Dr. Richa Baghel, Asst Professor, Sri Sri University

2.1 Introduction modern office

Technology as a Business Advantage

The new traditional office definition includes technology as a business

Technology isn’t limited to state-of-the-art computers. Software and mobile