Systems Approach in Administrative Office

System

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 Systems
• Integrated Systems
– Practice used in many organizations which
functional or operational areas are typically
incorporated into an organization-wide operation.
• Aids organizations in controlling office costs and
improving their operating efficiency.
• Functional or operational areas typically incorporated
into these integrated systems includes sales,
production, marketing, purchasing, human resources
and finance.
– These functional areas are called subsystems.

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 The Systems and Procedures Concept
• Component of functional systems and
subsystems:
– Employees
– Equipment
– Forms or Materials
• System – a series of subsystems found within an
organization.
• Subsystems – comprised of interrelated
procedures that help achieve a well-defined goal.
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Continuation:

• Procedures – methods necessary to complete various

work processes.
• Methods – specific clerical or mechanical operations
or activities.
• Objectives of using systems:
– To maximize the efficient utilization of the organizational
resources
– To control operating costs
– To improve operating efficiency
– To help achieve the objectives of the organization
– To help carry out the various functions of the organization

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Continuation:

• Advantages of using the systems concept:

– Various functions of the organization are better
coordinated.
– Wasteful, unproductive, and uneconomical
activities are eliminated.
– The operating efficiency of the organization is
improved.
– More effective control can be exerted over various
activities and function.

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Continuation:

• Disadvantages of using the systems concept:

– A certain amount of operating flexibility may be
destroyed, most commonly at the unit level when
it has to conform to the parameters of the system.
– Any inefficiency that is built into the system likely
will disproportionately increase as work flows
through the system.
– A totally integrated system may be affected
somewhat when changes are made in one of is
subsystems.

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Continuation:

• Characteristics of well-designed systems:

– Flexible
– Adaptable
– Systematic
– Functional
– Simple
– Resourceful
– Responsive

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Continuation:

• Elements of Systems:
– Input. The flow of work through a system begins with the
input of some type of resources such data, information
and materials.
– Processing. Transformation of the input into desired
output which involves the methods and procedures.
– Output. Interaction between the input and output
produces output, commonly in the form of paper
document or electronically stored information.
– Feedback. Determines whether results and expectations
are consistent with each other.
– Control. Policies, procedures and regulations that systems
must adhere.
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 New Developments in Systems and
Procedures Design
• Knowledge management – process in which
information is captured and communicated to those
who need it, most likely by using an enterprise-wide
system (more contemporary term for integrated
systems).
– Involves providing information to the right person at the
right time and in the desired format.
– Will use Web-based workflow
– When and where needed, the procedure will use
technology-based collaboration using email, scheduling
and collaborative software.
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Continuation:

• Characteristics of software used to facilitate

technologically integrated procedures:
– Work assignment delivery
– Interconnectivity or departments and/or work
units
– Accommodation of existing data
– Cost effective

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 The Systems and Procedures Staff
• Guidelines to choose appropriate staffing alternative:
– The size of the organization.
– The type (manufacturing, services, etc.) of the
organization.
– The organization’s commitment to the total or integrated
systems approach.
– The philosophy of top management toward the systems
and procedures function.
– The type and extent of technology incorporated into the
system or systems.

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Continuation:

• Three alternatives of staffing the systems and

procedures:
1. Outside Consultants
– Frequently are hired on a retainer basis.
• Advantages:
– The expertise consultants are able to provide
– More objective in making recommendations
– When retained over a period of time, able to keep their
client’s systems up to date
• Disadvantages:
– High cost of their services
– Unavailability at need times

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Continuation:

2. Full-time staff
• Known as systems analysts.
• Advantages:
– Enables the organization to develop and improve on a
continual basis all of its systems and work processes.
– Available when problems arise and immediate assistance is
needed.
• Disadvantages:
– The cost of employing a full-time staff is not economically
feasible.
– Conflict may arise between line managers and the systems
staff
3. Part-time staff
• Individual who functions in some other capacity.
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 Designing and Modifying Systems
• Steps in the development of a new system or
the modification of an existing systems:
– Define clearly the process to be studied.
– Outline the details of the present process.
– Analyze the present process.
– Outline the improved process.
– Install the new process.

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SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES TOOLS
Tools used in modifying existing systems or for
developing new systems:
• Workload Chart
• Flow Process Chart
• Office Layout Chart
• Right- and Left-Hand Chart
• Operator-Machine Process Chart
• Horizontal Flow Process Chart
• EDP Block Diagram
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Continuation:

WORKLOAD CHART
• Is also referred to as work distribution chart.
Identifies:
• Major activities performed by a given work
unit.
• Amount of time a work unit as a whole spends
on each activity.
• Activities performed by each employee and
the amount of time he/she spends performing
the activities.
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Continuation:

Workload Chart Provides Answers To These

Questions
• Is the work unit performing the work it is
intended to perform?
• Are employees performing too many duplicate
operations?
• Are the tasks that each employee performs of
a related nature?
• Are the special skills and talents of the
employees being used to the fullest extent?

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Continuation:

Workload Chart Provides Answers To These

Questions
• Are the major functions of the work unit
actually consuming the greatest amount of
work time and effort?
• Are the employees’ workloads evenly
distributed?
• Are the employees productive?
• Is the flow of work efficient?

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Continuation:

Documents Used in Workload Chart Method

• Daily Log - Used by employees to keep track of
their daily activities.
• Summary Log - Identifies the tasks performed
by employees over a longer period of time.
• Activity List - Provides a composite list of
departmental activities listed in descending
order.

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Continuation:

FLOW PROCESS CHART

• Is especially useful for identifying each step in
a specific work process.
• Various steps comprising a process are
categorized as:
– Operation
– Transportation
– Inspection
– Delay
– Storage

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Continuation:

• Each operation step is classified as a get ready,

do, or put away step.
Important:
Special attention should be focused on the do
steps because if they can be eliminated, then the
get ready and the put away steps can probably
be eliminated as well.

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Continuation:

OFFICE LAYOUT CHART

• Is frequently used in conjunction with the flow
process chart.
• Is well-suited for visualizing workflow.
• Is used to identify backtracking, criss-crossing,
and inefficient workflow patterns.
• Is completed by charting flow of work through
the premises.

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