Chapter-4

Office
Management
 1. MEANING OF OFFICE:
An office is the administrative centre of a business. The purpose of an office is providing service of
communication and record. An office is a place where business is transacted or professional services
are available. The functions of an office are collection, distribution, storage and processing of
information of an enterprise.
2. OFFICE MANAGEMENT BASICS::
In order to successfully manage an office, regardless of company's product or customer base, one should
adhere to some basic guidelines. Here are six areas to keep in mind:
1. Employment and human resources. It's critical to have an employment policy in place. A policy manual gives
you a blueprint for the way the company approaches employment. It spells out rules in a way that can prevent
later problems.
2. Project management. Keeping track of projects is critical to the successful completion of important tasks and
represents an essential piece of documentation. Knowing when things have to be completed and by whom gives
everyone a clear idea of what's ahead. Deadlines are less likely to be missed and people are more likely to know
their roles. Plus, each project, through careful documentation, can become a useful case study for future
assignments.
3. Equipment and furniture requirements. What you need and how much it will cost are simple but important
considerations. Check out What Office Equipment Do I Need for My Business? for a good introduction. And what
about software? Are you trying to achieve a paperless office? If not, do you know how you'll store certain
documents? Answering these and other questions about equipment will help you to prepare for the growth of your
office.
4. Inter- and intra-office communications. For many small businesses, the responsibility for communication falls
upon the office manager. Knowing how and when to communicate key information is vital to successful office
management. E-mail blasts, posted instructions at the copier, and weekly staff meetings are just a few of the
types of communication that occur within a busy office. Having a communication plan that everyone can adhere
to will increase an office's productivity and ensure that information is disseminated clearly and quickly.
issues as equitable distribution of work, pay rates, and job descriptions often arise in a [Link] a conflict
or waiting for it to dissipate is never the right solution. Having a plan or a policy for conflict resolution will help
everyone navigate through a disagreement in a professional manner.

[Link] company and its people. Knowing how to run an office must include understanding the company and its
people. Knowing the product line and how it fulfills a need is just as important as ordering more toner for the printer.
If you don't understand your company's mission, you won't know how best to support its various functions. The
same goes for people - knowing employees' roles, where they fit into the big picture, and how they operate will help
you manage the office so that every function supports the people tasked with getting things [Link] more you
know about how the company works and what people are doing to build business, fulfill customer requests, meet
deadlines, and otherwise perform their duties, the more successful you'll be in creating and sustaining an
environment that fosters success.

3. OFFICE WORK AND OFFICE ACTIVITIES:

Office work is concerned with records and statistics, with communication, with computing, with planning and
scheduling.
Office activities vary from office to office depending on the nature of the business. However, we can identify the
following office activities in almost all offices: Processing of Inward / Outward mail, Dictation, Transcription, Typing,
Printing, Copying, Filing, Records Retrieval, Records Disposal, and Communication.

4. AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF AN OFFICE:

The primary objectives of an office are:
• To direct and co-ordinate the activities of the various departments.
• To plan the policies of the organisation and their implementation.
• To preserve all the records of the organization.
• To handle inward and outward communications.

5. FUNCTIONS OF AN OFFICE:
 Functions of an Office

BASIC FUNCTION ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION

Management Functions
Receiving Information
Public Relations Functions
Recording Information Instituting Office Systems& Rou
Retention of Records
Arranging Information
Safeguarding Assets
Communicating Information Form designing
Stationary & Supplies Control
Procurement of Office appliances
Personnel Function
Basic or Routine Functions:
Controlling Office Cost

a) Receiving and Collecting Information: The office receives and collects information about the various activities
of the organisation. This information may be from (i) internal sources i.e. the different departments, sections or
division of the organisation and ii) the external sources; collected from outside sources by the office e.g.
government department, financial institutions, research institutions, universities and general public.
b) Recording Information: The information received and collected must be given a suitable [Link] is done by
converting the information into the written record. Records also serves as the basis for management information
and management action.
c) Arranging or Processing Information: The information received cannot be used by the management in the
form in which it has been received. It has to be processed. Processing involves the preparation of summaries,
notes, reports, statistical tables, diagrams and grapns relating to the various types of information relating to
different process of business.
d) Communicating information: Information to be communicated may be on the basis of its
 Administrative Functions:
Activity Performed Why Performed Results in
1. Management Functions To Plan, organise, control, Achievement of objectives
motivate etc.
2. Public Relations To assess reactions of the public Building good image in the
to management actions minds of the public
3. Instituting office systems & To facilitate management task Elimination betterof errors,better
routines co-ordination and liberation of
management
4. Retention of records To preserve assets and avoid Avoiding losses and work
And losses of accidental nature. stoppages.
5. Safeguarding Assets
6. Forms designing To facilitate accumulation and Gathering only that information
communication of information which is necessary and providing
a specific location for each item
of information needed.
7. Stationery and misc supplies To facilitate the flow purchase Availability of stationery and
control and scientific storage of supplies at all time at the most
stationery and other supplies. economic cost.
8. Procurement of office To facilitate the purchase of the Bestutilizationofmachines and
appliances bestmachines,equipment and requirement and the least
furniture discomfort for people at work.
9. Personnel Function To facilitate the best selection Efficient work force and least
and optimum use of human cost of work.
resources
10. Controlling office cost Optimum utilization of Better productivity.
resources

6. IMPORTANCE OF OFFICE:

The office is indispensable to any organisation. The importance of office can be very well be
understood if one considers the following points:

a) Office as an information centre: The office receives, retains, arranges, distributes all
information. The creations, collection processing, storing, retrieval transmission and destruction
of information are all performed in the office.

b) Office is a Service centre: The office offers different services like typing, duplicating, printing
forms supplying stationers, etc. to other departments in an organisation.

c) Office is memory centre: The office retains all information for future reference and use and
becomes a memory centre.
d) Office is a co-ordinating centre: With increasing complicacies each and every enterprises has to deal with
many activities, e.g. technological innovation, diversification, maintenance of a communication links etc.
Organisational change are impossible without differences of [Link] for the co-ordination with all concerned
is necessary.
e) Office is a control centre: The office facilitates policy making operations of top management.
RESEARCH &
MARKETING
DEVELOPMENT

PERSONNEL
Office

FINANCE
Receipt,
Retention ,Distr
ibution and
Processing of
Information

PRODUCTION

7. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS APPLIED TO OFFICE ACTIVITIES:

For the smooth functioning of an office, the office work has to be planned and organised [Link] and efficient staff have
to be directed and motivated for better working. A proper control over the different activities of the office has to be implemented
and there must be communication and coordination among individuals and department towards the proper working of an office.
These functions are known as Managerial functions of an office, which aresummarized as follows:

(a) Planning:
Planing of ofice function is done keeping in mind the overall objectives of business. Benefits of planning are as follows:
• it gives direction to activities in the office and thus everything becomes purposeful.
• It focuses attention on objectives.
• Helps to off-set change and uncertainty.
• Facilitates control in the office.
• Takes care of growth of business operations.
Planning involves Forecasting, framing of Objectives, Policies, Procedures, Programme, Stea Budgets & Strategies.

(b) Organising:
The function of organising refers to the creation of a structure of duties and functions to achieve the objectives of the enterprise. The
office is to be "organised" and duties and functions are to be delineate determine activity-authority relationship so that office
functions smoothly.
(c) Staffing:
Is the executive function, which involves the recruitment, selection, compensating, training, promotion, efficiency of the office and in
turn that of the enterprise. And retirement of sub-ordinate manages. It is the human element that will ultimately determine the
efficiency of the office and in turn that of the enterprise.
(d) Directing:
It can be described as the function of command. The successful direction of subordinates results in knowledgeable well-trained
people who work efficiently towards the enterprise objectives*. Direction can be described as the process of guiding and supervising
the subordinates. In the office, the work of different subordinates is to be guided and supervised. Principles of directing relate to
technique, communication, command, harmony, leadership, etc.
(e) Communication:
An exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons." It is effective communication, which unifies organised
activity. To establish effective communication it is essential to follow the principles of Clarity, Attention, Integrity, Strategic use of
informal organisation.
(f) Controlling:
The managerial function of control is the measurement and correction of the performance of the subordinates in order to make sures
that enterprise objectives and the plans devised to attain them are accomplished. Controlling is basic to office management.
Performance of office staff has to be measured and corrective steps are to be taken to make sure that aims of office vis-à-vis that of
the enterprise are attained.
(g) Coordination:
Coordination is the task that aims at bringing cohesion in the activities of different persons in the organisation so that group goals
can be accomplished. Need for co-ordination in the office arses because different people in the office have different ideas as to how
group goals can be attained.
(h) Motivating:
Motivation means including subordinates to work with zeal and gusto and cooperate for achieving the objectives of the organisation.
Effective motivational system performs the following functions.
• Provides financial opportunities to executives
• Keeps morale high
• Helps set examples for subordinates

8. THE QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICE MANAGER:

Qualification:
The basic task of an office manager is to provide a pleasant atmosphere in side the office building for the benefit of the office personnels. He is entrusted
with the task of overall dealing of information.

Precise qualifications of an office manager can not be prescribed as the nature of office work varies from office to office. Broadly, we can categorise the
qualification of an office manager under three headings.

• Personal Qualification
• Educational training
• Experience and Professional Interest.
Personal Qualification should include: Excellent knowledge of human nature, Organising ability, Executive ability, Leadership ability, Tact, Strong
Personality, Sense of Justice, Experience in the office, Tolerance, Scientific Mind, Capacity to work, Initiative and aggressiveness, Self control, Ability to
inspire confidence, Honesty, Command of details, Open mindedness, Concentration, Intelligence, Vision, and Accounting knowledge.

Educational Qualification of an Office Manager is not universal. It is decided by the top management considering the local conditions. An office manager
should have sound knowledge of various aspects of office functioning.
To be a successful Office Manager, a person should have wider experiences.

Duties:
• To plan the office layout.
• To maintain and safeguard the office building.
• To provide good working conditions in the office.
• To recruit, train and maintain the office personnel.
• To motivate the office personnel for better performance and sound morale.
• To purchase and maintain the office furniture, machines and stationery.
• To safeguard the assets of the office.
• To plan and organise all office work.
• To direct and control the activities of office personnel.
• To design and control forms.
• To suggest changes in office systems & procedures for betterment.
• To co-ordinate with other departments of the organization.
• To maintain nice relations with outside agencies.
Responsibilities of an Office Manager:

Office Manager is responsible for the work done by his subordinates in the office. His
responsibites. are also flexible depending upon the size and nature of the business.

The primary responsibilities can be catalogued as follows:

• He is responsible for planning and organising, which include setting up of objectives, finding
out of ways to materialize the objectives, assessing and allocating the resources for the office
etc.
• He is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of office systems and procedures.
• He is responsible for the co-ordinal human relations and effective personnel management in
the office.
• He is responsible for the actions of his office staff and determination of their number, level,
qualifications & duties.
• He is responsible for the management of good physical working environment in the office.