Office Management

Filing means keeping documents and records in proper order and in a safe place so that they can be traced quickly when needed. The two main kinds of system are traditional and modern.

(a) Traditional filing system

In the traditional system, documents are stored in physical (paper) form using simple equipment and manual handling. Papers are punched and kept in boxes, bundles, pigeon-holes, spring or box files, folders, cabinets or shelves, and are arranged alphabetically, numerically, by subject, by date or by place.

• It is easy to understand and cheap to begin with.
• It does not need electricity or technical skill.
• But it takes much space, is slow to search, can be lost, damaged by fire, water or insects, and is difficult to share or copy.

(b) Modern filing system

In the modern system, records are kept using technology, either as electronic files on computers, servers and the cloud, or on microfilm, microfiche, CDs and similar media. Documents are scanned and indexed by name, date or keyword, and managed through software.

• It saves space and allows very fast searching and retrieval.
• Many users can share the same file at the same time, even from distant places.
• Backups, passwords and encryption give security and protect against loss.
• But it needs a high initial cost for hardware and software, trained staff, power supply, and protection from viruses and hacking.

Many offices now use both systems together for the best results.

Retention of records

Retention means keeping records safely for as long as they are legally required or useful to the organization. Not all records are equally important, so a retention schedule is fixed.

• Permanent records: documents of lasting value, such as the registration certificate, memorandum and articles, title deeds, minutes books and audited final accounts, are kept for ever.
• Long-term records: tax files, bills, vouchers, ledgers and contracts are kept for the period set by law (for example, tax and accounting records must be kept for several years under the relevant Nepalese laws).
• Short-term records: routine letters, notices and enquiries are kept only for a year or two.

Proper retention helps in legal proof, audit and tax, decision making and reference, and protects the organization from disputes.

Disposal of records

Disposal means getting rid of records after their retention period is over and when they are no longer needed. Keeping everything wastes space, money and time and makes searching harder.

• A responsible officer or committee reviews the records and approves what is to be disposed of.
• Records are classified as destroy, transfer to an archive, or keep longer.
• Confidential papers are destroyed by shredding or burning, and electronic data is permanently erased; others may be sold as waste paper or sent to the archives.
• A list of the disposed documents is kept as evidence.

Careful retention and disposal keep the filing system tidy, save space and cost, and protect confidential information.

(b) The process of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling office activities to achieve organizational goals.

Office management covers the whole managerial cycle applied to office work — it is not limited to accounting (a), selling (c), or production (d).

Office management is the process of planning, organising, directing, coordinating and controlling the activities of an office so that its work is carried out efficiently and its objectives are achieved. Its main functions are explained below.

1. Planning Office management decides in advance what work is to be done, how, when and by whom. It prepares plans for office layout, staffing, equipment, stationery and work schedules. Planning gives direction to all office activities and helps avoid confusion, duplication of work and wastage of resources.

2. Organising It identifies the total office work, divides it into convenient units, and assigns duties to individuals and departments. It also establishes authority, responsibility and reporting relationships among them. This creates a clear structure in which every employee knows what to do and to whom to report.

3. Staffing Office management recruits the right number of employees with the right qualifications, places them in suitable jobs, and provides training, promotion and welfare facilities. Proper staffing ensures that competent people handle office work and that productivity remains high.

4. Directing and supervising It guides, instructs, motivates and supervises office employees so that they work willingly towards the office objectives. Through leadership, communication and supervision, it maintains discipline, resolves problems and keeps the work moving smoothly.

5. Coordinating It brings together the efforts of different individuals, sections and departments so that they work in harmony towards a common goal. Coordination removes conflict, avoids duplication of work and ensures unity of action within the office.

6. Controlling It sets standards of performance, compares actual performance with those standards, and takes corrective action where deviations are found. It covers quality of work, cost of office operations, attendance and use of office resources.

7. Communication It establishes an effective system of upward, downward and horizontal communication so that information, instructions and feedback flow properly among employees and departments.

8. Record management It maintains, protects and preserves office records, files and documents so that accurate information is available whenever required for decision-making and legal purposes.

9. Safeguarding assets It protects office assets such as furniture, machines, equipment, cash and confidential documents against loss, misuse, theft and damage.

Conclusion Thus, office management performs the functions of planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, controlling, communicating, record keeping and safeguarding assets. Together these functions ensure that office work is done efficiently, at minimum cost, and in support of the overall objectives of the organisation.

Office management is the process of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling the activities and resources of an office so that its work is carried out efficiently and its objectives are achieved. In a modern business organization, where the office acts as the information and coordination centre of the whole enterprise, its importance can be described as follows:

1. Smooth and efficient office work: Office management plans and schedules the work, divides duties among staff, and lays down simple procedures and routines. This avoids duplication of work, delays and confusion, and ensures that work flows smoothly from one desk to another.

2. Effective coordination: A modern business has many departments. Office management collects information from all of them, maintains records, and supplies the required information at the right time. In this way it links the departments together and helps them work towards common organizational goals.

3. Optimum use of resources: Office management makes the best use of men, money, materials, machines and time. It selects the right staff, provides proper furniture, equipment and stationery, and controls their use. This reduces waste and lowers the cost of office operations.

4. Timely and accurate information for decisions: Management needs reliable information to plan, decide and control. Office management maintains records, files, reports and data, and presents accurate information to top management in time. This helps in taking sound decisions and in solving business problems.

5. Better customer service and public image: The office is the point of contact with customers, suppliers and the public. Through courteous handling of enquiries, prompt correspondence and quick settlement of complaints, office management creates goodwill and improves the image of the business.

6. Control over business activities: Office management prepares budgets, keeps accounts, compares actual performance with plans, and reports deviations to management. In this way it helps in controlling the activities of all departments and in taking corrective action.

7. Motivation and satisfaction of employees: By providing good working conditions, fair wages, training, promotion and a healthy work environment, office management keeps employees satisfied and motivated. This reduces labour turnover and increases productivity.

8. Legal compliance and record keeping: A modern business must maintain records required by law, such as accounts, contracts, tax papers and employee records. Office management preserves these records safely and helps the business meet its legal obligations.

9. Basis for growth and survival: By improving efficiency, reducing cost, supplying information and maintaining coordination, office management provides a strong base for the expansion, competitiveness and long-term survival of the business in a changing environment.

In short, office management is not merely the management of clerical work; it is the nerve centre that keeps the entire organization informed, coordinated and efficient. Without proper office management, a modern business cannot achieve its objectives effectively.

Office Manager

An office manager is the executive who is responsible for planning, organising, directing, coordinating and controlling the activities of the office. He/she is the head of the office department who manages office staff, office work, office resources and office environment to achieve organisational goals efficiently and effectively. In short, the office manager is the person who gets the office work done through others.

Major Duties of an Office Manager

1. Planning office work: Preparing plans, policies, programmes and schedules relating to office work, and deciding the methods and procedures of doing office work.
2. Organising the office: Designing the office structure, dividing work among staff, assigning duties and responsibilities, and providing necessary furniture, equipment and stationery.
3. Staffing: Selecting, recruiting, placing, training and developing the required office personnel in the right job.
4. Directing and supervising: Guiding, instructing, motivating and supervising the office staff so that they work willingly and efficiently.
5. Coordinating: Maintaining coordination among different departments, sections and employees of the office so that all work moves towards the common goal.
6. Controlling office work: Setting standards, measuring actual performance, comparing it with standards and taking corrective action where needed.
7. Managing office records and correspondence: Supervising the writing, receiving, filing, indexing and record-keeping of office documents.
8. Managing office resources: Ensuring proper use, safety and maintenance of office machines, equipment, furniture and stationery, and controlling office cost.
9. Maintaining public relations: Dealing with customers, suppliers, government offices and the public on behalf of the organisation.
10. Reporting to top management: Preparing reports and providing information, advice and suggestions to top-level management for decision making.

Essential Qualities of a Successful Office Manager

1. Education and knowledge: Sound academic background along with knowledge of office management, accounting, law and information technology.
2. Managerial ability: Skill in planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating and controlling office activities.
3. Leadership quality: Ability to guide, influence and inspire the office staff to work towards organisational objectives.
4. Communication skill: Ability to express ideas clearly in speech and writing, and to listen effectively to staff, customers and superiors.
5. Human relation skill: Ability to deal with people politely, tactfully and sympathetically, and to win their cooperation.
6. Decision-making ability: Ability to take timely and correct decisions and to solve office problems wisely.
7. Technical skill: Knowledge of office machines, computers, software and modern office methods.
8. Organising and coordinating skill: Ability to arrange work, time and resources properly and to bring harmony among different activities.
9. Honesty and integrity: Being sincere, loyal, fair and trustworthy in dealing with staff and the organisation.
10. Physical and mental fitness: Good health, energy, patience and emotional balance to handle the pressure of office work.
11. Adaptability: Willingness to accept change and to adjust to new technology, methods and situations.
12. Initiative and creativity: Ability to take initiative, introduce new ideas and improve the working system of the office.

Thus, an office manager is the key person of the office. By performing the above duties efficiently and possessing these qualities, he/she can make the office productive, well-coordinated and successful.

Filing is the systematic arrangement and storage of documents in a particular order so that they can be traced when needed, while indexing is preparing a guide or reference list that shows the exact place of the filed documents so that they can be found quickly.

Computers have made record management faster, cheaper and more accurate than manual filing. Their role is evaluated as follows:

1. Storage of large volumes: thousands of records can be stored in a hard disk or cloud in very little space, saving cabinets and room.
2. Quick retrieval: any record can be searched by name, number or date within seconds, which saves time compared with searching files.
3. Accuracy and consistency: calculations and data entry done by software reduce errors, and data is kept in a uniform form.
4. Easy updating and processing: records can be edited, sorted and summarized, and reports can be produced at once.
5. Security: passwords, user permissions and encryption protect the data, and backups guard against loss by fire, theft or damage.
6. Sharing and communication: data can be shared over a network and the internet among branches and users.
7. Cost saving over time: less paper and clerical labour are required.

Limitations: the initial cost of hardware and software is high, trained staff are needed, and data may be lost through virus, power failure, hacking or system failure without backup.

Conclusion

Despite these limitations, computer application greatly improves efficiency in record management, and its benefits are much larger than its costs for most businesses.

(a) Records retention

Records retention means keeping business records for a fixed period, according to their importance, legal requirement and usefulness, and destroying or disposing of them after that period. It avoids both the loss of needed records and the waste of space on useless ones.

(b) Types of records

Records are classified by their importance and the period for which they are needed.

1. Vital (permanent) records: records that are essential for the existence of the business and cannot be replaced, so they are kept permanently and carefully protected. Examples are the memorandum and articles of association, the registration certificate, land ownership papers, patents, minute books and the share register.
2. Important records: records that are useful and replaceable only with difficulty and cost, kept for a long time, often for several years or as the law requires. Examples are the ledgers, final accounts, tax and VAT records, audit reports, insurance policies and contracts.
3. Useful records: records that are of some use in daily operations and replaceable with some effort, kept for a limited period such as one to three years. Examples are correspondence with customers, quotations, bank statements, and stock and sales records.
4. Non-essential (transitory) records: records that have no long-term value, kept only briefly and then discarded. Examples are invitations, circulars, routine notes, and advertising material.

Each business should prepare a retention schedule that states how long each type of record is kept, so that legal needs such as tax inspection are met.

Office machines such as computers, photocopiers, printers, telephones and calculators speed up office work. Before buying them, the following factors should be considered:

1. Nature and volume of work: the machine should match the type and amount of work, so a small office does not buy a costly high-capacity machine and a busy office does not buy a weak one.
2. Cost and budget: the purchase price, installation, running and maintenance costs should be compared with the benefit and the funds available.
3. Quality and durability: the machine should be reliable and long-lasting with good performance, so it does not break down often.
4. Ease of operation: it should be simple to use, so staff can learn it quickly with little training.
5. Speed and accuracy: it should work faster and more correctly than manual methods.
6. After-sales service and spare parts: the supplier should provide repair, warranty and easily available parts, especially in the local market.
7. Technology and compatibility: it should be up to date and work with existing machines and software, with scope for upgrade.
8. Space and power requirement: the size, power consumption and the available space and electricity supply should be suitable.
9. Reputation of the supplier and brand: a trusted maker or dealer reduces the risk of poor goods.
10. Safety and environment: it should be safe for operators and not cause excessive noise or pollution.