Unit 1
Office and Office Management
Office management refers to the process of planning, organizing, guiding, communicating, directing, coordinating, and controlling the activities of a group of people working to achieve business goals efficiently and economically.
Office management is essential not only for corporate organizations, but also for non-corporate organizations. Even in the modern Internet society, it is necessary to have a direction for individual efforts toward a common purpose and purpose. Instructions are given by the location, the office.
This process can be treated as office management. Business is carried out by businessmen with the help of groups of people. People in this group have different interests, talents and mottos. Therefore, it is the function of office management to organize, guide and control the activities of such groups of people to achieve their business goals.
What is a modern office?
A modern approach to studying the term office is to look at it as a function rather than a specific location. When Office is considered a feature, Office can plan, organize, coordinate, standardize, and supervise paperwork anywhere, anywhere.
Definition of Office
Office management can be defined as a technique that guides, coordinates, and controls an organization's office workers to achieve specific goals within a time schedule.
Functions of a Modern Office
You can think of an office as where your organization's management mechanisms are located.
The complexity of business activities is increasing day by day. Due to the remarkable development and progress in the field of science and technology, manufacturing technology has changed rapidly. The economy of mass production has become several multinational corporate organizations. The ever-expanding market is also a challenge in itself. Careful attention should also be paid to the complexity of legal provisions (industrial and business law) that are subject to constant change to achieve social objectives.
In addition, modern management needs to pay attention to emerging relationships in the business. All of these issues can only be adequately addressed if the appropriate information is available. All members need information about the company. Efficient and effective organizations and managers need to have all the information they need to make different decisions. Retaining, analyzing, and providing knowledge for management is an essential function of modern offices. The phrase "information management" now takes precedence over the old "office management". The reason is that information management more accurately implies the activities performed by modern offices.
Office Activities
Each office has its own personality. This personality reflects the purpose for which Office exists. The manufacturing office profile is different from the sales office profile. The accounting department has a different direction from the research and development department. When organizing a new office, office managers must first identify the main reasons the office exists and then add the necessary elements to achieve an efficient operating organization that achieves the desired results. There is. Offices differ from each other in their primary responsibilities, but many activities are generally carried out by all offices. Part of these activities is the processing of incoming mail. Processing outgoing mail; dictation; transcription; typing; printing; copying; filing; record retrieval; record disposal; and communication.
Office Function
Modern office features can be divided into two categories.
Basic function (or routine/primary function)
- Receiving information.
- Recorded information.
- Organize information.
- Information given.
Some of the administrative management functions are shown below
1) Management Process:
To effectively perform the key functions of the office, the management process must be carried out properly. Planning, management, and organization are the three main management processes. You can plan your office work according to the purpose and policy of the management team. Planned work can provide effective performance. The office can control performance in the right direction.
2) Office System and Procedure:
Efficient and economical performance of office operations requires well-planned office systems and procedures. Each part of the process needs to be carefully analysed.
3) Purchase of Stationery:
Basic needs such as office foam and stationery are like office essentials. These stationery items need to be systematically planned and purchased. It is the function of modern offices to standardize this purchasing process and distribute it to different departments as needed.
4) Fixed assets:
Fixed assets such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, plants, machines and computers are essential needs for modern offices. Offices need these fixed assets to function efficiently and economically. The purchase of these fixed assets must be systematically done so that office work is not interrupted. In addition, these fixed assets need to be properly allocated to different departments to ensure optimal use.
5) Staffing:
Talent selection, training, placement, and rewards are called staffing. With proper staffing, offices can achieve efficient and economical office work performance. Staffing is not an easy task. External and internal staff require qualified and experienced employees who must be selected and trained prior to deployment.
6) Asset Protection:
Organizational assets must be protected from theft, fire, or other misuse, loss, or damage. In order for an organization to function properly, it needs essential assets. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a proper record of these assets.
7)Public Relations:
The office is capable of accepting many people, including customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and government officials. The interests of these people are essentially different. These benefits need to be met by the office.
The office is an important unit of the entire organization and is also considered the royal fern of the clock. It is equally important in the government and private sectors. In the process of achieving an organization's goals, it is imperative that the office perform many administrative and administrative functions.
The importance of the office can be explained with the help of:
- Information Centre: The office acts as an information centre. It collects information from sources such as invoices, letters, notes, contracts, and vouchers and protects it in safe mode based on their importance for future reference.
- Proof of Existence: The office is proof of the existence and survival of the business. The office coordinates the functions of the various departments of the organization, so a business house cannot survive without it. People tend to generalize about the existence of a business only with the help of regular office features.
- Channels of Communication: Offices are channels of communication between different people and business units. Staff working at different levels of the management hierarchy are linked to each other through the office. Office sends information to each other about the capabilities of different departments such as Human Resources, Finance, Production, and Marketing.
- Coordinating work: The business is divided into departments and subunits to simplify operations. The office acts as a coordinator to maintain relationships between departments. Build productivity relationships to achieve the common goals of your organization.
- Centre for planning and policy development and communication: Businesses are established with the aim of achieving specific results. To achieve this result, top-level managers develop plans and policies from the office. These plans and policies are communicated to stakeholders through the office. Therefore, the office is central to planning and policy development and communication.
- Management control: The process of developing a performance standard and taking corrective action when there is a deviation compared to the actual performance, which is called management. This office helps you manage the activities of different people and departments in your organization. Controlling it ensures that the various activities of your business are performed very accurately
- Memory Centre: Office keeps important information in the past safe. Departments and people usually collect the data they need from the office when they need it and when they need it. It provides information storage capabilities in the form of files and devices, based on their importance for future reference. Therefore, the office is considered a memory centre.
- Service Centre: The office acts as a service centre for the various units and departments of your organization. We provide office services such as mailing, filing, typing, printing and resource provision to all people working in different departments of the organization.
Duties for a general business office manager include:
Staff Management
- Recruit and select new candidates
- Prepare paperwork for hires and terminations
- Conduct orientation of new staff members
- Identify and organize training programs for staff
- Motivate, mentor and coach staff
- Delegate and coordinate work tasks
- Manage performance including evaluations and feedback
- Resolve disputes and grievances
- Keep staff attendance reports
- Maintain employee personal files
Accounting
- Monitor and record expenses
- Prepare expense reports
- Maintain office budget
- Maintain bookkeeping system through monthly financial reports
- Process accounts receivable and accounts payable
- Follow up on overdue accounts
- Perform account reconciliations
- Manage petty cash
Payroll
- Monitor and record hours worked including overtime
- Monitor vacation and sick leave
- Administer benefits
- Compute tax returns
- Write and distribute payroll checks
Secretarial
- Organize appointments and meetings
- Maintain calendars and schedules
- Manage travel arrangements
- Prepare and distribute minutes of meetings
- Arrange and prepare presentations
- Prepare and distribute correspondence
- Compile and present special reports
- Answer, screen and direct incoming calls
Data Management
- Create and maintain databases
- Organize retention, protection, retrieval, transfer and removal of records
- Ensure security of data
Policies and Procedures
- Evaluate existing procedures
- Design and implement procedural improvements
- Prepare materials describing procedures and standards
- Communicate changes in policies and procedures
- Ensure adherence to policies and procedures by staff members
Customer Service
- Handle customer inquiries and complaints
- Process customer requests
- Keep updated customer records
General Office Management
- Maintain and upkeep office equipment and furniture
- Organize repairs and upgrades
- Follow through on maintenance agreements and contracts
- Ensure payment of utility bills
- Order and maintain office supplies
- Research vendors for pricing and delivery options
- Troubleshoot computer and systems problems
- Liaise with IT specialists to resolve problems
Qualities-
The qualities of the office manager are-
1. In addition to general education, he must have undergone management training. There is no hard and fast rule as to the minimum qualifications to be possessed. The qualifications are based on the job he does.
2. He must have a good command of language.
3. He must be a good organizer.
4. He must have an ability to teach others.
5. He must be tactful and skilful in his dealings.
6. He must be sincere to do his duties.
7. He must be a good leader. He must be able to create team spirit.
8. He must have ability to delegate the job and work to his staff according to the abilities of the workers.
9.He must be calm and confident in all situations. He should have self-control. He should not be irritable.
10. He must be constantly in touch with the new facts and methods to increase the efficiency.
Qualifications-
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, or a related field
- 2-5 years of work experience in an administrative/office management role
- Must have exceptional attention to detail
- Strong organizational and time management skills, and ability to prioritize
- Must be a self-starter and driven
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong problem-solving skills and analytical abilities
- Must be proficient with Microsoft Office and Google products
To know the concept of filling, first we have to go through the meaning of record management. Records management is the field of management which deals with the aspects regarding systematic control of creation, receipt, maintenance, use, and disposition of records, including processes of maintaining evidence and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records in an organization. Records need to be managed in a meaningful and systematic way so that they can be easily accessed and used in the course of daily business functions in an office. So, filling is a form of record management where documents are filed in a systematic order so that they can be easily available for the future and also to preserve the important documents for future. According to Zene K. Quible: “Filing is one of the activities in the records management programme which involves systematically classifying, coding, arranging and placing of records in storage”.
Importance of filing-
The importance of filing in an organization arises from the fact that large number of papers and documents cannot be preserved and handled without proper arrangement. Filing is an important function of modern office because of the following reasons:
a) Filing is helpful to protect records from dust and dampness.
b) It is very helpful in settlement of disputes because it provides factual information.
c) It facilitates preservation of records to meet the legal requirements.
d) The previous records provide for future reference.
e) It is helpful to exercise a better control over sales and financial position.
f) By providing availability of previous records, it helps in the future planning of the organisation.
Indexing-
Indexing is an important aid to filing. Filing and indexing are so interrelated that filing without indexing is incomplete and indexing without filing does not exist. Indexing is the process of determining the name, subject or other captions under which the documents are filed. Index is a guide to records. The main purpose of an index is to facilitate the location of required files and papers. Index helps the staff to find out whether a particular file exists for a party or subject, and its place in the container. It also facilitates cross referencing. Where records are classified in numerical order, or subject wise an index is necessary.
Importance of Indexing-
Record management carries significant importance in the organization. Record management is concerned with keeping record safely and providing as per the requirement. Indexing is an instrument of record management which makes possible to find out the records easily and quickly. Filing without indexing is meaningless. In this respect, some importance of indexing can be explained as follows:
1.Easy location: Indexing points out the required records or file and facilitates easy location.
2.Saves time and efforts: Indexing gives the ready reference to the records and saves the time and efforts of office.
3.Efficiency: Indexing helps to find out the records easily and quickly which enhances the efficiency of office.
4.Cross reference: A particular record can be maintained through two ways. Indexing facilitates to find out such records through cross reference.
5.Reduce cost: Indexing helps to reduce the cost of office by saving time and efforts.
1. Simplicity:
It must be simple in operations, so that every staff of the office can easily understand the filing system. The filing system should not be over-elaborated or complicated. But it should not be sacrificed for sake of simplicity.
2. Suitability:
The filing system should be completely applicable to the firm concerned, and suit the nature and requirements of the business for which it is introduced.
3. Adaptability:
The system must be adaptable to the changes that occur in business. For example, a book dealer, in course of time, starts publishing books. In such a case the original filing system cannot be overthrown to adopt a new system. The existing system must have room for expansion in its newer form; otherwise, it will be a waste.
Modern tendency of business is that it grows from time to time and accepts a new and complex form by carrying many transactions or opening new branches or creating new departments. Therefore, an easy system is to be adapted to the needs of a growing trade.
4. Economy:
Cheap system of filing is to be adopted. The cost incurred by the system must be proportionate to the results obtained. The desired result must be obtained by using minimum finance, time, clerks, etc.
5. Protection (Safety):
The filed documents must be available to the person, who needs them. They are easily available when they are filed properly and securely. Documents should not be damaged by dust, insects, thefts, mishandling, fire, rain etc. Certain documents have to be kept for a longer time or for the life-time of the concern. They must be housed in suitable equipment.
6. Less Space:
Economy of space is of great importance in all concerns, because of high rent. So, it is necessary to see that the system requires minimum floor space. For this, dead papers can be removed; older files which are not at all needed should also be removed. A regular removal of such documents and files can save space.
7.Accessibility:
The files should be so arranged that the required letter or document for reference be picked up without loss of time. Of course, it is possible through a good index system.
8.Cross Reference:
When the same letter is to be kept in more than one file, a cross reference should be filed in another file. It enables the filing clerk to know that the cross-reference letter is in a certain file. That is the most relevant file housing the letter and a cross reference in sheet or card is placed in the appropriate place in others files (unimportant files).
9. Co-ordination and Control:
A good practicable system of filing cannot be separated from the whole problem of an organisation. Different departments may be there under an organisation. A good system of filing must permit constant co-ordination among all departments and to have an effective control over the organisation.
10. The Guide:
Whenever a file or document is taken out, an indicator should be placed at the same place, if possible, with the signature of the recipient, to show the file or document has been removed. When it is returned, the indicator will be removed.
11. Flexibility:
If there is any expansion of work in the business concern, then the filing system can be expanded. So, it must be flexible.
The difference between Centralised and Decentralised Filing are-
1. In Centralised filing, there is no duplication of filing equipment and work whereas Decentralised filing saves time in filing and obtaining records when departments are not located nearby.
2. Better utilisation of storage space is possible in centralised filing whereas departmental secrecy can be maintained in decentralised filing.
3. There is saving in the cost of records management in centralised filing whereas in decentralised filing, specialised knowledge of the staff about the department prevents errors in filing.
4. Centralized filing ensures uniformity and standardisation of filing operations, hence greater efficiency. In decentralise filing, there is flexibility as regards the, time of using and returning records.
5. Trained personnel with specialisation lead to increased efficiency records in centralised filing. Decentralised filing ensures prompt availability of records.
6. There is better supervision and control by expert supervisors in centralised filing. In Decentralised filing, it is not possible.
Classification of documents is necessary to ensure prompt availability of records. Classification is the process of selecting headings under which records and documents are grouped on the basis of common characteristics before filing. For example, letters may be classified on the subject of correspondence. The main systems of classification of files in an office are: i) Alphabetical ii) Numerical iii) Geographical iv) Subject wise
1)Alphabetical Filing - According to alphabetical classification, letters from different parties or relating to various subjects are arranged and put in different file covers on the basis of the first alphabet with which the name of the party or subject begins. The first alphabet of the name or surname or the subject is the preliminary guide to the position of the file. For example, all papers pertaining to Atma Ram & Sons may be filed in a folder marked ‘A’ or ‘At’. Within each file, papers are arranged date wise. In a large office 26 English alphabets are divided into small equal parts like (Ab-An), (Ap-Ay), (Ba-Bn), (Bo-By), etc. Guide cards are used to divide the letters. The main advantages of this system are: (i) it is simple and easy to operate;(ii) separate index is required; (iii) new names can be added as necessary and there is little chance of wrong filing. This type of classification is found in the telephone directory and dictionary. Difficulty arises when the name is very common or if the name is spelt wrongly. It may also be difficult to anticipate the space requirements.
2) Numerical Filing - Under this system files are arranged numerically; each correspondent or subject being allotted a number. The files are placed in a numerical order in the drawers. For example, a customer, D.K. Sharma, may be allotted No.25, so that all papers relating to him may be found in folder no. 25. A simple index or card index is required to identify the numbers with the names. When any file relating to (say) a customer is needed, the name of the party may be located in the index and the number of the relevant file ascertained. The merits of this method of classification are:(i) It is simple to operate; (ii) Files can be easily located, removed and replaced; (iii) It is very elastic, and expansion is easy. The index provides a complete list of correspondents and customers. There are also certain disadvantages of the system. A separate index is necessary, and it takes time to refer to the index. It needs more space and numerical transposition of figures is possible as 298 instead of 289.
3) Geographical Classification- In the geographical method, correspondence is classified according to geographical areas, regions or states. Files may be marked zone wise i.e., North, South, East or West, or State wise, or City wise. All correspondence relating to a particular area are kept in one file. These files may then be arranged alphabetically like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Bihar etc. Geographical classification offers a number of advantages. It is easy to operate. There is speedy location of files and direct filing is possible. There are certain limitations also, like greater possibility of error where knowledge of geography is weak, necessity of a separate index, etc.
4) Subject classification- Under this system, papers are grouped according to the subject. The subjects are filed in alphabetical order e.g., Accounts, Audit, Bills, Bonus etc. This method is particularly suitable when the subject is of greater importance than the name or location of the correspondent. It can be used with advantage in most offices along with the other classification systems. The merits of the system are: (i) convenience of reference when the subject is known; (ii) There is scope of expansion without disturbing the existing files. The main demerits are difficulty of classification, not suitable for miscellaneous papers, index is needed and frequent cross referencing maybe necessary.
Types of filing system are-
1.Traditional system- It is old method of filing. It is used in small and medium scale organizations. There are 4 types of traditional filing. They are-
A. Wire fling- It is also known as spike filing. It is the oldest filing method. In this method a piece of wire is fixed in wooden stand and that stand is kept on table or hanged somewhere. The letters and documents are inserted inside the spike. Whenever letters and documents are required for reference, all subsequent letter are taken out. It used to be used in banks, retailer shop, hospitals etc.
B. Pigeon hole filing - This filing is also known as docket filing. A small cabinet is used for filing. The holes look like pigeonhole and each hole is given alphabet label. Letters and documents are kept into related holes. It is usually kept in post office. Here, the unnecessary files are destroyed.
C. Cardboard filing - It is one of the popular traditional methods of filing. In this, a thick cardboard file and folding sheet are placed one upon another. The two ends are tied with each other with the help of rubber. The papers are kept in chronological order. It is used for few transactions. The files can be kept in cabinet for protection.
D. Box filing- In this filing method, boxes are made up of wood or cardboard. The spring clips are fixed inside the box to hold papers. Whenever letters and documents are required for reference, all subsequent letters are taken out. The documents are kept chronologically one upon another.
2. Modern filing system - Filing system is very simple. Traditional system of filing didn’t fulfil the requirement of the business. So, it has been replaced with modern filing system. Modern filing system is the improvement of traditional method of filing. It can be classified into 2 types. They are-
A. Folder filing - In this system, the documents or letters are chronologically placed in folders one upon another in a horizontal way. It is of two types. They are i. Flat file- It is made up of cardboard or thick paper. Each flat file is attached with a pair of metal clips or laces on the left-hand side of it to tightly hold the papers. Pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of the paper using a punching machine. Then the papers are inserted into the clips or laces and the clips are locked or the laces are tied up to tightly hold the papers. The papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat position in a file.
Ii. Arch level file - It is made up of cardboard or thick plastic. The metal arches are made for holding papers or documents. Pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of the paper using a punching machine. Then the papers are inserted into the arches and the arches are locked to tightly hold the papers. The papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat position in a file in alphabetical order. In these papers can be taken out or inserted without disturbing other papers.
B. Vertical filing- It is the most popular type of filing in modern offices. In this method, documents are kept on upright position in especially pre prepared folders or files. The folders or files are made up of cardboard or papers which are folded in the middle to hold the documents in them. Documents are placed in a chronological order without punching and typing them up in a pair of clips. It requires following tools and equipment’s.
1. Folders - They are made up of strong cardboard papers to hold the documents. The back of the folder is higher than the front part. They are placed in cabinet and their external part is visible.
2. Cabinet or drawer- It is necessary to keep the folders properly. Folders are kept vertically inside it. The size of drawer is dependent upon the number of papers to be kept in it. Generally, 5000 papers are kept in one drawer.
3. Guide cards- The files are kept in a drawer of filing cabinet. A guide card is placed between the folders to divide the drawer.
Weeding is the act of removing unnecessary files from the active records. The result is significant savings in storage space and faster and more efficient retrieval of information for research purposes.
During the drive each and every file/register/document and other records lying for three years and above may be examined and reviewed and its life span be decided. All files/documents/records, which have become obsolete, should be weeded out as per Procedure laid down in the M O P and the Record Retention Schedules. 3.
In general, indexing refers to the organization of data according to a specific schema or plan. In IT, the term has various similar uses including, among other things, making information more presentable and accessible.
Indexing is an important aid to filing. Filing and indexing are so interrelated that filing without indexing is incomplete and indexing without filing does not exist. Indexing is the process of determining the name, subject or other captions under which the documents are filed. Index is a guide to records. The main purpose of an index is to facilitate the location of required files and papers. Index helps the staff to find out whether a particular file exists for a party or subject, and its place in the container. It also facilitates cross referencing. Where records are classified in numerical order, or subject wise an index is necessary.
Need For Indexing
- It helps you to reduce the total number of I/O operations needed to retrieve that data, so you don’t need to access a row in the database from an index structure.
- Offers Faster search and retrieval of data to users.
- Indexing also helps you to reduce tablespace as you don’t need to link to a row in a table, as there is no need to store the ROWID in the Index. Thus you will able to reduce the tablespace.
- You can’t sort data in the lead nodes as the value of the primary key classifies it.
Various types of indexes are used in different offices according to their requirements. The main types of indexes are: 1. Ordinary Page Index (a) Bound book index (b) Loose leaf index (c) Vowel index 2. Vertical Card Index 3. Visible Card Index 4. Strip Index 5. Wheel or Rotary Index
1. Ordinary Page Index- It is similar to the subject index given at the end of standard books in which the subject matter is alphabetically arranged and then relevant page numbers are given against each heading or sub-heading. Sometimes it consists of specially designed pages fitted with a tab indicating an alphabet and on each page the names or subjects starting with that alphabet are written along with the page numbers. This type of index can be (a) Bound Book index, (b) Loose Leaf index, or (c) Vowel Index.
(a) Bound Book Index: Under this system, index is prepared in a bound book or register divided into alphabetical sections in which the names or documents are entered. Each section has the leaves cut away at the right-hand side so that the initial letters of all the sections are visible at a glance. All entries relating to a letter or alphabet are arranged in the same section or page reserved for it. The merits of this method are: (i) It is a very simple method of indexing; (ii) No special training is required of the staff; (iii) It is very economical as it does not need costly equipment. (iv) It is compact and handy and can be used for a long period; (v) It is popular in small organisations. The main drawbacks are: (i) It is not flexible and cannot be expanded beyond a limit; (ii) Alteration is not possible if anything has been wrongly entered. Dead subjects cannot be deleted; (iii) The location of names is difficult as they are not entered in alphabetical sequence; (iv) It is suitable for small offices only.
(b) Loose-Leaf Index: This is an improved version of the bound book index. The bound book becomes inconvenient to handle if it is too big. In loose leaf index single sheets are punched to fit in between metal hinges with the help of a metal screw. Pages are loose so that any page can be taken out or additional pages inserted. To insert or remove the pages the metal hinges have to be unscrewed. The binder with the loose index sheets can be locked so that no one can take out any sheet without having authority to do so. The main advantages of loose-leaf index are: (i) This method provides for maximum flexibility and can be adapted to suit the needs. (ii) It is convenient to handle and provides quick and easy reference. (iii) Dead records can be withdrawn and stored at the back. (iv) It is more economical than other methods of indexing. (v) The sheets can be used for many different purposes such as keeping additional information regarding a customer e.g., credit rating, telephone number, postal and telegraphic addressee etc. The main drawbacks are: (i) It takes longer to locate a particular index page. (ii) Through constant handling the sheet may be damaged. (iii) There is a possibility of the sheets being misplaced after they have been taken out. (iv) If pages are used for multiple purposes, there are chances of committing errors.
(c) Vowel Index: It is a modification of the book index. In big organisations which deal with large correspondence, the index book is maintained on the basis of vowel classification in order to facilitate quick reference. The section of book reserved for an alphabet is subdivided into subsections, each of which is reserved for a vowel, that is, a,e,i,o,u and y. The page is first selected by the initial letter and then by the vowel occurring after the initial letter, for example, the name ‘Gandhi’ will be recorded in the section reserved for ‘G’ and in the vowel sub-section ‘a’. The system is simple, easy to operate, economical, and suitable for large organisations. But it is not suitable for small offices.
2)Vertical Card Index - Under this system each subject, customer or document is allotted a separate card on which necessary information appears. The cards may be of small size (12.5 cms x 7.5 cms) or as per need. They are classified and arranged alphabetically, numerically, geographically or subject wise. The alphabetical classification is more popular. In some cases, more than one card may be prepared for the same set of information and each card may be arranged in different manner e.g., in library usually two cards are prepared for each book - one is arranged on the basis of author and the other on the basis of title of the book. The cards are filed vertically in steel or wooden drawers. A hole is punched into each card to keep the card in its proper place. Guide Cards may be used to indicate groups of cards in a class. This type of index is very popular in big offices. It has many advantages. (i) It provides for flexibility as the number of cards can be increased or decreased without disturbing the arrangement. (ii) It is economical to operate (iii) It is simple and easy to understand. (iv) The system can be used for many different purposes. (v) Dead records can be withdrawn at any time. (vi) It can be used by several persons at the same time. (vii) Cards can be arranged in any order. It suffers from certain limitations. (i) All the cards are not visible at a glance. (ii) Cards may get lost or damaged since removal of cards is easy. (iii) Cards may get torn due to constant handling. (iv) The equipment is costly. (v) A regular check is required to ensure that cards removed for reference are replaced in their proper places.
3)Visible Card Index -Under this system, the cards are arranged flat in a shallow tray or metal frame. Each card is attached to metal hinge and overlaps the one before it, so that name address and other particulars are visible without touching other cards. The frames or trays are attached vertically to the metal stands or they can be put horizontally into cabinets. The details of data can be written or typed on the front or back of the cards for reference. The advantages are: (i) It occupies less space. (ii) The reference is much faster. Cards are easily located. (iii) any information can be added without disturbing the arrangement. (iv) Out dated cards can be removed easily whenever necessary. (v) Its capacity is quite large. More cards can be accommodated in the same space. (vi) It is widely used in libraries, banks, insurance companies and other organisations. Visible card index also suffers from certain drawbacks. (i) It requires costly equipment. (ii) Designing and operating the system needs special training. (iii) Making entries on cards takes more time.
4. Strip Index- In every office there is need for a list of names of parties to be maintained with their telephone numbers, addresses etc. A line entry on a narrow strip of card board can be prepared for a single item. These strips are arranged in a frame in such a way that they can be taken out and replaced with ease. Frames can be hanged on the wall or put on the table in a book form or even arranged on a rotary stand which can be turned round to look at any part of the index. This system is a variation of the visible card index, offers the same advantages and suffers from the same drawbacks.
5. Wheel or Rotary Index - Under this method cards are arranged around the hub of a wheel which may be portable. A single wheel can hold as many as 5000 cards. A card can be inserted or withdrawn without disturbing the other cards. Entries can also be made on the cards without removing from the wheel. The merits of this system are - quick and easy referencing, economy of time and efforts, economy of space, elasticity, etc. This indexing system has gained popularity because it is simple to operate.
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- Https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/notes/management-notes/departmentation-management-notes/notes-on-departmentation-meaning-importance-and-basis-organisation/4979
Unit 1
Office and Office Management
Office management refers to the process of planning, organizing, guiding, communicating, directing, coordinating, and controlling the activities of a group of people working to achieve business goals efficiently and economically.
Office management is essential not only for corporate organizations, but also for non-corporate organizations. Even in the modern Internet society, it is necessary to have a direction for individual efforts toward a common purpose and purpose. Instructions are given by the location, the office.
This process can be treated as office management. Business is carried out by businessmen with the help of groups of people. People in this group have different interests, talents and mottos. Therefore, it is the function of office management to organize, guide and control the activities of such groups of people to achieve their business goals.
What is a modern office?
A modern approach to studying the term office is to look at it as a function rather than a specific location. When Office is considered a feature, Office can plan, organize, coordinate, standardize, and supervise paperwork anywhere, anywhere.
Definition of Office
Office management can be defined as a technique that guides, coordinates, and controls an organization's office workers to achieve specific goals within a time schedule.
Functions of a Modern Office
You can think of an office as where your organization's management mechanisms are located.
The complexity of business activities is increasing day by day. Due to the remarkable development and progress in the field of science and technology, manufacturing technology has changed rapidly. The economy of mass production has become several multinational corporate organizations. The ever-expanding market is also a challenge in itself. Careful attention should also be paid to the complexity of legal provisions (industrial and business law) that are subject to constant change to achieve social objectives.
In addition, modern management needs to pay attention to emerging relationships in the business. All of these issues can only be adequately addressed if the appropriate information is available. All members need information about the company. Efficient and effective organizations and managers need to have all the information they need to make different decisions. Retaining, analyzing, and providing knowledge for management is an essential function of modern offices. The phrase "information management" now takes precedence over the old "office management". The reason is that information management more accurately implies the activities performed by modern offices.
Office Activities
Each office has its own personality. This personality reflects the purpose for which Office exists. The manufacturing office profile is different from the sales office profile. The accounting department has a different direction from the research and development department. When organizing a new office, office managers must first identify the main reasons the office exists and then add the necessary elements to achieve an efficient operating organization that achieves the desired results. There is. Offices differ from each other in their primary responsibilities, but many activities are generally carried out by all offices. Part of these activities is the processing of incoming mail. Processing outgoing mail; dictation; transcription; typing; printing; copying; filing; record retrieval; record disposal; and communication.
Office Function
Modern office features can be divided into two categories.
Basic function (or routine/primary function)
- Receiving information.
- Recorded information.
- Organize information.
- Information given.
Some of the administrative management functions are shown below
1) Management Process:
To effectively perform the key functions of the office, the management process must be carried out properly. Planning, management, and organization are the three main management processes. You can plan your office work according to the purpose and policy of the management team. Planned work can provide effective performance. The office can control performance in the right direction.
2) Office System and Procedure:
Efficient and economical performance of office operations requires well-planned office systems and procedures. Each part of the process needs to be carefully analysed.
3) Purchase of Stationery:
Basic needs such as office foam and stationery are like office essentials. These stationery items need to be systematically planned and purchased. It is the function of modern offices to standardize this purchasing process and distribute it to different departments as needed.
4) Fixed assets:
Fixed assets such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, plants, machines and computers are essential needs for modern offices. Offices need these fixed assets to function efficiently and economically. The purchase of these fixed assets must be systematically done so that office work is not interrupted. In addition, these fixed assets need to be properly allocated to different departments to ensure optimal use.
5) Staffing:
Talent selection, training, placement, and rewards are called staffing. With proper staffing, offices can achieve efficient and economical office work performance. Staffing is not an easy task. External and internal staff require qualified and experienced employees who must be selected and trained prior to deployment.
6) Asset Protection:
Organizational assets must be protected from theft, fire, or other misuse, loss, or damage. In order for an organization to function properly, it needs essential assets. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a proper record of these assets.
7)Public Relations:
The office is capable of accepting many people, including customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and government officials. The interests of these people are essentially different. These benefits need to be met by the office.
The office is an important unit of the entire organization and is also considered the royal fern of the clock. It is equally important in the government and private sectors. In the process of achieving an organization's goals, it is imperative that the office perform many administrative and administrative functions.
The importance of the office can be explained with the help of:
- Information Centre: The office acts as an information centre. It collects information from sources such as invoices, letters, notes, contracts, and vouchers and protects it in safe mode based on their importance for future reference.
- Proof of Existence: The office is proof of the existence and survival of the business. The office coordinates the functions of the various departments of the organization, so a business house cannot survive without it. People tend to generalize about the existence of a business only with the help of regular office features.
- Channels of Communication: Offices are channels of communication between different people and business units. Staff working at different levels of the management hierarchy are linked to each other through the office. Office sends information to each other about the capabilities of different departments such as Human Resources, Finance, Production, and Marketing.
- Coordinating work: The business is divided into departments and subunits to simplify operations. The office acts as a coordinator to maintain relationships between departments. Build productivity relationships to achieve the common goals of your organization.
- Centre for planning and policy development and communication: Businesses are established with the aim of achieving specific results. To achieve this result, top-level managers develop plans and policies from the office. These plans and policies are communicated to stakeholders through the office. Therefore, the office is central to planning and policy development and communication.
- Management control: The process of developing a performance standard and taking corrective action when there is a deviation compared to the actual performance, which is called management. This office helps you manage the activities of different people and departments in your organization. Controlling it ensures that the various activities of your business are performed very accurately
- Memory Centre: Office keeps important information in the past safe. Departments and people usually collect the data they need from the office when they need it and when they need it. It provides information storage capabilities in the form of files and devices, based on their importance for future reference. Therefore, the office is considered a memory centre.
- Service Centre: The office acts as a service centre for the various units and departments of your organization. We provide office services such as mailing, filing, typing, printing and resource provision to all people working in different departments of the organization.
Duties for a general business office manager include:
Staff Management
- Recruit and select new candidates
- Prepare paperwork for hires and terminations
- Conduct orientation of new staff members
- Identify and organize training programs for staff
- Motivate, mentor and coach staff
- Delegate and coordinate work tasks
- Manage performance including evaluations and feedback
- Resolve disputes and grievances
- Keep staff attendance reports
- Maintain employee personal files
Accounting
- Monitor and record expenses
- Prepare expense reports
- Maintain office budget
- Maintain bookkeeping system through monthly financial reports
- Process accounts receivable and accounts payable
- Follow up on overdue accounts
- Perform account reconciliations
- Manage petty cash
Payroll
- Monitor and record hours worked including overtime
- Monitor vacation and sick leave
- Administer benefits
- Compute tax returns
- Write and distribute payroll checks
Secretarial
- Organize appointments and meetings
- Maintain calendars and schedules
- Manage travel arrangements
- Prepare and distribute minutes of meetings
- Arrange and prepare presentations
- Prepare and distribute correspondence
- Compile and present special reports
- Answer, screen and direct incoming calls
Data Management
- Create and maintain databases
- Organize retention, protection, retrieval, transfer and removal of records
- Ensure security of data
Policies and Procedures
- Evaluate existing procedures
- Design and implement procedural improvements
- Prepare materials describing procedures and standards
- Communicate changes in policies and procedures
- Ensure adherence to policies and procedures by staff members
Customer Service
- Handle customer inquiries and complaints
- Process customer requests
- Keep updated customer records
General Office Management
- Maintain and upkeep office equipment and furniture
- Organize repairs and upgrades
- Follow through on maintenance agreements and contracts
- Ensure payment of utility bills
- Order and maintain office supplies
- Research vendors for pricing and delivery options
- Troubleshoot computer and systems problems
- Liaise with IT specialists to resolve problems
Qualities-
The qualities of the office manager are-
1. In addition to general education, he must have undergone management training. There is no hard and fast rule as to the minimum qualifications to be possessed. The qualifications are based on the job he does.
2. He must have a good command of language.
3. He must be a good organizer.
4. He must have an ability to teach others.
5. He must be tactful and skilful in his dealings.
6. He must be sincere to do his duties.
7. He must be a good leader. He must be able to create team spirit.
8. He must have ability to delegate the job and work to his staff according to the abilities of the workers.
9.He must be calm and confident in all situations. He should have self-control. He should not be irritable.
10. He must be constantly in touch with the new facts and methods to increase the efficiency.
Qualifications-
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, or a related field
- 2-5 years of work experience in an administrative/office management role
- Must have exceptional attention to detail
- Strong organizational and time management skills, and ability to prioritize
- Must be a self-starter and driven
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong problem-solving skills and analytical abilities
- Must be proficient with Microsoft Office and Google products
To know the concept of filling, first we have to go through the meaning of record management. Records management is the field of management which deals with the aspects regarding systematic control of creation, receipt, maintenance, use, and disposition of records, including processes of maintaining evidence and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records in an organization. Records need to be managed in a meaningful and systematic way so that they can be easily accessed and used in the course of daily business functions in an office. So, filling is a form of record management where documents are filed in a systematic order so that they can be easily available for the future and also to preserve the important documents for future. According to Zene K. Quible: “Filing is one of the activities in the records management programme which involves systematically classifying, coding, arranging and placing of records in storage”.
Importance of filing-
The importance of filing in an organization arises from the fact that large number of papers and documents cannot be preserved and handled without proper arrangement. Filing is an important function of modern office because of the following reasons:
a) Filing is helpful to protect records from dust and dampness.
b) It is very helpful in settlement of disputes because it provides factual information.
c) It facilitates preservation of records to meet the legal requirements.
d) The previous records provide for future reference.
e) It is helpful to exercise a better control over sales and financial position.
f) By providing availability of previous records, it helps in the future planning of the organisation.
Indexing-
Indexing is an important aid to filing. Filing and indexing are so interrelated that filing without indexing is incomplete and indexing without filing does not exist. Indexing is the process of determining the name, subject or other captions under which the documents are filed. Index is a guide to records. The main purpose of an index is to facilitate the location of required files and papers. Index helps the staff to find out whether a particular file exists for a party or subject, and its place in the container. It also facilitates cross referencing. Where records are classified in numerical order, or subject wise an index is necessary.
Importance of Indexing-
Record management carries significant importance in the organization. Record management is concerned with keeping record safely and providing as per the requirement. Indexing is an instrument of record management which makes possible to find out the records easily and quickly. Filing without indexing is meaningless. In this respect, some importance of indexing can be explained as follows:
1.Easy location: Indexing points out the required records or file and facilitates easy location.
2.Saves time and efforts: Indexing gives the ready reference to the records and saves the time and efforts of office.
3.Efficiency: Indexing helps to find out the records easily and quickly which enhances the efficiency of office.
4.Cross reference: A particular record can be maintained through two ways. Indexing facilitates to find out such records through cross reference.
5.Reduce cost: Indexing helps to reduce the cost of office by saving time and efforts.
1. Simplicity:
It must be simple in operations, so that every staff of the office can easily understand the filing system. The filing system should not be over-elaborated or complicated. But it should not be sacrificed for sake of simplicity.
2. Suitability:
The filing system should be completely applicable to the firm concerned, and suit the nature and requirements of the business for which it is introduced.
3. Adaptability:
The system must be adaptable to the changes that occur in business. For example, a book dealer, in course of time, starts publishing books. In such a case the original filing system cannot be overthrown to adopt a new system. The existing system must have room for expansion in its newer form; otherwise, it will be a waste.
Modern tendency of business is that it grows from time to time and accepts a new and complex form by carrying many transactions or opening new branches or creating new departments. Therefore, an easy system is to be adapted to the needs of a growing trade.
4. Economy:
Cheap system of filing is to be adopted. The cost incurred by the system must be proportionate to the results obtained. The desired result must be obtained by using minimum finance, time, clerks, etc.
5. Protection (Safety):
The filed documents must be available to the person, who needs them. They are easily available when they are filed properly and securely. Documents should not be damaged by dust, insects, thefts, mishandling, fire, rain etc. Certain documents have to be kept for a longer time or for the life-time of the concern. They must be housed in suitable equipment.
6. Less Space:
Economy of space is of great importance in all concerns, because of high rent. So, it is necessary to see that the system requires minimum floor space. For this, dead papers can be removed; older files which are not at all needed should also be removed. A regular removal of such documents and files can save space.
7.Accessibility:
The files should be so arranged that the required letter or document for reference be picked up without loss of time. Of course, it is possible through a good index system.
8.Cross Reference:
When the same letter is to be kept in more than one file, a cross reference should be filed in another file. It enables the filing clerk to know that the cross-reference letter is in a certain file. That is the most relevant file housing the letter and a cross reference in sheet or card is placed in the appropriate place in others files (unimportant files).
9. Co-ordination and Control:
A good practicable system of filing cannot be separated from the whole problem of an organisation. Different departments may be there under an organisation. A good system of filing must permit constant co-ordination among all departments and to have an effective control over the organisation.
10. The Guide:
Whenever a file or document is taken out, an indicator should be placed at the same place, if possible, with the signature of the recipient, to show the file or document has been removed. When it is returned, the indicator will be removed.
11. Flexibility:
If there is any expansion of work in the business concern, then the filing system can be expanded. So, it must be flexible.
The difference between Centralised and Decentralised Filing are-
1. In Centralised filing, there is no duplication of filing equipment and work whereas Decentralised filing saves time in filing and obtaining records when departments are not located nearby.
2. Better utilisation of storage space is possible in centralised filing whereas departmental secrecy can be maintained in decentralised filing.
3. There is saving in the cost of records management in centralised filing whereas in decentralised filing, specialised knowledge of the staff about the department prevents errors in filing.
4. Centralized filing ensures uniformity and standardisation of filing operations, hence greater efficiency. In decentralise filing, there is flexibility as regards the, time of using and returning records.
5. Trained personnel with specialisation lead to increased efficiency records in centralised filing. Decentralised filing ensures prompt availability of records.
6. There is better supervision and control by expert supervisors in centralised filing. In Decentralised filing, it is not possible.
Classification of documents is necessary to ensure prompt availability of records. Classification is the process of selecting headings under which records and documents are grouped on the basis of common characteristics before filing. For example, letters may be classified on the subject of correspondence. The main systems of classification of files in an office are: i) Alphabetical ii) Numerical iii) Geographical iv) Subject wise
1)Alphabetical Filing - According to alphabetical classification, letters from different parties or relating to various subjects are arranged and put in different file covers on the basis of the first alphabet with which the name of the party or subject begins. The first alphabet of the name or surname or the subject is the preliminary guide to the position of the file. For example, all papers pertaining to Atma Ram & Sons may be filed in a folder marked ‘A’ or ‘At’. Within each file, papers are arranged date wise. In a large office 26 English alphabets are divided into small equal parts like (Ab-An), (Ap-Ay), (Ba-Bn), (Bo-By), etc. Guide cards are used to divide the letters. The main advantages of this system are: (i) it is simple and easy to operate;(ii) separate index is required; (iii) new names can be added as necessary and there is little chance of wrong filing. This type of classification is found in the telephone directory and dictionary. Difficulty arises when the name is very common or if the name is spelt wrongly. It may also be difficult to anticipate the space requirements.
2) Numerical Filing - Under this system files are arranged numerically; each correspondent or subject being allotted a number. The files are placed in a numerical order in the drawers. For example, a customer, D.K. Sharma, may be allotted No.25, so that all papers relating to him may be found in folder no. 25. A simple index or card index is required to identify the numbers with the names. When any file relating to (say) a customer is needed, the name of the party may be located in the index and the number of the relevant file ascertained. The merits of this method of classification are:(i) It is simple to operate; (ii) Files can be easily located, removed and replaced; (iii) It is very elastic, and expansion is easy. The index provides a complete list of correspondents and customers. There are also certain disadvantages of the system. A separate index is necessary, and it takes time to refer to the index. It needs more space and numerical transposition of figures is possible as 298 instead of 289.
3) Geographical Classification- In the geographical method, correspondence is classified according to geographical areas, regions or states. Files may be marked zone wise i.e., North, South, East or West, or State wise, or City wise. All correspondence relating to a particular area are kept in one file. These files may then be arranged alphabetically like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Bihar etc. Geographical classification offers a number of advantages. It is easy to operate. There is speedy location of files and direct filing is possible. There are certain limitations also, like greater possibility of error where knowledge of geography is weak, necessity of a separate index, etc.
4) Subject classification- Under this system, papers are grouped according to the subject. The subjects are filed in alphabetical order e.g., Accounts, Audit, Bills, Bonus etc. This method is particularly suitable when the subject is of greater importance than the name or location of the correspondent. It can be used with advantage in most offices along with the other classification systems. The merits of the system are: (i) convenience of reference when the subject is known; (ii) There is scope of expansion without disturbing the existing files. The main demerits are difficulty of classification, not suitable for miscellaneous papers, index is needed and frequent cross referencing maybe necessary.
Types of filing system are-
1.Traditional system- It is old method of filing. It is used in small and medium scale organizations. There are 4 types of traditional filing. They are-
A. Wire fling- It is also known as spike filing. It is the oldest filing method. In this method a piece of wire is fixed in wooden stand and that stand is kept on table or hanged somewhere. The letters and documents are inserted inside the spike. Whenever letters and documents are required for reference, all subsequent letter are taken out. It used to be used in banks, retailer shop, hospitals etc.
B. Pigeon hole filing - This filing is also known as docket filing. A small cabinet is used for filing. The holes look like pigeonhole and each hole is given alphabet label. Letters and documents are kept into related holes. It is usually kept in post office. Here, the unnecessary files are destroyed.
C. Cardboard filing - It is one of the popular traditional methods of filing. In this, a thick cardboard file and folding sheet are placed one upon another. The two ends are tied with each other with the help of rubber. The papers are kept in chronological order. It is used for few transactions. The files can be kept in cabinet for protection.
D. Box filing- In this filing method, boxes are made up of wood or cardboard. The spring clips are fixed inside the box to hold papers. Whenever letters and documents are required for reference, all subsequent letters are taken out. The documents are kept chronologically one upon another.
2. Modern filing system - Filing system is very simple. Traditional system of filing didn’t fulfil the requirement of the business. So, it has been replaced with modern filing system. Modern filing system is the improvement of traditional method of filing. It can be classified into 2 types. They are-
A. Folder filing - In this system, the documents or letters are chronologically placed in folders one upon another in a horizontal way. It is of two types. They are i. Flat file- It is made up of cardboard or thick paper. Each flat file is attached with a pair of metal clips or laces on the left-hand side of it to tightly hold the papers. Pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of the paper using a punching machine. Then the papers are inserted into the clips or laces and the clips are locked or the laces are tied up to tightly hold the papers. The papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat position in a file.
Ii. Arch level file - It is made up of cardboard or thick plastic. The metal arches are made for holding papers or documents. Pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of the paper using a punching machine. Then the papers are inserted into the arches and the arches are locked to tightly hold the papers. The papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat position in a file in alphabetical order. In these papers can be taken out or inserted without disturbing other papers.
B. Vertical filing- It is the most popular type of filing in modern offices. In this method, documents are kept on upright position in especially pre prepared folders or files. The folders or files are made up of cardboard or papers which are folded in the middle to hold the documents in them. Documents are placed in a chronological order without punching and typing them up in a pair of clips. It requires following tools and equipment’s.
1. Folders - They are made up of strong cardboard papers to hold the documents. The back of the folder is higher than the front part. They are placed in cabinet and their external part is visible.
2. Cabinet or drawer- It is necessary to keep the folders properly. Folders are kept vertically inside it. The size of drawer is dependent upon the number of papers to be kept in it. Generally, 5000 papers are kept in one drawer.
3. Guide cards- The files are kept in a drawer of filing cabinet. A guide card is placed between the folders to divide the drawer.
Weeding is the act of removing unnecessary files from the active records. The result is significant savings in storage space and faster and more efficient retrieval of information for research purposes.
During the drive each and every file/register/document and other records lying for three years and above may be examined and reviewed and its life span be decided. All files/documents/records, which have become obsolete, should be weeded out as per Procedure laid down in the M O P and the Record Retention Schedules. 3.
In general, indexing refers to the organization of data according to a specific schema or plan. In IT, the term has various similar uses including, among other things, making information more presentable and accessible.
Indexing is an important aid to filing. Filing and indexing are so interrelated that filing without indexing is incomplete and indexing without filing does not exist. Indexing is the process of determining the name, subject or other captions under which the documents are filed. Index is a guide to records. The main purpose of an index is to facilitate the location of required files and papers. Index helps the staff to find out whether a particular file exists for a party or subject, and its place in the container. It also facilitates cross referencing. Where records are classified in numerical order, or subject wise an index is necessary.
Need For Indexing
- It helps you to reduce the total number of I/O operations needed to retrieve that data, so you don’t need to access a row in the database from an index structure.
- Offers Faster search and retrieval of data to users.
- Indexing also helps you to reduce tablespace as you don’t need to link to a row in a table, as there is no need to store the ROWID in the Index. Thus you will able to reduce the tablespace.
- You can’t sort data in the lead nodes as the value of the primary key classifies it.
Various types of indexes are used in different offices according to their requirements. The main types of indexes are: 1. Ordinary Page Index (a) Bound book index (b) Loose leaf index (c) Vowel index 2. Vertical Card Index 3. Visible Card Index 4. Strip Index 5. Wheel or Rotary Index
1. Ordinary Page Index- It is similar to the subject index given at the end of standard books in which the subject matter is alphabetically arranged and then relevant page numbers are given against each heading or sub-heading. Sometimes it consists of specially designed pages fitted with a tab indicating an alphabet and on each page the names or subjects starting with that alphabet are written along with the page numbers. This type of index can be (a) Bound Book index, (b) Loose Leaf index, or (c) Vowel Index.
(a) Bound Book Index: Under this system, index is prepared in a bound book or register divided into alphabetical sections in which the names or documents are entered. Each section has the leaves cut away at the right-hand side so that the initial letters of all the sections are visible at a glance. All entries relating to a letter or alphabet are arranged in the same section or page reserved for it. The merits of this method are: (i) It is a very simple method of indexing; (ii) No special training is required of the staff; (iii) It is very economical as it does not need costly equipment. (iv) It is compact and handy and can be used for a long period; (v) It is popular in small organisations. The main drawbacks are: (i) It is not flexible and cannot be expanded beyond a limit; (ii) Alteration is not possible if anything has been wrongly entered. Dead subjects cannot be deleted; (iii) The location of names is difficult as they are not entered in alphabetical sequence; (iv) It is suitable for small offices only.
(b) Loose-Leaf Index: This is an improved version of the bound book index. The bound book becomes inconvenient to handle if it is too big. In loose leaf index single sheets are punched to fit in between metal hinges with the help of a metal screw. Pages are loose so that any page can be taken out or additional pages inserted. To insert or remove the pages the metal hinges have to be unscrewed. The binder with the loose index sheets can be locked so that no one can take out any sheet without having authority to do so. The main advantages of loose-leaf index are: (i) This method provides for maximum flexibility and can be adapted to suit the needs. (ii) It is convenient to handle and provides quick and easy reference. (iii) Dead records can be withdrawn and stored at the back. (iv) It is more economical than other methods of indexing. (v) The sheets can be used for many different purposes such as keeping additional information regarding a customer e.g., credit rating, telephone number, postal and telegraphic addressee etc. The main drawbacks are: (i) It takes longer to locate a particular index page. (ii) Through constant handling the sheet may be damaged. (iii) There is a possibility of the sheets being misplaced after they have been taken out. (iv) If pages are used for multiple purposes, there are chances of committing errors.
(c) Vowel Index: It is a modification of the book index. In big organisations which deal with large correspondence, the index book is maintained on the basis of vowel classification in order to facilitate quick reference. The section of book reserved for an alphabet is subdivided into subsections, each of which is reserved for a vowel, that is, a,e,i,o,u and y. The page is first selected by the initial letter and then by the vowel occurring after the initial letter, for example, the name ‘Gandhi’ will be recorded in the section reserved for ‘G’ and in the vowel sub-section ‘a’. The system is simple, easy to operate, economical, and suitable for large organisations. But it is not suitable for small offices.
2)Vertical Card Index - Under this system each subject, customer or document is allotted a separate card on which necessary information appears. The cards may be of small size (12.5 cms x 7.5 cms) or as per need. They are classified and arranged alphabetically, numerically, geographically or subject wise. The alphabetical classification is more popular. In some cases, more than one card may be prepared for the same set of information and each card may be arranged in different manner e.g., in library usually two cards are prepared for each book - one is arranged on the basis of author and the other on the basis of title of the book. The cards are filed vertically in steel or wooden drawers. A hole is punched into each card to keep the card in its proper place. Guide Cards may be used to indicate groups of cards in a class. This type of index is very popular in big offices. It has many advantages. (i) It provides for flexibility as the number of cards can be increased or decreased without disturbing the arrangement. (ii) It is economical to operate (iii) It is simple and easy to understand. (iv) The system can be used for many different purposes. (v) Dead records can be withdrawn at any time. (vi) It can be used by several persons at the same time. (vii) Cards can be arranged in any order. It suffers from certain limitations. (i) All the cards are not visible at a glance. (ii) Cards may get lost or damaged since removal of cards is easy. (iii) Cards may get torn due to constant handling. (iv) The equipment is costly. (v) A regular check is required to ensure that cards removed for reference are replaced in their proper places.
3)Visible Card Index -Under this system, the cards are arranged flat in a shallow tray or metal frame. Each card is attached to metal hinge and overlaps the one before it, so that name address and other particulars are visible without touching other cards. The frames or trays are attached vertically to the metal stands or they can be put horizontally into cabinets. The details of data can be written or typed on the front or back of the cards for reference. The advantages are: (i) It occupies less space. (ii) The reference is much faster. Cards are easily located. (iii) any information can be added without disturbing the arrangement. (iv) Out dated cards can be removed easily whenever necessary. (v) Its capacity is quite large. More cards can be accommodated in the same space. (vi) It is widely used in libraries, banks, insurance companies and other organisations. Visible card index also suffers from certain drawbacks. (i) It requires costly equipment. (ii) Designing and operating the system needs special training. (iii) Making entries on cards takes more time.
4. Strip Index- In every office there is need for a list of names of parties to be maintained with their telephone numbers, addresses etc. A line entry on a narrow strip of card board can be prepared for a single item. These strips are arranged in a frame in such a way that they can be taken out and replaced with ease. Frames can be hanged on the wall or put on the table in a book form or even arranged on a rotary stand which can be turned round to look at any part of the index. This system is a variation of the visible card index, offers the same advantages and suffers from the same drawbacks.
5. Wheel or Rotary Index - Under this method cards are arranged around the hub of a wheel which may be portable. A single wheel can hold as many as 5000 cards. A card can be inserted or withdrawn without disturbing the other cards. Entries can also be made on the cards without removing from the wheel. The merits of this system are - quick and easy referencing, economy of time and efforts, economy of space, elasticity, etc. This indexing system has gained popularity because it is simple to operate.
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