OFFICE ORIENTATION notes

Grade 10

Definitions

● ‘‘Office is a place where clerical operations are carried on’’.— Denyer, J.C.
● An office is generally a room or other area in which people work
● An office is a place where people carry out the daily affairs of a business. It supports the business' main aim to either make profits or to
meet the needs of a particular community
● In modern terms an office is a position within a business with specific duties attached to it.

Main Function of an Office

The main job of an office is to manage information.

 This means:
1. Collecting information – getting data from inside and outside the business.
2. Processing information – organizing and using the information.
3. Storing information – keeping records safe for future use.
4. Sharing information – passing it on to the right people.
 The purpose is to:

o Help businesses produce goods and services.

o Support the selling and exchanging of goods and services.
o Keep the business organized, controlled, and legally compliant.

🗂️ Concept Map: Functions of the Office

[Functions of the Office]

 |

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Administrative] [Communication] [Clerical] [Financial [Support Services]

- Record keeping - Internal & - Filing - Budgeting - Reception

- Scheduling external - Typing - Payroll - Mail handling

- Policy execution communication - Data entry - Accounting - Office supplies

- Coordination - Meetings - Document prep - Petty cash - Maintenance

🔍 Breakdown of Key Areas

🗃️ Administrative

 Ensures smooth operation of organizational policies and procedures.

 Coordinates departments and schedules meetings or tasks.

📞 Communication

 Facilitates internal communication (memos, emails, meetings).

 Manages external communication with clients, suppliers, and stakeholders.

📝 Clerical

 Handles routine paperwork, filing systems, and document preparation.

 Supports data entry and record maintenance.
💰 Financial

 Manages budgeting, payroll, and financial reporting.

 Oversees petty cash and expense tracking.

🧰 Support Services

 Provides essential services like reception, mail distribution, and supply management.
 Maintains office equipment and cleanliness.

Information Processing Cycle

The Information Processing Cycle refers to the sequence of steps involved in handling data and turning it into meaningful
information that organizations can use for decision-making.

It usually has four main stages:

1. Input – Raw data is collected and entered into the system.

o Example: Typing sales figures into a computer, scanning barcodes at a supermarket, or filling out a form.
2. Processing – The data is worked on, organized, and transformed into useful form.
o Example: Adding up sales, sorting customer records, or applying formulas in Excel.
3. Storage – The processed data/information is saved for future use.
o Example: Saving a report on a hard drive, cloud storage, or in a filing cabinet.
4. Output – The final information is presented in a usable form.
o Example: A printed report, a chart on a computer screen, or a receipt given to a customer.

The Office and Information Processing

● Collecting data: the office will receive customers, cash, communications. INPUT
● Processing: these will be dealt with by the office workers ie preparing a letter, making a payment, preparing an invoice. PROCESS
● Instructions that follow the processing. OUTPUT
In other words:- Data goes in (Input) → The computer/office processes it (Processing) → It is saved (Storage) → Useful
information comes out (Output).
Diagram illustrating Information Processing

Difference between Data and Information

● Data is unprocessed information that is raw facts and figures that may not have much meaning.
● Information is processed data that is data that has been organized and has meaning.
 The size of the business affects the structure of the Office
● In a small business (sole trader or proprietor), the office may be occupied by one or two workers.
● Responsibilities will include:

- Receiving visitors
- Answering the telephone
- Taking and conveying messages
- Operating office machines
- Dealing with incoming and outgoing mail
- Sorting and filing documents
OFFICE STRUCTURE IN A LARGE FIRM
● However, large firms like utility companies or large hotels who employ hundreds of workers will have different office structures.
● These companies will hire people with specialized skills e.g. an accountant, legal advisor, receptionist, clerical staff etc.
Offices in a large firm
● Administration – this office is occupied by administrative officers. Many large firms have a general office concerned with coordinating
the activities of the various departments.

● Purchasing office – responsible for all items bought by the firm.

● Legal (Company Secretary) – this office is responsible for all the legal matters such as contracts, insurance and compensation.
● Production office – if a business is involved in production of some commodity, this office is necessary to coordinate the work of the
factory unit.
● Sales office – this office is to plan and organize the selling of goods and services offered by the firm.
● Human resource or personnel office – is concerned with hiring the right person to fill vacant jobs.
In this unit the following areas will be covered:

1. Office Layouts.

2. Functions of the Office.

3. Office Equipment

4. Safety in the Office

1. OFFICE LAYOUTS

There are two main traditional types of Office Layouts:

Open plan offices: a large open space with no dividing walls designed to accommodate a large number of office workers.
 Cellular/ Closed offices: a large floor space that is divided into several individual offices or by permanent walls.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Open Plan Offices

In choosing how to plan an office there are decisions that must be made, that is whether to have an open plan or separate offices.

Advantages

∙ Open office plans are more economical as more workspaces can be provided to more employees than with a closed office plan. The
company saves money as less money will be spent on air conditioning and electricity. One centralized area has to be heated or cooled
and lighted instead of a number of different offices or rooms each having to be heated or cooled separately.
∙ Communication is easier between workstations and departments. There is no time wasted between offices because everyone is in
the same area.
∙ Things are easier for the supervisors, as everyone is in a centralized area. There is no need to track someone down from office to
office.
∙ Managers and senior managers are in constant contact with the staff. This makes handling issues and problems go much faster. With
the employees being in constant contact with managers and senior managers, they are able to reach management more quickly and
deal with issues. This means that issues get resolved faster, and this leads to more productivity.

Disadvantages:

∙ Open space offices are noisier and can be more chaotic than closed plan offices. Employees are in one large area, and telephone

conversations or conversations between employees will be overheard easily. When there are several conversations happening at one

time, it can get quite noisy. This can lead to employees becoming distracted which may lessen productivity.
∙ People passing to and fro can also cause distraction of employees. In a closed office plan, disturbances like this wouldn't happen as

much.

∙ In an open office space, security is reduced. Each employee lacks a lockable door like they would have if each one had a separate

office. This can lead to risks and issues that the company may not want to face.

∙ Privacy is difficult to obtain with an open office plan. If family members call, or if a confidential call needs to be made, it can be

difficult. With individual offices, these things are more possible. Employees may feel uncomfortable being in such close quarters with

their coworkers when confidential calls need to be made.

∙ Sicknesses and infections can spread like wildfire in an environment like an open office plan. When flu season hits, you can bet that

most employees will catch it.

∙ Lighting, heating, and air conditioning to suit all of the employees' tastes can be difficult to achieve. With a closed office plan,

employees are able to keep their individual offices the way they like them.

∙ Senior staff or employees which have been with the company longer than most will most likely feel as if they are entitled to a

private office. This can cause problems among the employees, which can damage productivity and employee relationships.

A relatively new type of office that exists is "The Virtual Office";

Virtual Office: A virtual office is a combination of off-site live communication and address services that allow users to reduce

traditional office costs while maintaining business professionalism. Frequently the term is confused with “office business centers” or

“executive suites” which demand a conventional lease whereas a true virtual office does not require that expense.
Virtual Office Users:

A virtual office blends home and work to gain efficiency in both. Office expenses are low, while the user’s professionalism retains

the image of a traditional, high-cost office. A virtual office user can reduce their environmental impact, as well as the personal

negatives of a daily commute. Virtual office clientele have the flexibility to match expenses with revenue fluctuations immediately, as

the costs are usually variable. A virtual office can allow for low-cost expansion with no long-term commitments. Users taking

advantage of virtual office receptionists eliminate the traditional burden of health care, records, payroll, insurance & rent. Also,

traditional time-off (sick days, vacations, personal leaves, etc.…) does not apply to a virtual staff.

Common Virtual Office Users:

1. Home-based entrepreneurs

2. Accountants

3. Attorneys

4. Law Firms

5. Mobile salespeople

6. Trades (Home service industry: roofers, electrical, plumb, landscape, construction, repair/remodel, etc.)

7. Doctors/Dentists

8. Therapists
 9. Business consultants

10. Mediators/conflict resolution

11. Frequent travelers/foreign companies

12. Chambers of Commerce

13. Senior management

14. Real estate

15. Mortgage companies

16. Stock brokers/financial planners

17. Collections agencies

18. Networking groups

19. Trainers/instructors

20. Incubators

What is a Virtual office - link on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcoqM2c-1Ac

Click on this link to view a Video - The Virtual Office

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Virtual Office

 The web and advanced phone service have transformed the way we do business. And now, businesses of all sizes can use the Internet

as a virtual office, improving productivity across many levels. Here are key benefits to virtually "hanging your shingle" with a virtual

office.

Eliminate rent costs

With a virtual office, the high cost of office rental space is thing of the past. Even better, you might be eligible for significant tax

breaks when you use your home as a "home base."

Reduce Transportation Costs

With gas prices STILL on the rise, a virtual office makes great sense for no better reason than you won't have to fill up at the pump as

much to get to work.

Reduce Transportation Time

Think about how much time you spend in traffic, driving to and from work every day. Now imagine that same time spent building

your business in new and imaginative ways. More sales calls, more research, more time to make money!

Expand the employee pool

You've found a sales rep who you'd love to hire, but he is in Chicago and you are in Los Angeles. With a virtual office you can

seamlessly make remote players a part of the team with web conferencing tools. Intranets, solid phone set ups and other link ups found

in your virtual office make it easy!

Work with a professional

 Find an expert who knows all the ins and outs of building a virtual office. They can help you set up reliable phone service, build

powerful but affordable networks and just make sure everything you need is 100% connected.

Step forward into the 21st century with a virtual office - and step away from the traditional brick and mortar office (with its traffic

jams and long commutes) forever! Read our web conferencing buyer guide if you are looking for more information on how to work

from a virtual office.

Disadvantages of the Virtual Office

LACK OF INTERACTION

For companies which employ telecommuters, lack of interaction can be a major problem. This is especially true for projects which

require brainstorming or input from several members of a project group. Teleconferencing and virtual reality programs such as Second

Life attempt to recreate this sense of real-time interaction; however, technical limitations and malfunctions mean that such efforts still

often fall short.

UNPROFESSIONAL IMAGE

Virtual office arrangements to cover such functions as handling telephone messages can result in an unprofessional image for the

company. Many services are shared among many companies, which means that the operators are often unable to answer specific

questions customers or clients may have. Additionally telecommuters are also often assumed to be less professional by their
 colleagues in the office as well as by customers and clients. Potential clients may also view entrepreneurs who work from home as

being less professional than those who have a physical office in another location.

DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Without proper discipline, it is very easy for entrepreneurs to become distracted by outside influences such as television, telephone calls

or demands from children. It is also very difficult to supervise employees in a virtual office or telecommuting arrangement, which can

sometimes lead to abuse. Productivity can also suffer when, for instance, important documents must be signed and they must be

shipped or delivered to the person who is authorized to sign them.

ISOLATION

A major disadvantage of a virtual office is isolation. Employees who telecommute may miss out on hearing about important developments

within the company, such as openings for new positions or impending layoffs. Entrepreneurs can also suffer from isolation if their

work does not require frequent interaction with clients or others in their fields. They may not hear about opportunities to obtain new

clients or showcase their services.

2. FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE

Functions of a Modern Office

An office is primarily concerned with collection and supply of information. Accurate and up-to-date information relating to

organization and other agencies affecting the organization is always required for taking decisions and formulating policies. Besides,

office has assumed many other responsibilities, such as safeguarding assets, personnel management, and procurement of assets etc.,

which are incidental to the primary function.

(a) Basic functions

Basic functions are those functions of an office which need to be performed in all types of organizations. They are mainly related

to receiving and giving of information. These basic functions are as follows:

Nature and functions of office: 5

1. Collecting information

The office receives or collects information about various activities of the organization. The information may be collected from internal

or external sources. Internal sources may be employees and various departments of the organization. The external sources are

customers, suppliers and Government Departments etc. From internal sources information may be received in the form of letters,

circulars, reports etc., and external sources provide information through letters, orders, invoices, inquiries, reports, questionnaires etc.

The executives of the organization may also collect information while visiting other organizations.

2. Recording information

The office keeps record of information collected from various sources to make it readily available to the management.

The information is kept in the form of correspondence, reports, statements, circulars, lists, charts, registers, books, etc. An office has
also to maintain records as prescribed under law. The registered office of a company is required to maintain Register of Members

under the Companies Act, 1956.

3. Arranging, analyzing and processing the information

The information collected in an office is generally not in the form in which it may be used by the management. Therefore, facts and

figures collected have to be arranged, processed, organized and analyzed to make them useful to the management. In this connection

financial statements, statistical statements, charts, lists, reports, summaries are prepared.

4. Preserving Information

The information is properly sorted out and preserved in the most economic and scientific manner. Various types of equipment, filing

cabinets, etc. are used for preserving records. Unnecessary and outdated records are destroyed to make space for new and valuable

records.

5. Supplying information

All accumulated and processed information is useless unless it is communicated. The office serves as a two way channel for

communication. On the one hand, it supplies the collected, recorded and processed information to the management and on the other

hand, the policy decisions, guidelines and instructions issued by the management to the departments are also routed through the office.

The information may be supplied verbally or in writing.

3. OFFICE EQUIPMENT

Examples of equipment used in the office:

1. Guillotine or paper cutter 5. Desktop or Laptop
2. Shredder 6. Risograph

3. Photocopier 7. Digital Camera

4. Facsimile machine 8. LCD Projector

1. Guillotine or Paper Cutter

Definitions

A paper cutter (or paper guillotine) is a tool designed to cut a large set of paper at once with a perfectly straight edge.

A device for cutting or trimming paper, typically a weighted, powered, or spring-hinged blade mounted on or over a ruled board or

table on which many sheets of paper may be aligned for cutting at one time.

Description

Guillotine paper cutters are versatile tools, which are used in an office to cut a number of papers precisely and at the same time. It can

also trim a delicate little photograph. The ruler or the grid which is painted on the paper cutter, can be used to manage or cut the sheets

of paper precisely each time, every time. This rule may be marked off at half inch intervals. A guillotine paper cutter used in an office

can be about 30 cm long. The paper is lined up against a flat edge to position it properly before you use the blade for precision cutting.
Main features:

⚫ the surface will usually have a grid either painted or inscribed on it.

⚫ It may have a ruler across the top which the user may line up the paper at right-angles before passing it under the blade.

⚫ It is usually relatively heavy, so that it will remain steady while in use.

⚫ On the right-hand edge is a long, curved steel blade, often referred to as a knife, attached to the base at the top right-hand corner.

How does it work:

When the knife is pulled down to cut paper, the action resembles that of a pair of scissors, only instead of two knives moving against

each other, one is stationary. The combination of a blade mounted to a steady base produces clean and straight cuts. The following

YouTube video link shows how to use a guillotine or paper cutter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UouMzsKyYm0).

Guillotine Paper Cutter Safety

You may be very careful, but accidents are always waiting to happen, especially when you are using some equipment with a sharp

blade attached to it. That is why guillotine paper cutter safety measures include a blade guard as well as a finger guard. The blade

guard is placed on the blade, when the guillotine is not in use. The finger guard is to protect your finger from accidents. Read the

manufacturer’s manual carefully, before you use the guillotine paper cutter to reduce the chances of accidents occurring on your

fingers.
2. Paper Shredder

• Used to cut paper into chad, typically either strips or fine particles.

• Government organizations, businesses, and private individuals use shredders to destroy private, confidential, or otherwise sensitive

documents.

• Privacy experts often recommend that individuals shred bills, credit card and bank account statements, and other documents which

could be used by thieves to commit fraud or identity theft.

3. Photocopier
A photocopier (or copier)is a machine that makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply.

4. Risograph

Description
Risograph is a high-speed digital printing system manufactured by the Riso Kagaku Corporation and designed mainly for high-

volume photocopying and printing (generally more than 20) of the same original. It is typically far less expensive per page than a

conventional photocopier, laser printer, or inkjet printer.

How does it work?

The original is scanned through the machine and a master is created. This master is then wrapped around a drum and coated with a

thin layer of ink. The paper runs flat through the machine while the drum rotates at high speed to create each image on the paper.

5. LCD Projector

An LCD projector is a type ofvideo projector for displaying video, images or computer data on a screen or other flat surface.
6. Scanner

In computing, a scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image.

Common examples found in offices are variations of the desktop (or flatbed) scanner where the document is placed on a glass window

for scanning.
7. Fax Machine or facsimile

Fax fas(short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar", i.e. "make a copy") is a telecommunications technology used to

transfer copies (facsimiles) of documents, especially using affordable devices operating over the telephone network.

8. Digital Camera

A camera that captures and stores still images as digital data instead of using film.
The digital pictures are stored directly in the camera's memory and can be downloaded and used immediately on a computer or stored

for later reproduction.

Computer System

A combination of components designed to process and store data. It comprises at least one input device, a processing unit, an output

device, and a storage device, and may contain a communications device. The components include the CPU, buses, main memory

(RAM and ROM) and peripherals.

What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Ergonomics is employed to fulfill the two

main goals:

a) health
b) productivity
Factors that affect ergonomics:
Some of the factors that will affect employee’s comfort in the office are:
 a) Desk
b) Seating
c) Lighting
d) Computer
e) Temperature
f) Repetitive strain injury (RSI)
Importance of an appropriate Office Desk
The location, shape and size of the employee’s desk should be such that everything on it is within easy reach so that there will not be
strain on his or her muscles.
Poor Desks/Furniture
Ergonomic Desks

Poor Seating
Proper Seating
 The seating design should ensure that the width and depth of the seat will allow even weight distribution.
 It should be big enough for the employee to sit comfortably on the seat.
 The back of the seat should allow for support of the lower back and perhaps the neck.

Poor Office Lighting

Importance of Office Lighting

 If lights are installed in the ceiling it should be designed so that it is distributed evenly round the room.
 The workstation should be properly illuminated yet free from glare or shadows.
 Individual lamps should be placed on each desk.
Proper lighting in an Office
Importance of a good Computer System
 The placement of the monitor on the desk should be sufficient to ensure that the user can view the entire screen without eyestrain.
 The screen should be located so that there is no reflection on it from lights or windows
 The keyboard should be placed so that the angle of the elbow when the worker is typing is about 90 degrees
 The keyboard should be kept on a sliding tray suspended beneath the desk.
The Importance of Temperature
 Temperatures in a room can be a source of discomfort and affect the health of employees.
 The heating or air-conditioning must be monitored by expert personnel to ensure that a constant temperature is maintained.
Poor posture at the computer

Importance of good posture

 Bad posture can cause lower back pains
 Relax your shoulders when you sit.
 Stretch your lower back now and then by standing up and pulling each knee to your chest, holding that position for a few
seconds.
 Use a firm, adjustable and comfortable chair.
 Adjust the chair height so that your thighs are horizontal, your feet are flat on the floor.
 The back of the chair should always support your lower back.
 There are two types of repetitive strain injury:
a) Tendonitis: a situation where the tendon is inflamed caused by some repeated motion stress on the tendon
b) Carpel tunnel syndrome: the inflammation of the nerve that connects your forearm to the palm of your hand

How to prevent repetitive strain injury.

● Take frequent breaks during any long computer session to exercise your hands and arms
● Place a wrist rest between the keyboard and the edge of your desk to prevent injury during typing.

● Type on the computer keyboard as you play the piano, lifting your fingers up and down rather than your wrist.

SOURCES

(Web site) http://slubusinessteachers.blogspot.com/p/office-layouts_19.html

Video link (shttp://slubusinessteachers.blogspot.com/p/videos.html)