Improve Your Business’ Office Administration

Running a business with an inefficient office administration is like fighting a boxing match with one hand tied behind your back. With poor office administration, almost every task will take a long time to accomplish. Instead of being of assistance, office staff may find themselves embroiled in squabbles. Effective office administration is of vital importance in the proper running of any company.

Office administration covers a wide area, but it generally involves the management of the daily operations of the office. The scope of responsibility may vary, but it usually involves the following:

• Records and filing management. Keeping records organized needs special knowledge on the legal requirements and company need for the information. The administrator must know the prescribed period a document must be kept and how to dispose of the files that are no longer needed. The importance of a document is a factor in how secure its storage space must be. They are also responsible for limiting access to the records to authorized personnel only. Note that records and files may be in physical or digital form.

• Office logistics. Usually this concerns the timely requisitioning of needed office supplies. Controls must be established to minimize loss of office supplies. Office administrators are responsible, too, for the quality of the purchases and that they should not be under- or over-stocked.

• Developing office policies and procedures. It is usually the office administrator who is responsible for interpreting and implementing office policies and procedures to make office functions orderly. They may also have the authority to develop new policies and procedures which must be in line with legal and company requirements.

• Management of the employees associated with the office. This may be from the interviewing and hiring of the staff to the supervision of their work. Office administrators are responsible for their productivity and discipline as well. The training of office staff is part of the office administrator’s duty, although it may be outsourced if needed.

• Managing the flow of information in the office. Office administrators are the ones tasked to direct all sorts of communication to the parties concerned. They may also be the one to review and reply to correspondence. Information may come from both external and internal sources.

• Office maintenance. It is the duty of office administrators to make sure that all office facilities and equipment are in good working order, although he/ she would not be the one to personally fix it. Hazardous conditions must be addressed and safety requirements complied with.

• Financial planning. This function is usually limited to managing the budget allocated for operations of the office. Normally, the office administrator’s input is taken into account when establishing the budget for the office.

Improving office administration is one of the most overlooked sources of cost-cutting and speeding up of a company’s operations. For little or no cost, you will be able to increase your output.

To know more about office administration, BusinessCoach, Inc., a leading business seminar provider, conducts seminars on “Effective Office Administration.” Call (2) 727-5628/8860 or (915) 205-0133, e-mail businesscoachphil@gmail.com or visit www.businesscoachphil.com for details.

Click here to view details of the seminar: Effective Office Administration »

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.