Office System: Need, Importance, Planning and Advantages | Office Routine (2024)

Read this article to learn about the need, characteristics, importance, planning, advantages and disadvantages of office system.

Need for the System in an Office:

Every office is set to achieve some objective. To achieve it a series of tasks has to be performed at every step.

This makes a great demand on the management because as the enterprise expands it faces a tough competition.

In case there is a mistake committed while performing a task is because of a lack of a system then it becomes a costly affair to rectify the task, put it into order and again to proceed ahead with it.

In simple words, when there is a system established and over the period of time if everybody in the office follows the system, it becomes a procedure of the office. “Office procedures are thus a series of steps to be taken for doing a particular work in the office as per the office systems.” For example, the recruitment of the office staff is to be done on the basis of a planned system.

Characteristics of Office System:

These are the following characteristic of a good office system:

1. Office systems are inter-related parts operating in a sequence and they are not isolated actions.

2. Office systems are concerned with the method of work in the office.

3. They aim at achieving the goal of an enterprise.

4. They are concerned with the place and the time of performance of work in the office or any part of the enterprise.

Importance of Office System:

1. If the office staff has to be trimmed adequately, then it is imperative to have a good office system.

2. The common error caused by a employee can be reduced to a large extent if the system is proper, and established in the office.

3. Frustration, delays and blockage of the office work is reduced if there is a good office system.

4. To ensure that there is proper coordination, control and supervision in an office, it is necessary to have a very good office system.

5. Since there is a method involved in the system, it helps a job to move faster as the personnel in the office know and follow the system.

6. A saving in labour and overhead is brought about if a proper system is established.

Planning or Designing of Office System:

It is the job of the top management to get themselves involved, and to share the responsibility, to show an enthusiasm and a zeal for designing an office system. Like any other activity, a system must be properly planned and carefully designed. A system, planned, designed and approved by the management, and instituted in an organisation is bound to result in smooth functioning of an office, and to achieve a good result.

Organisation for System Design:

A system can be established, set or formulated by one of these ways:

1. Outside consultants: These consultants may be called to make a special survey of the office to make system and procedures so that the advices are instituted.

2. The top management appoints a system committee to consider every aspect of the system and make suitable suggestions.

3. A separate department or section consisting of system analysis is created to develop a system and suggest certain methods and procedures.

4. If an office is very small then the office manager is assigned the task of system analysis and suggestions to be made for their institution.

Steps for Planning of Systems:

The work of planning the system can be divided into:

1. Establishing Objectives and Policies:

It is a basic necessity of any system. It is the task of the top management.

Some of the important aspects of establishing objectives are:

(i) What is the information to be supplied and to whom?

(ii) Is there a case for reducing the present cost?

(iii) What is the extent of competition such that the system is established?

(iv) What should be the extent of mechanisation?

(v) If the system is established, what would be the percentage to follow it and what would be the rate of the growth of the system?

2. Defining the Limitation of the Systems:

This also known as “knows what the framework of the system is”. Once the boundaries are known it becomes easy to operate the system. Once the objectives are set then the boundaries or the framework is easy to design and then a set of principles and polices could be put into the framework for the system to take a concrete shape.

3. Collection of Data:

A method must be followed to collect the data. Irrelevant, insufficient or wasteful data collected will not serve the purpose of forming or formulating a system. Here only those data which are useful to the system must be gathered or collected.

At the time of collecting the data, the following points have to be taken care of:

(i) The type of the data gathered

(ii) The source from which the data is gathered

(iii) The time when the data is gathered

(iv) The approach to be adopted in gathering the data.

Sources of Data Collection:

1. Organisation Manuals and Charts:

Organisation charts and manuals also give some sketchy details. But when they are used with organisation manuals, they indicate how the activities are grouped, and what is the action that should be taken at each step so that the tasks are done. It would be very necessary to prepare a list of tasks performed because it identifies the work done, from where it is done and whether any duplication etc.

2. Information Flow and System:

All the relevant files should be used to extract data regarding the system of information. They indicate the manner of work performances—past as well as the current. Besides, they indicate preference of the different managers.

3. Business Machines Manufacturer:

Some of the business machines manufacturers can aid in system design. Though this is a common practice in industrially advanced countries, yet it is rather uncommon in our country, perhaps with the exception of computers, duplicating and Xerox machines. Talking to superiors, supervisors, and operative employees help.

The persons involved in a process can furnish the best data for the purpose of designing the system. They are capable of giving the answers to many unanswered questions. Thus it would be advisable to interview supervisors and employees only toward the end of the process of data collection because by then the questions on which the answers are sought are well-known.

4. Observing the Work:

The observation of the work is reliable and should always be used. The reliability of the data already collected through other sources can be checked with its help. However, a proper observation requires adequate training on part of the observer.

5. Studying Accounting Data:

Accounting data reveal the cost and the financial accounting control and the systems and methods of how they function. It is likely that, in some cases, incomplete, partial or rejected system of accounting operates which may even help in solving some of the problems in the system design.

Establishing System Premises:

The steps already outlined for system design form the basis on which system premises are to be established. The information gathered about the present procedures and system gives facts about the quality and quantity of work already done. Now, a system has to be designed which has to take into account the facts it would be essential to take into account the future possibilities to build up the system.

In other words, the system should have inbuilt flexibility. Though no part of a system can remain the same over a period of time, yet, for practical purposes, we have to assume some static concept in order to design a system. And, as the condition changes over a period of time, the system can be altered.

Implementing the System:

Once the systems are planned, it is necessary to communicate them to employees at all levels. Many a time systems suggest changes in the existing method of work and increase mechanisation. Thus it could be necessary to educated or train employees about new methods of work, or buy new machines and arrange for the training or recruitment of employees to run these machines. A system cannot be properly designed or implemented unless there is system integration.

Advantages of Office System:

1. Liberation of Management:

The single advantage is of utmost importance. A good system leaves the boss free to do what only he has to do he can plan, institute desirable action, examine the result of that action, evaluate performance, institute improvement, delegate with confidence provided that he will use the system to do about all the work which does not requires his attention.

2. Avoidance of Delay and Bottle-neck:

Good system ensure smooth running of the office and thus all kind of delay and bottle-necks are avoided. The work proceeds smoothly.

3. Elimination of Error:

Since a system is based on all proper analysis, chances of error gets eliminated or at least minimised. This further adds to the efficiency of the machine.

4. Better Speed:

Speedy despatch of work is possible as a system is based on the method of work employed and not on mere whims and fancies of an individual worker or a manager.

5. Training to the Staff:

Office system make the training of the staff better and thus efficiency of worker in the office improves. A few well-trained workers are better than an army of untrained workers.

6. Better Control:

System ensures better control of the work and, in turn, helps in eliminating frauds.

7. Better Co-ordination:

Proper coordination is a major aim of the system. Better coordination is possible through the introduction of a system. This results in greater cohesion and efficiency. Bottle-neck is removed.

8. Economy:

A good system also saves on overhead expenditure and direct labour because method of work are based on proper analysis and they are changed from time-to-time to meet the changing environment of business.

9. Better form Design and Form Control:

As a good system aims at a better form design and control, the work efficiency of the office increases and the unnecessary laggards get eliminated. This leads to greater efficiency in all the departments of the enterprise.

Limitations of Office System:

Our discussion of and on the office system would remain incomplete unless we take into account the limitations under which they operate. In order to derive the maximum benefit out of the system, it could be essential to study their limitations.

They are summered as:

1. Limitation of Integration:

System must be integrated to achieve the system of objectives. System integration is a formidable task and thus imposes a limitation on system that operates in various departments. Certain systems have to be modified keeping in view the demand of other systems which operate in the organisation.

2. Limitation of Planning:

Planning of system imposes a great limitation. A system will fail to produce results unless proper planning go into its installation.

3. Limitation of Cost:

The cost factor is one of the important factors while deciding upon the formulation and adoption of the system. A system must be evaluated at the planning stage to judge its efficiency so that it may bring about economy in the office instead of increasing overheads and direct labour cost.

4. Limitation of Repetitive Use:

If a system is used repetitively and repeatedly, it loses its efficiency in great measure. It becomes a great restraint on the office. Change in the system must be made from time to time on the basis of current needs, which imposes a great expenditure on the organisation.

5. Limitation of Strict Adherence:

Strict adherence to system all the time makes a system inflexible and unworkable. Thus it is essential that a system should leave something to the discretion and judgement of the manager, supervisor, and the subordinates.