IMPROTANCE OF AN OFFICE

The importance of an office is discussed below:

1. Office as a service centre Office provides the services of typing, duplicating, printing, providing information from records, supplying forms and stationery etc. No organisation can work smoothly without these services. Therefore, office is sometimes referred to as a service department.

2. Office as a memory centre All types of information are arranged and preserved in the office and supplied to management as and when required. Various transactions and activities of the organisation which are on record are preserved by the office. Therefore, office may be described as the memory centre, information centre or brain of an organisation.

3. Office as a channel of communication It is through the office that communication, especially written communication, takes place between different departments and different levels of the organisation. An organisation would fail, in spite of the best organisational resources, if the communication system is not effective.

4. Office as a co-ordinator Office maintains links with all the departments of an organization and keeps every department informed about what is happening in other departments. Thus, it provides the basis of co-ordination between departments. For example, office informs the production department about changing tastes and fashion in the market as revealed by the market survey conducted by marketing department. Similarly marketing department is supplied information about the cost of production to fix appropriate prices.

5. Office as a controller Control is a necessary function of management executed through office. It requires (i) establishment of standards, (ii) measurement of performance against the standard (iii) ascertainment of deviation, and (iv) correction of deviations from standards and plans.

6. Office as a intermediary The office maintains contact with outsiders and links the organization with customers, suppliers, etc. It attends to the enquiries, orders and complaints, and maintains liaison between government and the organisation.

7. Importance of office to employees Maintenance of attendance records, and preparation of wage and salary sheets for timely payment are the responsibility of the office. It is also responsible for operating different employee benefit schemes, like group insurance, provident fund, etc.

8. Importance of office to customers The office acts as a link between the business and its customers. Enquiries, orders, and complaints of customers are taken care of by the office. It also advertises the products and their uses for information of the customers.

9. Importance to general public The office also acts as a link between general public and the Nature and functions of office organisation. It is responsible for creating a good image for the organisation in the minds of people.