Effective Time and Task Management: Skills, Consequences, and Customer Service, Study notes of Business

Download Effective Time and Task Management: Skills, Consequences, and Customer Service and more Study notes Business in PDF only on Docsity! Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes Page - 1 - Business Education 1.1 Factors Contributing to Effectiveness of the Administrative Practices Within Organisations Time Management One of the most important skills for effective working is that of time management. Time is a resource which is easy to waste – whether it is spending 10 minutes looking for a document we didn’t make the effort to store correctly, or talking to colleagues about a problem instead of taking action on it. Good time-management techniques should ensure that:  the best use is made of the time available  time-wasting activities are minimised  more time is made available for important or urgent jobs. If time is not managed effectively then problems can arise, for example: Activity Panic Jobs are left unfinished and the administrative assistant is left running from one crisis to another as deadlines approach. Reaction not Action Planning of tasks becomes unmanageable and situations arise where the administrative assistant has to react to crises rather than planning and prioritising tasks methodically and carefully. Work overload Being pressed for time which results in an ever-increasing list of jobs that still have to be tackled. Stress Poor time management leading to stress with the administrative assistant feeling that the work will never be completed. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes Page - 2 - Business Education When you learn and maintain good time management skills, you’ll find freedom from deadline pressure and from stress in general. You’ll be more productive, procrastinate less, and have more time to relax, which helps further decrease stress and anxiety. Skills required PLANNING is a basic management function involving one or more detailed plans to achieve a goal or objective. The planning process clearly identifies the goals or objectives to be achieved, the strategies to achieve them, and implements and directs all steps in their proper sequence. DELEGATING happens when you give one of your staff members a task (or part of a task) to complete which, currently, you undertake. When delegation works successfully three things happen: 1. You are allowed the time and space to do the most important parts of the job really well. You do the work only you can do 2. Your staff members take charge of some work which develops their ability and potential 3. You make the most effective use of the resources available to you ORGANISING "Organising is the process of identifying and grouping the work to be performed, defining and delegating responsibility and authority and establishing relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work most effectively together in accomplishing objectives." Louis Allen DIRECTING can be done by telling someone something verbally, written or by actions. It is telling staff how to get something done. CONTROLLING having the power to direct the behaviour of staff member to cause a person to do what you want or how something is managed or done Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes Page - 5 - Business Education You have already looked at how important it is to plan work – in terms of time and resources. Many tools exist to help deal with this – from simple daily ‘To Do’ lists to more long-term Action Plans or Development Plans. In addition to appropriate use of these tools, effective task management involves a number of skills: Organisation looking ahead and planning, but also monitoring progress and achievement Prioritisation deciding on what is important and what is less so Delegation deciding when it would be appropriate to ask someone else to do some of the tasks – doing a good job isn’t about doing everything yourself Control tackling work calmly and in priority order Assertiveness saying ‘no’ when necessary Negotiation being able to negotiate deadlines and resources if necessary Resource management using time, staff and equipment appropriately Evaluation seeking improvement and identifying the causes of any problems. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes Page - 6 - Business Education Benefits for an Individual and Organisation from Effective Time and Task Management: Individual Organisation  job satisfaction  good work relationships  lower stress levels amongst staff  increased productivity  increased quality of work  good customer relations – through meeting deadlines/orders, etc.  increased competitiveness in the marketplace Consequences of Poor Task and Time Management can include: poor productivity poor quality of work increased costs unmet deadlines unhappy customers/suppliers low level of competitiveness in marketplace stress-related absence poor work relationships poor job satisfaction. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes Page - 7 - Business Education Individual and Organisational Targets Individual targets are also important and are likely to be recorded in the Personal Development Plan of an employee. Personal Development Plan A document which can be used to record formally areas of strength and areas for development. Methods of improving the areas for development along with target dates can also be recorded on the Personal Development Plan. Employees are encouraged to identify, in discussions with line managers, areas where they have particular strengths and areas where they would wish to acquire or develop knowledge and skills. The information, which is recorded on a Personal Development Plan, can form part of a formal staff appraisal system or be used within an informal staff development and review process. A Personal Development Plan allows an employee to:  focus on specific aspects of his/her job  identify skills that the employee already has and which can be shared with other employees  identify his/her training needs  expand his/her job role within the organisation. An example of a Personal Development Plan follows. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 10 - Business Education Action Plan Name Susan Greenback Project Compile a database of suitable hotels (UK) for company travel Estimated Completion Date - June Action required (e.g. Tasks) Estimated time for completion Actual time taken to complete Notes Discuss with line manager hotel criteria that should be met. 2 hours 3 hours Possible – costs, facilities, distance from airports/train stations, number of hotels required in each city. Research hotel information. 6 hours 8½ hours Possible sources of information: AA/RAC Handbook, Internet, Yellow Pages and Thomson’s local directories. Compile structure of hotel database. 1 hour 45 minutes Suggest to boss additional field should be ‘discount offered’. Enter data into database records. 5 hours Review use of hotels on a regular basis and update records accordingly. 30 minutes monthly Note 1. Italics have been used to indicate areas which also feature in the Priorities List. 2. The last two tasks on the Action Plan have still to be completed. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 11 - Business Education GANNT CHARTS A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart, developed by Henry Gantt in the 1910s, that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the main elements and summary elements of a project. The main elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. Modern Gantt charts also show the dependency relationships between activities. Gantt charts can be used to show current schedule status using percent-complete shadings and a vertical "TODAY" line as shown here. Priorities Lists Priorities Lists should have a mixture of high, medium and low priority tasks so that some tasks can be delayed if necessary. If a Priorities List only included high priority tasks then an emergency requiring a change to plans would result in the administrative assistant not knowing which task should be left until another day. A mixture of tasks would enable low or medium priority work to be tackled another day, whilst hopefully, leaving some time to deal with the high priority tasks. Above all, the administrative assistant should remain calm and, if necessary, reschedule work or call on others to help complete the work. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 12 - Business Education Dealing with Changing Priorities Although a Priorities List and Action Plan may be completed methodically, plans may still have to be amended because of unforeseen (unexpected) circumstances. There will be certain occasions when urgent action will be required on the administrative assistant’s part and other work that has been planned for that day will have to be tackled later. The following are examples of unexpected circumstances: a member of staff fails to show up for work the computer network ‘crashes’ a line manager suddenly changes a deadline for a piece of work. It should, therefore, be remembered when compiling Priorities Lists and Action Plans that:  work schedules should have some degree of flexibility built in  tasks should not be left to the last minute – planning should ensure that should an unforeseen situation arise, it would be unlikely to make the completion of a task go beyond the scheduled deadline. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 15 - Business Education Progress can be discussed and recorded at:  regular team meetings  regular one-to-one meetings between employee and line manager. Dealing with Deviations from Planned Targets If there are thorough control and monitoring systems in place then any deviations from targets should soon be spotted. Such deviations from targets should be discussed and, where possible, acted upon. With your line manager you should discuss the following: ? Were the targets SMART and understood? ? Did any unforeseen circumstances arise that caused the work to fall ? behind schedule, e.g. absence from work? ? Did the actions of others whom you were dependent upon hold ? up the work? ? Was the work plan structured correctly or did additional tasks occur after the job started? ? Did the task extend beyond your capabilities and experience? ? Did your line manager support you when undertaking the task? In some instances it will be possible to bring the targets back in line with plans. For example, you may be offered overtime or it may be possible to trim back some tasks. In other situations, however, the completion dates for targets may have to be changed, especially if the circumstances are beyond your control. In such instances it is important to gather all the evidence that you can to justify why a target date has to be changed. It is also helpful to suggest ways in which slippage of targets can be avoided in the future. In any situation where it is apparent that targets are not going to be achieved it is vital to remember that the problems must be discussed with the line manager as soon as possible. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 16 - Business Education What causes Poor Time Management? Time Stealers To overcome the causes of poor time management it is a useful exercise to identify the time stealers (also known as time wasters) that can affect the workflow. The table overleaf identifies the most common time stealers and suggests ways in which they can be tackled so as to improve time management. Time stealer Suggestions for improvement Lack of forward planning Make better use of Priority Lists and Action Plans. The telephone Learn to control the conversation. Do not allow conversations to run on for too long. If it becomes apparent that there is a lot to be discussed, suggest a meeting at a more appropriate time. Schedule a time of the day to make calls. Unexpected visits from colleagues Be polite but firm especially if the person is just looking for a chat. Stand up as the person enters the room. Inform the person you cannot stop work, e.g. ‘I would love to chat, but I really must get on with this piece of work. Why don’t we meet for lunch tomorrow?’ If the person wishes to discuss a work matter let them know it has to be kept brief, e.g. ‘I can only spare 5 minutes at the moment so fire away.’ Taking on too much work Learn to say No! Be assertive. If your work is piling up you must approach your line manager and ask for help or for a halt to new work being allocated until your desk is clear. Taking work home Approach your line manager about workload. If realistic aims and targets are set, you should be able to manage your work within the working day. Not assessing priorities correctly Take time at the beginning and end of each day to assess what tasks have been completed, what tasks need to be carried forward and what tasks are new. Note all carry- forward tasks on your Priorities List for the next working day. Prioritise the tasks as urgent, must be done, should be done, could be done and could be delegated. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 17 - Business Education Time stealer Suggestions for improvement Lack of self- discipline or shuffling papers Use your Priorities List. Do not procrastinate (put off) tasks which you do not particularly like doing. Tackle one or two uninteresting tasks per day – do not allow them to pile up. Reward yourself for completing these tasks. Practise handling papers only once, i.e. do not keep picking up and putting down papers – deal with them as they arrive whenever possible. Communication problems Communicate clearly – recap on instructions that you may be giving to staff or read back tasks allocated to you by your line manager. This cuts down on the time wasted through clarifying obscure messages or checking on missing facts. Making unnecessary journeys Group jobs so that visits to other departments, the photocopier, the mail room, etc. are cut down to one or two trips per day. Searching for lost papers File, file, file! Set up and maintain filing systems that are backed up with cross-referencing. Darting about from one task to another Prioritise all work and stick to the list (unless emergency situations arise). Finish a task before moving on to the next task on your list. Delegate If you have staff in a more junior position to yourself, learn to delegate. Accept that others can do tasks as well as you can. Book time for yourself Allow yourself a time slot in the week when nobody (except your line manager) can interrupt you unless it is an emergency. This could involve the use of a ‘do not disturb’ sign, red time (whereby a red sign on the desk means do not disturb) or any other appropriate method of informing colleagues that your work is not to be interrupted. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 20 - Business Education What Factors Determine the Effectiveness of the Team? Team Composition: Careful consideration should be placed on factors such as personality, interests, age and backgrounds when forming a team. If the members of a team think along the same lines then they will usually work together effectively. Team Development/Cohesiveness: Often, a group which has worked together before, will know one another well, jelling quickly and identifying themselves as a team early on. Teams develop through a number of stages. Early on in the process shared sets of standards and values are agreed and adopted by the group – once this happens a team will work as a cohesive group and pull together. Nature of the Task: Team effectiveness is often affected by the task being faced, for example, how clearly structured the task is, how challenging and whether the team believe in it or not. This is linked to the resources the team is given to do the job (time, equipment, budget, etc.) and whether the team have been involved in agreeing these things. The clearer the task, and the more involved the members feel, the more effectively the team will work. Team Maintenance/Environment: It is important that the people who belong to a team identify themselves as part of a team and are given opportunities to develop as a team. Virtual teams (members work remotely from one another) need to be brought together every now and then to maintain relationships and their feeling of identity. Teams need to be given the right environment to be able to work together which includes being sited together in the workplace and being given opportunities to take part in activities both inside and out of the workplace, which develop their relationship as a team. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 21 - Business Education Leadership: One of the essential components of effective teams is appropriate leadership. A leader can be described as someone who influences others towards the achievement of goals. Instead of having to coerce followers to achieve a task, a good leader will motivate people to willingly work towards their goals. He or she will do this by such means as:  setting a clear vision or goals for the team  meeting the needs of the team (information, communication, etc.)  meeting the needs of the individuals within the team (support, training, etc.)  meeting the needs of the task in hand (resources, use of team skills, etc.)  liaising between the team, management and other work areas. A good leader will deploy team skills effectively, ensure conflict is kept to a minimum and that communication is open and constructive. Good leaders involve their team in decision-making and listen to ideas on the best way to achieve the task. They encourage a sense of team ownership and commitment to the task and the organisation – ensuring that the job gets done but also ensuring that the team has a sense of satisfaction in doing it. The kind of leadership required by a team will depend on a number of factors – whether it is a new or established team, how effective the team is and how complex the task is, etc. A directing leader is more necessary in a less experienced, less effective team, however, more experienced or effective teams will often need a leader who is more a coordinator of activity and provider of resources as they will need less direction. The more effective a team is, the more the members will interact with one another and take on roles to support one another – there is less need for a leader to direct operations, but rather to pull things together and support the activity. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 22 - Business Education To summarise, effective teams: Develop a relaxed atmosphere Allow relevant discussion with participation of all Demonstrate clear commitment to objectives Allow members listen to one another Discuss conflicts openly and deal with criticism constructively Reach decisions by consensus Encourage a climate where ideas are freely expressed Allow leadership to be shared Promote a climate where members will evaluate themselves. Benefits to Individuals and the Organisation of Effective Team Working There are clear benefits to both the organisation and to individuals in adopting a team-based approach to work: Risk-Taking: Often, groups will take more risks than individuals working alone. This can be an advantage for organisations where calculated risks can pay off and give that organisation a competitive edge. For individuals, the ability to share the risk encourages them to try out ideas, which they might not have tried as an individual. Pooled Resources: ‘Two heads are better than one.’ Bringing people together, with the variety of knowledge and skills they possess will generate more ideas and solve more problems than using individuals separately. Exchange of ideas and shared skills benefits the organisation in terms of creativity, it is also of benefit to the individuals involved for their learning and development, which in turn increases motivation. Morale and Motivation: Effective teamwork often brings the individuals concerned a greater sense of involvement, development and achievement. In turn this can improve job satisfaction, morale and motivation. Increased employee motivation benefits the organisation through improved efficiency and productivity. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 25 - Business Education In addition to the above legislative requirements, in 1993 six European Health and Safety directives were enforced in Britain. These became known as the ‘Six-Pack’, and covered many aspects of health and safety legislation; however, there were two main additions:  the requirement for risk assessment and monitoring by employers – it is now the duty of employers to carry out a written assessment of all risks in the workplace, identify hazards involved and outline actions to eliminate or minimise the risks  increased worker participation. Communicating Health and Safety Regulations Part of an employer’s responsibility is to provide information on health and safety to its employees. In fact, by law, any organisation employing more than five staff must produce a written health and safety policy, which must be issued to its staff. Most organisations will produce their own company set of policies and procedures for health and safety – the Health and Safety at Work Act provides only minimum standards and many organisations exceed these. There are a number of ways organisations ensure information is communicated:  Induction training – new employees receive a copy of a company’s health and safety policy and may have familiarisation sessions, e.g. fire-drill procedures  On-going training – may include safe use of equipment, safe lifting and handling  Use of notices – this could include posting fire alarm procedures, caution signs, no-smoking signs  Demonstrations – such as first aid, fire drills, evacuation simulations  Organisational handbook – this is usually distributed to staff or made readily available and usually includes health and safety policies and procedures  Advice sessions – either from the organisation’s health and safety officer or from outside agencies for specific issues  Intranet – for accessing health and safety information  Introducing a health and safety representative – who should be available for advice and who will provide information on all aspects of health and safety. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 26 - Business Education Of course, whilst it is a legal requirement for organisations to provide information, it is also an obligation of the employee to ensure it is read and complied with. Consequences of Breaches of Health and Safety Legislation and Procedures The Organisation The two organisations responsible for enforcing workplace health and safety legislation are the national Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local government Environmental Health departments. Inspectors representing the above bodies can visit organisations at any time, with or without warning, and have the power to:  provide advice  issue warnings, including notice to improve (within a fixed time)  immediately shut down operations without notice. Penalties for organisations who fail to comply with the above can include fines or even imprisonment. In addition, employees who believe that the organisation has breached health and safety requirements can take their case to an Industrial Tribunal. Examples might be the non-provision of safety equipment/ protective clothing or failure to remedy a reported hazard, which has resulted in subsequent injury. If a case is proven against the employer, it may result in fines, or compensation to the employee. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 27 - Business Education Employees Examples of employees failing to comply with health and safety policies and procedures may include behaving in a dangerous manner towards others, smoking in designated non-smoking areas or even refusing to wear provided safety clothing. Depending on the severity and nature of the incident, employees will usually be dealt with through the company’s disciplinary procedures, which might include:  a verbal warning  a written warning  summary dismissal  referral to the police  civil and criminal prosecution. The issue of health and safety is a very serious one for both employers and employees and failure to comply with either legislation or organisational procedures can result in heavy penalties for all concerned. Data Protection Act The Data Protection Act (DPA) is a law designed to protect personal data stored on computers or in an organised paper filing system. With more and more organisations using computers to store and process personal information there was a danger the information could be misused or get into the wrong hands. The 1998 Data Protection Act was passed by Parliament to control the way information is handled and to give legal rights to people who have information stored about them. Other European Union countries have passed similar laws as often information is held in more than one country. How the Data Protection Act works The Data Protection Act was developed to give protection and lay down rules about how data about people can be used. The 1998 Act covers information or data stored on a computer or an organised paper filing system about living people. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 30 - Business Education 1.4 Explaining How Modern IT Has Had an Impact on Working Practices The Work Environment Have you ever heard of buildings being sick? Researchers have found a phenomenon called ‘sick building syndrome’ – i.e. employees believe that the building they work in makes them unwell. This is often a result of poor layout, ventilation, lighting or even décor. The science of ergonomics has attempted to look at the office environment, and its impact on the individual. Many organisations have re-designed the work environment, placing more emphasis on factors such as employee health and work productivity. Office Layout Organisations now design their workplaces not only to suit the workflow requirements, but also with the needs of their employees in mind. There are two main choices of office layout – cellular or open plan. Cellular Layout This type of layout consists of individual offices. The advantages and disadvantages of this form of layout are listed below: Advantages Disadvantages Privacy Status Quiet – can close the door Can regulate heat/light to suit own needs own needs Wastes space Cannot share resources, e.g. printers Employees may feel isolated Uneconomic, e.g. lighting/heating Difficult to supervise activity Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 31 - Business Education Open Plan Layout An open-plan layout can be totally open (without any kind of partition of space at all) or ‘landscaped’, which is more often the case. Landscaped layouts will use plants, furniture and partitions/screens to create work areas within one large space. The advantages and disadvantages of this type of layout are shown below: Advantages Disadvantages Less wasted space Easy to supervise Can be designed to suit workflow and work groups Resources can be shared, e.g. printer/copier Staff do not feel isolated – sociable layout Can be noisy Lacks privacy Does not give status of ‘own office’ Can’t regulate heat/light to individual needs No matter which layout an organisation chooses, it must ensure the correct workflow. Workflow describes the flow of people and paper around the office. If the layout leads to unnecessary movement around the building and results in delays, hold-ups and frustration then there is a problem of design. Good design principles include:  Site associated work areas together, e.g. sales and purchasing;  No unnecessary physical barriers to get from A to B;  Common services/equipment sited centrally for all to use. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 32 - Business Education In addition, the layout chosen should meet the needs of the employees who have to work in it. Open-plan layouts should be landscaped to ensure the disadvantages of this kind of layout are minimised and the advantages maximized. For example, built-in private areas, use of ergonomically designed furniture to allow privacy (e.g. desk dividers, modesty panels) location of grouped workspaces to house teams/ sections together. Ergonomic Environment A good working environment will often have been ergonomically designed and take account of individual needs, including health and safety issues. Features of this will include:  Systems furniture – desks/chairs that adjust to fit work/equipment/ individual requirements  Wall colours which are relaxing, minimise glare, and please the eye  Lighting – non-glare, desk-top lamps where appropriate  Ventilation – good circulation or air, but no draughts  Noise control – appropriate choice of glazing, walls and floor coverings to reduce noise  Workstations which ensure privacy and ownership of space  Protective equipment for use with ICT, e.g. wrist-rests, anti-glare screens. A well-designed, well laid-out ergonomic work environment reduces the risk of ‘sick-building’ syndrome and has a huge impact on both the individual and the organisation:  improves morale and motivation and helps productivity  ensures effective flow of work  promotes health and safety at work  gives a positive image for the organisation  can be cost-effective as a result of the above. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 35 - Business Education In addition, organisations might choose to outsource whole areas of its operations (for example, marketing, recruitment or payroll services). In this instance they contract another organisation to deliver a service or particular skill rather than employ and train staff of their own. Another area where employers have introduced more flexibility in the workplace is through the use of career breaks, whereby employees with a certain length of service take time out from their career to pursue other interests or family commitments. At the end of the agreed period, the employee will return to their position in the organisation. Employers have realised that there are advantages to holding on to able, experienced staff and, rather than lose them permanently, employers are increasingly agreeing to these temporary breaks in employment. Case loading has also been adopted in some organisations to replace the more traditional 9 to 5, 5-days-a-week approach. A shift in emphasis means the completion of a given workload is considered more important than working a set number of hours in a day. Therefore, where it is considered that the overall work of the organisation will not suffer, employees are often allowed to adopt more flexible working patterns. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 36 - Business Education Impact of Flexible Working Practices On the Organisation  Short-term contracts can be used to employ staff only when they are needed (especially useful in businesses where demand for their goods/services is seasonal). In addition, organisations can buy in specialist skills for short-term projects without incurring the need for training/re- skilling of their existing staff.  Organisations can retain workers whose personal circumstances have changed (e.g. new mothers/fathers) rather than lose the knowledge and skills of these experienced workers. Consequently, there is no need to recruit and train new employees.  Savings can be made in terms of occupying building space.  By increasing the choice of working methods to suit employees’ lifestyles, the organisation will benefit from better morale, motivation and productivity.  Outsourcing of services to specialist firms can be cost effective, despite the possible loss of control over a particular area of work. Impact on Employees  Greater choice and flexibility to suit changing needs and lifestyle  Question of security of job if contracts are increasingly of a temporary or fixed-term nature – implications for, e.g. pensions, ability to get mortgage, etc. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 37 - Business Education Communication Methods Communication with colleagues and customers A vital factor in providing customer care is that of effective communication. It is crucial that an organisation communicates with its customers. Communication can take several forms; however, most communication involves listening and speaking and the impact of what we are trying to communicate comes from:  the words we use  the tone of our voice  our body language. Research has shown the relative importance of these aspects is as follows:  words – 7%  tone of voice – 38%  body language – 55%. Methods of Communication Mobile Phones A mobile phone (also known as a cellular phone, cell phone, and a hand phone) is a phone that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. In addition mobile phones also support a wide variety of other services such as text messaging, MMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography. Mobile phones that offer these and more general computing capabilities are referred to as smartphones. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 40 - Business Education Applications software – most organisations will use a combination of general-purpose software such as word-processing, spreadsheet and database applications which can be used by all employees within the organisation. Integrated packages (for example, Microsoft Office or Lotus Smartsuite) are now commonly used – this is where different applications are available within the same package and feature common commands and the ability to integrate data between them. Most organisations will operate their software on a network basis for common access and communication. Many organisations will also use general software packages to carry out a particular activity such as accounting; however, they may also use customised software which has been specially written for the organisation. Examples of this might be specialised timetabling or database packages. The majority of organisations hold the bulk of their information on a database management system. This system provides a centralised database resource for the whole organisation. Instead of each department designing and using their own database files (which cannot be shared around the organisation and which may result in a lot of duplication), a database management system allows a common database file to contain different tables of information which can be linked together. Each table within the database can be designed to meet the needs of all the different users, can be accessed by everyone and can also be customised to suit particular requirements by use of software features such as sort, filter, query, report, etc. Advantages of this are:  data is not stored several times in separate files  data is consistent – held once, not several times in different forms  more information is available to all users from the one database  greater security – different levels of access can be granted so users can only view or update the parts of the database they are authorized for  reduces time spent inputting data – because data is held in one file only  data accuracy – because the database is designed by a specialist, the integrity of the data can be improved by use of appropriate validation features to minimise input error. Networks A computer network or data network is a telecommunications network that allows computers to exchange data. In computer networks, networked computing devices pass data to each other along data connections. The connections (network links) between nodes are established using either cable media or wireless media. The best-known computer network is the Internet. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 41 - Business Education Computer networks support applications such as access to the World Wide Web, shared use of application and storage servers, printers, and fax machines, and use of email and instant messaging applications. Computer networks differ in the physical media used to transmit their signals, the communications protocols to organize network traffic, the network's size, topology (the arrangement of the various elements eg links, nodes, etc of a computer network) and organisational intent File Management File-management systems to ensure data is stored and retrieved effectively. Include archiving old data, regular back-up procedures and general disk clean-up/clear-out. It is very important for organisations to have good ‘house-keeping’ processes in place to clear out unnecessary data which may clog the system up or slow it down – organisations may have policies in place requiring regular deletion of unwanted files by staff and may even send online messages as a reminder. Good file management systems will include designing organisational file structures (or trees), i.e. creating different drives or directories. An example of this would be one drive to store common or shared files, a second to store individual user files and so on. Like any good filing system, different categories of files can be stored in different locations with access restricted as necessary. In addition, good file management practices by all staff should be encouraged – users should create folders and sub- folders in which to organise and store their work for easy retrieval and delete old and unwanted files on a regular basis. Consequences of Poor Management The consequences of poor data management can be serious for organisations as it affects them in a number of ways:  Cost – duplication of data and user effort, human error or inefficient systems all waste time and resources and carry a cost implication.  Reduced effectiveness – if an organisation cannot rely on good information (both in terms of quality and speed) then the quality of its decisions is affected, which reduces how effectively it can perform.  Reputation – poor responsiveness to customers, inaccurate data and consequent poor decision making can all affect the reputation of an organisation (for the worse) and impact on future business. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 42 - Business Education  Legal action – organisations must conform to the legal requirements relating to holding data and ensure confidentiality. Should poor data management compromise this, organisations could find themselves faced with legal action.  Loss of customers – as mentioned already, poor data management can impact badly on the level of customer service organisations can deliver 2.1 Explaining Benefits of Good, and Consequences of Poor, Customer Care Written Customer Care Policy Customer Service Policies We have all been into shops, banks and other organisations and walked out again determined never to go back. Why? The answer most probably isn’t because there was something wrong with the service or goods, it is more likely to be that we were unhappy with how we were treated. In other words, it is because of poor customer service. In today’s competitive business environment, the old expression ‘The customer is always right’ should perhaps be replaced with ‘The customer can always go elsewhere.’ It costs a business far more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing one. Unless a business has a monopoly or a niche market, they have competitors all around them offering similar products at similar prices – customers can always take their custom there. One way they can prevent this and retain customer loyalty is by the quality of their customer service. This goes beyond simply complying with consumer legislation – it is about giving ‘added value’ to a customer’s experience when using the organisation – going that extra mile the customer will appreciate and come back to experience again. Businesses strive to keep their customers happy through different customer- service strategies. Businesses have to care for external customers and also internal customers (or employees). Good customer service is about satisfying the needs of individuals and retaining loyalty to the organisation. Most organisations will have a Mission Statement which outlines its main aims and focus. It will usually include a general statement regarding quality and standards. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 45 - Business Education The Benefits of Effective Customer Service to the Organisation The biggest benefit of effective customer service to an organisation is that of customer loyalty. As mentioned earlier, it is far better to retain customers than win new ones. Customer loyalty does not just mean repeat business – it brings other rewards such as recommendations to new customers, setting a tradition of use by the wider family, etc. Other benefits, which are all inter-related include: satisfied customers satisfied and motivated staff low staff turnover reduced costs good reputation competitive edge increased market share The impact on the organisation of poor customer service The opposite effects of the benefits listed above would result from poor customer service. Ultimately, poor customer service can be the downfall of an organisation. The Role of the Administrative Assistant in Providing Effective Customer Care External customers When dealing with external customers, it is essential that an administrative assistant is aware of organisational policies and procedures and adheres to the standards of service expected of them. At the very least, he or she should be aware of the mission statement of the organisation. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 46 - Business Education Effective customer care includes: Appropriate behaviour – relationships with external customers should be reasonably formal with the right level of politeness and courtesy – this might include ensuring you use the right terms of address, e.g. Mr, Mrs, rather than first names. Communication – it is vital that customers are kept informed – it is as important to let them know when something hasn’t happened as when it has – there is nothing more infuriating for anyone as lack of information. Honesty and trust – customers appreciate honesty, even if it is bad news – lying to keep a customer happy will only result in worse relations later on. Trust is a vital ingredient in good customer relations. Approachability – giving a customer the impression you don’t really want to hear from them or deal with them doesn’t make for good customer service. A pleasant manner, positive body language and a welcoming smile are always appreciated. Stay within boundaries – in any job, there are limits within which you are allowed to operate. There will be systems and procedures, which must be followed and these must not be overstepped or ignored. It may be tempting to make decisions outwith your remit in order to ‘please the customer’; however, in the long run, it is better to stay within these boundaries, as those decisions may be overturned. It is essential that everyone is fully aware of the scope and limits of their authority. Internal customers It is just as important to treat internal customers with the same level of service as those customers outside the organisation. What must be remembered is that at work, we are all customers of one another and the way we deal with each other affects workflow, productivity and the motivation and morale of staff. Relationships with people at work will vary – these may include formal relationships with senior staff such as managers or more informal ones with colleagues and subordinates. Once again, it is vital to adopt the correct behaviour and to stay within the limits and scope of your responsibilities. Higher Administration Administrative Theory and Practice Higher Admin Notes CEC Page - 47 - Business Education One of the ways in which organisations have attempted to establish good internal customer care is by use of service-level agreements which aim to establish standards of service between departments at work. These may include agreed response times (even down to how many rings of the phone before you pick it up) and document completion. These are drawn up for different services, including general administration. With agreed standards of service, each department in an organisation can expect to have to achieve certain levels of quality of service; however, this can only work if the attitude of staff behind this is of the right kind. It is important that the idea of internal customer service is developed by an organisation in line with the idea of quality improvement and individual responsibility towards quality and customer service. It is vital that employees can see how their part within the organisations links to other parts rather than viewing their work in isolation and that smaller work teams meet within a larger team context in order to achieve this. Methods for Monitoring and Evaluating the Quality of Customer Care Satisfaction Surveys An effective customer satisfaction survey program should focus on measuring customer perceptions of how well the company delivers on the critical success factors and dimensions of the business. These usually include factors like service promptness, staff responsiveness, and understanding of the customer's problem.