Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Office Management key terms

The planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling of office work and resources so that an organisation's information and record-keeping tasks are done efficiently and at reasonable cost.

The person who supervises office staff, allocates work, maintains discipline, controls office supplies and equipment, and reports to senior management on office performance and costs.

An organised set of procedures, forms, equipment and people combined to carry out a specific office activity, such as receiving orders, paying bills or maintaining personnel records.

A fixed step-by-step sequence for doing a routine office task, written down so that any trained employee performs it the same way and errors or delays are reduced.

The path a document or task follows from one desk or stage to the next until it is completed, including waiting time, approvals and handovers between employees or departments.

Concentration of office activities such as typing, filing or purchasing in one department that serves the whole organisation, giving uniformity and better use of machines and specialist staff.

Placing office services in the departments or branches that use them, which speeds up work and gives local control but may duplicate equipment, staff and records across the organisation.

The number of subordinates who report directly to one supervisor; a wide span means less close supervision, while a narrow span means more levels of management.

A diagram showing the positions in an organisation, who reports to whom, and the formal lines of authority and responsibility between departments and individuals.

Assigning a task and the necessary authority to a subordinate while the superior remains accountable for the result; it saves managerial time and develops staff skills.

Letters, memos, notices and emails sent out by an organisation; incoming and outgoing correspondence is usually received, recorded, routed and dispatched through a central registry.

A record in which every letter or document received by an office is entered with a serial number, date, sender and subject before it is passed to the concerned officer.

A book or register recording letters and documents sent out by an office, with serial number, date, addressee and subject, kept as proof of dispatch.

The routine of receiving, sorting, opening, dating, stamping, recording and distributing incoming mail and preparing outgoing mail for dispatch in an office.

The systematic arrangement and storage of documents and records so that they can be located quickly when needed and protected from loss, damage or unauthorised access.

A chosen method of arranging files, such as alphabetical, numerical, chronological or subject-wise, selected according to the volume and nature of records an office handles.

A guide or list that shows where a particular file or document is kept, so that a record can be traced quickly without searching the whole filing system.

The policy deciding how long each type of office record must be kept before it is destroyed or transferred to archives, based on legal, financial and operational requirements.

A written compilation of an office's policies, procedures, forms and duties, used to train new staff and to ensure that routine work is done consistently.

The arrangement of desks, machines, storage and aisles within office space so that work flows smoothly, movement is minimised and employees have safe, adequate working conditions.

A layout in which many employees work in one large room without full walls between them, giving easy supervision and communication but more noise and less privacy.

The study of fitting furniture, equipment and working conditions to the human body, aimed at reducing fatigue, strain and injury among office workers.

Measures taken to prevent accidents and health hazards at the workplace, including safe wiring, fire precautions, first-aid arrangements and clear emergency exits.

Consumable supplies such as paper, pens, ink, files and forms used in daily office work; their purchase and issue are usually controlled to prevent waste and pilferage.

A record showing quantities of stationery and other stores received, issued and remaining in hand, used to check balances, fix reorder levels and prevent shortages.

An internal form by which a department asks the purchasing section to buy specified items, stating quantity, specifications and the date required.

Durable machines used in office work, such as computers, printers, photocopiers and franking machines, which require maintenance and are recorded in an asset register.

A list of fixed assets owned by an office, showing description, date of purchase, cost and location, used for control, depreciation and audit verification.

A financial plan estimating the income and expenditure of an office for a period, used to control spending on staff, supplies, equipment and services.

Keeping office expenditure within planned limits by comparing actual costs with budget, investigating differences and taking corrective action to improve efficiency.

Techniques such as time study and work sampling used to find how long office tasks take, so that workloads, staffing and procedures can be planned and improved.

A written statement of the duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships and working conditions of a particular post, used in recruitment and performance review.

A statement of the qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities required of the person who is to fill a particular job.

Formal written communication between organisations or with customers, following a standard layout with heading, reference, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close and signature.

One letter reproduced and sent to many recipients at once to convey the same information, such as a price change, new policy or invitation.

A formal intimation to members stating the date, time, place and agenda of a meeting, sent a required number of days before the meeting as per rules.

The list of items to be discussed at a meeting, arranged in order, usually circulated with the notice so that members come prepared.

The official written record of what was discussed and decided at a meeting, including the names of those present, resolutions passed and action to be taken.