Cheryl Price and Julia Wix

Transcription

1 ISBN WRITE SIMPLE DOCUMENTS (OFFICE 2010) BSBWRT301A by Cheryl Price and Julia Wix

2 Write simple documents This book supports BSBWRT301A Write simple documents in the Business Services Training Package. Copyright Millbank Investments Ltd, NZ, January 2010 Originating authors Cheryl Price T.Dip.WP, T.Dip.T Julia Wix T.Dip.WP ISBN Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, scanning, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Millbank Investments Ltd, NZ. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Software Publications Pty Ltd (ABN ) Head Office - Sydney Unit Gibbes Street Chatswood NSW 2067 Phone: (02) Fax: (02) Australia Toll Free Numbers: Phone: Fax: Web address: Published and printed in Australia

3 Part 4 Dispatch and file the document 76 PART 4 BSBWRT301A Write Simple documents

4 Send document to recipients When you have completed a document, it should be sent to those who need it promptly. Timely work will be wasted if the document spends half a day sitting in your out-tray. The document should be given to both primary and secondary recipients and printed on appropriate stationery for all recipients, eg printed letterhead for a letter. Do not treat the secondary audience any different from the primary audience in terms of how the document is presented. Remember that minutes of meetings (and the agenda for the next meeting) go to those who did not attend the meeting, as well as those who did. Sign off on completed documents If you have written the document on behalf of another member of staff (this may be the case if they requested you reply to a letter addressed to them whether or not they supplied notes on which to base your answer), the document will need to be passed to them for their approval and signature. An exception to this is where they pre-approve your right to sign the document on their behalf. In this case the complimentary close may still feature their name, but you sign with your name, prefixed with pp; this is Latin for per procurationem (meaning by agency or by proxy). Depending on your status and/or the importance of the document, there could be an intermediate stage in which your own documents go to your supervisor (or other staff member) before they are dispatched to the ultimate recipients this could be to: Supplement the document with information in their remit Approve the document Forward the document to others for input or comment. Printing documents If you are printing documents ensure that you use the correct type of paper. Some possibilities are: Letterhead (with subsequent pages on continuation paper) Paper pre-printed with other information (eg a memo template) Coloured paper (for a draft of a document that is regularly being updated) High quality paper (perhaps for quotes, plans, tenders or submissions) Cheap or recycled paper for drafts Watermarked paper, eg paper with a confidential or draft watermark. Write Simple documents PART 4 BSBWRT301A 77

5 Number of copies If you have not been advised how many copies will be needed, you should ask for the information. With letters, one copy on letterhead may be required, with another copy on blank paper for filing. If a memo is to be distributed to all staff you will need to check how many staff that covers to make sure you print enough copies. If the document is to be distributed to more than one person, it may be appropriate only to print one copy and to attach a circulation slip (see below) rather than printing out multiple copies. Circulation slips A circulation slip is attached to a document which is going to be passed around many people. Each reader then initials the circulation list when they have finished reading the attachment, and passes it on to the next person on the list. Below is an example of a circulation list. This method would be appropriate for a draft document that many people may want to review and give their input on. It can also be used where a magazine or journal is being circulated so that the maximum number of people can read it, with a minimum number of subscriptions being required. Circulation List Please read, review, mark amendments and pass on to the next person Name of document: Draft Collaboration Plan for Submission to Radleys From: Mary O Reilly, Finance Date: 4 June 2011 Department Name Initials Date Production Sallie Hempson SH 5/6/11 Customer Services Jeremy Laito Finance Pat Jeffrey Return to: M O Reilly by 4 July PART 4 BSBWRT301A Write Simple documents

6 File the document The final stage is to file the document in accordance with organisational policies and procedures. There is always a need for a certain amount of information storage within a business situation. For example, customer records have to be retained for reference, and the Australian Taxation Office requires that all accounting documentation be kept for a number of years. In the interests of organisational security, there are usually certain requirements for the way in which information is stored and when and how it should be disposed of. Filing might seem a menial, unimportant task, but it is a vital part of the business operation. A good filing system should provide safe and organised storage for records, as well as quick identification and retrieval. The two main methods of filing office information are: Physical filing systems Computer filing system. Physical filing systems If a physical copy ( hard copy or paper copy) is to be kept of all documents, they can be kept in a filing cabinet or in ring-binders. Named dividers should be used to categorise the documents - some examples are listed below. Documents are usually filed in alphabetical or date order (the most recent date would be first for easy access). Alphabetical dividers Specific document types, eg letters, memos, reports, forms, s, etc Company areas, eg Accounts, Orders, General Correspondence Company names - where there is more than one company within an organisation Customer numbering system Preparing a document to be filed 1 Remove staples and paper clips, which can easily become dislodged or catch onto other papers within a file. 2 Repair any tears with transparent tape. 3 Check to see if there are related documents and put them together. 4 If a document is very small, eg a business card, and could get lost, it should be taped onto a larger piece of paper. Alternatively, it could be placed in a marked envelope or plastic holder. Should it be placed in a new folder before filing? If the document relates to a new customer, it may be necessary to prepare a new folder. This should be created according to the filing system in use. Does it require indexing/coding? In a library filing system, books are indexed according to their categories (fiction, non-fiction, hobbies, etc) and they are coded according to their position within the library. These codes are usually placed on the spine of the books. Write Simple documents PART 4 BSBWRT301A 79

7 Office filing systems are similar. A code is usually written in the top right corner of every file. Alternatively, where a filing system uses customer names an additional coding number might not be required. Does the document require cross-referencing? Cross-referencing links up related documents in a filing system. Sometimes it might be necessary to photocopy a document in order to store it in two separate locations. Computer filing system Computers have the ability to store vast amounts of information. Information may be stored on a computer s hard drive, on a network drive, or on removable storage media, such as floppy disks, CDs, and tapes. Files should be retained in logically named folders/directories so that relevant information can be extracted as required. If data is being stored on a hard drive, it is important to remember that it is not safe unless a backup copy is made. Otherwise, if the computer is damaged or stolen, records will be irretrievable. When files are stored on disks, the disks should be kept locked in a safe place. Disks can be damaged or misplaced if they are not stored correctly. The risk of damage can be reduced if disks are kept away from dust, magnetic fields and heat. Ideally, they should be kept in a specially designed storage box in a fireproof cabinet. Naming documents You will find it useful to implement a system for naming files so you can locate them easily again later. Your company may already have a naming convention that you should use, this will be given to you by your supervisor or may be documented in a Procedures Manual. Microsoft Office allows up to 255 characters in a file name. Suggested naming conventions Filenames are usually listed alphabetically according to the first word of the name. It is therefore important that the first word is meaningful. Some examples are shown below. A letter to Tim Smythe re Word training could be saved as - Smythe, Tim letter re Word training, July or document type first - Letter Smythe, Tim re Word training, July or date first - July Letter to Smythe, Tim re Word training or job number cpj, Smythe T, July Remember that punctuation will affect alphabetical ordering so, for example, if you insert commas into some file names but not into others, the alphabetical ordering will be affected. 80 PART 4 BSBWRT301A Write Simple documents

8 The following is a summary of different ways of naming electronic files in a rational way. Name, Document Type, Description and Version Number Type the surname, or company, of the recipient followed by the document type (eg letter, fax, memo, spreadsheet, etc), version number (if desired), then description. The second letter typed to Deltron Electrical Pty Ltd would be saved as: Deltron, letter 2 - electrical repairs Document Type, Name, Version Number, Description Type the document type (eg letter, fax, memo, etc), surname or company of recipient, version number (if desired), then description. The third fax sent to Enerco Gas Pty Ltd would be saved as: Fax - Enerco 3, gas installation The second letter sent to Micro Services Pty Ltd would be saved as: Letter - Micro Services 2 - Overdue account Date, Name, Description If the date is used in the format shown below at the beginning of the file name, all files will be listed in date order and, within date order, by name. (Document type and version can also be included if desired.) , Balance Sheet indicates that the spreadsheet was a Balance Sheet created on 31 March , Seiko Presentation indicates that the presentation was for Seiko on 12 April The file name can be displayed with the date shown next to it in the [File] Open or [File] Save dialog boxes by clicking on the of the Views button and selecting Details. File names with Numbers Some organisations (including legal and insurance firms) use a numbering system whereby each file created assumes the next recorded number, or a number is given from a deleted file. A policy could be saved as Brown, J - Property Insurance A database report could be saved as Stock Report Priority Documents If you are working on one document for a period of time, then for ease of access you could type an exclamation mark in front of the file name. This ensures that the file name will appear at the top of the file name list (in any computer program).!office systems report Write Simple documents PART 4 BSBWRT301A 81

9 Exercise 32 1 Note two points that should be checked on a paper-based record before it is filed. a... b... 2 Describe an example of when you would have to prepare a new folder before manually filing a document. 3 Define the following filing terms. Indexing: Coding: Cross referencing: 82 PART 4 BSBWRT301A Write Simple documents