Office -it is a place in which business, clerical and professional activities takes place.

Management -executive ability to handle a business. Hence, office management is the administrative handling, controlling and maintaining a balance process of work inside the office of an organization whether big or small company/business, which is necessary to achieve the best service it can provide to the people who will receive a great benefit. [edit]Main functions The office manager is the coordinator of the work system. An office manager is responsible for planning, organization, and controlling the clerical aspect of the organization, including the preparation, communication, coordination and storage of data to support production and other important operations of an industrial establishment. Often they also engage in marketing. Also, their tasks are to monitor the work processes and to evaluate the outcome. The outcomes of work are intended for what can be called the final receiving system, as for instance, client, customer, and other departments. Furthermore, their role is to coordinate on the front end by issuing various assignments. They usually lead or manage a team of secretaries or administrative clerks. And they take care of the assignment of tasks within the department, but the more complex tasks tend to come to their desk. Positions allocated to usual classification perform a combination of the following office management functions:

Space management Risk management Grants administration Affirmative action and equal employment opportunity Information technology and telecommunications Monitoring the management of health and safety in the company office

Assisting senior managers in identifying health and safety needs in their departments

Responsibility for the day to day running of the office Liaising with senior managers to ensure that staff in the division have appropriate information technology equipment

Managing a range of budgets including accommodation, health & safety for company

Plan, consult and manage office moves for the division and other units within the department

Considering the diversity of functions, someone holding an office manager position is expected to have many talents. Some of the competencies which he is expected to possess are problem solving and decision making abilities, integrity, assertivity, flexibility, accuracy and the ability to cope with pressure. If you visit a firm, school or hospital you will find that a number of activities are being performed, such as letters received, dispatched, typing, photocopying, word processing, filing, handling of office machines etc. The place where all such activities are performed is known as office. Thus office is a service department of an organization, which is connected with the handling of records and

Budget development and implementation Purchasing Book Keeping Human resources Accounting Printing Records management Forms management Payroll Facilities management

provision of various services like typing, duplicating, mailing, filing, handling office machines, keeping records, drafting, using information, handling money and other miscellaneous activities. Some of the popular definitions of office are as follows: ''Office is a place where clerical operations are carried on''.Denyer, J.C. ''Office is a unit where relevant records for the purpose of control, planning and efficient management of the organisation are prepared, handled and preserved. It provides facilities for internal and external communication and coordinates activities of different departments of the organisation''. -Littlefield, Rachel and Caruth.

The above definitions highlight the following characteristics collecting information processing information storing information coordinating information distributing information Therefore, an office may be defined as a place where all the activities concerned with collecting, processing, storing and distributing information for efficient and effective management of an organization are carried out. In every modern organization, be it a business concern or a Government department, there has to be an office. It is essential for the efficient management of the organization. The main objectives of an office are as follows: (1) Aid to Management: The office provides aid to management in performing the following functions: (a) Direction: Direction and guidance of management to various sections and departments are issued through the office. (b) Communication: The office serves as a communication channel between different parts of the organization. It handles mail. (c) Planning: The office helps management in planning for smooth functioning and progress of the organization by providing necessary information and data. (d) Coordination: The office also facilitates co-ordination by maintaining links among departments. (2) Preserving Records The office maintains necessary books and records of the organization. (3) Providing Information It provides the right kind of information to management at the right time. (4) Providing Office Services It provides clerical and secretarial services to different executives. (5) Distribution of work The office distributes the work among various employees and identifies their duties and functions. (6) Selection and appointment It also handles selection and appointment of employees. In short, the office is an important and indispensable part of every organization. Elements of office management 1. Receiving and Collecting Information. One of the major functions of the office is to receive and collect information relating to the activities of the organisation form various sources.

Information my be received form internal sources, i.e., the various department, management and executives in the form of letters, interdepartment notes, circulars, reports etc information may also be received from external sources i.e., form suppliers, customers, other organisations, Government departments etc. in the form of letter, orders, invoices, inquiries, reports circulars, telephonic messages, etc. Sometimes the office itself has to send out inquiries, questionnaires, etc., to collect information from various sources if it is found necessary for helping the management in taking decisions. Another source of information is personal contact. Information is personal contact. Information may also be received from visitors coming to office for meetings or conferences. Again, managers or departmental executives visiting other offices may also collect information. 2. Recording Information or Making Records. After receiving and collecting information, the next major function of the office is to record the information in suitable form. The information received has to be converted into some form of written record. The different forms in which records are maintained are correspondence, reports, circulars, statements, lists or harts, books and registers, etc. Conversion of all information into written record not only facilitates its communication but also its preservation for future reference. The management while formulating policy decisions, often have to consult information relating to past events and activities. It is, therefore, not only to record all information in a suitable form, but also to preserve them in such a way that they may be readily got hold of and used at any time in future. Records of information prepared by the office serve as a reference library for use by the management. 3. Processing or Arranging Information. The information received and collected by the office form various sources is rarely in the form in which these may be readily used by management in the decision-making process. Information, facts and data collected have to be arranged, processed and organised in a suitable form before these can be supplied to the management. The information should be arranged in a readily usable form. The usual forms in which information is arranged are costing sheets, financial and statistical statements, charts and lists, reports etc. 4. Communication of Information. The office may be compared to a two way pipeline for supplying information. On one hand, it is the function of the office to supply information as collected records and processed by it to the management, whenever required, on the other hand, it is also the duty of the office to communicate policy decisions, guidelines and instruction issued by the management to the department and departmental executives for their guidance. The information supplied to the management may be of a routine nature e.g. Periodical returns on sales, stock position, staff attendance etc., or it may be of special nature e.g. estimiates of a special job, credit information regarding a particular client, etc. Again the information may be supplied to the management, the value of this function will depend on the promptness with which it is done . Information, however, accurate and complete, loses much of its value if it is not provided or is not available in time, or is delayed in the process of communication.