Office Manuals

 

1.	Office routine Office routine comprehends the detailed operations of all the departments under which the activities of the office may be divided. It is wise to reduce this to definite rules and regulations, and these are communicated to the employe in the form of manuals. Manuals are of two kinds; special and general. The former contains the standards and practices of some special department. A study of such a manual will reveal points of procedure analogous to those which have been discussed in the preceding chapters. Here, however, the discussion is not pro and con but has led to a definite series of rules. The consideration of those rules will suggest to the attentive reader alternative procedure in many cases, and will often suggest the motives which have led to the procedure actually adopted
2.	Scope of departmental manual. Inasmuch as a departmental manual is to serve the purpose of training new people to carry on any part of the department's work, it should be in great detail, with complete exhibits of the forms discussed and used The advertising department of one organization for example, has in its manual eight chapters covering two hundred pages of typewritten matter. This advertising department also handles the mail-order work of the company, and the following table of contents of its manual may prove enlightening as to the extent of detail covered in a departmental manual. The advertising department of one organization, for example, has in its manual eight chapters covering two hundred pages of typewritten matter. This advertising department also handles the mail order work of the company, and the following table of contents of its manual may prove enlightening as to the extent of detail covered in a departmental manual.
	Advertising Departement Manual   Chapter I  Introduction
	A.	Functions
	B.	Personnel
	C.	Relation to other Departments
	Chapter II Securing Leads
	A.	Directly by Advertising
		1.	Advertising Routine
			A.	Copy
			B.	Selection
			C.	Payment of Bills
			D.	Tracing Results
		2.	Leads From Advertising
	B.	Lead From Advertising
		Chapter III Securing Order By Mail
	A.	Advertising Department Routine
	B.	Division Of Lead
		1.	Sales
		2.	Straight Mail
	C.	Carding Of Leads
	D.	Operation of Follow-up System
		1.	Symbol System Used
		2.	Regular Follow-up
		3.	Canadian Follow-up
		4.	Foreign Follow-up
		5.	Special Letters
	E.	Replies
	F.	Routine Upon Receipt of Order
	G.	Notification of order to Salesmen
		Chapter IV Securing University Order
	A.	Policy in Regard to University Orders
	B.	Follow-up System Used
		1.	Plan
		2.	Complimentary Material Sent
		3.	Special Letters
	C.	University Files and Catalogs
	D.	Routine on Receipt of Orders
	E.	University Card File
	F.	Book-Store Agreement.
	Chapter V Securing Publicity
	A.	Newspaper Publicity
	B.	Convention Publicity
	Chapter VI Relation to Other Departments
	A.	Sales Department
		1.	Selling Equipment
		2.	Ad Books
	B.	Printing Departement
	C.	Purchasing Department
	Chapter VII Advertising Records, Reports and Charts
	A.	Advertising Records and Schedules
		1.	Daily Returns from Advertising
		2.	Returns from Advertising Mediums
		3.	Returns from Advertising Copy
		4.	Record of work done by members of the departement
		5.	Returns from Follow-up and Dictated Letters
		6.	Daily Record of Leads
		7.	Daily Record of Mail Orders
		8.	Advertising Estimate and Insertion Schedule
		9.	Copy Schedule by Months
		10.	Copy Schedule by Magazines
	B.	Contents of Files
		1.	Advertising Files
		2.	Clubs
		3.	General
		4.	Improvement Folders
		5.	Publicity
		6.	Samples
		7.	Endorsement Letters
		8.	Magazines
		9.	Follow-up Records

3.	The general manual Is of wider scope. Its purpose is to combine in a single volume rules and regulations applicable to all employes. It has an important place in the conduct of office work and may be properly considered here, not only for its own sake, but also because it forms a convenient transition to the subject matter of the succeeding chapter in which matters are discussed which concern the entire business organization. The office manual usually begins with a statement of the ideals which govern the conduct of the company. Every concern that sells a commodity or a service appeals to the public to buy on the ground that the public will derive advantage or be benefited by the purchase. It is right that this ideal should be communicated to the office force; every concern wishes its employes to feel that they are doing more than earning their wages: they are engaged in giving the public useful service. Next, the office manual describes, perhaps, the product or service that is sold, the raw materials of which it is made, its processes of manufacture, its method of distribution, its markets. It is valuable for members of the office force to feel that they are parts of a great institution and to realize the nature and scope of the work in which they participate. The office manual should contain a list of all employes in the office, arranged by departments and also alphabetically. To foster mutual knowledge of the office force and the selling organization, a list of the salesmen with the territories they cover is not without place in the manual. The functions of the different departments of the office should be described so that each person may realize his or her place in the whole. Finally, the manual should contain a large collection of "Office Information and Instructions" embodying the main rules and regulations which govern attendance and conduct, as well as information regarding the office house organ, merit and demerit systems, social activities and clubs, study classes, emergency instructions for cases of injury or for evacuation in case of fire.
4.	Marshall Field uianual. The purpose of the office manual is admirably expressed in the opening paragraph of the office manual of Marshall Field and Company of Chicago.
	Introduction To do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way to do some things better than they were ever done before; to eliminate errors ; to know both sides of the question ; to be courteous ; to be an example ; to work for the love of the work ; to anticipate requirements ; to develop resources ; to recognize no impediment ; to master circumstances ; to act from reason rather than rule; to be satisfied with nothing short of perfection. The important part of any rule is the spirit of it. This is gained by understanding the wisdom and necessity of it, and not by mere obedience because it is a rule. No rule seems hard when we see that it is wise worked out from experience. The object of these rules is not to abridge the rights of any one, but to point out the plan which we believe to be the wise one to follow. The traveler making his way over unaccustomed roads is grateful for the guiding post  which tells him the way to his destination he never complains that the sign at the crossing tells him to go the up hill way, for he is glad the sign is there, and obeys it usually because he knows he is on the right road We wish you to see, back of these rules, our earnest desire to conduct this great institution in the most harmonious manner ; to give you the benefit of long experience ; to save you the retracing of unguided steps ; to enable you to grow in the knowledge of sound business principles and thus to become a credit to yourself and the house.

5.

Main rules of a typical manual. The rules and regulations embodied in the office manual will probably differ to a certain extent in any two concerns that might be chosen. Yet the rules adopted by one efficient office organization will be found of value to any concern. The office hours are: weekdays from 8.45 a. m. to 12.30 P. M. ; in the afternoon from 1.20 to 3.20 and from 3.30 to 5 ; Saturdays from 8.45 a. m. to 12.45 p. m. In July and August the hours on Saturday are from 8.45 a. m. to 12 noon. A gong is rung to indicate the time when work is to begin and when it is to stop. Three minutes before the starting gongs at 8.45, at 1.20 and at 3.30, a warning signal of two gongs is sounded to give employes time to reach their desks before the starting signal. The offices are open from 7.30 a. m. to 6 p. m., after which hour no employe may remain in the office without permission from a Senior or Junior Officer Every attempt is made to guard against overtime, but every employe is expected to work overtime when required to. Pay is at the regular salary rate for the number of hours put in. When two or more hours of overtime are given employes may go out to supper for half an hour and include that period under overtime, but no clerks are to do overtime work wit Rest period. In order to relieve employes of the socalled "afternoon fag," the company has established a rest period of ten minutes every week-day afternoon from 3.20 to 3.30. This break in the monotony of the routine is designed to make it easier and more pleasant to do efficient work the rest of the day. Both during this rest period and during lunch hour, employes are urged not to congregate in halls or reception rooms, to the disturbance of visitors. Holiday vacations. The holidays are New Year's Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Decoration Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Vacations may be taken from July 1st to September 15th, and each employe who has been with the company six months receives two weeks off with pay. Those that have been employed three months receive one week. Chief clerks and their assistants have first choice as to when they will take their vacations. Assistant Staff Secretaries and Junior Officers may take their vacations any time between June 1 and October 1 ; Junior Officers have three weeks' vacation. Employes who have been engaged less than three months may take a week's vacation at their own expense, unless the pressure of work is so severe that they cannot be spared. Securing supplies. At 9 in the morning and at 1.30 in the afternoon the Chief Clerk of each department passes a requisition form for supplies from person to person. Every one requiring any supplies fills in the name of the article and the quantity desired, and initials it. The Chief Clerk O.K.'s these requisitions and they are filled in the stock room. The private offices are served by a boy who goes around each morning and makes a note of the supplies required. "Rush" requisitions can be filled at any hour of the day, but must be O.K.'d by the Junior Officer in charge of the department. It is understood that all requisition slips are filed by departments and are examined from time to time to make sure that there is no unnecessary waste. Petty cash vouchers, obtained from the cashier, must be made out for all petty cash items such as car fare, incoming express charges, etc. These vouchers must be O. K.'d by the employe's chief clerk, as well as by the officer in charge of the department, before reimbursement can be secured.