OFFICE EFFICIENCY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 284, 28 August 1935, Page 14

OFFICE EFFICIENCY

A Plea For Cinderella of Industry

WAYS OF IMPROVEMENT

Though for many years scientific methods and systems have been applied successfully iu workshops and factories, the portion of each establishment known as “the office” has not icceived the same attention, with the result that the practice of office efficiency has lagged behind that of industrial efficiency. This fact was emphasised last night by Mr. F. H. Bass, F.P.A.N.Z., in an address at the Y.M.C.A.

When a business was commenced and the space available in the building was allocated to the various departments or sections the office portion were apt to receive scant consideration, with the result that it was often placed in the wrong spot, was cramped for space and little consideration was given to the welfare and control of the office staff, Mr. Bass said.

First among the specific requirements of an office was its location. On this point the decision had to be influenced largely by the nature of the business. Many concerns found it more convenient to have their offices located in the same building as the factory or manufacturing plant, while others preferred to have the main office situated in the heart of the city, with the factory with a local office in the country or suburbs. In order to obtain the utmost efficiency it was important that the office section of a building should have proper and adequate lighting, heating, ventilation and sanitary arrangements, with adequate space for the office staff and equipment. Most modern office buildings make provision for proper lighting, ventilation and heating, and provide quick and efficient means of access in the form of lifts, but there were many instances of overcrowding, inadequate lighting and ventilation, and lack of heating facilities. Lay-out Problems. The lay-out of the office was again a matter that had to be influenced by the space available, but the aim should be to so lay out the office as to enable the work to be continued from one operation to another with the least possible lose of time in transit.

Noise and methods of lessening it were important problems. An office facing a busj' street was subjected to a great deal of noise, particularly if it was on the

lower floors, hut thia nuisance could be lessened considerably by the proper type of window. Internal noises caused by typewriters and other office machinery could be lessened by such devices as placing felt pads benr«>.th the machines, glass covers ovgr the typewriters and soundreducing materials on the walls and ceiling.

In factories a close study had been made of the movements entailed in the operation of machines, and the attitude of the worker had been settled at. the point which showed the least unnecessary movement. In the same way, office work such as typing had been studied, and chairs and desks evolved which were claimed to reduce unnecessary movement and reduce fatigue to the operator. It was necessary for an office manager to watch the routine of the various operations performed in the oiiice—from the opening of the mail, sorting of orders, distribution of mail, recording of orders, execution of orders, correspondence dealing with various matters, filing, accounting, cash records, and dispatch of outward mail, and so arrange location and duties of staff to minimise needless transit and labour.

In large offices, au office manual was a valuable aid to efficiency. The manual set out the settled policy of the concern and gave explicit directions to the staff as to how certain work was to be performed, and the form of returns and records. The manual could be added to from time to time and formed a useful guide to employees, 'as well as ensuring standardisation. Machinery Age. The advent of machinery had altered the style of many of the office records. The bound books had been superseded in many cases by loose-leaf and card systems. Much time, labour and cost could be saved by the standardisation of office records and equipment. Standardised letter and other printed stationery, such 'as statement, invoice forms, etc., eould save printing costs. Standardised equipment.

such as typewrltprs, also tended to eave time and costs. While the use of machinery had tended to lessen the irksome routine attaching to certain work, it had not lessened the need —in fact it had accentuated it —for careful supervision and attention to what the records reveal. It was the duty of those who controlled offices to investigate and examine all office machinery that came on the. market, as there was a constant stream of improvements, and the machine of to-day may do two or three more operations than the machine of yesterday or do the same operations more efficiently.