Business Documents
- Business letters – normally a letter from one company to another or from an organisation to their clients
- Reports – a document with the intention to provide information or a verification of events
- Email – a message that is sent electronically from one recipient to another
- Minutes – a written record of the issues discussed in a meeting
- List – items written down, normally one below the other
- Numerical information – information/data to do with numbers
- Newsletter – a printed report containing news about the activities going on within a business organisation that is sometimes mailed to clients/customers
- Instructions – a direction or order
Computer software for document production
- Word – letters, minutes and reports
- Excel/Spreadsheet – financial records, numerical data and for calculations
- Database – customer records and information, history of payments and to keep track of general information to do with the company/organisation
- Customised software – created specifically to meet the businesses needs e.g. payroll
- PowerPoint – presentations with pictures and text combined
- Desktop publishing software – allows you to create page layouts that combine text and pictures/graphics, these can be then moved and positioned anywhere on the page e.g. to create promotional items or newsletters
Reasons for keeping document production the same in terms of content, layout and deadlines
- Keeps the standard of work being produced the same across the business
- Means everybody must work to the same quality of work
- It creates an expectation and consistency for how the business expects work to look
- Helps meet the needs to gain customer satisfaction
- Keeps everything professional and appropriate for the intended audience
Importance of document version control and authorisation
- Version control – enables you to identify which version of the document is most up to date and helps keep an audit trail to record the changes made
- Authorisation – changes to certain documents may only be made by a few people in the business to keep control over errors that could occur if information is entered incorrectly
Requirements of; and the distribution and storage of;
- Security – Storing business data in a suitable place that can be locked away and making sure information is used appropriately. Hard copy documents need to be locked away after use and electronic documents need to be stored on a secure network and should be backed up.
- Data protection – Information is shared and used appropriately and the system used by a business needs to be secure to produce and communicate. Some information may have restricted access on how long you can keep it for. There are also guidelines in place for how information is received and distrusted.
- Copyrights – You need to have permission to use copyrighted documents and to be aware of what this license means. These items must be clearly identified as being copyrighted and an instruction should be in place for how long they can be kept/used for.
- Intellectual property – Agreements to say who owns specific resources/materials. These should be clearly identified as being intellectual property of an organisation or individual person.
- Effect on production of business documents – May take longer if other people/departments need to be involved to make an agreement. Secure systems should be in place for distrusting documents for example using a private courier instead of the normal postage system.
Checking the accuracy of business documents
- Spelling and grammar checks are needed, either electronically or by getting another person to proof read your work
- Drafting so people can check your work as you go along so suitable changes can be made as you go along
- Double checking figures and cross referencing if you are using other resources to create the document
Distribution channels
- Electronically – Documents sent by email or a similar service. You can include a read receipt so you know when your email has been read and received. Attachments such as documents or spreadsheets can be password protected and then the password can be sent in a separate email to avoid interception.
- Paper/Hard copy – Can be sent internally or externally. You can pay for signed postage meaning the recipient will sign to confirm they received the document and it also enables you to identify whether the document has been lost if it is never signed for.
Types of information found in business organisations
- Customer records – Keeps track of customer information and any issues that have arisen so a business can deal with them suitably.
- Financial records – A formal record of financial activity within the business which can also show where the business is in terms of profit/loss makings.
- Statistical data – Numerical data which is used to come to conclusions on things like in goings and outgoings of the business.
- Policies and procedures – There to assist when making decisions regarding the business which helps keep everything fairly treated and creates expectations of day-to-day work within the organisation.
- Staff records – A personnel file should be kept for each employee to keep record of any achievements, absences or disciplines to comply with data protection.
- Correspondence – Information written to show the process of business activities. Can be between businesses, internally or between business and customer.
- Records of service organisations/suppliers – Keeps track of the services that have been used by the business so you can use them again in the future if needed.
Safe storage and efficient retrieval of information
- Safe storage – Secure places to store confidential information is important so it is kept safe but we are still able to use it to keep records.
- Efficient retrieval – It is important to save time and can access information quickly when needed, for example in an emergency. However, it must be well organised to ensure this and a system of achieving should be in place.
Systems used for storage and retrieval of information
- Electronically – Enables you to access information on multiple computers on the business network and duplicate it to keep a backup.
- Paper – Should also be kept as an electronic copy to provide a backup and should be stored appropriately.
- Retrieval – Electronic documents should be password protected if they contain confidential information. There should also be a system of filing so everybody understands where everything is kept. Businesses containing confidential data/information should also have keys/cards to control access to the building.
Legal requirements for storing business information
- Data protection means you can only keep the information for a permitted time and there should be limited access to who can retrieve the data.
- Financial requirements should only be accessibly to authorised personnel and records should be kept for the recommended time (these are seven years for accounts and 50 years for personnel records)
Business Admin 