The document discusses the functions of an office. It defines an office as a space used for commercial, professional, or bureaucratic work, usually within a building. It then lists several key functions of an office: 1) Developing office systems and procedures to facilitate smooth workflow between interrelated departments 2) Designing and controlling forms that are basic tools for organizing office work 3) Selecting and purchasing appropriate office appliances, machines, furniture and equipment to ensure efficient work 4) Performing personnel functions like recruiting, selecting, and placing staff in jobs 5) Controlling office costs through labor-saving devices and efficient management methods 6) Maintaining records through proper filing systems to retain information for future reference

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INSTITUTE OF ACCOUNTANCYARUSHA
GROUP ASSIGNMENT
MODULE NAME : ESSENTIALS OF OFFICE PRACTICE
MODULE CODE : [BMT 04205]
PROGRAM : BTCPLM
SEMESTER : TWO
ACADEMIC YEAR : 2015/2016
FACILITATORS : MR SOMBI
STUDENT’S NAME:REG NO.
LIHETA, FRANCIS, M BTCPLM/0597/T.2015
LISTON, PRINCE, AMANI BTCPLM/0607/T.2015
TALLAS, LEONARD, A BTCPLM/0590/T.2015
SILAYO, ANITHA, A BTCPLM/0620/T.2015
MROSO, SALOME, U BTCPLM/0601/T.2015
GODWIN, LIGHTNESS BTCPLM/0570/T.2015
HATIBU, HASSANAL, HAYAZI BTCPLM/0619/T.2015
SALEHE, MOHAMED MAVURA BTCPLM/0622/T.2015
TARIMO, MELKIORY BTCPLM/0571/T.2015
ABDALLAH, LATIFA BTCPLM/0611/T.2015
QUESTION: what is the function of office?

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Office- is defined as asset of rooms, or building used as a place for commercial,
professional, or bureaucratic work. Usually a building or portion of a building, where a company
conducts its business.An office is generally identified as a room or other area
whereadministrative work is done, but may also denote a position within an organization with
specific duties attached to it (seeofficer, office-holder, official); the latter is in fact an earlier
usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as
an adjective, the term "office" may refer to business-related tasks. In legal writing, a company or
organization has offices in any place that it has an official presence, even if that presence
consists of, for example, astorage silo rather than an office. An office is an architectural and
design phenomenon; whether it is a small office such as abench in the corner of a small
business of extremely small size (see smalloffice/home office), through entire floors of buildings,
up to and including massive buildings dedicated entirely to one company. In modern terms an
office usually refers to the location where white-collar workers are employed. As per James
Stephenson,"Office is that part of business enterprise which is devoted to the direction and co-
ordination of its various activities."
The following below are the functions of an office as it performs different activities of
company’s or business uses as follows.
Development of office systems and procedures:-Through office functions is when
office jobs are interrelated as a fact that jobs are related to different applicants and
interdependent as a fact that jobs act as interdependent factors to the corresponding applicants
and vacancy. Whereby as such an office must provide better services to interrelated departments.
For a smooth flow of work, development of office system and procedures is essential for
building up a successfully office management and coordination.
Form designing and control:-Through office functions is when there is form designing
and control as a fact that forms are the basic tools for all types of office work. There are many
operations which can be systematized with the use of printed forms. Besides, the use of the forms
saves time and energy at every operation. Information can be collected, recorded or processed
systematically and effectively with the help of office forms. Therefore, it is the task of the
management to design and to control the forms.

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Selection and purchase of office appliances:-Through office functions is whereby the
office manager must engage in the purchase of the appropriate machines, equipment or furniture
for the office so as to ensure a vital office management. Probably Office work requires adequate
equipment, machines and furniture’s and they must be maintained properly for the efficient
working order so that may be easier for conducting essential office activities. Also appliances
must be selected for full and proper uses.They must be suitable for the purpose, they must be
simple in operation and maintenance. They must be flexible and adaptable to different uses, the
cost and benefit must be compared when the appliances are purchased.
Personnel functions:-Through office functions is whereby the personnel function is
performed by the personnel department. Since it is assisted by the office, it recruits and selects
the personnel. And it places them in different jobs in the office. For the efficient performance of
the basic functions of the office, provision of adequate and trained staff is necessary. The staff
must get reasonable salary. But actually Staff must be properly motivated to achieve the best
performance.
Controlling office costs:-Through office functions is whereby there is control of office
costs and therefore through these costs may be controlled by the use of office machines within
the office department, through the use oflabor-saving devices and adopting improved methods of
management which is very important in controlling the office cost and hence promote a
successful basic office management control and coordination.
Maintenance of records:-Through office functions is when the maintenance of office
records are obtained whereby this is a secondary function of an office. Provision of copies of all
the correspondence must be retained for further reference. From a business firm, a number of
letters go out daily and a number of replies are received, and if the copies of the original letters
against which the replies have been received, are not available, the decision cannot be taken
wisely.Therefore all the records must be maintained through proper filing system and preserved
for number of years. Certain documents need not be kept for more than a year while certain
documents have to be kept for a number of years.

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Planning schemes and policies:-Through office functions is when planning schemes and
policies are enhanced as a fact that in the present stage, production is always in anticipation of
demand. And according to that matter it support to the anticipating planning schemes, therefore
for a manufacturing concern, it has become essential to plan the activities of the concern for the
future period.One cannot take a decision or plan unless one goes into the previous records and
relevant statistical data, studies the present market trends, and takes decisions on basis of all
information of the past period.When a proper plan has been chalked out, it will be adopted as a
policy. Planning and policies will be good, when they have been drawn out carefully with the
help of the office, through collecting and processing information.
Safeguarding the assets:-Through office functions is when also safeguarding the assets
are inevitable. Therefore the job of an office is not only extended from the receipt of information
to the supply of processed information, but also to take care of various assets. To keep the record
of customers (debtors) and keep the management to be informed of about the doubtful debts so
that necessary steps may be taken to prevent the occurrence of bad debts.Books of accounts of all
types (personal, real and nominal) are to be kept regularly. Among them the most important are
fixed assets plant, machinery, fixtures, buildings and current assets goods, stationery, debtors,
bills receivable, cash in hand, cash at bank, etc.All these are the properties of the concern and the
office must arrange to protect and safeguard the assets against destruction, damage, loss by theft,
fire etc. The management must be informed of all types of misappropriation matters so that its
occurrence will be prevented in future through investigations.
CONCLUSION
Therefore according to the functions of an office as it involves different processes of controlling
and safeguarding office activities hence being described effectively as it shows how an office
performs its different activities and managing of great task though the office users and
applicants. All in all a well-designed office is more important for operating office activities.

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REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/office.com
Long, Kim (2004) user effective buildings.
www.businessdictionary.com
Kennedy Smith (2006) categorization of office