Office management
Office management is a profession involving the design, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance of the process of work within an office or other organization, in order to sustain and improve efficiency and productivity.
Functions
An office manager is responsible for monitoring and reviewing systems, usually focusing on specific outcomes such as improved timescales, turnover, output, sales, etc. They may supervise or manage a team of administrators, allocating roles, recruiting and training, and issuing assignments and projects. As such the role is varied, often including responsibilities across a diverse range of functions such as:
- Bookkeeping
- Business process mapping
- Cost accounting
- Customer service
- Database management
- Facility management
- Design of form or document templates
- Human resources
- Management information systems
- Management consulting
- Occupational safety and health
- Payroll
- Project management
- Purchasing
- Records management
- Recruitment
- Report writing
- Risk management
- Sales and marketing
- Security management
- Space management
- Systems analysis
- Website maintenance
Personal competencies useful in the role are: problem solving skills, good decision making abilities, integrity, resourcefulness, creativity, assertiveness, flexibility, time management skills and the ability to cope with pressure.