Office Secretary

With time, like many titles, the term was applied to more and varied functions, leading to compound titles to specify various secretarial work better, like general secretary, financial secretary or Secretary of state. Just "secretary" remained in use either as an abbreviation when clear in the context or for relatively modest positions such as administrative assistant of the officer(s) in charge, either individually or as member of a secretariat. As such less influential posts became more feminine and common with the multiplication of bureaucracies in the public and private sectors, new words were also coined to describe them, such as personal assistant.

In a business many job descriptions overlap. However, while administrative assistant is a generic term, not necessarily implying directly working for a superior, a secretary is usually a personal assistant to a manager or executive. Other titles describing jobs similar to or overlapping those of the traditional secretary are office coordinator, executive assistant, office manager and administrative professional. At the most basic level a secretary may need only a good command of the prevailing office language and the ability to type, and may spend a large part of his or her time filing and fetching papers (or the equivalent regarding electronic files and database information) or answering telephones. For example, A doctor's Secretary not need to wear Medical Scrubs.

A more skilled executive assistant may be required to type at high speeds using technical or foreign languages, organize diaries, itineraries and meetings and carry out administrative duties which may include accountancy. An executive secretary / assistant may also control access to a manager, thus becoming an influential and trusted aide. Executive assistants are available for contact during off hours by new electronic communication methods for consultations.

Task Management - Task Management Software

We are talking here Workflow Management. As part of our talk on Workflow Management, we talked Office Automation and today we are going to talk Task Management.


Task management is a process of managing task (or task portfolio) during it's lifecycle, including planning, testing, tracking and reporting.
Effective task management suppose managing all aspects of a task including its status, priority, time, human and financial resources assignments, recurrency, notifications and so on.
Managing multiple individual or team tasks may require a special task management software which is available on the Web.
Task management is a part of project management and process management.

ref: Office Automation Software, wikipedia, Task Management Software

Office Automation - Workflow Management Software

We are talking here Workflow Management. As part of our talk on Workflow Management, today we talk about Office Automation.

Office Automation refers to the varied computer machinery and software used to digitally create, collect, store, manipulate, and relay office information needed for accomplishing basic tasks and goals. Raw data storage, electronic transfer, and the management of electronic business information comprise the basic activities of an office automation system. Office automation helps in optimizing or automating existing office procedures.

The backbone of office automation is a LAN, which allows users to transmit data, mail and even voice across the network. All office functions, including dictation, typing, filing, copying, fax, Telex, microfilm and records management, telephone and telephone switchboard operations, fall into this category. Office automation was a popular term in the 1970s and 1980s as the desktop computer exploded onto the scene.


ref: Office Automation Software, wikipedia

Workflow Management

What is Workflow?If you ask 10 people you will get 11 answers...more than just handful. Workflow is organizationally aware....it must have a representation of the procedures, activities, and roles within the organization.



Workflow management








Workflow & Office Automation

• Office Automation is the starting point for workflow management research.
  
• Difference: Task Automation/Process Automation
  
• Requirements for office automation
  
• Scheduling activities
• Function integration
• Personal assistance
• Task management
  
• Workflow – Past & Future
• First generation – disjoint applications, human interface
• Call center management
• Correspondence handling