What is Office Form?
Office form may be defined as a vehicle by which the required information is collected briefly for the effective and economical function of an office.
Table of Content
Office Form Definition
J.C.Denyer, define office forms as “Printed piece of paper or card on which entries are usually made against marked headings”.
George R.Terry, “An office form is a printed piece of paper which provides space for entering records, information or instructions which are to be conveyed to other individuals departments or enterprises.”
Meaning of Office Form
A form is printed or cyclo-styled piece of paper containing some information with blanks spaces left for the entry of required information briefly by the persons using it.
Purposes of office forms
An office can work very easily and economically with the help of receiving information through form. Time required to perform a work is reduced and the energy of the employee is saved. Therefore, the applications of printed forms have become an essential part of the office procedure.
- Only the required information is alone received and supplied. Thus irrelevant and unnecessary are eliminated.
- No piece of information is held up and misrepresented.
- More clerical work is saved.
- More information is supplied quickly in a meaningful way.
- The collection of information is very easily done.
- There is a possibility of increasing clerical efficiency and output.
- Quick and clear understanding of information is possible.
Advantages of Office Forms
The following are the advantages of office forms:
- Simplify the Office Procedure
- Saves Time
- Reduce Chances of Mistakes
- Preservation of Records
- Fixation of Responsibility
- Aid to planning
- Better Human Relations
- Reduce Cost of Office
- Systematic Recording of Information
- Better Customer Service
Simplify the Office Procedure
A number or name may be provided to the office forms. They not only reduce the volume of work to some extent but also help in increasing the office work.
Saves Time
In relevant and unnecessary information are not recorded. Only relevant information is recorded briefly. This saves time.
Reduce Chances of Mistakes
The persons in using the office forms are well aware of the contents and requirements. Hence, the chances of mistakes and errors occurring are considerably reduced.
Preservation of Records
Uniform and systematic filing are possible with the help of office forms. It leads to easy preservation of records.
Fixation of Responsibility
The forms contain the details of the name and signature of the person who prepare the form. If there is any mistake or errors, the concerned individual is responsible.
Aid to planning
The proper preservation of forms helps the management for better planning.
Better Human Relations
Employees are assured of keeping a proper record of their work, wages, bonus etc. It creates a confidence in the minds of every employee about the protection of interests of employees by the management. This may promote better human relations in an organization.
Reduce Cost of Office
Operation The utilization of office forms reduces the volume of work and increases the efficiency of employees and output of each worker. Less energy is required to perform a job. Thus, the use of forms reduces the cost of office operation.
Systematic Recording of Information
All necessary and relevant information are recorded in a specified form. At the same time, all the information is supplied to a needy person.
Better Customer Service
Quick reference of information is possible with the help of forms. This enables the management to serve the customers better.
Disadvantages of Office Forms
The following are the disadvantages of office forms:
- Information contained in forms is of a routine nature
- Contain only specified information
- Possibility of excessive use
- Possibility of misuse
- Hinders smooth flow of work
Information contained in forms is of a routine nature
Information furnished or required to be given in forms are mostly ofa routine nature, which do not serve any purpose in vital matters.
Contain only specified information
Only specified information is contained in the [arms. If there is no column for furnishing any other information, the person filling it will not give it, howsoever, important he may be.
Possibility of excessive use
Many organizations develop a tendency to use forms for every possible need. For example, if a person wants to avail of casual leave he may have to write two lines on a piece, but some offices unnecessarily have forms for that purpose. This practice increases the number of forms in use, and the office costs
Possibility of misuse
There is danger of misuse of office forms if unused blanks are not kept in proper custody. For example if a blank railway pass forms are stolen they can be used to issue fake passes to other people.
Hinders smooth flow of work
It has been observed that if one or the other form is out of stock, employees in the habit of using forms allows work to be held up for non-availability of forms. This may create serious problems where, for instance, collection of debt gets delayed due to non-issue of reminders on account of the relevant forms being out of stock.
Types of Office Forms
Forms can be classified based on their utilization. They are
- Purchase Forms
- Sales Forms
- Accounting Forms
- Correspondence Forms
Then, the forms can be classified based on the number of copies required.
Single Copy Forms
Single Copy Forms is used to save the only one purpose and kept by the anyone of the office employee.
Multiple Copy Forms
Multiple Copy Forms are prepared in more than two copies but according to the requirements. For example, if three copies are prepared; three employees in various departments or in various sections keep them.
Again, office forms are classified based on place of utilization. They are:
Outside Copy Forms
Outside Copy Forms means forms used for collection of information from the outside of office. They are purchase orders, sales invoices, vouchers and the like.
Internal Copy Forms
Internal Copy Forms mean forms used for collection of information within the organization. They are requisitions, report forms, accounting forms and the like.
Forms control
Forms control refers to maintaining a check on introduction of new forms, amendments in existing forms and discontinuation of obsolete forms . Without forms control there may not be any end to multiplicity of forms and arbitrary amendments to the existing forms.
Objectives of Forms Control
The primary objectives of forms control are as follows:
- Retention of necessary forms only: To retain only those forms which are necessary for saving labor and time.
- Suitable design of forms: To ensure that the forms being used in the organization are appropriately designed.
- To produce forms economically: The number of forms to be printed must be in lots which is economical from the point of view of printing cost and the possibility of modifications.
- To prevent misuse of forms: To ensure that forms are, distributed only to the staff who need them and not reach wrong hands.
- Reviewing existing forms: To periodically review the existing forms to check whether they are still in line with current systems and procedures of work in the office.
- Introducing new forms or amending old forms: To ensure that new farms are not unnecessarily introduced, and existing forms are not amended without justification.