CHAPTER – 15
Inflow
and Outflow of Paper
Introduction
Correspondence is of great importance
in modern times. Almost each business transaction involves exchange of papers
of different kinds and other material, letters orders samples, cheques drafts,
bills , government instruction through circulars and official letters invoices
and so on. It is therefore imperative that the correspondence department must
be vigilant and efficient in disposal off the letters and maintaining the
accurate and complete records of all the papers concerning the commercial
transactions.
The correspondence in commercials office had been divided into two categories.
The correspondence in commercials office had been divided into two categories.
1. Inflow or inward correspondence.
2. Outflow or outward correspondence.
Inflow and outflow of papers are guided by the individual requirements and
environment or business location and the type of business. They are discussed
as below.
INFLOW OF
PAPER
1. OPENING OF
LETTER
This letters are usually opened in
the presence of the general manger of some responsible officer who by quick
glance over each letter assertions whether it deals with matters of routine or
required any special notice to be taken. He is particularly watchful of letters
which contain a discordant note or complain. Care has to be taken to see that
the contents of the letters are properly emptied before the outside covers are
thrown away. If the letters is addressed by human name or is marked privateer
it is not opened but is handed over to the person concerned. Remittances
received are sent to the cashier for entry in cash book. All the cheques
received are crossed and endorsed before being sent to the bank for collection
and credit to account.
2. STAMPING
AND SORTING THE LETTER
The letters are then sorted out and
marked with the date and time of their receipt noted on each of them; this is
done with a view to prevent laziness and irresponsibility on the part of the
staff in dealing with the letters. They are then sorted out bin batched
according to their nature and each is handed over the person entrusted with the
dealing letters of that type. Sometimes each letters is impressed with an
identification mark indicating the department which it belongs to. The officers
are thus enabled to ensue that prompt action is taken on all the letters by
each department and filing is up to date and correct. The letters may also then
be numbered for quick reference in the office n, if a numerical system of
reference is maintained.
3. ENTRY IN
LETTER RECEIVED BOOKS
The letters received are briefly
recorded in a let ter received book. It records a date of receipt the name of
the sender, and the subject of the letter , the departments to which they have
been handed over , the manner of their disposal and the reference through which
they have been disposed off.
4.
PREPARATION OF REPLIES
The concern department then deals
with the letters take any action necessary upon them and draft replies which
are forward to officers, for correction and approval, along with the letter to
which they are replies. When the draft is approved the officer sends it to the
typist and also initials in the last column of the letters received book to
indicate that the letter has been dealt with. Officers my also dictate letter
to the typist who may take them down in shorthand and then final letter to be
dispatched.
OUTFLOW OF
PAPER
It means all those letters invoices,
documents etc which are being sent from the office. The outflow paper includes
the replies of the letters received by the office as well as the original
correspondence done by the office. The outflow correspondence passes through
the following stages.
1. REPLY OF
LETTER RECEIVED
The outgoing letters must be prepared
with promptness and accuracy and they must be politely worded. They have been
described as the silent ambassadors of the business concerns and as such they
must have an up to date finish to capture the imagination of the reader. A
typewritten letter makes a better impression on the addresses than a hand
written letter, since the former is better to look and can be read more easily.
2. THE COPYING OF
LETTERS
It is very essential to have a copy
of the letter sent on record for future reference. In case of any dispute this
copy would be quite helpful in settling the same. The copy can be obtained by a
carbon, press copying machine and in many other ways.
3. THE
DUPLICATING OF LETTERS
The circular letters are to be sent
to a large number of firms. In such cases hundreds of copies of the same letter
are needed. When these copies are prepared by the help of a machine the same is
known as duplicating machines in use which help in the preparation of these
copies.
4. FILING OF
LETTERS
The letters received and the replies
of the letters sent or a copy of the original letter is to be then filed
properly. The files are to be arranged in a systematic manner so that the
previous correspondence when required may be found out quickly and easily.
5. DISPATCH
OF LETTERS
The work of sending the letters away
from the office is given over to a dispatch clerk. In sending away the letters,
he must be very prompt and must also look to the postal requirements in
connection with letters which are to be sent through the post office. Neat
folding of letters, seeing that the letters are properly addressed and
accompanied by the relative enclosures, and making sure that all letters are
properly signed by the officers concerned, are matters which the dispatch clerk
must look to. He is also required to send away all the telegrams from the
office.
6. ENTRY IN A
POSTAGE BOOK
A brief record of all the outflow of
papers is kept in a postage book which also serves the purpose of a letter
outward book. The dispatch clerk is usually given an advance which he uses to
buy postage stamps of various denominations. He uses the postage book to
maintain an account of the money advanced to him the postage stamps used by him
in dispatching letters.
7. USE OF
PEON BOOK
Some letters are to be sent to the
local businessman. These letters are not sent through post but through a peon
duty entered in a peon book. The dispatch clerk before sending letters will
sort out all those letters separately which are to be send to the local
businessman. He will then make entries of all such letters in the peon book and
hand over the same to the peon who will personally deliver these letters to the
addresses concerned and obtain their signatures to the peon book maintains a
complete record of all the letters sent locally.
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