Produce Documents in a Business Environment - NVQ Level2 Business & Administration

INTRODUCTION

This unit is about preparing high quality and attractive documents to agreed layouts, formats, styles to meet agreed deadlines.

1.1 Outline different types of documents that may be produced and the different styles that could be used

A document is information produced in either printed or electronic (on-screen) format. All documents can be produced using standard applications packages.
We can use different kind of formats:
Standard word documents: Use for the creation of most documents such as letters, memos, minutes, etc.

Template: it is a sample document that can be completed either by hand or through a software assistant word processing templates enable the ability to bypass the initial setup and configuration time necessary to create standardized documents such company response letter. Most companies use templates now a day as is good way to have a standard document for everyone to use.

Spreadsheets: We will use Spreadsheet for storing, calculating, filtering, verifying, sorting, displaying, creating graphic charts etc . Its use is much extended now days to show large amount of data. We can use spreadsheet electronically or be printed for show.

Slide Show: A slide show is an on-screen presentation of information or ideas presented on slides. A slide show enforces the ideas, comments, solution or suggestions presented in the slide. Slide shows are conducted by a presenter using an apparatus, such as a carousel slide projector, an overhead projector or in more recent years, a computer running presentation software.
Short documents
Memo
A memo is a short note to someone else in the same organisation. It can be sent by email, handwritten or printed out and delivered by hand. Memos are usually informal in style, but most organisations have a set format to ensure that essential information is not missed out, such as subject, date, sender’s name and contact details.
Business email message
Emails are widely used for formal business purposes, as well as for informal notes to friends. Because anything said in an email is legally binding, many organisations insist that business emails follow the same conventions as business letters. A business email should always end with a signature.
Letter
A formal letter is a type of correspondence from an organisation to a client or other contact. Business letters normally have a standard structure and should include business heading, address of the recipient, date the letter was written, salutation, ending and signature of the sender.
Order form
This will have been designed so that it captures all the information that the business needs:
Agenda
An agenda is a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting. A typical agenda might have these items: apologies for absence, minutes of the last meeting, matters arising from the minutes items for discussion, date of next meeting and any other business.
An agenda should be circulated in good time so that the people attending the meeting have time to think and read about the issues.
Minutes
The minutes of a meeting are a summary of what was discussed and the decisions made. The minutes should follow the same structure as the agenda. Someone at the meeting is given the task of taking the minutes, which means making notes and writing them up.
Extended documents
Article
An article may be written for the staff newsletter. The style of an article falls somewhere between a report and an essay. Many organisations produce newsletters for their staff or customers, keeping them up to date with new products and news about the company. Newsletters can incorporate photos and graphical headings.
Report
A report is any document that is written to explain a project, provide facts or generally convey information. Internal reports will be used by managers to help them make decisions.
We can use graphical documents such an illustrations, charts, flowcharts, diagrams and promotional documents ( advertisement, leaflets and web pages ).
Documents can be informal, for example emails to colleagues, or formal. Formal documents are used in organisations for important business meetings. They are stored for a long time after the meetings as evidence of the discussions that took place and the decisions that were made. Examples of formal documents include agendas and reports

1.2 Describe different formats in which text may be presented

The different formats in which text may be presented are they are font typefaces, headings, font size, effects (bold, italics, underline, etc.), colours etc. We can format the text in paragraphs, tables and columns. We can add bullets or numbers, headers and footers.
Files can be created in applications in a number of standard formats. You can tell which format is being used by looking at the last part of the full file name, known as the file name extension. For example, the filename dogs.bmp has the filename extension .bmp, which tells us that this is an image file stored in bitmap format.
• Text files (.txt) – also known as ASCII files, these are created by text editors and simply contain basic characters in the ASCII character set. You can also save a word processed document in text format, but you will lose all the character formatting and any special characters that you have used. They are used to produce very simple text files for technical use. The simplest text editors, such as Microsoft® Notepad, allow you to write and save text files.
• Rich text files (.rtf) – are produced by word processors and preserve a certain amount of character formatting, such as colours and fonts. They can usually be exchanged between applications from different software companies.
• Word processed files – use different formats depending on which application has been used. Microsoft® Word® files use the filename extensions .doc or .docx. They are not always compatible with other word processing applications. Used to produce letters, reports, simple publications and labels. Word processors are the most widely used software packages. Microsoft® Word® is the best known.
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• HTML files – text files that contain the programming code for web pages. They are saved with the filename extension .htm or .html, which tells a browser that they can be interpreted as web pages.
• Plain text emails and text messages – use their own file formats, but they are based on simple text files. Used to create, send, receive, store and organise emails and text messages email client software – such as Outlook, which communicates with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and handles all the emails for you. Webmail software such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail, which is provided by an online provider and which you can only access online.

1.3 Explain the purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive documents

The purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive documents is to promote a good image of our organisation. A poor presented document may reflect that we don’t care about our customers/colleagues/managers.
Documents have to be produce to a high standard, with a simple and clear format, easy to understand and well presented.
Quality improves customer satisfaction, improve profitability, support improvement and innovation, help to identify and manage risk and ensure corporate care and responsibility.

2.1 Describe the types of resources available for producing high quality and attractive documents

Resources you might need to produce high quality and attractive document are:

• A good software.
• A good quality scanner.
• A good quality printer.
• A computer.
• Good quality paper.

2.2 Outline ways of using different resources to produce documents

The ways I can use different resources to produce documents are:
-Using a good software for high quality word processing that can support all popular formats and that is versatile for document creation. Most software will help us to create attractive documents by having a choice of fonts, page layout etc.
- Using a good scan that can copy originals. If you have a quality scanner you can create electronic images and printed copies that look as good as the original picture or document.
- Using a good quality printer that can create high resolution documents an neat prints.
- Using good quality paper for a nice finish.
To make the documents more attractive and more reader friendly we can use pictures and a clear font. We can present lists using numbers, letters or bullets. Structure the information into topics, with headings and subheadings for sections.
We can use tables to display information laid out in two dimensions.

2.3 Describe different types of technology available for inputting, formatting and editing text, and their main features

The different types of technology available for inputting, formatting and editing text are:
A computer with which you interact through a user interface. This consist of a visual display on the screen, which you control using a key board and a mouse and other device. Some user interfaces incorporate sound as well. Most interfaces take input from the user via a keyboard or mouse.
Specialist input devices can analyse sound and accept speech instead. Voice recognition input devices are particularly helpful for visually impaired users and also for those who have difficulties with movement and are unable to control a mouse or keyboard.
We can use scanners to transfer documents into the computer and transform this document to other text formants for example a PDF document can be converted into a Word document and vice versa.
Manufacturers of software often develop suites of applications. An integrated package provides all the common office tools, for example Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint etc, wrapped up into one application.
Files can be created in applications in a number of standard formats such as: Text files (.txt), Rich text files (.rtf), Word processed files, HTML files Etc.
Features and design varied between manufacturers and models but there are some common ones that we can find. Word processing typically implies the presence of text manipulation functions that extend beyond a basic ability to enter and change text, such as automatic generation of:
• batch mailings using a form letter template and an address database (also called mail merging);
• indices of keywords and their page numbers;
• tables of contents with section titles and their page numbers;
• tables of figures with caption titles and their page numbers;
• cross-referencing with section or page numbers;
• footnote numbering;
• new versions of a document using variables (e.g. model numbers, product names, etc.)
Other word processing functions include spell checking (actually checks against wordlists), "grammar checking" (checks for what seem to be simple grammar errors), and a "thesaurus" function (finds words with similar or opposite meanings). Other common features include collaborative editing, comments and annotations, support for images and diagrams and internal cross-referencing.

3.1 Explain the benefits of agreeing the purpose, content, style, and deadlines for producing documents

The audience of a document is the group of people for whom it was written. Documents should be designed to meet the needs of the expected audience.
The purpose of a document can be to:
• Inform – letters, memos, emails, texts, invoices, agendas, newsletters, user guides, illustrations, charts and diagrams all provide information for the audience.
• Query (i.e. to ask questions) – order forms, surveys and questionnaires capture information from the audience.
• Advertise – letters, emails, leaflets, posters and web pages can be used to promote goods and services.
• Record – letters, emails, news items, minutes and reports can all give an account of something that has happened.
A document can only communicate information if it is written and presented in a way that makes sense to the reader. You should ask ‘Will my audience understand what I am trying to tell them?’
If we don’t establish and agree on purpose, style, content quality standards and deadlines, It will be pointless to produce a document because we will waste our time and fail and we will duplicate work by having to produce another document again.

3.2 Outline different ways of organising content needed for documents

Before we start work in a document we need to think:
• Is the document intended for one individual, for a group of people or for the public in general?
• Is it written for friends or for a business audience?
• Is it written for other members of the same organisation, e.g. internal staff, or for people external to the organisation, like customers?
And with this is mind we should plan:
• The information that is to be included.
• Is it written for friends or for a business audience?.
• Purpose of the document.
• How the document is to be presented.
• How long the document can be.
• Is it written for other members of the same organisation, e.g. internal staff, or for people external to the organisation, like customers?.
• The resources I need to complete the job.
All the information needed to prepare the document should be stored safely with clear file names, a list or database of resources. How the finished document is presented and organised will depend on what the document is to be used for, the format and the content. So this must be agreed with the originator and updated regularly to make sure the finished product is fit for purpose. Sub-headings are useful so that a particular point of information is easy to find.

3.3 Outline ways of integrating and laying out text and non-text

Text and non - text can be integrated easily with Microsoft Office Word. Microsoft office word enables you to insert pictures, graphs, clip art and wrap text around and it helps you to work around with its different features to get that consistent format. There are a variety of different features that can be used too. Also there are various other office applications that help with integrating and laying out text and non-text, for example excel and PowerPoint, help with integrating text and non-text in spreadsheets and slides. Which ever application is used, the formatting and other processes have to be done, bearing in mind how you need the output document to look like.
There are many ways of laying out a document, using columns, graphics, blocks of text, headings, background colours, images and white space.
Many organisations use a logo on all their printed materials and their documents often have a very specific style. This will be achieved by always using the same fonts, font sizes, text and page colours and page layout. This is known as the house (or corporate) style of the organisation.

3.4 Describe ways of checking finished documents for accuracy – including spelling, grammar and punctuation – and correctness, and the purpose of doing so

When you have finished creating a document, you should review and check it very thoroughly before making it public or submitting it for assessment.
Most applications that handle text offer a number of tools for checking the suitability of the language you have used.
You should have the automatic spelling and grammar checker switched on as a matter of course when you are using a text-based application.
Even if you are good at spelling you will still make typing errors. Make sure that the spell checker is set for UK English spellings.
If you use the spellchecker, you will still have to use your own intelligence to decide between the alternatives offered.
If you have imported a document, or have not been using the automatic checking tools, you can check a whole document at once.
When a whole document is checked the readability statistics can be displayed, along with other useful information, such as the number of words in the document
You check for accuracy and correctness because it makes it easier for someone to understand you. When you use correct grammar, you make it easier for people to understand your ideas. Correct spelling helps people know what word you are using.

3.5 Explain the purpose of storing documents safely and securely, and ways of doing so
Any documentation of even minor importance should always be stored safely via, digital storage or physical storage E.g. filing cabinet as it may be required in the future for other projects, thus increasing its importance. Plus if it is of a confidential nature the record/s must be kept safe as not to breech the Data Protection act.
Files and records should be stored to comply with the regulations to ensure the safety of said documentation/data and is vital for a business to run smoothly. Information must be securely stored so it can not be disclosed to third parties without the relative permissions. It is important because any data that is not secure can be spread all over the internet. Also make sure you save your work and secure it properly.
Also you should always, save the changes to the document, drawing or spread sheet you are working on as often as possible- in the event of a power cut or computer crash.
Most businesses which rely on electronic data should have a good backup solution, so that data is being backed up every night to an external storage media.

3.6 Explain the purpose of confidentiality and data protection when preparing

documents Confidentiality is very important in preparing documents because this involves a lot of private data, thus in order to protect the users and the owner, confidentiality must be observed. Data protection is also significant to assure that nobody will be able to get the data and spread it to anybody else

3.7 Explain the purpose and benefits of meeting deadlines

It is important that you produce your work to the best possible standard in order to meet the requirements of the person who set you the task. This shows that you are responsible and trustworthy and that you can be relied upon to get things done. You do not know who else might be waiting for your work; it could have to be passed on to someone else. This could cause problems in a business environment and affect your team relationship. Your line manager will expect you to meet all your deadlines, this could have a detrimental effect on your progress is you regularly fail at this.

Unit 204 – Communicate in a business environment-Nvq level 2 in Business and Administration

Why do you need to know the purpose of any communication you are sending and its Intended audience (1.1, 1.2)  In what way does this affect the language you might use when producing written communication or information? (2.3)

The purpose of communication is for human us to be able to understand each other for different reasons. So if we develop our communicative skills we can use this skill as a tool to help me learn or explain something to someone or both. We also communicate to help one another, listen to each others' problems, and solve difficulties we face in life, find solutions to obstacles that may come into our lives.

If we know the audience, we can more effectively communicate with and persuade that audience. My motivation is to get satisfaction from expressing my ideas and getting recognition from the audience.

Colloquial, casual, and formal writing are three common styles that carry their own particular sets of expectations. Style also depends on the purpose of the document and its audience.

Colloquial language is an informal, conversational style of writing.

Casual language involves everyday words and expressions in a familiar group context such as conversations with family or close friends.

Formal language is communication that focuses on professional expression with attention to roles, protocol, and appearance. It is characterized by its vocabulary and syntax or the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence.

Describe different methods of communication and when you would use them? (1.3,1.4)

Different methods of communication that I would use in a business environment are:

             Written communication by exchange of letters, emails or faxes. I would use every day to communicate with customer, colleagues at work and with my supervisors

              Verbal communication when I use the phone or I talk with someone face to face. I would use this when talking with customers by phone and when I talk with my work colleagues and managers face to face or by phone.

Communication can be informal, like face to face communication that occurs in general in a daily situation, or formal and It follows proper order, and procedures, and can be recorded to store the outcomes.

What are some of the key information sources you may need to refer to when preparing written communication and information? (2,1)

The Key information sources I may need to refer to when preparing written communication and information and that can guard me against inaccuracies can be guidelines, policies, procedures, records, meeting notes, specifications, handbooks, directories, service plans, organisation charts and the organisation intranet and I could speak with colleagues or managers.

If I am responding to a customer or to a manager I would read them through carefully to check I have addressed all the relevant points.

When using email what are some of the key principles you should follow? (2.2)

The key principles I should follow when using email are:

             Start the email with a proper greeting as Mr, Mrs. If is acceptable within the organisation we could ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’.

             We must explain the purpose of the message in a concise manner in the subject line.

             Get to the point of the message as soon as possible.

             Don’t write in capital letters.

             Be careful of sending out email to a large number of people because some people don’t want their email address to be known by estrangers.

             Don’t open an attachment or click in a link in an  email from someone I don know as it could end up infecting the computer with a virus.

             It is not acceptable to use emoticons and abbreviations (like the ones used in mobile text messages). I could look very unprofessional.

             Never use email to discuss confidential information and follow the Data Protection legislation.

             Don’t use work email account to send personal emails.

What should you do to ensure that your written communications are organised, structured and well presented to meet the needs of the intended audience? (2.4)

To ensure that my written communications are organised, structured and well presented to meet the need of the intended audience we should start by identifying who will read the message. We need to think about what they need to know and the vocabulary we need to use. We must think about the tone of the message as well.

We should create an outline that will help to identify which steps to take in which order and use simple language.

The structure of the document should be “reader friendly”.

What are the main ways you can check the accuracy of any written communication you produce? (2.5)

Any written content or communication has to be free of spelling and grammatical errors. It also has to be in the right and professional format.

             We need to check the points written down: Whatever we write has to be accurate, otherwise it will have disastrous effects and can even ruin the reputation of the organisation, and the organisation can itself get into trouble.

             We need to do a spell check and grammar check. Spell-check is an option available to easily correct typo errors. Sometimes it will not be 100% accurate, because if you had typed a word instead of another, then spell check will not be able to trace it. So it is always best to even read through the document twice before finalising.

             We could use a template. Every organisation has a different style for documents they produce. As an organisation, documents have to be produce in a standard and professional format.

             We could have our document read by another reader. Sometimes when we read or own work error can be hard to detect

What is meant by plain English and why is it used? (2.7)

Plain English sometimes referred to more broadly as plain language is a generic term for communication styles that emphasise clarity and the avoidance of technical language - particularly in relation to official government communication, including laws.

The intention is to write in a manner that is easily understood by everyone and is appropriate to their reading skills and knowledge, clear and direct, free of cliché and unnecessary jargon.

Plain English is simple, straightforward, easily understood English, in other words the opposite of the English used by lawyers which uses long words, out-of-date words, technical words and Latin words.

Why is it important to ensure that spelling, grammar and punctuation are accurate? (2.6)

The main purpose in the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is ensuring the receiver of the information reads it accurately. Addition to this when given a task to do, your employer expects you to do it perfectly. When a document has inaccuracies, readers tend to distrust everything, including the statistics, opinions, and facts. This would be relayed back to my employer who would themselves lose confidence in our ability. For progression in my company I need to ensure I carry out all tasks to a certain standard.

Why is it necessary to proof read and check written work? (2.8)

Any work that is written has to be proofread and checked because the content that we write is important. The way a paper or any information looks affects the way others judge it. We all put in so much effort to develop a document and put in all the ideas and skills we have to create a document. So it has to be error free, else it will create a bad impression to the reader, which affects the name of the organisation. So it is always best to create the correct document and make a good impression. As they say, “The first impression is the best impression”.

I should proofread virtually any written piece, from emails to minutes.

Just proofreading will have a great effect on the quality of my material, and I am sure that way, I will earn more compliments from people.

How do you distinguish between work which is important and that which is urgent? (2.9)

Important communications those that can provide significant value to the organisation This could be reports to managers, partners, emails and letters to staff about developments or changes within the organisation.

Urgent communications are those which have deadlines. Urgent task are not necessarily complicated but are usually linked to the organisation targets for response times.

What are the  procedures you need to follow for saving and filing written communications in  your organisation?  (2.10)

The procedures I need to follow for saving filling written communications in my organisation are when I file records, I organise files or records with similar information together. Important documents that need accessing by other departments or member of staff are saved in the shared drive. Any confidential information are kept in personal folders or encrypted with a password.

Records may be kept as paper files, or electronically in shared drives, databases, or document management systems.

When speaking with people face to face and over the telephone, what can you do to ensure you are presenting information and ideas clearly and are contributing effectively to  discussions? (3.1, 3.2)

To ensure I am presenting information and ideas clearly when speaking with people face to face or over the phone I should think about what I am going to say before start talking so when I present information and ideas they will be much more concise. Knowing the subject matter by reading about it, doing some research or asking colleagues or managers will help as well. It is a good idea to write it down so we can organise our thoughts and then express them clearly. We can ask questions to get some feed back and make the other person participate in the conversation.

How do you show people you are actively listening to them? (3.3)

To show people that I am actively listening face to face or over the phone I need to use appropriate phrases like I see, I understand, mmmm and ask questions to check my understanding.

In face to face communication I can see as well facial expressions of the person I am talking to and they can see mine. Not being sincere or not showing interest in the other person when talking to them can be notice from our facial expressions and our gestures

We should make eye contact with the person we are talking to and show that we are actively listening by nodding our head or saying ‘yes’ or ‘I see’.

When talking to people face to face or over the telephone, what are the key reasons you would summarise your conversations with them? (3.4)

When talking to people face to face or over the phone they reasons I should summarise  my conversation with them is to reflect back what I have heard and because is not helpful to make assumptions. It always better to check if we are not sure of something and ask the other person to give us further information.

Summarising can improve the quality and accuracy of our conversation.

What are the main ways you can get feedback on whether communications with others have been effective and how can that feedback be used to develop your communication skills? (4.1,4.2)

The main ways I can get feedback on whether communications with others have been effective are asking questions and making sure they understood fully. We should ask colleagues and mangers to give us feed back on how we are communicating with others.

During face to face conversations you can watch the facial expressions, gestures, and posture of the person you're communicating with and from this determine their level of interest and agreement with your message. 

I should observe more experience colleagues and ask them what I do well and areas where I can improve. I could collect examples of well constructed email and letters and use them as a reference.

I will have to set the example for the team and create an environment of trust that makes it okay to share feedback. I should provide my team with a balance of positive feedback and feedback for improvement and receive them too.

Mandatory Unit: 204: Level 2 Business and Administration