Higher Admin 2009

Prelim

2009-02-05T02:08:00.000-08:00

I hope you all did your best in the Prelim.

Paper 1 was a fair test I think as most of the topics have been covered or discussed often. Remember I gave you all the Paper 1 past papers which give you and insight into the type of question they ask.

Paper2 is notoriously difficult because not only do you have to work out what the question is asking, you then have to solve the problems under time pressure.

Depending on results we will have to see if anyone is to be moved down to Int 2 though I would say that Paper 2 needs more practice than what we have done so far. It is the same for most schools and indeed some schools do not sit Paper 2 until March.

Remember there will be a Second Prelim after we complete the ITFM NAB which will improve your ICT skills and give you more confidence.

I have not marked the prelim yet but I will try to get it done for Tuesday. I have another Higher class which I am sure you know means a heavy workload for one person!

Customer Service Level Agreements

2009-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

"A Customer Service Level Agreement (SLA) sets expectations between the customer and the provider" - Hackston & Darroch

This basically helps create a dialogue or communication between customers and suppliers. It is a document/policy that helps customers know what they haev to expect.

As the book says it covers 5 main areas:

The product to be provided
How the supplier will deliver on promises/orders
Who will measure the effectiveness of delivery and how they will do so
What happens if provider fails to deliver
How the agreement is reviewed

It includes details of the responsibilities of the company and the customer.

The reasons why these agreements are brought in are because they provide:

improved staff morale as everyone knows what they are doing
everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities
encourages teamwork
helps provide a continuity of service

Communicating messages or information to employees

2009-01-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

What ways can we do so? Think about in school:

Posters

Memos

Emails

Meetings

DVDs

Internet

Intranet

Customer Service Benefits

2009-01-22T06:04:00.001-08:00

Can increase market share

More customer loyalty

Improves reputation

Increased motivation of staff

Computer Misuse Act

2009-01-22T06:04:00.000-08:00

In a nutshell

Don't access files without permission

Only use data which you are permitted to use

Ensure that any items which they introduce to the network are virus checked

More information on Computer Misuse Act from Wikipedia:

1(1) A person is guilty of an offence if:
a) he causes a computer to perform any function with intent to secure access to any program or data held in a computer;
b) the access he intends to secure is unauthorized; and
c) he knows at the time when he causes the computer to perform the function that this is the case. 1(2) the intent a person has to commit an offence under this section need not be directed at
a) any particular program or data
b) a program or data of any particular kind; or
c) a program or data held in any particular computer. 1(3) a person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5, on the standard scale or both.
2(1) a person is guilty of an offence under this section if he commits an offence under section 1 above ("the unauthorized access offence") With intent
a) to commit an offence to which this section applies; or
b) to facilitate the commission of such an offence (whether by himself or by any other person) and the offence he intends to commit or facilitate is referred to below in this section as the further offence. 2(2) this section applies to offences
a) for which the sentence is fixed by law; or
b) for which a person of twenty one years of age or over (not previously convicted) may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of five years (or in England and Wales might be so sentenced but for the restrictions imposed by section 33 of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980). 2(5) a person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable
a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both; and
b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to a fine, or both.
3(1) A person is guilty of an offence if
a) he does any act in a way which causes the unauthorized modification of the contents of any computer; and
b) at the time when he does so the act he has the requisite intent and the requisite knowledge. 3(2) for the purposes of subsection 3(1)b above the requisite intent is an intent to cause a modification of the contents of any computer and by so doing
a) to impair the operation of any computer;
b) to prevent or hinder access to any program or data held in any computer; or
c) to impair the operation of any such program or the reliability of any such data. 3(3) the intent need not be directed at
a) any particular computer;
b) any particular program or data or a program or data of any particular kind; or
c) any particular modification or a modification of any particular kind.

Qualitative versus Quantitative

2009-01-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

Qualitative information is based on attitudes, opinions and is value based.

Quantitative information is based on measurable data such as facts and figures.

How do we find out what customers like?

2009-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Interviews (Postal, telephone, personal)

Focus Groups

Questionnaires

Hall Tests

Mystery Shopper

Impact of Technology on Meetings

2009-01-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

ICT used in meetings can be:

Email
Videoconferencing (using webcams, videophones)
Audio/Teleconferencing
Ediary
Networks
Intranets
Online applications

BTW does anyone know what is known as 'The Cloud'

Benefits of Staff Appraisal

2009-01-22T05:46:00.000-08:00

Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of staff

Builds positive relationships between managers and subordinates

Helps set future performance targets to develop employees

Helps increase staff motivation by identifying and meeting training needs

Feedback can motivate staff

Helps identify employees ready for promotion

How would you deal with Customer Complaints?

2009-01-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

First of all as we learned in Outcome 5 of Admin Services, there should be a Customer Service Policy which is normally available in a document format.

Every employee should be well aware of it and know the procedures... hence the immortal line: "Know Company Procedures"!!!

1. Who receives the complaint? Customer Services? Complaints Dept.?

2. How was the complaint received? Phone, email, letter?

3. What happens next if the complaint is not dealt with in terms of satisfying the customer. Money back? Replacement product?

4. Compensation given. As above, but could involve cash or claims. Depends on the company and the complaint. For example if the product was dangerous there could also be a product recall... remember the Mini recall a while back? The petrol cap could ignite the petrol pumps!

What happens if you breach conditions of employment?

2009-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Verbal warning
Written warning
Dismissal
Referral to the police

Can you expand these answers into something more meaty?

Also what kinds of breaches would lead straight away to Dismissal and Referral to police?

Working Practices and ICT

2008-12-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

Okay so some of this should be familiar from Standard Grade.

Working practices such as Hot desking, job sharing, touchdown areas, teleworking etc have all had an impact by using ICT. The ICT involved that has changed all this is gadgets like laptops, mobile phones, pagers etc.

Also don't forget to include videoconferencing which you should see in the image above. It has evolved into webconferencing which is really the same thing. It is beneficial because you can meet people from all over without having the cost of travel or accommodation or indeed the inconvenience.

Audioconferencing or teleconferencing is much the same only with telephones rather than video.

ICT and Workflow

2008-12-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

What is workflow again?

Basically it is the INPUT - PROCESS - OUTPUT model which many of you will be familair with from other subjects.

INPUTS is the information coming into the organisation.

PROCESS is what the organisation does with the information - the transformation or changing of it, if you will.

OUTPUT is the information leaving the organisation (or ready to)

eg.

Here are the answers you came up with in class earlier today:

Input – email in orders or requests, fax can be used to receive drawings etc…

Process – Record customer information in a Database, create sales charts/figures in a spreadsheet, creating letters via WP, enter appointments in eDiary… all these improve efficiency and production

Output – Email customers/staff, prepare presentations to give to customers/staff using PowerPoint

Hope this makes things a bit clearer?

Effective Data Management and Poor Data Management

2008-12-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

Data Management is basically how you structure and organise information held within the organisation.

At a very basic level the way you organise your My Documents is data management. You really need to be able to find files quickly and easily... and not lety anyone who shouldn't access them do so or indeed let them corrupt or edit the files!

EFFECTIVE DATA MANAGEMENT

Easy to use and understand. It is structured.
Easy to search & retrieve files.
Users can share data.
Users can edit, update & save data.

If however this is not the case, then there will be consequences of poor data management.

POOR DATA MANAGEMENT

Poor reputation.
It can cost time and money.
Files could be saved in the wrong folders.
Loss of customers.
Out of date information may be accessed.

You will come across as inefficient and even lose customers if you lose their files!

Legislation that exists to protect data

2008-12-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Data Protection Act
Data may only be used for the purposes it was collected
Individuals have the right to access info held on them
Data must not be passed onto 3rd parties unless individual gives consent

Computer Misuse Act
gain unauthorised access to a computer's software or data (hacking) - including the illegal copying of programs.

gain unauthorised access to a computer's data for blackmail purposes.

gain unauthorised access to a computer's data with the intention of altering or deleting it. This includes planting viruses.

copying programs illegally (software piracy)

Copyright, Design and Patents Act
The Act simplifies the different categories of work which are protected by copyright, eliminating the specific treatment of engravings and photographs.

Decision Making

2008-12-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

Decision Making

As you can see from the diagram,

Strategic decisions are long term policy decisions made by senior managers such as the Managing Director or Chief Executive. They are non-routine and normally high risk.

Tactical decisions follow on from the strategic aims/objectives and are medium term and less complex. They are usually made by middle managers.

Operational decisions are routine, day to day decisions made by junior managers. They are normally very simple decisions with low risk.

Features of Good Information

2008-12-10T03:48:00.000-08:00

Accurate

Up-to-date

Complete

Appropriate

Availability

Cost effective

Objective

Concise

For each of these headings, write down an explanation of how they would help managers make decisions.

e.g. Accurate - a manager needs information that is collected from a trusted source.

Quantitative vs Qualitative Information

2008-12-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

Quantitative information is information that is easy to measure, on the other hand Qualitative information is a value judgement.

Quantitative is based on facts and figures, Qualitative is based on attitudes and opinions.

Quantitative is definable whereas Qualitative is descriptive.

Sales figures would be an example of Quantitative information.

A focus group report on customer's attitude's to a new product would be Qualitative.

Information

2008-12-10T03:38:00.000-08:00

Data is raw facts and figures whereas information is data that has been processed and turned into something meaningful.

Primary information (aka Field Research) is gathered first hand. It can be collected by surveys, questionnaires, interviews (face to face, postal and telephone)

Secondary information (aka Desk Research) is second hand and already published/gathered. Examples are: Internet, Government stats, newspapers, MINTEL (market intelligence), reference books

Internal - this is collected by the organisation and held within their organisation. Examples could be sales figures, customer databases, employee databases, staff/holiday rotas.

External - this is found outwith the organisation. It can be collected from the internet, government stats, trade journals, newspapers.

Letter Layout

2008-11-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

By popular demand... it is surprising just how many of you don't know the layout of a letter. More likely you have forgotten, and to think you have the cheek to say to us Teachers "We're fed up doing Word Processing!".

Hmmmn.

Mibbe you guys and gals need MORE keyboarding! That will get you thinking, eh?

Okay, to work:

Letter Layout

LETTER HEADING - usually a letterhead and the address of who is sending the letter

REFERENCE - the initials of the person writing the letter and the signatory

DATE - self explanatory

ADDRESSEE & ADDRESS - the address of the person who is receiving the letter

SALUTATION - Dear Sir/Madame etc

SUBJECT HEADING - a short heading that tells you what the letter is about i.e. SCHOOL UNIFORM

BODY OF THE LETTER - the main jist of the letter. Usually at least 3 paragraphs.

COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE - Yours faithfully/sincerely (you should know the rule!!!)

SIGNATORY - the name of the person signing (remember 6 returns from the complimentary close)

ENC - only added if there is anything enclosed with the letter, A cheque?

There you have the layout of letters. Now all you have to do is remember it!

Pupil Questionnaire

2008-11-04T13:06:00.001-08:00

I have emailed you a Pupil Questionnaire, which is to be used both for target setting and as a self-evaluation tool.

It is not anonymous, as I am looking for people's strengths and areas for improvement.

Please do not feel threatened, but be rather be honest and truthful.

If there are areas to improve we will look at strategies to bridge the gap and take into account the way you learn best.

AB Test

2008-11-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

The date has now been set for the AB Test in Higher Admin.

It will consist of a Paper 1 (Theory) and a Paper 2 (ICT Practical).

We will revise for the test which will be held on Thursday 13th November in X3. But it is important you treat this seriously.

It may not be a Nab, but it could affect the level you are going to sit in January's Prelim. Having a focal point is good for revision and studying in general.

So please try your best. It will also form part of the S5/S6 reports.

Favourite Blog

2008-10-06T02:34:00.000-07:00

Also I forgot to say we have a wee Poll to see which type of blog you like best.

You should investigate these different vehicles on the net at home and comment on which one you like best.

Teacher Tube

2008-10-06T02:19:00.000-07:00

Class,

you will see I have created a Screencast for Basic If Statements. I will create one for Nested Ifs (everyone's favourite!!!).

First homework for Outcome 2 is due for Tue 7th October, remember it is tough at the top so I don't want any excuses. You guys are HIGHER candidates and sadly if you can't handle the workload then perhaps you will need to drop down to Int 2.

We will also spend a period(s) on command words and past paper questions as early as this because you really have to know what is expected of you.

One of the earlier homeworks was done poorly because you attempted it from a Standard Grade point of view which is to be expected I suppose.

But there is a huge leap from SG to H.

2008-08-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today I want you to recap what we have done this week.

That will basically mean creating revision materials for:

Senior v Junior Admin Assistant
Job Descriptions and Person Specifications
Layout of a Letter
Creating Tables in MS Word

Now you can create your revision tool in a Word doc (using Google docs to upload), PowerPoint (use Slideshare to upload) or even Publisher (I'll need to check if it is supported) and then once I have had a gander we can upload it to the web forever and ever.

Make sure it looks good and we will put you lot into small groups (I'll have to arrange the appointments again!!!) so you can share the workload AND the glory.

2008-08-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

hey :]

2008-08-22T07:18:00.001-07:00

hi :-]

blogging

2008-08-22T07:15:00.001-07:00

very nice

2008-08-22T07:07:00.002-07:00

Hiya

test

2008-08-22T07:07:00.001-07:00

How to write a CV

2008-06-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

I have an introductory task for you.

A CV is one of the most important documents you will ever write/create. It is a selling tool for you. It communicates your strengths and suitability for posts.

The following website has some great information on how to write a good resume (as the Americans call it) and indeed it illustrates the different versions of CVs that are possible.

http://www.cvtips.com/

YOUR TASK:

Using the best information you have at present, create a word document (you may wish to use the CV template in word or create tables) and turn it into your first CV.

Your CV has to contain some basic information:

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name Give this in full with your surname in capitals.

Address Full present address where you can be contacted during
the day. Include your postcode. Also include your telephone
number and email address.

Date of Birth Date, month and year of birth in full.

Education Give details of secondary schools you have
attended together with dates. It is not necessary
to give details of your primary education.

Qualifications Give information about examinations you have
taken/will take and the grades or levels obtained or that
you expect to obtain.

Work Experience Give details of your work experience placements.
include reasons why you decided to go to the firm,
what you did and what you gained from the
placement.

Hobbies/Interests Give details which may be helpful in the
job for which you are applying. For example -
I enjoy working with ICT.

Personal Qualities Highlight the personal characteristics
which will be useful in your work.

Referees This is two people who will say something positive
about you, a bit like a character witness!

So you have one period to create the CV document and enter in the important information. Remember and use ACTION WORDS, words that mean something like CREATED, ORGANISED, RESEARCHED, LED, COMMUNICATED etc.

This is possibly the most important task you will ever do in school. Honestly!

Welcome

2008-06-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

This is Mr McGowan wishing this year's Higher Admin cohort the very best in their studies for 2008-09.

Just think, the Higher Admin exam was yesterday, in less than 12 months time that will be you!