Topic 3 - Monitor Equipment / Resource Usage and Maintenance

 

A) Occupational health & Safety Requirements

When using office equipment it is essential to follow all the OH & S requirements. This is for your own safety and the safety of others.

You do not want to end up looking like this!

As you have already discovered, Swaggies has guidelines on how to use & maintain their office equipment.

Here is what it says about faults you may come across when using office equipment:

“Report all faults that are not easily rectified to your manager and if directed complete a Request for Servicing form and forward to the Administration Department”

View the Swaggies p38 “Request for Servicing” form

 

 

Now tryActivity D

 

Now tryTask 4

A Final Word on OH & S

 

You have already completed the Work Safety unit.

 

If you feel you need to revise any of the following, please go back to "Workplace Safety Procedures"

 

The importance of OH & S procedures	Reporting procedures for accidents	Preventing risks through correct manual handling and appropriate chemical safety procedures
revise Topic 1	revise Topic 8	revise Topic 7

 

B) Monitoring Equipment and Resources

This may include:

A Register of Use	An assets Register	Allocation of Resources

A register of use.

Resources may include:

• the hardware & software of computers
• the raw materials needed in the production process
• the stock & supplies
  

These need to be maintained on a regular and methodical basis. Adequate supplies should be available to enable the business to function efficiently.

An important aspect of monitoring supplies is the register it’s usage. This is where data about the stock is recorded at the time of issue to the user (in this case the office worker).

A small office might use a stock card like this:
Each time goods are received they are entered on the card. When a requisition is received and goods issued to other personnel accurate entries made on the card allow you to see when goods need to be reordered.

Now tryActivity E

An Assets Register   

An assets register is a manual record or computer database identifying and listing the asset, the date of acquisition, the cost of the asset, and allocating a unique identifying number.

When assets are sold or deemed ‘beyond usable life’ they are removed from the assets register. Usually used for fixed assets valued at over $300 eg computers, motor vehicles, machinery or equipment.

The keeping of an assets register for more expensive items also has taxation implications for the business. Therefore accuracy is essential.

Allocation of Resources

The organisation may require requisition forms be submitted before any items can be issued from the stockroom or purchased by the authorised personnel. Alternatively, each department may be given a budget allocation with which to purchase consumable items. Reference can be made to database information or manual records to determine how and when particular resources (including human resources) might be available for use.

 

Now tryTask 5

 

The Importance of Decision Making Skills

 

Other units in this course cover such skills as:

 

Negotiation

Conflict Resolution

Time Management

Understanding Equity Issues

 

The ability to consult with staff members (either individually or in teams) will produce the most effective decision - making. This especially applies to the appropriate allocation of resources.

Now tryActivity F

 

Policies regarding Resource Use

 

"I'm new to Swaggies. I need to know how they expect me to do things"

 

What you are really asking is "What policies does Swaggies have in place that I need to know about when dealing with resource use?"

 

Click on the icons to find out more.

 

	ordering principles		recruitment % personnel
	time management		budgeting limits
	transport / travel policies		purchasing authorities

 

Now tryActivity G

Monitoring Requirements

 

All businesses should monitor resource use (discussed earlier) and compare this with estimate requirements in budget plans.

 

At home, every household has a budget where there are a certain amount of funds coming into the home. With this money they have a number of financial commitments.

These include:

• food

• rent / mortgage

• clothing

• education

• transport etc

A wise household will prepare a budget, so that all these commitments are met.

 

The key is Planning

 

If the household runs out of money by the end of the budget period, they need to evaluate their budget. This means, they need to go back and see where the money went, what was essential, where money was wasted, what unexpected expenses occurred etc.

 

This means that in their next budget, they will make the necessary adjustments.

 

The same process occurs when monitoring resource usage in an office.

 

 

Now tryActivity H

Now tryTask 6

This is the end of Topic 3.  Now try Topic 4