Hints on NVQ/apprenticeship/BTEC business admin questions - level 2 and 3 megathread
These are in no particular order, but I'm fed up of answering the same questions over and over because TSR has a terrible search function. No, I won't do your homework for you - but I will give you hints on what to include. Feel free to add questions here, and I will add them if I feel like it.
Really, a lot of these questions are very similar. If you can't find an answer to your specific question, think about how you could adapt another answer
Explain the requirements for language, tone, image and presentation for different documents.
You need to think of this in relation to your own workplace.
Image and presentation
Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Language
This is about not confusing the customers. So with your work colleagues you might use certain abbreviations that won't be understood by customers and so you don't use them in a more public setting. You also might call your colleague "mate" but you're not going to address customers in that way.
Tone
This is similar to language. It's about addressing your audience respectfully. Whilst you're not trying to confuse them with jargon, you're also not talking to them like they're 3 years old. This can also vary depending on the audience - companies are often less formal on social media, but if they were giving an interview to the Financial Times they would be more formal.
201.2- Explain the requirements for image for different documents?
Imagine you have the following image:
It's obviously square. If your document has a gap for a rectangular image, would you be able to make it fit? No, probably not, unless you lost half of the beautiful parrot.
So a requirement might be that images have to be of certain dimensions. If you look at the homepage of TSR, there's the scrolling banner with different pictures - but each is the same size. Similarly, if you look on ASOS all the prduct images are the same size. It would look messy if some were big yet others were tiny.
Now look again at my beautiful parrot:
I just pressed buttons in photo editing software
So a requirement might be that people can only edit photos if they know what they are doing - or things can end badly.
What if you're making a really big poster (such as a billboard) or a really small picture, like a thumbnail image? You'll need a picture that can cope with being enlarged that much, or that still has enough detail when made smaller. The images on TSR to show how to reply to a thread are small but it's easy to see what they are. With my picture that small, you can't really see much
.
What about indecent or rude images? You're not going to want those on a website aimed at children. Similarly, you're not going to insist everyone on a porn site is covered up. So requirements for an image will need to be appropriate - this may change with different audiences.
1.2- Explain how to integrate images into documents &
1.3- Describe how corporate identity impacts upon document producton.
1.2 What software could you use to produce a business document? How would you insert a picture using that software? You might want to include screenshots of the steps to make it easier to explain.
Coroporate identity is about making things fit with the image of the business. Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Explain the reasons for agreeing the:
use
content
layout
quality standards
deadlines
for document production
Imagine if you created something. You showed it to me, because you were very proud of your work. I agree it's brilliant - so I decide to publish your work under my name. Would you be a tiny bit mad?
Now imagine that you've created a business document, because you work for a company. It's about some fantastic sale your company will be having. You're expecting it to bring in thousands of customers, because it's so much better than your competitors. You've planned the sale launch for next week. You show it to your friend - and your friend knows someone who works for a competitor. So they show it to their friend. Then the competitor copies your sale, does it earlier and better, and steals all the customers.
So that's why you need to agree the use. Can it be distributed, or does it need to be kept private? Can everyone in the company access it, or does it need to be certain people/departments only? You might find this thread helpful too.
Reasons for content: well, I tell you to write me an essay on fish fingers. You write me a lovely essay on how they're made and how to serve them. I actually wanted you to write me an essay about the sales figures and how much profit the industry makes. If we had discussed the content in advance then your time wouldn't have been wasted and I would have got what I wanted first time.
Quality is very similar to this. Am I expecting a report which is low or high quality? Do I want you to spend 5 weeks on it and be really indepth, or is it just a few facts to mention at a meeting? So this then ties in to the deadline - you can write me the best report ever, but if it's too late for my meeting then it's pointless.
Layout is a bit less obvious. But having a standard layout makes it easier to read things - you know where to find the information you need. Certain fonts, colours and sizes can be easier for people with disabilities like dyslexia or partial sightedness. It also can give things a more professional feel/image.
Business Admin Level 2 NVQ
Describe the communication requirements of different audiences
If you think this through, it's fairly obvious. What would you do differently if you were talking to a group of 5 year olds compared to a group of teenagers? In a business environment, would you need to explain things differently if you were talking to the new apprentice, compared to someone with 30 years' experience? So obviously one of the requirements is to communicate in a way that the audience understands, and that's not going to be the same for all audiences.
A similar communication requirement would be around disability. If someone is hard of hearing, you might need to speak louder and clearer. You might need to produce the information in a written format.
Another communication requirement would be around retention of information. If it's something important (like figures) it would be better to produce a written format, or possibly a spreadsheet. Saying a lot of numbers verbally to share sales figures would get confusing quickly, but as a table it is easy to understand.
B&A40 communication in a business environment
1.1 Analyse the communication needs of internal and external stakeholders.
1.2 Analyse the different communication models that support administration.
1.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of different communication systems.
1.1 Do you know what internal and external stakeholders are? That bit is important. If you do, you then should think about what they "need" when being communicated to. So they need information to be correct, timely, easy to understand etc - internal and external stakeholders will have some similar needs, but there will be some differences.
With internal communication, you know your audience more. You know what Janet from accounts is like. You know if you're emailing your boss, or the office junior. So you can tailor your communication appropriately - and they can give feedback if necessary.
With external communication, you don't know the audience. You can make generalisations - like you can assume that the audience of a programme on CBBC is likely to be very young, or someone shopping in Prada is going to enjoy fashion. But with any communication, you have to assume it will be widely mocked on Twitter if it's inappropriate. Any advert can go viral. But you don't want yours to for the wrong reasons.
Other differences are that you don't want to reveal business sensitive information to external audiences. A customer (external stakeholder) may not understand some business jargon, so may need information to be presented in a different way that they can understand.
1.2 You should have studied different models of communication (eg Shannon and Weaver model of communication and the Berlo model of communication) and you need to talk about these.
1.3 You need to talk about different things used for communication - email, phone etc - and discuss how they are good and bad. So you might say that a phone call is really good for some information, but not the best way to inform others about spreadsheets.
Explain how the intended use of reports affects the choice of format and language
If you're going to print it out but only have a black and white printer, you need to choose a format that will look good in black and white. If you're projecting it onto a screen during a business meeting, you'll want something that looks good when projected onto a wall.
If you're going to give the document to a new trainee, you'll keep the language simpler and avoid any use of jargon. Things will need to be explained more.
The answers above will also give more detail on this.
What is the importance of using correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling in business communication
It looks more professional. It means your point can be understood - "I defiantly did that!" and "I definitely did that" mean two completely different things, but some people muddle them up. Are you trying to write about your new iMac (computer), or your Immac (hair removal cream)?
Explain how the requirements of security, data protection, copyright and intellectual property legislation may affect the production of business documents
Think this through in parts. Think of what a business document is, and how it might be produced and stored.
Now imagine that you have a secretary for the business who commutes by train. They take some business documents on the train with them one morning to read over. Unfortunately, the train is delayed, and in a rush they leave the documents on the train. Would could now happen to the documents? Would this be a security issue?
Hopefully, you've realised that someone could pick up the documents and do what they like with them. So a security requirement might be that business documents might not be allowed out of the office. This might then affect the production of documents because printing might be restricted, or certain sensitive information might not be released to staff that don't need to see it.
Now, think about data protection. What is data protection? What would happen if the same member of staff left a USB stick of customer address information on the train? So what might a requirement of data protection be? USB sticks might need to be password protected or encrypted. So how would this affect production of business documents?
You need to explain the requirements, which means you have to explain why data protection means you need to do these things. So the Data Protection Act says you're not allowed to give information out. Have a look at this Act to see exactly what is required - what is covered by the Act, what kinds of information must be protected, are there any specific recommendations in the act about how data should be stored? The Act itself is very long and difficult to read, but you will find information pages that present the Act in a more readable format.
For data protection, you need to look at what the data protection act says. This will be in relation to holding data on customers, eg a mailing list or warranty information. Data can't be stored for longer than necessary, so if the company offers a 2 year warranty they would need to have arrangements for the data to be destroyed safely after that period - they can't just store it forever. The company would also need a way of allowing people to remove themselves from the mailing list.
The data needs to be stored securely, and only people who need access should be allowed to view it. This can mean things like password protection for computer files, or for printed information it might need to be locked away and only certain people have the key. This is because you can't have everyone knowing what products your customers have bought - if someone knows that Mrs Jones owns an expensive piece of jewellery they might be tempted to rob Mrs Jones.
Copyright and intellectual property are similar, as they're to do with protecting people from copying. You can't copy someone else's work or design. This can be protected by things like patents and trademarks.
Describe systems and procedures for storing and retrieving information.
Systems being, paper, electronic & other organisational systems.
Procedures could be relating to who can access the information - the cleaner doesn't need to have access to the database of customer information, but a sales rep won't need access to the COSHH data sheet for the cleaning chemicals. Access could be controlled electronically (eg through password protected pages) or physically (eg filing cabinet that needs a key).
Storing the information - do you need a backup, who is responsible for this? What happens to the old out of date files? You don't want 200 copies of everything that you have to keep forever, but equally don't want to lose everything in a power cut.
Do you have specific naming convention for files (eg if files have to have a customer name included, or have to be called J Smith 01003/17 or similar)? Do you have specific folders to store things (eg documents go in the documents file and pictures in the pictures, or customer complaints have a named folder)? Do you have to save documents in a specific format, eg doc or docx? Are files archived or deletd after a certain length of time?
You might also want to read the other answers on data protection and levels of authority.
Explain the use of bespoke business documents
Bespoke means they're made each time. So if someone asks "what's your delivery timescale?" the company would have an FAQ to answer that, rather than writing a new answer each time. But if you're asked "what are the contents of your fridge" then this is going to vary on a day-to-day basis, so you'll need to check and prepare a new answer.
So that's one of your uses - you'd use it when there isn't an already prepared document in place.
But each company will have its own rules for layout, style etc (this is already explained in this megathread if you're not sure) so you need to ensure that your bespoke document still meets those standards. This is where things like templates and style guides come into use. If you're writing a letter as a bespoke document, you might have a template that shows exactly where the logo goes, where the addresses go etc. Or you might just have a guide that says "you must use Comic Sans in size 20". But either way, when you're creating the document you need to adhere to the template/guide.
One type of bespoke document is an invoice. This is an official bill. So obviously it needs to look professional, or the person paying it is going to assume it isn't real/is a scam. You could lose your company a lot of money if the bills go unpaid.
When you use bespoke documents, you still need to ensure that you adhere to rules and regulations (such as the DPA). The fact that it's a bespoke document rather than a pre-made one doesn't negate these regulations. So a use of bespoke documents is to make sure that you use them legally and following all corporate regulations.
You would make sure that you use them to meet the requirements/answer the question. You have to use them accurately and get everything right first time. If you are using templates, you need to ensure that the template is fully modified - you don't want to leave any "*insert text here*" or generic information.
Explain the constraints attached to the use of resources needed to resolve administrative problems
Do you have infinite time and money? No! Well done, you've identified some constraints attached to resources. So a problem might be that you need to file 8000 documents for tomorrow morning, and the constraint is that there's only 2 hours to do it as you go home at 17:30. Or you've run out of envelopes, and the order isn't due for a week.
01.04 Explain how to apply risk assessment and management techniques to identify and resolve administrative problems
Risk assessment is about thinking through the different parts of tasks, and thinking through the possible problems. So if someone is doing extended periods of typing, you'd assess the risk of injuries - things like RSI or eye strain - and then figure out ways to reduce the risk. So you might provide ergonomic keyboard and mouse, or a wrist support, or advise time away from the screen.
If a task involves carrying heavy boxes of files upstairs, you'd think of ways to reduce the possibility of strain through carrying heavy things - can the files be broken down into lighter segments, or could they be emailed, or could some form of trolley/lift be used? Do the boxes even need to be taken upstairs or could they be stored elsewhere? You'd also want to reduce the risk of tripping, so wouldn't wear high heeled shoes and would turn the light on.
Management techniques would involve ensuring things are within your skillset. If you realised the room was far too dark, you wouldn't strip out the wiring and replace the overhead lighting yourself. You might delegate - get an electrician, or even something as simple as getting the maintenance team to change the faulty lightbulb. Or if something huge needs doing, it might need to be brought up in a meeting to work out budgets and timescales. Or the problem might be that a team member isn't doing their work correctly, and so might need performance management.
Factors in generating repeat purchases for a small business?
Generally, smaller businesses can't compete on price as well as large businesses - this is due to economies of scale, and larger businesses also being able to afford loss leaders. So you need to think about what other things would encourage customers to come back.
The main point is customer service and product knowledge. Customers are willing to spend more if they think they're getting a benefit from it, and this benefit can also be non-tangible things. So if a small business treats their customers well, they're more likely to come back. And having good product knowledge means that the assistants will know that it's impossible to use a half-loop stitching on low-viscosity rayon; it would snag the fabric. If you ask the same question at a large business, you wouldn't get the same answer.
Other points are things like car parking to make it easier for customers, nice packaging (depending on the product, this could be scented tissue paper for luxury jewellery, or could just be a heavy duty carrier bag that fits an awkward shaped item), free tea and coffee etc.
Business admin level 2 unit 45
1.3 Explain different responsibilities and levels of authority for processing customer service information
Does one person do everything in a business? No. So that's why they all have different responsibilities. You're best to do this about a business you know well, which is usually one you work at.
Usually, businesses will have basic staff, sometimes called Customer Service Assistants. These might collect data when processing sales, but will enter that data onto a computer and then won't be able to access it again. The Customer Service Assistant will have a limited access to what they can do - they might not be able to handle complaints and refunds, or they may be able to handle some small complaints and refunds but have to refer to someone else for bigger problems.
There will be another department or person who can handle the bigger problems. To do this, they'll have access to more data. If they're doing refunds they will have access to past purchasing data, for example. This means they'll be able to carry out searches to find the relevant customer.
The manager will be able to see pretty much everything. They will be able to see overall sales for the department or business as a whole. They won't usually deal with customers directly.
Explain the factors that affect the choice of communication media
Well, think about the different types of communication media. Direct mailing, TV advert, radio advert, newspaper advert etc.
Why would a business choose one of these over another? Well, they hope their customers/potential customers would see it. So if they've done research and know that most of their customers are in a particular demographic, they'll aim their adverts at that demographic. If they know their customers are young and trendy they'll choose a radio ad in the "top 40" slot. If their customers are older, radio 4 would be more appropriate.
You can also think of the differences between different types of media. What is the main difference between TV and radio? Can you think of a reason something might be better advertised on TV (pictures and sound) rather than radio (just sound)? What about print (pictures, no sound)?
Explain the use of different types of information communication technology (ICT) for document production
If I'm making a poster, is it best to do it in Excel? Similarly, would my spreadsheet be better in Excel or Photoshop?
You don't need to mention absolutely everything, but think of a few different types of business document and discuss how they would be best produced. Or, discuss a few common things used to produce documents, and talk about how they're best used. You could also discuss things like email, graphics tablets, scanners etc.
Explain types of problems that may occur with deliveries and stock items
Imagine you were running a shop. If you're ever done supermarket home delivery (or seen your parents do it) or been to a shop you have experience there you can draw on. What kind of problems could occur - you're trying to get the items you want so that you can use them for the specific purpose (selling them to customers to make a profit). So probably the most obvious one is that the warehouse could be out of stock. You must have been to a supermarket and they've said they've run out of something, so must have seen this happen. You might find this video helpful, as it shows you inside a depot
So you can see all the machines they have - maybe something could break down. Maybe they misplace one of the keys. If you watch it through slowly, and think of all the things that could go wrong with each stage, you'll get loads of possible answers
Unit 302.1: Contribute to the improvement of business performance
Explain the organisational and legal constraints relating to problem-solving.
Analyse the implications of adopting recommendations and implementing decisions to solve business problems.
It helps if you think of different problems and how they might be solved, if you could do anything. Then think about why it might not be possible.
So if you have a huge deadline coming up, you might want to make your staff work harder and longer - but the working time directive says they can't just work non-stop for a week. You can't just sack all the staff in a quiet period, because of the laws around unfair dismissal.
Organisational problems are things where something in the business means a solution won't work. You might want to send Bob down to collect the post every morning, but if the post is delivered to a different building/floor it might be too time consuming. You might want to print an A3 poster, but you only have an A4 printer.
The next part is thinking about the good and bad points of doing something new to solve a problem. So a bad point might be that staff need to be trained, and that takes time. A good point might be that the problem gets solved.
Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and requirements for business travel and accommodation
Imagine you're running a business, and you need to send Bob to a conference. You tell Bob to go. Bob is in charge of booking his own travel, so he books himself a business class flight, a 5* hotel, and then he goes crazy on the minibar and room service. Your business is now left to pay for this. Do you think you should probably have set some rules about what he was to book?
What is upward vertical communication and can someone please give me some examples of it?
Upward communication is when employees talk to their superiors (eg their manager). Upward communication is always vertical, so you can just say "upward communication" unless you really want to specify "upward vertical". But you can't have "upward horizontal" so that's just tautology.
If a cashier talks to their line manager at Tesco, that's upwards communication. If the department manager speaks to the CEO, that's upwards. If the supervisor tells their employee off for being late, that would be downwards communication.
Write a document to state how you stay safe when using your email system and how do you store files including archiving
Well, how do you stay safe when using email? Do you consider if things are spam - do you know the sender, are they offering you loads of money, are they a known scam? Do you have virus protection that scans any incoming documents? Do you have a spam folder, where known dodgy emails are filtered to automatically? Do you have a manager or IT department you can ask if you're not sure if something is a scam?
Do you store your files all higgledy piggledy and anywhere you want? Do you have specific folders for certain documents (eg receipts, invoices, essays) and call them all relevant names? Do you delete documents that are no longer required, or store documents elsewhere if they're still required but not needed regularly? Do you have any ways of protecting documents so that they're not deleted or accessed by accident?
Follow manufacturers or organisational instructions for the use of equipment, materials and products
Follow organisational procedures and legal requirements to minimise risks to health and safety
Think about some equipment or materials that are used. This depends on the workplace, but commonly are things like cleaning products, computers, stationery. If you have a staff kitchen onsite then it can be things like a microwave and hot drinks. In specialised workplaces, there will be other machinery to consider - a healthcare setting might have a hoist or portable x-ray machine, an advertising agency might have a big printer, a large office might have a complicated telephone system and switchboard.
Think about what training or advice is given for use of the equipment. New starters are likely to be given training during the induction. There might be a specific IT department or person involved in maintenance and repair of computer problems. You'll call out a plumber if the toilets are blocked. There might be rules about not taking hot food/drink outside the kitchen. There could be a rule saying no new electrical equipment can be used unless it is PAT tested (this can be seen by a sticker on the plug).
So an example might be "in my workplace, we use a hoist. New staff are given training on this. Additionally, there are instructions on the side if anyone needs a refresher, or people can ask their line manager for advice. Two people are needed to use the hoist safely."
Have a look at the legal requirements for health and safety - this is the health and safety at work act 1974. Your employer must display the appropriate poster - do you know where this is? Is there a fire policy and fire assembly point? Is there a way of knowing who is in the building at all times in case of evacuation? Do you have an accident book or appointed first aider? Where is the first aid box?
CFAQ21.2 - Be able to comply with all laws and regulatory requirements.
2.4 Explain the sources of information and advice within the organisation.
2.6 Comply with legal requirements, industry regulations, organisational policies and professional codes.
2.7 Explain the organisations requirements relating to the application of codes, laws and regulatory requirements and their impact on the job role.
This needs to be answered based on your own job role and workplace, so it's hard to give general tips.
2.4 Does your workplace have a HR department? Do you have an employee handbook? Your own job description, person specification and contract can give basic advice on what you should and shouldn't be doing. You might have an intranet, or some companies will have an employee advice line. The idea behind this question is that you go and find out what is available to you - and it will be different for every organisation.
2.6 The basic requirement that every workplace has to follow are covered in the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. That's a really long document, but it sets out the law that everyone has to follow. Employers have to ensure that their workplace is safe, and employees have to ensure that they co-operate. This is a brief summary.
Other legislation that you might have to follow are things like the Data Protection Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Food Safety Act 1990, Licensing Act 2003 (or Scotland 2005), Sunday Trading Act 1994, Consumer Rights Act 2015, Working Time Regulations 1998 - there are loads! Think about the main things that your role involves, as some of these are more relevant to certain jobs than others.
Industry regulations are things that aren't law, but they are best practise. For example, if your company accepts card payment, it will need to be PCI compliant.
Organisational policies are the boring things you're given at the start of your employment. They're not law, but you agree to be bound by the terms. You might have signed an internet use policy saying you can't go on social media at work, or a policy covering what you can and cannot claim on expenses.
Professional codes are things like the midwifery code of conduct which set out the rules the governing body expects you to adhere to.
2.7 is similar, but on a company wide level. Question 2.6 was how do you personally comply, whereas 2.7 is how the company should comply. So you may personally comply with the Sunday Trading Act 1994 by closing the shop at 4pm, but the company will comply by checking if the Act applies, and then setting relevant opening hours. You will comply with the Working Time Regulations 1998 by working your hours, and signing an opt out if you want to work more than 48 hours a week. The company will comply by ensuring that all rotas are compatible with the rules, and that the people who make the rotas know what they must stick to - if software is used, it may also flag up an error if illegal shifts are entered.
You also need to think about how this impacts on job roles. They may have people whose main job is to see if health and safety is followed (this can also link to question 2.4 - do you have someone you can contact if you have questions about health and safety?), or there might be a legal department that deals with this kind of stuff. Older members of staff who worked prior to 1994 may have had contracts amended to include Sunday working, and rotas may not include Sunday evening shifts as the store is closed then.
Be able to identify their own development needs
Development needs are areas in which someone is weaker in, and could improve. People can identify their own development needs by looking at what they do, and looking at what other people do, and seeing if others are more successful or have different ways of working.
Development needs can also be related to what someone wants to do in future. If someone wanted to become a lorry driver, they would obviously need to get a HGV driving licence - so this is a development need. This can be further broken down into the steps for obtaining a HGV licence, such as getting a medical, applying for a provisional licence, doing the theory tests, then doing the practical.
Or if someone wanted to become a doctor, they would need a medicine degree, and then would need to look at the requirements to get into the degree - this could end up being a several stage plan, with different needs being requirements before moving onto the next step.
Understand the principles of effective team working
The point of working as a team is that the business can accomplish more than if everyone works separately. If everyone works completely on their own, work might be missed as everyone assumes someone else has done it, or duplicated if people assume nobody else has done it. Some tasks will need several people to accomplish - think about carrying heavy loads which might need 2 or more people, or some important things need to be double checked (eg prescription medication), or sometimes for safety another person may be required to watch for traffic whilst someone is completing a task.
Unit 6 question 4 1.4 Explain how to prepare packages for distribution
What kind of packages does your workplace have? Is it just letters, or parcels as well? Are they all uniformly the same size, or are they varied in shape and size?
You need to consider how the package is going to get there - it needs to be addressed correctly, with a return address for if it doesn't make it. You might want to refer to the Royal Mail guidelines.
You need to ensure it will arrive safely. This is more important for fragile and valuable items, but it's not going to impress the customer if you send a letter in a huge box and it arrives all creased.
Are there guidelines on what method of postage to use? Generally, the faster the delivery time the more expensive it is. It's going to be a waste of money to send everything by same day delivery if two day delivery would be acceptable, but if it's perishable or time sensitive then it might need a same day service.
Are you sending restricted items?
Explain the factors to be considered when selecting mail services
The main points are price, size, and speed of delivery. Generally, the faster the delivery time the more expensive it is. It's going to be a waste of money to send everything by same day delivery if two day delivery would be acceptable, but if it's perishable or time sensitive then it might need a same day service.
If something is particularly big, heavy or fragile then it might need to go separately to the rest of the mail. Mail carriers do have restrictions over the type of items that can be sent. If it's heavier than 20kg, for example, you can't send it through Royal Mail. If it's greater in size than 61cm x 46cm x 46cm then you also can't use Royal Mail. So when selecting the mail service, you need to check if the item is appropriate for the service.
If it's really valuable, you might need to use a different service. If you're sending it 1st or 2nd class with Royal Mail, it's only covered for up to £20 compensation. If you're sending a valuable item you'll need to send it by another method.
Sending an A4 sheet flat is more expensive than sending the same thing but folded. You need to consider whether it can be condensed. Some items can't - like certificates - but others would be fine.
You also could consider whether you actually need to send it. Some things can be emailed.
Really, a lot of these questions are very similar. If you can't find an answer to your specific question, think about how you could adapt another answer
Explain the requirements for language, tone, image and presentation for different documents.
You need to think of this in relation to your own workplace.
Image and presentation
Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Language
This is about not confusing the customers. So with your work colleagues you might use certain abbreviations that won't be understood by customers and so you don't use them in a more public setting. You also might call your colleague "mate" but you're not going to address customers in that way.
Tone
This is similar to language. It's about addressing your audience respectfully. Whilst you're not trying to confuse them with jargon, you're also not talking to them like they're 3 years old. This can also vary depending on the audience - companies are often less formal on social media, but if they were giving an interview to the Financial Times they would be more formal.
201.2- Explain the requirements for image for different documents?
Imagine you have the following image:
It's obviously square. If your document has a gap for a rectangular image, would you be able to make it fit? No, probably not, unless you lost half of the beautiful parrot.
So a requirement might be that images have to be of certain dimensions. If you look at the homepage of TSR, there's the scrolling banner with different pictures - but each is the same size. Similarly, if you look on ASOS all the prduct images are the same size. It would look messy if some were big yet others were tiny.
Now look again at my beautiful parrot:
I just pressed buttons in photo editing software
So a requirement might be that people can only edit photos if they know what they are doing - or things can end badly.
What if you're making a really big poster (such as a billboard) or a really small picture, like a thumbnail image? You'll need a picture that can cope with being enlarged that much, or that still has enough detail when made smaller. The images on TSR to show how to reply to a thread are small but it's easy to see what they are. With my picture that small, you can't really see much
What about indecent or rude images? You're not going to want those on a website aimed at children. Similarly, you're not going to insist everyone on a porn site is covered up. So requirements for an image will need to be appropriate - this may change with different audiences.
1.2- Explain how to integrate images into documents &
1.3- Describe how corporate identity impacts upon document producton.
1.2 What software could you use to produce a business document? How would you insert a picture using that software? You might want to include screenshots of the steps to make it easier to explain.
Coroporate identity is about making things fit with the image of the business. Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Explain the reasons for agreeing the:
use
content
layout
quality standards
deadlines
for document production
Imagine if you created something. You showed it to me, because you were very proud of your work. I agree it's brilliant - so I decide to publish your work under my name. Would you be a tiny bit mad?
Now imagine that you've created a business document, because you work for a company. It's about some fantastic sale your company will be having. You're expecting it to bring in thousands of customers, because it's so much better than your competitors. You've planned the sale launch for next week. You show it to your friend - and your friend knows someone who works for a competitor. So they show it to their friend. Then the competitor copies your sale, does it earlier and better, and steals all the customers.
So that's why you need to agree the use. Can it be distributed, or does it need to be kept private? Can everyone in the company access it, or does it need to be certain people/departments only? You might find this thread helpful too.
Reasons for content: well, I tell you to write me an essay on fish fingers. You write me a lovely essay on how they're made and how to serve them. I actually wanted you to write me an essay about the sales figures and how much profit the industry makes. If we had discussed the content in advance then your time wouldn't have been wasted and I would have got what I wanted first time.
Quality is very similar to this. Am I expecting a report which is low or high quality? Do I want you to spend 5 weeks on it and be really indepth, or is it just a few facts to mention at a meeting? So this then ties in to the deadline - you can write me the best report ever, but if it's too late for my meeting then it's pointless.
Layout is a bit less obvious. But having a standard layout makes it easier to read things - you know where to find the information you need. Certain fonts, colours and sizes can be easier for people with disabilities like dyslexia or partial sightedness. It also can give things a more professional feel/image.
Business Admin Level 2 NVQ
Describe the communication requirements of different audiences
If you think this through, it's fairly obvious. What would you do differently if you were talking to a group of 5 year olds compared to a group of teenagers? In a business environment, would you need to explain things differently if you were talking to the new apprentice, compared to someone with 30 years' experience? So obviously one of the requirements is to communicate in a way that the audience understands, and that's not going to be the same for all audiences.
A similar communication requirement would be around disability. If someone is hard of hearing, you might need to speak louder and clearer. You might need to produce the information in a written format.
Another communication requirement would be around retention of information. If it's something important (like figures) it would be better to produce a written format, or possibly a spreadsheet. Saying a lot of numbers verbally to share sales figures would get confusing quickly, but as a table it is easy to understand.
B&A40 communication in a business environment
1.1 Analyse the communication needs of internal and external stakeholders.
1.2 Analyse the different communication models that support administration.
1.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of different communication systems.
1.1 Do you know what internal and external stakeholders are? That bit is important. If you do, you then should think about what they "need" when being communicated to. So they need information to be correct, timely, easy to understand etc - internal and external stakeholders will have some similar needs, but there will be some differences.
With internal communication, you know your audience more. You know what Janet from accounts is like. You know if you're emailing your boss, or the office junior. So you can tailor your communication appropriately - and they can give feedback if necessary.
With external communication, you don't know the audience. You can make generalisations - like you can assume that the audience of a programme on CBBC is likely to be very young, or someone shopping in Prada is going to enjoy fashion. But with any communication, you have to assume it will be widely mocked on Twitter if it's inappropriate. Any advert can go viral. But you don't want yours to for the wrong reasons.
Other differences are that you don't want to reveal business sensitive information to external audiences. A customer (external stakeholder) may not understand some business jargon, so may need information to be presented in a different way that they can understand.
1.2 You should have studied different models of communication (eg Shannon and Weaver model of communication and the Berlo model of communication) and you need to talk about these.
1.3 You need to talk about different things used for communication - email, phone etc - and discuss how they are good and bad. So you might say that a phone call is really good for some information, but not the best way to inform others about spreadsheets.
Explain how the intended use of reports affects the choice of format and language
If you're going to print it out but only have a black and white printer, you need to choose a format that will look good in black and white. If you're projecting it onto a screen during a business meeting, you'll want something that looks good when projected onto a wall.
If you're going to give the document to a new trainee, you'll keep the language simpler and avoid any use of jargon. Things will need to be explained more.
The answers above will also give more detail on this.
What is the importance of using correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling in business communication
It looks more professional. It means your point can be understood - "I defiantly did that!" and "I definitely did that" mean two completely different things, but some people muddle them up. Are you trying to write about your new iMac (computer), or your Immac (hair removal cream)?
Explain how the requirements of security, data protection, copyright and intellectual property legislation may affect the production of business documents
Think this through in parts. Think of what a business document is, and how it might be produced and stored.
Now imagine that you have a secretary for the business who commutes by train. They take some business documents on the train with them one morning to read over. Unfortunately, the train is delayed, and in a rush they leave the documents on the train. Would could now happen to the documents? Would this be a security issue?
Hopefully, you've realised that someone could pick up the documents and do what they like with them. So a security requirement might be that business documents might not be allowed out of the office. This might then affect the production of documents because printing might be restricted, or certain sensitive information might not be released to staff that don't need to see it.
Now, think about data protection. What is data protection? What would happen if the same member of staff left a USB stick of customer address information on the train? So what might a requirement of data protection be? USB sticks might need to be password protected or encrypted. So how would this affect production of business documents?
You need to explain the requirements, which means you have to explain why data protection means you need to do these things. So the Data Protection Act says you're not allowed to give information out. Have a look at this Act to see exactly what is required - what is covered by the Act, what kinds of information must be protected, are there any specific recommendations in the act about how data should be stored? The Act itself is very long and difficult to read, but you will find information pages that present the Act in a more readable format.
For data protection, you need to look at what the data protection act says. This will be in relation to holding data on customers, eg a mailing list or warranty information. Data can't be stored for longer than necessary, so if the company offers a 2 year warranty they would need to have arrangements for the data to be destroyed safely after that period - they can't just store it forever. The company would also need a way of allowing people to remove themselves from the mailing list.
The data needs to be stored securely, and only people who need access should be allowed to view it. This can mean things like password protection for computer files, or for printed information it might need to be locked away and only certain people have the key. This is because you can't have everyone knowing what products your customers have bought - if someone knows that Mrs Jones owns an expensive piece of jewellery they might be tempted to rob Mrs Jones.
Copyright and intellectual property are similar, as they're to do with protecting people from copying. You can't copy someone else's work or design. This can be protected by things like patents and trademarks.
Describe systems and procedures for storing and retrieving information.
Systems being, paper, electronic & other organisational systems.
Procedures could be relating to who can access the information - the cleaner doesn't need to have access to the database of customer information, but a sales rep won't need access to the COSHH data sheet for the cleaning chemicals. Access could be controlled electronically (eg through password protected pages) or physically (eg filing cabinet that needs a key).
Storing the information - do you need a backup, who is responsible for this? What happens to the old out of date files? You don't want 200 copies of everything that you have to keep forever, but equally don't want to lose everything in a power cut.
Do you have specific naming convention for files (eg if files have to have a customer name included, or have to be called J Smith 01003/17 or similar)? Do you have specific folders to store things (eg documents go in the documents file and pictures in the pictures, or customer complaints have a named folder)? Do you have to save documents in a specific format, eg doc or docx? Are files archived or deletd after a certain length of time?
You might also want to read the other answers on data protection and levels of authority.
Explain the use of bespoke business documents
Bespoke means they're made each time. So if someone asks "what's your delivery timescale?" the company would have an FAQ to answer that, rather than writing a new answer each time. But if you're asked "what are the contents of your fridge" then this is going to vary on a day-to-day basis, so you'll need to check and prepare a new answer.
So that's one of your uses - you'd use it when there isn't an already prepared document in place.
But each company will have its own rules for layout, style etc (this is already explained in this megathread if you're not sure) so you need to ensure that your bespoke document still meets those standards. This is where things like templates and style guides come into use. If you're writing a letter as a bespoke document, you might have a template that shows exactly where the logo goes, where the addresses go etc. Or you might just have a guide that says "you must use Comic Sans in size 20". But either way, when you're creating the document you need to adhere to the template/guide.
One type of bespoke document is an invoice. This is an official bill. So obviously it needs to look professional, or the person paying it is going to assume it isn't real/is a scam. You could lose your company a lot of money if the bills go unpaid.
When you use bespoke documents, you still need to ensure that you adhere to rules and regulations (such as the DPA). The fact that it's a bespoke document rather than a pre-made one doesn't negate these regulations. So a use of bespoke documents is to make sure that you use them legally and following all corporate regulations.
You would make sure that you use them to meet the requirements/answer the question. You have to use them accurately and get everything right first time. If you are using templates, you need to ensure that the template is fully modified - you don't want to leave any "*insert text here*" or generic information.
Explain the constraints attached to the use of resources needed to resolve administrative problems
Do you have infinite time and money? No! Well done, you've identified some constraints attached to resources. So a problem might be that you need to file 8000 documents for tomorrow morning, and the constraint is that there's only 2 hours to do it as you go home at 17:30. Or you've run out of envelopes, and the order isn't due for a week.
01.04 Explain how to apply risk assessment and management techniques to identify and resolve administrative problems
Risk assessment is about thinking through the different parts of tasks, and thinking through the possible problems. So if someone is doing extended periods of typing, you'd assess the risk of injuries - things like RSI or eye strain - and then figure out ways to reduce the risk. So you might provide ergonomic keyboard and mouse, or a wrist support, or advise time away from the screen.
If a task involves carrying heavy boxes of files upstairs, you'd think of ways to reduce the possibility of strain through carrying heavy things - can the files be broken down into lighter segments, or could they be emailed, or could some form of trolley/lift be used? Do the boxes even need to be taken upstairs or could they be stored elsewhere? You'd also want to reduce the risk of tripping, so wouldn't wear high heeled shoes and would turn the light on.
Management techniques would involve ensuring things are within your skillset. If you realised the room was far too dark, you wouldn't strip out the wiring and replace the overhead lighting yourself. You might delegate - get an electrician, or even something as simple as getting the maintenance team to change the faulty lightbulb. Or if something huge needs doing, it might need to be brought up in a meeting to work out budgets and timescales. Or the problem might be that a team member isn't doing their work correctly, and so might need performance management.
Factors in generating repeat purchases for a small business?
Generally, smaller businesses can't compete on price as well as large businesses - this is due to economies of scale, and larger businesses also being able to afford loss leaders. So you need to think about what other things would encourage customers to come back.
The main point is customer service and product knowledge. Customers are willing to spend more if they think they're getting a benefit from it, and this benefit can also be non-tangible things. So if a small business treats their customers well, they're more likely to come back. And having good product knowledge means that the assistants will know that it's impossible to use a half-loop stitching on low-viscosity rayon; it would snag the fabric. If you ask the same question at a large business, you wouldn't get the same answer.
Other points are things like car parking to make it easier for customers, nice packaging (depending on the product, this could be scented tissue paper for luxury jewellery, or could just be a heavy duty carrier bag that fits an awkward shaped item), free tea and coffee etc.
Business admin level 2 unit 45
1.3 Explain different responsibilities and levels of authority for processing customer service information
Does one person do everything in a business? No. So that's why they all have different responsibilities. You're best to do this about a business you know well, which is usually one you work at.
Usually, businesses will have basic staff, sometimes called Customer Service Assistants. These might collect data when processing sales, but will enter that data onto a computer and then won't be able to access it again. The Customer Service Assistant will have a limited access to what they can do - they might not be able to handle complaints and refunds, or they may be able to handle some small complaints and refunds but have to refer to someone else for bigger problems.
There will be another department or person who can handle the bigger problems. To do this, they'll have access to more data. If they're doing refunds they will have access to past purchasing data, for example. This means they'll be able to carry out searches to find the relevant customer.
The manager will be able to see pretty much everything. They will be able to see overall sales for the department or business as a whole. They won't usually deal with customers directly.
Explain the factors that affect the choice of communication media
Well, think about the different types of communication media. Direct mailing, TV advert, radio advert, newspaper advert etc.
Why would a business choose one of these over another? Well, they hope their customers/potential customers would see it. So if they've done research and know that most of their customers are in a particular demographic, they'll aim their adverts at that demographic. If they know their customers are young and trendy they'll choose a radio ad in the "top 40" slot. If their customers are older, radio 4 would be more appropriate.
You can also think of the differences between different types of media. What is the main difference between TV and radio? Can you think of a reason something might be better advertised on TV (pictures and sound) rather than radio (just sound)? What about print (pictures, no sound)?
Explain the use of different types of information communication technology (ICT) for document production
If I'm making a poster, is it best to do it in Excel? Similarly, would my spreadsheet be better in Excel or Photoshop?
You don't need to mention absolutely everything, but think of a few different types of business document and discuss how they would be best produced. Or, discuss a few common things used to produce documents, and talk about how they're best used. You could also discuss things like email, graphics tablets, scanners etc.
Explain types of problems that may occur with deliveries and stock items
Imagine you were running a shop. If you're ever done supermarket home delivery (or seen your parents do it) or been to a shop you have experience there you can draw on. What kind of problems could occur - you're trying to get the items you want so that you can use them for the specific purpose (selling them to customers to make a profit). So probably the most obvious one is that the warehouse could be out of stock. You must have been to a supermarket and they've said they've run out of something, so must have seen this happen. You might find this video helpful, as it shows you inside a depot
So you can see all the machines they have - maybe something could break down. Maybe they misplace one of the keys. If you watch it through slowly, and think of all the things that could go wrong with each stage, you'll get loads of possible answers
Unit 302.1: Contribute to the improvement of business performance
Explain the organisational and legal constraints relating to problem-solving.
Analyse the implications of adopting recommendations and implementing decisions to solve business problems.
It helps if you think of different problems and how they might be solved, if you could do anything. Then think about why it might not be possible.
So if you have a huge deadline coming up, you might want to make your staff work harder and longer - but the working time directive says they can't just work non-stop for a week. You can't just sack all the staff in a quiet period, because of the laws around unfair dismissal.
Organisational problems are things where something in the business means a solution won't work. You might want to send Bob down to collect the post every morning, but if the post is delivered to a different building/floor it might be too time consuming. You might want to print an A3 poster, but you only have an A4 printer.
The next part is thinking about the good and bad points of doing something new to solve a problem. So a bad point might be that staff need to be trained, and that takes time. A good point might be that the problem gets solved.
Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and requirements for business travel and accommodation
Imagine you're running a business, and you need to send Bob to a conference. You tell Bob to go. Bob is in charge of booking his own travel, so he books himself a business class flight, a 5* hotel, and then he goes crazy on the minibar and room service. Your business is now left to pay for this. Do you think you should probably have set some rules about what he was to book?
What is upward vertical communication and can someone please give me some examples of it?
Upward communication is when employees talk to their superiors (eg their manager). Upward communication is always vertical, so you can just say "upward communication" unless you really want to specify "upward vertical". But you can't have "upward horizontal" so that's just tautology.
If a cashier talks to their line manager at Tesco, that's upwards communication. If the department manager speaks to the CEO, that's upwards. If the supervisor tells their employee off for being late, that would be downwards communication.
Write a document to state how you stay safe when using your email system and how do you store files including archiving
Well, how do you stay safe when using email? Do you consider if things are spam - do you know the sender, are they offering you loads of money, are they a known scam? Do you have virus protection that scans any incoming documents? Do you have a spam folder, where known dodgy emails are filtered to automatically? Do you have a manager or IT department you can ask if you're not sure if something is a scam?
Do you store your files all higgledy piggledy and anywhere you want? Do you have specific folders for certain documents (eg receipts, invoices, essays) and call them all relevant names? Do you delete documents that are no longer required, or store documents elsewhere if they're still required but not needed regularly? Do you have any ways of protecting documents so that they're not deleted or accessed by accident?
Follow manufacturers or organisational instructions for the use of equipment, materials and products
Follow organisational procedures and legal requirements to minimise risks to health and safety
Think about some equipment or materials that are used. This depends on the workplace, but commonly are things like cleaning products, computers, stationery. If you have a staff kitchen onsite then it can be things like a microwave and hot drinks. In specialised workplaces, there will be other machinery to consider - a healthcare setting might have a hoist or portable x-ray machine, an advertising agency might have a big printer, a large office might have a complicated telephone system and switchboard.
Think about what training or advice is given for use of the equipment. New starters are likely to be given training during the induction. There might be a specific IT department or person involved in maintenance and repair of computer problems. You'll call out a plumber if the toilets are blocked. There might be rules about not taking hot food/drink outside the kitchen. There could be a rule saying no new electrical equipment can be used unless it is PAT tested (this can be seen by a sticker on the plug).
So an example might be "in my workplace, we use a hoist. New staff are given training on this. Additionally, there are instructions on the side if anyone needs a refresher, or people can ask their line manager for advice. Two people are needed to use the hoist safely."
Have a look at the legal requirements for health and safety - this is the health and safety at work act 1974. Your employer must display the appropriate poster - do you know where this is? Is there a fire policy and fire assembly point? Is there a way of knowing who is in the building at all times in case of evacuation? Do you have an accident book or appointed first aider? Where is the first aid box?
CFAQ21.2 - Be able to comply with all laws and regulatory requirements.
2.4 Explain the sources of information and advice within the organisation.
2.6 Comply with legal requirements, industry regulations, organisational policies and professional codes.
2.7 Explain the organisations requirements relating to the application of codes, laws and regulatory requirements and their impact on the job role.
This needs to be answered based on your own job role and workplace, so it's hard to give general tips.
2.4 Does your workplace have a HR department? Do you have an employee handbook? Your own job description, person specification and contract can give basic advice on what you should and shouldn't be doing. You might have an intranet, or some companies will have an employee advice line. The idea behind this question is that you go and find out what is available to you - and it will be different for every organisation.
2.6 The basic requirement that every workplace has to follow are covered in the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. That's a really long document, but it sets out the law that everyone has to follow. Employers have to ensure that their workplace is safe, and employees have to ensure that they co-operate. This is a brief summary.
Other legislation that you might have to follow are things like the Data Protection Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Food Safety Act 1990, Licensing Act 2003 (or Scotland 2005), Sunday Trading Act 1994, Consumer Rights Act 2015, Working Time Regulations 1998 - there are loads! Think about the main things that your role involves, as some of these are more relevant to certain jobs than others.
Industry regulations are things that aren't law, but they are best practise. For example, if your company accepts card payment, it will need to be PCI compliant.
Organisational policies are the boring things you're given at the start of your employment. They're not law, but you agree to be bound by the terms. You might have signed an internet use policy saying you can't go on social media at work, or a policy covering what you can and cannot claim on expenses.
Professional codes are things like the midwifery code of conduct which set out the rules the governing body expects you to adhere to.
2.7 is similar, but on a company wide level. Question 2.6 was how do you personally comply, whereas 2.7 is how the company should comply. So you may personally comply with the Sunday Trading Act 1994 by closing the shop at 4pm, but the company will comply by checking if the Act applies, and then setting relevant opening hours. You will comply with the Working Time Regulations 1998 by working your hours, and signing an opt out if you want to work more than 48 hours a week. The company will comply by ensuring that all rotas are compatible with the rules, and that the people who make the rotas know what they must stick to - if software is used, it may also flag up an error if illegal shifts are entered.
You also need to think about how this impacts on job roles. They may have people whose main job is to see if health and safety is followed (this can also link to question 2.4 - do you have someone you can contact if you have questions about health and safety?), or there might be a legal department that deals with this kind of stuff. Older members of staff who worked prior to 1994 may have had contracts amended to include Sunday working, and rotas may not include Sunday evening shifts as the store is closed then.
Be able to identify their own development needs
Development needs are areas in which someone is weaker in, and could improve. People can identify their own development needs by looking at what they do, and looking at what other people do, and seeing if others are more successful or have different ways of working.
Development needs can also be related to what someone wants to do in future. If someone wanted to become a lorry driver, they would obviously need to get a HGV driving licence - so this is a development need. This can be further broken down into the steps for obtaining a HGV licence, such as getting a medical, applying for a provisional licence, doing the theory tests, then doing the practical.
Or if someone wanted to become a doctor, they would need a medicine degree, and then would need to look at the requirements to get into the degree - this could end up being a several stage plan, with different needs being requirements before moving onto the next step.
Understand the principles of effective team working
The point of working as a team is that the business can accomplish more than if everyone works separately. If everyone works completely on their own, work might be missed as everyone assumes someone else has done it, or duplicated if people assume nobody else has done it. Some tasks will need several people to accomplish - think about carrying heavy loads which might need 2 or more people, or some important things need to be double checked (eg prescription medication), or sometimes for safety another person may be required to watch for traffic whilst someone is completing a task.
Unit 6 question 4 1.4 Explain how to prepare packages for distribution
What kind of packages does your workplace have? Is it just letters, or parcels as well? Are they all uniformly the same size, or are they varied in shape and size?
You need to consider how the package is going to get there - it needs to be addressed correctly, with a return address for if it doesn't make it. You might want to refer to the Royal Mail guidelines.
You need to ensure it will arrive safely. This is more important for fragile and valuable items, but it's not going to impress the customer if you send a letter in a huge box and it arrives all creased.
Are there guidelines on what method of postage to use? Generally, the faster the delivery time the more expensive it is. It's going to be a waste of money to send everything by same day delivery if two day delivery would be acceptable, but if it's perishable or time sensitive then it might need a same day service.
Are you sending restricted items?
Explain the factors to be considered when selecting mail services
The main points are price, size, and speed of delivery. Generally, the faster the delivery time the more expensive it is. It's going to be a waste of money to send everything by same day delivery if two day delivery would be acceptable, but if it's perishable or time sensitive then it might need a same day service.
If something is particularly big, heavy or fragile then it might need to go separately to the rest of the mail. Mail carriers do have restrictions over the type of items that can be sent. If it's heavier than 20kg, for example, you can't send it through Royal Mail. If it's greater in size than 61cm x 46cm x 46cm then you also can't use Royal Mail. So when selecting the mail service, you need to check if the item is appropriate for the service.
If it's really valuable, you might need to use a different service. If you're sending it 1st or 2nd class with Royal Mail, it's only covered for up to £20 compensation. If you're sending a valuable item you'll need to send it by another method.
Sending an A4 sheet flat is more expensive than sending the same thing but folded. You need to consider whether it can be condensed. Some items can't - like certificates - but others would be fine.
You also could consider whether you actually need to send it. Some things can be emailed.
(edited 6 years ago)
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Unit 203 Work in a business environment
Learning outcome 1 - Understand how to respect other people at work
1.1 Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued
Diversity is about people being different. The most commonly thought of things are “big things” like age, disability, race etc, but diversity covers everything. I don’t like football, so if Bob does then that’s a way we’re different. I have brown hair, but Sam’s is blonde. Under The Equality Act 2010, the following are protected characteristics:
This means that it is illegal to discriminate against anyone due to one of these reasons. So if a firm won’t employ people who don’t like football, that’s fine. If they won’t hire someone because they are gay then that is not fine. Diversity should be valued because it means people are all different. This means that people have different ideas and ways of working, and people might suggest improvements that someone else doesn’t see. Even if it’s something irrelevant like introducing you to a TV show you’ve never seen before.
1.2 Describe how to treat other people in a way that is sensitive to their needs
Here, you need to think about what someone's needs are, and how you would react to that. It's about being respectful of others. Some needs are obvious - if you see someone in a wheelchair then they're unlikely to be able to climb stairs. But some needs are more hidden, as you might not be able to tell someone's religion or hidden disability. So you might need to think about what you're saying, so that it doesn't offend people.
1.3 Describe how to treat other people in a way that respects their abilities, background, values, customs and beliefs
This is similar. You need to think of some examples of each thing, and explain how you would reflect this in your behaviour.
1.4 Describe ways in which it possible to learn from others at work
Here, you might have an example of how you have already learnt something. The are two main methods:
Official learning, which is things like training or a staff meeting. You might be sent on a training course, or your manager might say "show Sue how to use the photocopier"
Unofficial training, which is sharing experiences. So you might see a colleague is struggling and say "this is how you could do it better" or you might be discussing work over your tea break.
Learning outcome 2 - Understand how to maintain security and confidentiality at work and deal with concerns
2.1 Describe the purpose and benefits of maintaining security and confidentiality at work
There are three main areas to this. One is in relation to customer security, another is staff security, and another is workplace security. Each area can then be broken down into physical security (which is the security of people and items) and data security (looking after sensitive information).
The benefits: customers aren't going to come if they think their security is compromised, staff aren't going to want to work there, and the business will lose money.
2.2 Describe requirements for security and confidentiality in an organisation
You need to look at the requirements of the Data Protection Act. There may be other requirements depending on the industry. For example, if your company accepts card payment, it will need to be PCI compliant.
2.3 Describe legal requirements for security and confidentiality, as required
This is the things that you are required to do. So the Data Protection Act says that information must be kept safe, but how do you achieve that? You'll use a strong computer password and change it regularly. You'll only access information that you need to know, and will return it or destroy it when you're done.
2.4 Describe procedures for dealing with concerns about security and confidentiality in an organisation
You have to find this out in relation to your own workplace. It may be that you tell your manager, but some workplaces will have different rules. There may be a data protection officer or guardian, or there may be a confidential hotline you can call.
Learning Outcome 3 - Understand the purpose and procedures for keeping waste to a minimum in a business environment
3.1 Explain the purpose of keeping waste to a minimum
Waste is, by definition, wasteful. The business has spent money on whatever is being wasted. If the business can waste less, it will make more profit - and then the shareholders will be happy. If the business is too wasteful it won't make any profit, and so may go bankrupt.
3.2 Describe the main causes of waste that may occur in a business environment
Don't forget that if employees are sitting around doing nothing, they're wasting time.
This varies with different companies. If a shop throws out unsaleable products, that's wasteful. If the admin assistant photocopies 100 copies instead of 10, that's wasteful. They could lose a box of staples and have to order some more. They could have to do something again because it wasn't done right the first time.
3.3 Describe ways of keeping waste to a minimum
Think about your job role, and what you do. The main ideas are keeping busy - you should tell your manager if you have nothing to do - and trying to do everything right the first time.
3.4 Identify ways of using technology to reduce waste
You could use a computer programme to help with time management, or to produce a rota.
You could keep a computer based list/spreadsheet showing where things are and what things are in stock and on order.
You could use an email based system to avoid having to print off every document, and use a sensible filing system.
3.5 Outline the purpose and benefits of recycling
Think of the trees.
3.6 Describe organisational procedures for recycling materials
Find out your own organisation's policy, and write about the main points. You might want to think about Data Protection as this may limit what you can recycle - eg confidential waste. You might want to think about things that can be recycled, but that your organisation currently doesn't.
Learning outcome 1 - Understand how to respect other people at work
1.1 Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued
Diversity is about people being different. The most commonly thought of things are “big things” like age, disability, race etc, but diversity covers everything. I don’t like football, so if Bob does then that’s a way we’re different. I have brown hair, but Sam’s is blonde. Under The Equality Act 2010, the following are protected characteristics:
•
age
•
disability
•
gender reassignment
•
marriage and civil partnership
•
pregnancy and maternity
•
race
•
religion or belief
•
sex
•
sexual orientation
This means that it is illegal to discriminate against anyone due to one of these reasons. So if a firm won’t employ people who don’t like football, that’s fine. If they won’t hire someone because they are gay then that is not fine. Diversity should be valued because it means people are all different. This means that people have different ideas and ways of working, and people might suggest improvements that someone else doesn’t see. Even if it’s something irrelevant like introducing you to a TV show you’ve never seen before.
1.2 Describe how to treat other people in a way that is sensitive to their needs
Here, you need to think about what someone's needs are, and how you would react to that. It's about being respectful of others. Some needs are obvious - if you see someone in a wheelchair then they're unlikely to be able to climb stairs. But some needs are more hidden, as you might not be able to tell someone's religion or hidden disability. So you might need to think about what you're saying, so that it doesn't offend people.
1.3 Describe how to treat other people in a way that respects their abilities, background, values, customs and beliefs
This is similar. You need to think of some examples of each thing, and explain how you would reflect this in your behaviour.
1.4 Describe ways in which it possible to learn from others at work
Here, you might have an example of how you have already learnt something. The are two main methods:
Official learning, which is things like training or a staff meeting. You might be sent on a training course, or your manager might say "show Sue how to use the photocopier"
Unofficial training, which is sharing experiences. So you might see a colleague is struggling and say "this is how you could do it better" or you might be discussing work over your tea break.
Learning outcome 2 - Understand how to maintain security and confidentiality at work and deal with concerns
2.1 Describe the purpose and benefits of maintaining security and confidentiality at work
There are three main areas to this. One is in relation to customer security, another is staff security, and another is workplace security. Each area can then be broken down into physical security (which is the security of people and items) and data security (looking after sensitive information).
The benefits: customers aren't going to come if they think their security is compromised, staff aren't going to want to work there, and the business will lose money.
2.2 Describe requirements for security and confidentiality in an organisation
You need to look at the requirements of the Data Protection Act. There may be other requirements depending on the industry. For example, if your company accepts card payment, it will need to be PCI compliant.
2.3 Describe legal requirements for security and confidentiality, as required
This is the things that you are required to do. So the Data Protection Act says that information must be kept safe, but how do you achieve that? You'll use a strong computer password and change it regularly. You'll only access information that you need to know, and will return it or destroy it when you're done.
2.4 Describe procedures for dealing with concerns about security and confidentiality in an organisation
You have to find this out in relation to your own workplace. It may be that you tell your manager, but some workplaces will have different rules. There may be a data protection officer or guardian, or there may be a confidential hotline you can call.
Learning Outcome 3 - Understand the purpose and procedures for keeping waste to a minimum in a business environment
3.1 Explain the purpose of keeping waste to a minimum
Waste is, by definition, wasteful. The business has spent money on whatever is being wasted. If the business can waste less, it will make more profit - and then the shareholders will be happy. If the business is too wasteful it won't make any profit, and so may go bankrupt.
3.2 Describe the main causes of waste that may occur in a business environment
Don't forget that if employees are sitting around doing nothing, they're wasting time.
This varies with different companies. If a shop throws out unsaleable products, that's wasteful. If the admin assistant photocopies 100 copies instead of 10, that's wasteful. They could lose a box of staples and have to order some more. They could have to do something again because it wasn't done right the first time.
3.3 Describe ways of keeping waste to a minimum
Think about your job role, and what you do. The main ideas are keeping busy - you should tell your manager if you have nothing to do - and trying to do everything right the first time.
3.4 Identify ways of using technology to reduce waste
You could use a computer programme to help with time management, or to produce a rota.
You could keep a computer based list/spreadsheet showing where things are and what things are in stock and on order.
You could use an email based system to avoid having to print off every document, and use a sensible filing system.
3.5 Outline the purpose and benefits of recycling
Think of the trees.
3.6 Describe organisational procedures for recycling materials
Find out your own organisation's policy, and write about the main points. You might want to think about Data Protection as this may limit what you can recycle - eg confidential waste. You might want to think about things that can be recycled, but that your organisation currently doesn't.
(edited 6 years ago)
No idea what unit this is - @jsherwood7 wants help but won't explain what he wants help with, and my psychic skills aren't working today
Explain the requirements for language, tone, image and presentation for different documents
You need to think of this in relation to your own workplace.
Image and presentation
Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Language
This is about not confusing the customers. So with your work colleagues you might use certain abbreviations that won't be understood by customers and so you don't use them in a more public setting. You also might call your colleague "mate" but you're not going to address customers in that way.
Tone
This is similar to language. It's about addressing your audience respectfully. Whilst you're not trying to confuse them with jargon, you're also not talking to them like they're 3 years old. This can also vary depending on the audience - companies are often less formal on social media, but if they were giving an interview to the Financial Times they would be more formal.
Explain how to integrate images into documents
What software could you use to produce a business document? How would you insert a picture using that software? You might want to include screenshots of the steps to make it easier to explain.
You might also want to think about how to resize the image, how to line up the image (eg is it centred or off to one side), or how to insert it at an appropriate place in the text.
Describe how corporate identity impacts upon document production
Coroporate identity is about making things fit with the image of the business. Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Explain the requirements of data protection, copyright and intellectual property legislation relating to document production
Think this through in parts. Think of what a business document is, and how it might be produced and stored.
Now imagine that you have a secretary for the business who commutes by train. They take some business documents on the train with them one morning to read over. Unfortunately, the train is delayed, and in a rush they leave the documents on the train. Would could now happen to the documents? Would this be a security issue?
Hopefully, you've realised that someone could pick up the documents and do what they like with them. So a security requirement might be that business documents might not be allowed out of the office. This might then affect the production of documents because printing might be restricted, or certain sensitive information might not be released to staff that don't need to see it.
Now, think about data protection. What is data protection? What would happen if the same member of staff left a USB stick of customer address information on the train? So what might a requirement of data protection be? USB sticks might need to be password protected or encrypted. So how would this affect production of business documents?
You also need to explain the requirements, which means you have to explain why data protection means you need to do these things. So the Data Protection Act says you're not allowed to give information out. Have a look at this Act to see exactly what is required - what is covered by the Act, what kinds of information must be protected, are there any specific recommendations in the act about how data should be stored? The Act itself is very long and difficult to read, but you will find information pages that present the Act in a more readable format.
For data protection, you need to look at what the data protection act says. This will be in relation to holding data on customers, eg a mailing list or warranty information. Data can't be stored for longer than necessary, so if the company offers a 2 year warranty they would need to have arrangements for the data to be destroyed safely after that period - they can't just store it forever. The company would also need a way of allowing people to remove themselves from the mailing list.
The data needs to be stored securely, and only people who need access should be allowed to view it. This can mean things like password protection for computer files, or for printed information it might need to be locked away and only certain people have the key. This is because you can't have everyone knowing what products your customers have bought - if someone knows that Mrs Jones owns an expensive piece of jewellery they might be tempted to rob Mrs Jones.
Copyright and intellectual property are similar, as they're to do with protecting people from copying. You can't copy someone else's work or design. This can be protected by things like patents and trademarks.
Describe organisational procedures for version control
In this context, version control means keeping track of when and how files are edited. Business documents will undergo significant editing from the initial draft copy to the final copy for distribution. In the case of employee handbooks or lists of rules and regulations, these might need to be updated over time - an employment contract from 1920 wouldn't need a section on social media usage, but one from 2020 definitely would!
Remember that edits can be deliberate - which may also be malicious, such as a hacker or disgruntled employee trying to ruin files - or accidental, where someone hits the wrong keys and ends up typing gtfyguhi in the middle of the file.
One way is to use "read only" viewing for documents. This is a mode in Word (or other software) that means that people who do not need to edit the file cannot edit the file. They can read, and only read, the file.
Another way is to use "Track changes" in Word (or other document editing software). This puts information in the file that shows what has been edited. This means that if anything has been edited it can easily be seen and changed back if necessary.
There might also be a "master copy", which is a version of an important file kept in a safe place (such as an encrypted USB stick or cloud server) that can be accessed if the other versions of the document get corrupted or edited incorrectly. This version will be read-only, so that it can be copied but can't be changed.
There might also be a numbering system in place. You've probably seen this with mobile phone apps or computer software. Files are given numbers like 6.2 to show that is is a minor revision of version 6, but isn't a big enough change to be called version 7.
Explain the requirements for language, tone, image and presentation for different documents
You need to think of this in relation to your own workplace.
Image and presentation
Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Language
This is about not confusing the customers. So with your work colleagues you might use certain abbreviations that won't be understood by customers and so you don't use them in a more public setting. You also might call your colleague "mate" but you're not going to address customers in that way.
Tone
This is similar to language. It's about addressing your audience respectfully. Whilst you're not trying to confuse them with jargon, you're also not talking to them like they're 3 years old. This can also vary depending on the audience - companies are often less formal on social media, but if they were giving an interview to the Financial Times they would be more formal.
Explain how to integrate images into documents
What software could you use to produce a business document? How would you insert a picture using that software? You might want to include screenshots of the steps to make it easier to explain.
You might also want to think about how to resize the image, how to line up the image (eg is it centred or off to one side), or how to insert it at an appropriate place in the text.
Describe how corporate identity impacts upon document production
Coroporate identity is about making things fit with the image of the business. Some companies have a set font/font size to use. Do you need to use headed paper? What colour paper and ink do you use? If letters are being posted, is a specific envelope size/type used? Do you print double or single sided? Where does the business logo go?
The idea is to create a similar experience with everything, to enhance the business branding.
Explain the requirements of data protection, copyright and intellectual property legislation relating to document production
Think this through in parts. Think of what a business document is, and how it might be produced and stored.
Now imagine that you have a secretary for the business who commutes by train. They take some business documents on the train with them one morning to read over. Unfortunately, the train is delayed, and in a rush they leave the documents on the train. Would could now happen to the documents? Would this be a security issue?
Hopefully, you've realised that someone could pick up the documents and do what they like with them. So a security requirement might be that business documents might not be allowed out of the office. This might then affect the production of documents because printing might be restricted, or certain sensitive information might not be released to staff that don't need to see it.
Now, think about data protection. What is data protection? What would happen if the same member of staff left a USB stick of customer address information on the train? So what might a requirement of data protection be? USB sticks might need to be password protected or encrypted. So how would this affect production of business documents?
You also need to explain the requirements, which means you have to explain why data protection means you need to do these things. So the Data Protection Act says you're not allowed to give information out. Have a look at this Act to see exactly what is required - what is covered by the Act, what kinds of information must be protected, are there any specific recommendations in the act about how data should be stored? The Act itself is very long and difficult to read, but you will find information pages that present the Act in a more readable format.
For data protection, you need to look at what the data protection act says. This will be in relation to holding data on customers, eg a mailing list or warranty information. Data can't be stored for longer than necessary, so if the company offers a 2 year warranty they would need to have arrangements for the data to be destroyed safely after that period - they can't just store it forever. The company would also need a way of allowing people to remove themselves from the mailing list.
The data needs to be stored securely, and only people who need access should be allowed to view it. This can mean things like password protection for computer files, or for printed information it might need to be locked away and only certain people have the key. This is because you can't have everyone knowing what products your customers have bought - if someone knows that Mrs Jones owns an expensive piece of jewellery they might be tempted to rob Mrs Jones.
Copyright and intellectual property are similar, as they're to do with protecting people from copying. You can't copy someone else's work or design. This can be protected by things like patents and trademarks.
Describe organisational procedures for version control
In this context, version control means keeping track of when and how files are edited. Business documents will undergo significant editing from the initial draft copy to the final copy for distribution. In the case of employee handbooks or lists of rules and regulations, these might need to be updated over time - an employment contract from 1920 wouldn't need a section on social media usage, but one from 2020 definitely would!
Remember that edits can be deliberate - which may also be malicious, such as a hacker or disgruntled employee trying to ruin files - or accidental, where someone hits the wrong keys and ends up typing gtfyguhi in the middle of the file.
One way is to use "read only" viewing for documents. This is a mode in Word (or other software) that means that people who do not need to edit the file cannot edit the file. They can read, and only read, the file.
Another way is to use "Track changes" in Word (or other document editing software). This puts information in the file that shows what has been edited. This means that if anything has been edited it can easily be seen and changed back if necessary.
There might also be a "master copy", which is a version of an important file kept in a safe place (such as an encrypted USB stick or cloud server) that can be accessed if the other versions of the document get corrupted or edited incorrectly. This version will be read-only, so that it can be copied but can't be changed.
There might also be a numbering system in place. You've probably seen this with mobile phone apps or computer software. Files are given numbers like 6.2 to show that is is a minor revision of version 6, but isn't a big enough change to be called version 7.
I found the answer so looks like it wasn't the question just you was not able to answer it 
Original post by jsherwood7
I found the answer so looks like it wasn't the question just you was not able to answer it
That makes no sense since I wrote an answer for you
ohhhhhhhhh, well thank you it actually did help me your a star mate
Original post by ella1028
Please can you help with NVQ Level 2 Diploma- Unit 36- 1.1 Describe hot to stay safe and respect others when using email?
Maybe, if you post the questions.
Original post by ella1028
Unit 36- 1.1 Describe how to stay safe and respect others when using email
No, then.
That's not posting the questions. That's expecting me to figure out which questions you mean, and then you're also expecting me to answer them too.
Original post by Juno
No, then.
That's not posting the questions. That's expecting me to figure out which questions you mean, and then you're also expecting me to answer them too.
That's not posting the questions. That's expecting me to figure out which questions you mean, and then you're also expecting me to answer them too.
I did post the question as that was it. Also, i'm not expecting you to answer anything. I was asking for guidance! and little help in the right direction.
Thanks anyway.
Hi,
I am doing a unit called 'Manage an office facility'. I'm stuck on a question that asks me to explain how to manage the effectiveness of work and systems.
I am guessing this is to do evaluating the performance of the organization and ways in which to do it for example communicating with staff during team meetings, maintaining staff training, maintaining equipment to a satisfactory standard and upgrading when required.
Any pointers would be handy as I need to 'bulk' my answer out.
I am doing a unit called 'Manage an office facility'. I'm stuck on a question that asks me to explain how to manage the effectiveness of work and systems.
I am guessing this is to do evaluating the performance of the organization and ways in which to do it for example communicating with staff during team meetings, maintaining staff training, maintaining equipment to a satisfactory standard and upgrading when required.
Any pointers would be handy as I need to 'bulk' my answer out.
Original post by klindsey
Hi,
I am doing a unit called 'Manage an office facility'. I'm stuck on a question that asks me to explain how to manage the effectiveness of work and systems.
I am guessing this is to do evaluating the performance of the organization and ways in which to do it for example communicating with staff during team meetings, maintaining staff training, maintaining equipment to a satisfactory standard and upgrading when required.
Any pointers would be handy as I need to 'bulk' my answer out.
I am doing a unit called 'Manage an office facility'. I'm stuck on a question that asks me to explain how to manage the effectiveness of work and systems.
I am guessing this is to do evaluating the performance of the organization and ways in which to do it for example communicating with staff during team meetings, maintaining staff training, maintaining equipment to a satisfactory standard and upgrading when required.
Any pointers would be handy as I need to 'bulk' my answer out.
The best way to manage effectiveness is to assess how effective something is and then work out ways of improving or maintaining that effectiveness. So you might want to look at ways of assessing effectiveness. This can be things like looking at how your competitors are performing, looking at new innovations in the sector (eg is there new software, or a new desk design - this can be found by trade shows, communication with suppliers, catalogues etc) or even just asking the people who are doing the tasks what they think. A staff meeting is great, but some people might be embarrassed at speaking in public or unable to attend, so some businesses have suggestion boxes (and some even have incentives where you get a prize if your suggestion is implemented). You've touched on this in your answer, but "upgrading when required" doesn't explain whether you'd upgrade just because a piece of equipment has a better replacement available, or just because it's old and broken. A company might have a computer that's functioning with Windows 98, so an upgrade won't be needed on the grounds of it not working, but obviously newer computers might be faster.
In relation to managing the effectiveness of systems, you might want to consider computer systems. How can you know if a computer system is fully effective? Well, it's not going to be if it's slow because it's full of viruses, or is running so many applications that it's slowed down. So you might want to consider anti-virus, and a policy against accessing outside websites so that these problems are less likely.
When you talk about maintaining equipment, a vital part of that is cleaning. If you think about any moving parts then over time they will clog up with dirt and slow down. If you're using a photocopier, a smudge on the glass might mean you need to redo your document, and this could have been avoided by regular cleaning.
With staff training, you need to consider how the company can cope without each employee. If Bob is on holiday, Bob's role still needs to be done. Many companies will train staff in other roles so that this is possible. It also means that if one department is really busy, other employees can help out.
Over time, processes need to be reviewed. If you think back to 10 years ago, a company would have had much more need for cheque processing and reading the mail. A company may have had an admin assistant whose job was just to collect the mail and sort it into piles. Now, companies will be receiving much less physical mail but a higher volume of emails and comments over social media. If the company doesn't review job roles, that admin assistant will now be sitting around doing nothing whilst the email inbox is overflowing. The training processes also need to be reviewed, so that the admin staff are able to post their own twitterations.
Hi, I am currently doing a unit called Manage Personal and Professional Development I am a bit stuck on an outcome that asks me to
Identify trends and developments that influence the need for professional development.
I work for the NHS in laboratory management, my problem is that in terms of my role every development I can think of just means a job less I have to do rather than something I will need to training for. I was going to go down the route of information technology - trends like telehealth & new models of healthcare but they really have little relevance to my role.
I am probably over thinking it and stressing a little because nothing immediately jumped out at me - but I've been stuck on it for a few weeks now. Any pointers would be appreciated.
Identify trends and developments that influence the need for professional development.
I work for the NHS in laboratory management, my problem is that in terms of my role every development I can think of just means a job less I have to do rather than something I will need to training for. I was going to go down the route of information technology - trends like telehealth & new models of healthcare but they really have little relevance to my role.
I am probably over thinking it and stressing a little because nothing immediately jumped out at me - but I've been stuck on it for a few weeks now. Any pointers would be appreciated.
Original post by holzz_robo
Hi, I am currently doing a unit called Manage Personal and Professional Development I am a bit stuck on an outcome that asks me to
Identify trends and developments that influence the need for professional development.
I work for the NHS in laboratory management, my problem is that in terms of my role every development I can think of just means a job less I have to do rather than something I will need to training for. I was going to go down the route of information technology - trends like telehealth & new models of healthcare but they really have little relevance to my role.
I am probably over thinking it and stressing a little because nothing immediately jumped out at me - but I've been stuck on it for a few weeks now. Any pointers would be appreciated.
Identify trends and developments that influence the need for professional development.
I work for the NHS in laboratory management, my problem is that in terms of my role every development I can think of just means a job less I have to do rather than something I will need to training for. I was going to go down the route of information technology - trends like telehealth & new models of healthcare but they really have little relevance to my role.
I am probably over thinking it and stressing a little because nothing immediately jumped out at me - but I've been stuck on it for a few weeks now. Any pointers would be appreciated.
The examiner won't know your job role inside out. If you need to stretch the truth then as long as you can justify it, they probably won't question it. And nobody knows what the future holds, so it's perfectly possible that your role will change over time to include new aspects.
So if a machine is brought in to do part of your job, it makes sense that you would have to oversee the machine. You might need to verify it's working correctly and do basic troubleshooting tasks. You're probably not going to become a technician and start taking it apart, but it would be logical to expect you to do the equivalent of replacing the paper in the printer.
Or could you discuss things about how people are living longer (as a general trend) which might affect test results? It's difficult to say without knowing your role, but people are now surviving illnesses that would have been fatal 20 years ago. Are you having to do anything differently due to this? Like if someone is diabetic, their blood tests will show different values for HbA1c. Or if someone is on a blood thinner like warfarin, their blood isn't going to clot as well. Even if you haven't got an official policy, you might be able to talk about how certain things are affecting results or making something more difficult.
If you're really struggling, you could find a trend of "I don't do this part of my job very much" and discuss how you need to keep practising to refresh your memory.
Original post by Juno
The examiner won't know your job role inside out. If you need to stretch the truth then as long as you can justify it, they probably won't question it. And nobody knows what the future holds, so it's perfectly possible that your role will change over time to include new aspects.
So if a machine is brought in to do part of your job, it makes sense that you would have to oversee the machine. You might need to verify it's working correctly and do basic troubleshooting tasks. You're probably not going to become a technician and start taking it apart, but it would be logical to expect you to do the equivalent of replacing the paper in the printer.
Or could you discuss things about how people are living longer (as a general trend) which might affect test results? It's difficult to say without knowing your role, but people are now surviving illnesses that would have been fatal 20 years ago. Are you having to do anything differently due to this? Like if someone is diabetic, their blood tests will show different values for HbA1c. Or if someone is on a blood thinner like warfarin, their blood isn't going to clot as well. Even if you haven't got an official policy, you might be able to talk about how certain things are affecting results or making something more difficult.
If you're really struggling, you could find a trend of "I don't do this part of my job very much" and discuss how you need to keep practising to refresh your memory.
So if a machine is brought in to do part of your job, it makes sense that you would have to oversee the machine. You might need to verify it's working correctly and do basic troubleshooting tasks. You're probably not going to become a technician and start taking it apart, but it would be logical to expect you to do the equivalent of replacing the paper in the printer.
Or could you discuss things about how people are living longer (as a general trend) which might affect test results? It's difficult to say without knowing your role, but people are now surviving illnesses that would have been fatal 20 years ago. Are you having to do anything differently due to this? Like if someone is diabetic, their blood tests will show different values for HbA1c. Or if someone is on a blood thinner like warfarin, their blood isn't going to clot as well. Even if you haven't got an official policy, you might be able to talk about how certain things are affecting results or making something more difficult.
If you're really struggling, you could find a trend of "I don't do this part of my job very much" and discuss how you need to keep practising to refresh your memory.
That's not a bad idea. I also thought about mentioning the new data protection act that comes in May 2018. There are specifics in it relating to specimens used for research purposes (its something i'm going to need to look into properly). Thanks for your help i was beginning to panic.
Hi There,
Could you help with the following questions please;
2. Outline legal and organisational requirements for information security and retention
3. Explain how to create filing systems to facilitate information identification and retrieval
4. Explain how to use different search techniques to locate and retrieve information
5. Describe what to do when problems arise when storing or retrieving information
Could you help with the following questions please;
1.
Describe systems and procedures for storing and retrieving information
2. Outline legal and organisational requirements for information security and retention
3. Explain how to create filing systems to facilitate information identification and retrieval
4. Explain how to use different search techniques to locate and retrieve information
5. Describe what to do when problems arise when storing or retrieving information
Hi, I'm currently doing an apprenticeship in business administration and I'm stuck on unit 230.2 .- Describe the features and benefits of an organisation’s products and/or services i work at a doctors surgery and trying to find features is slightly hard
if anyone is able to advise/help it would be greatly appreciated.
if anyone is able to advise/help it would be greatly appreciated.
Original post by MHegarty20
Could you help with the following questions please;
Describe systems and procedures for storing and retrieving information
Already answered above
Outline legal and organisational requirements for information security and retention
If you read the answers on data protection etc you should be able to see how you can adapt this information to your question
Explain how to create filing systems to facilitate information identification and retrieval
This is about creating sensible organisation of files. So you might want to develop a naming convention, so that you can easily identify who in the team is responsible for a particular file. You might create an acronym/abbreviation, so if something is in progress the file name could start with IP. Your company might have a new folder to store all files from each day, or store similar files (eg complaints) in one folder and use another file for different issues (eg compliments). Do you archive information or delete it?
Explain how to use different search techniques to locate and retrieve information
This is things like use of wildcards if you don't know all of the details - you might search for someone with surname Bow* if you don't know if they're Bowes, Bower or Bowe. You might limit your search to email titles, or to include contents as well. You might want to limit your search to certain types of files, if you know that the document you want will definitely be a PDF and not a spreadsheet. If you have a vague idea of location, you can limit the search to certain folders or dates.
Describe what to do when problems arise when storing or retrieving information
What would you do? This is things like speaking to a team leader or dedicated IT department, or are you allowed to carry out basic troubleshooting yourself? Do you have backups you can access? Do you need specific permission from a manager to access certain files?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by belles1980
Hi, I'm currently doing an apprenticeship in business administration and I'm stuck on unit 230.2 .- Describe the features and benefits of an organisation’s products and/or services i work at a doctors surgery and trying to find features is slightly hard
if anyone is able to advise/help it would be greatly appreciated.
if anyone is able to advise/help it would be greatly appreciated.
Blood tests. ECGs. Nurse appointments. Referrals. Online booking. Online repeat prescriptions. Same day/emergency appointments. Dedicated phone line for test results. Separate waiting area for people with suspected infectious conditions. Disabled parking spaces. Trained receptionists that can answer certain queries. Text message appointment reminders.
Thankyou so much your a star 🙂😉
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