Author Ellie Fee at the keyboard of the new word processor purchased by the Downers Grove Park District.

Swamped With Office Work? Maybe You Need A Word Processor

Automating your office procedures could speed up output and result in eventual savings.

By Ellie Fee

Have you started your budget planning process for the next fiscal year? Has the work load in your administration or recreation office increased to the point that you have to plan for an additional part-time secretary, a desk, and a new typewriter? You don't feel your district is in need of a computer or you don't have the funds or personnel for one? If these are some of the problems facing your district, perhaps a word processor is for you.

Our district was faced with these problems a year and a half ago. The administrative office had expanded from a four person to an eight person office, including two landscape architects. The District's emphasis was shifting from land acquisition to park development which caused a tremendous increase in the amount of secretarial work. In 1981, funds were budgeted for additional secretarial help to meet this need. When one of our commissioners suggested that we investigate memory typewriters, we didn't need too much pushing to get started!

We began by making a list of the types and volume of work done which included organizing the day to day routine into categories such as general correspondence, repetitive letters, divisional reports, board meeting minutes, statistical reports, budgets, etc. This gave us some idea as to the functions needed in a system. We found that we needed a system that would give us permanent storage of documents as well as memory.

The next step was to go to the marketplace to find a machine, or system, to meet our needs. We called several manufacturers who were happy to send tons of pictures, prices and proposals. In the course of our investigation, we found that the cost of a memory typewriter that would solve our current problems was approaching $7000-$8000. Upon further investigation, we found that for not too much more, we could have a thoroughly up-to-date system that would meet our current as well as future needs. Justifying the system and getting approval of our board for a word processor, writing the specifications, the bidding process, and choosing a system followed.

"One of the reasons typing productivity almost can be doubled is that re-typing is eliminated."

Learning to operate the system was fast and easy. The manufacturer provides a self-paced training program with an excellent customer support system to provide immediate access to assistance when problems are encountered.

All typing, with the exception of an occasional form or envelope, is done on the word processor. Work is organized and stored on floppy discs. Every-day text processing such as general correspondence, memos, division reports, board meeting materials and agendas, and board meeting minutes are stored on two work discs. Larger projects are stored on individual discs.

One of the reasons typing productivity almost can be doubled is that re-typing is eliminated. Board minutes are typed once and are edited without completely retyping. Meeting notices need only be updated from month to month with a change of date. Statistical documents such as investment reports, fund analysis reports are done quickly with automatic column centering and aligning, and the system will even do the math! Another example of the time-saving features of the system is its ability to automatically do multiple letters (legislators, other park districts, schools, employees, job applicants). By typing the letter once and typing the names and addresses once, you can have an original, personalized letter to every person on the list (including the envelopes to mail it in) in a fraction of the time it takes to type them individually — with a truly professional look. Once the list of names is generated, it is stored on the disc permanently, thereby eliminating the need to retype the list each time letters are to be sent.

Large projects, which are stored on individual discs, include the fiscal year budget, park development specifications, and inventories of buildings, building contents and equipment. Updating the inventory for insurance purposes each year is simply a matter of adding new items and deleting those eliminated — no retyping. Budget typing and editing are no longer a dreaded, time consuming

Illinois Parks and Recreation    20   March/April 1983

"Budget typing and editing are no longer a dreaded, time consuming process."

process. If the budget format is unchanged from year to year, there is no need to re-type the entire document. The system will add, rearrange and delete columns of figures automatically.

A master park development disc contains general specifications for various projects such as site grading, utilities, seeding and sodding, fencing, lighting, concrete, play equipment, planting and paving. When a major park development project is started, the specifications required for that project are copied from the master disc onto a working disc and are edited for the specific project, again eliminating the re-typing of the entire document.

The system also has a number of software options available. We purchased the records processing software which has enabled us to store a complete personnel record system. Many reports and documents can be generated from this data base. It also keeps our daily attendance records and records sick days or vacation days used, and updates each record automatically. Other software options are available such as BASIC language interpreter and communications options which will adapt the system to a computer if and when the District decides to purchase one.

We purchased a 35 characters per second, bi-directional printer. After using the system a few months, we budgeted for an automatic paper feeder to fully utilize the printer capabilities. It allows unattended printing and automatically collates finished documents, adjusts margins and tabs, and signals the operator when more paper is needed. While the printer is printing a document, the operator is free to perform other operations such as editing or typing new documents.

One secretary handles all the secretarial duties in the administration office, including the word processing. Since September, 1981, specifications have been prepared for nine major park development projects. All in addition to the usual meetings, minutes, budgets, reports, letters, phones, etc., etc. However, only 190 hours of the budgeted extra secretarial help have been used during the past 18 months (80 hours were for vacation fill-in). The system has increased productivity approximately 509c thereby eliminating the need for an additional half-time secretary.

This system has been an invaluable tool in the efficient operation of our administration office. We feel that it has more than justified the cost.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ellie Fee has been administrative secretary for the Downers Grove Park District for 4 1/2 years. She has 25 years of experience in executive secretary and office management positions, three of which were served at the Naperville Park District.

Illinois Parks and Recreation    21    March/April 1983