Class XI, Principles of Commerce, "Inflow and Outflow of Paper"

Introduction Correspondence is of great importance in modern times. Almost each business transaction involves exchange of papers of different kinds and other material, letters orders samples, cheques drafts, bills , government instruction through circulars and official letters invoices and so on. It is therefore imperative that the correspondence department must be vigilant and efficient in disposal off the letters and maintaining the accurate and complete records of all the papers concerning the commercial transactions.
The correspondence in commercials office had been divided into two categories.
1. Inflow or inward correspondence.
2. Outflow or outward correspondence. Inflow and outflow of papers are guided by the individual requirements and environment or business location and the type of business. They are discussed as below.
INFLOW OF PAPER
1. OPENING OF LETTER
This letters are usually opened in the presence of the general manger of some responsible officer who by quick glance over each letter assertions whether it deals with matters of routine or required any special notice to be taken. He is particularly watchful of letters which contain a discordant note or complain. Care has to be taken to see that the contents of the letters are properly emptied before the outside covers are thrown away. If the letters is addressed by human name or is marked privateer it is not opened but is handed over to the person concerned. Remittances received are sent to the cashier for entry in cash book. All the cheques received are crossed and endorsed before being sent to the bank for collection and credit to account.
2. STAMPING AND SORTING THE LETTER
The letters are then sorted out and marked with the date and time of their receipt noted on each of them; this is done with a view to prevent laziness and irresponsibility on the part of the staff in dealing with the letters. They are then sorted out bin batched according to their nature and each is handed over the person entrusted with the dealing letters of that type. Sometimes each letters is impressed with an identification mark indicating the department which it belongs to. The officers are thus enabled to ensue that prompt action is taken on all the letters by each department and filing is up to date and correct. The letters may also then be numbered for quick reference in the office n, if a numerical system of reference is maintained.
3. ENTRY IN LETTER RECEIVED BOOKS
The letters received are briefly recorded in a let ter received book. It records a date of receipt the name of the sender, and the subject of the letter , the departments to which they have been handed over , the manner of their disposal and the reference through which they have been disposed off.
4. PREPARATION OF REPLIES
The concern department then deals with the letters take any action necessary upon them and draft replies which are forward to officers, for correction and approval, along with the letter to which they are replies. When the draft is approved the officer sends it to the typist and also initials in the last column of the letters received book to indicate that the letter has been dealt with. Officers my also dictate letter to the typist who may take them down in shorthand and then final letter to be dispatched.
OUTFLOW OF PAPER
It means all those letters invoices, documents etc which are being sent from the office. The outflow paper includes the replies of the letters received by the office as well as the original correspondence done by the office. The outflow correspondence passes through the following stages.
1. REPLY OF LETTER RECEIVED
The outgoing letters must be prepared with promptness and accuracy and they must be politely worded. They have been described as the silent ambassadors of the business concerns and as such they must have an up to date finish to capture the imagination of the reader. A typewritten letter makes a better impression on the addresses than a hand written letter, since the former is better to look and can be read more easily.
2. THE COPYING OF LETTERS
It is very essential to have a copy of the letter sent on record for future reference. In case of any dispute this copy would be quite helpful in settling the same. The copy can be obtained by a carbon, press copying machine and in many other ways.
3. THE DUPLICATING OF LETTERS
The circular letters are to be sent to a large number of firms. In such cases hundreds of copies of the same letter are needed. When these copies are prepared by the help of a machine the same is known as duplicating machines in use which help in the preparation of these copies.
4. FILING OF LETTERS
The letters received and the replies of the letters sent or a copy of the original letter is to be then filed properly. The files are to be arranged in a systematic manner so that the previous correspondence when required may be found out quickly and easily.
5. DISPATCH OF LETTERS
The work of sending the letters away from the office is given over to a dispatch clerk. In sending away the letters, he must be very prompt and must also look to the postal requirements in connection with letters which are to be sent through the post office. Neat folding of letters, seeing that the letters are properly addressed and accompanied by the relative enclosures, and making sure that all letters are properly signed by the officers concerned, are matters which the dispatch clerk must look to. He is also required to send away all the telegrams from the office.
6. ENTRY IN A POSTAGE BOOK
A brief record of all the outflow of papers is kept in a postage book which also serves the purpose of a letter outward book. The dispatch clerk is usually given an advance which he uses to buy postage stamps of various denominations. He uses the postage book to maintain an account of the money advanced to him the postage stamps used by him in dispatching letters.
7. USE OF PEON BOOK
Some letters are to be sent to the local businessman. These letters are not sent through post but through a peon duty entered in a peon book. The dispatch clerk before sending letters will sort out all those letters separately which are to be send to the local businessman. He will then make entries of all such letters in the peon book and hand over the same to the peon who will personally deliver these letters to the addresses concerned and obtain their signatures to the peon book maintains a complete record of all the letters sent locally.