National 5 Administration and IT SQA

This subject is broken down into 36 topics in 6 modules:

  1. Administration Theory in the Workplace 9 topics
  2. Word-processing and/or Desktop Publishing 9 topics
  3. Spreadsheets 7 topics
  4. Databases 6 topics
  5. Presentations 2 topics
  6. Electronic Communication 3 topics
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  • 6
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  • 36
    topics
  • 12,597
    words of revision content
  • 1+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Administration and IT

Administration Theory in the Workplace

Tasks (Duties) of Administrators

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Tasks (Duties) of Administrators

Understanding the Role of Administrator

  • Administrators coordinate and manage organisational resources efficiently and effectively.
  • They ensure smooth execution of administrative duties, including answering phone calls, booking appointments, and sorting mail.
  • Administrators may be assigned specific responsibilities based on the nature of the organisation.

General Administrative Duties

  • Handling incoming and outgoing communication: This can include sorting mail and responding to emails.
  • Meeting coordination: This involves scheduling and preparing for meetings, including booking venues and sending out invites to participants.
  • Managing databases and filing systems: Administrators often store, process, and manage data.
  • Providing customer service: They may also be responsible for dealing with customer enquiries and complaints.
  • Administrators often take on the role of liaison between different departments within an organisation.

Specific Responsibilities

  • Financial Management: In some cases, administrators may be responsible for bookkeeping, budgeting, and other financial matters.
  • Human Resources Management: This can include drafting policies, managing recruitment, and handling employee records.
  • Procurement and Inventory Management: They may also manage the acquisition of supplies, oversee storage and distribution, and maintain inventory records.
  • Facilities Management: In some roles, administrators may oversee maintenance and cleaning operations, manage building security, and ensuring the office environment complies with health and safety regulations.

Organisational and Interpersonal Skills

  • Administrators need excellent organisational skills to manage tasks effectively and efficiently.
  • Interpersonal skills are essential for dealing with employees, customers, and suppliers.
  • Strong communication skills are needed for written correspondence, telephone dealings, and face-to-face interactions.
  • Problem-solving skills are beneficial when addressing unexpected issues or conflicts.

The Impact of Information Technology (IT)

  • IT literacy is important for modern administrators due to increasing reliance on computer systems and software.
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) is typically expected.
  • Database management often involves the use of specific software systems.
  • Email and online communication tools have become standard in most professional settings.

Course material for Administration and IT, module Administration Theory in the Workplace, topic Tasks (Duties) of Administrators

Administration and IT

Spreadsheets

Creating, Editing and Formatting a Workbook

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Creating, Editing and Formatting a Workbook

Creating a Workbook

  • Understand that a Workbook is the term for a spreadsheet file in applications like Excel or Google Sheets.
  • Recognise that a workbook can contain multiple Worksheets, or tabs.
  • Know how to start a new Workbook either from the 'File' dropdown menu or the program opening screen.
  • Learn that default workbooks often come in a standard layout of columns labelled A-Z (and beyond) and rows labelled with numbers.

Editing a Workbook

  • Remember to Save your work frequently to ensure no data is lost.
  • Know that changes to your workbook can be undone with the Undo button.
  • Learn how to rename, add, delete and move Worksheets to better organise your Workbook.
  • Explore cell formatting like bold, italic, underline, fill colour and font colour.
  • Input data or formulas in cells by clicking on them and typing in the formula bar.
  • Understand that you can adjust column width and row height by dragging the boundary of the column or row headings.
  • Make Use of the 'Find and Replace' tool to locate specific data and replace if necessary.
  • Learn how to sort and filter data to analyze it effectively.

Formatting a Workbook

  • Acknowledge that formatting enhances the readability and impact of your Workbook.
  • Know how to apply number formatting (e.g., decimal, currency, percentage, date).
  • Learn how to use conditional formatting to automatically apply formatting like colours, bold, etc., based on the values in the cells.
  • Make headers and footers appear on all pages by including the data in the 'header and footer' section.
  • Use the 'Wrap text' feature to display long text across multiple lines in a single cell.
  • Understand the value and purpose of themes and styles in Excel for consistent formatting.
  • Know how to implement cell borders to distinguish, group or block off certain data.
  • Learn how to merge cells for creating headings or if a data entry is larger than a single cell.

Course material for Administration and IT, module Spreadsheets, topic Creating, Editing and Formatting a Workbook

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