The practical application of information is the basis for the unification of all forms of presentation and formalization of source data for their fixation, transmission and accurate perception by the addressee.
When information is presented by a document, it is specific, it is in the field of generally accepted and unified norms, legislative provisions and requirements of a social or production process. These are always precise formulations and a certain form of expression of meaning in order to achieve a clearly defined goal.
Creation and content of a document
Unified documentation systems do not play any role, it is so customary to create documents every day on one’s own initiative and knowledge, or fill out those according to certain rules.
Life in itself is a whirlpool of information, but at every moment of time, it is human nature to somehow compose and clearly fix something. According to unwritten custom, unified documentation systems are formed in the minds of every person at school, if not earlier. But at the initial stage of his development, a person does not attach to them the essential value that they deserve.
A document can be of two fundamentally different types:
- form;
- structure and content.
Formally, blank documents are ordinary forms in which strictly defined information is recorded. Documents of this kind are constantly dealt with (kindergarten, school, clinic, work, passport office, ...).
Real documents take into account the existing requirements for their design. Otherwise, they will be misunderstood by the addressee and the desired result will not be obtained.
Every document should be executed in form, have a clear structure and expected content, expressed in a certain style.
Formally, one can refer to documents as works of art, articles, diplomas, dissertations, books and other written and graphic works, but this is a much more blurred in structure and content result of converting information into a strict form for perception by a certain circle of consumers (recipients).
The essence of unification systems
The information is extensive, but even if you do not take external sources into account, then each state structure, enterprise, individual entrepreneur and ordinary person is in conditions (requirements) of choosing a specific standard from the surrounding variety of unified norms.
The existing state unified documentation systems in almost all cases are advisory in nature. In particular, in accordance with applicable regulations.
- The date of the document is drawn up in Arabic numerals in the sequence: day of the month, month, year.
- Day of the month and month - two pairs of Arabic numerals, through a dot; year - four digits (December 4, 2017 = December 4, 2017 according to GOST R 6.30-2003).
- Moreover, this GOST allows verbal indication of the name of the month.
- The same GOST "allows" the reverse order: year, month and day.
A significant part of the documents “serves” the management sphere. Work situations are repeated, actions taken are similar, but there are always features. GOST R 6.30-2003 greatly simplifies the creation of documents, and not only for the management sphere.
By common opinion, unification is a reduction in the number and variety of documents, design requirements, the logic of the content and structure. The unification also includes the processes of creation, processing and execution of documents.The size of the media is important if it is a paper document, or the data format if it is an electronic document.
Workflow areas and document semantics
Organization management is an important but not the only area to which the unified documentation systems are directly related. The accounting department of any enterprise uses not only blank forms, including strict reporting forms, but also a wide range of “free” drafting documents in compliance with the adopted legislative and local standards, GOST provisions.
According to the All-Russian classifier, several thematic systems operate:
- banking sector;
- financial, accounting and reporting area of budgetary institutions and organizations;
- reporting and statistical sphere;
- labor documentation system;
- foreign trade sphere, etc.
The unified documentation systems of the Russian Federation on topics cover the entire socio-economic infrastructure of the country. They may have specifics by region, by industry, by area of competence of the company.
If you adhere to the All-Russian Classifier, you can assign an eight-digit code to each type of document and keep a separate record. Most organizations use the existing requirements for paperwork and approve their own regulations on their basis.
Key Positions
The purpose of the document requires certain details. Lack of the necessary requisite can lead to invalidity of the document or the impossibility of its execution. In this case, the loyalty of GOST R 6.30-2003 does not matter.
The job order contains a specific range of positions. The order to create the department is another. The job description is compiled completely different than the quarterly report of the financial department.
At the same time, many details have application features. For example, the date may have different meanings: the moment of signing the order, the moment of dismissal of the employee, the moment of the start of production, the multilateral agreement. In the latter case, not only the date of signing of the agreement by each party can be provided, which always has legal significance, but also the general date, for example, the beginning of validity of the agreed provisions.
Choice of words and phrasing
The workflow of any enterprise, like a computer program, in the general case is a strictly formalized process. Unlike a program, it is not a computer that works here, but a person. Inaccurate wording is possible. But the general outline when creating documents is determined in accordance with GOST 6.30-2003 as close as possible to its requirements.
Deviation from generally accepted practice and the requirements of GOST is inappropriate here: an order, provision, statement, order, etc. are not works of art, and there is no need to look for a form of expression of thought.
Not only the vocabulary is welcomed, but also the parts of speech necessary in each particular case and the correct case. According to established practice, absurdities, missing words, sentences are often found in documents, there are inconsistencies that are not characteristic of colloquial speech. But it is customary, and doing it in its own way is impractical.
With regard to drawings, their signatures and designations, it is customary to use the experience of developing design documentation when it is obviously necessary. However, nothing prevents the design of a regular drawing in the same intimate manner.
Regarding the tables, the provisions of GOST also make sense to consider. This is a well-established practice, and any table in a working document is primarily a guide to action or information for making a decision.
Vocabulary, structure and presentation logic
The text should always be connected. The phrases mutually determine each other or make refinements. Specific words and phrases are used. To recruit a person, the director writes a brief resolution on a correctly written statement.
An application for employment, written by an employee in the prescribed form, is endorsed in the units of the enterprise and goes through a preliminary approval process. This is not a document yet, but already the basis for the final decision by the head of the enterprise in the form of a specific phrase “in order”.
Writing anything else in the resolution is permissible, it is not prohibited, but in any situation it should have a reasonable value. For example, a university graduate. A phrase may be provided in the text of the statement or in accordance with the logic of the enterprise — this is left to the director to decide.
An essential and traditional feature of many documents are two parts:
- reason (foundation, purpose);
- conclusion (decision, conclusion, request).
This is not important, but where it is logical, it is necessary to clearly divide all the necessary phrases into two components. Gosstandart, unified documentation systems and local provisions of the enterprise itself should serve as the foundation for constructing structures in which the subject of the document determines how to make up the reason and conclusion.
In real practice, this approach speeds up the creation of important documents, allows you to focus not on the entire text, but only on the variable part.
Local documents of the enterprise
The unification and standardization of documents is characteristic of each enterprise. Some do this in writing, others adhere to oral practice. It all depends on the size of the business and the level of responsibility.
Most of the local provisions are drawn up during the creation of an enterprise on the basis of current legislation, GOST, regulatory data applicable in the industry or a specific business area.
Such unified documentation systems are unique and often the know-how of a particular company, are based on the software used and constitute a trade secret. They rarely change, and changes are associated with the stages of the company's growth, expansion of its sphere of competence or business level.
Important local documents are production plans, technical specifications, work schedules. Here, the unification and standardization of documents are analogous. Each new, for example, calendar plan is made in the likeness of the previous one, and the new accounting in the accounting policy is formulated on the basis of the previous one taking into account changes in external requirements (legislation, tax, state control bodies, ...)
Information flows
A well-debugged document flow of the enterprise, especially when the logic, structure and vocabulary of the unified documentation system is implemented in the form of a software-technical management system, allows not only to simplify the business and functionality of employees, but also to manage their activity in the right direction, providing automation of document creation, control over their processing and execution.
The enterprise infrastructure, implemented in the form of internal and external information flows, timed and content, allows you to transfer the management of the enterprise to a higher level.
Many modern information systems have long been working at the task level, providing the formulation of the required input data and the preparation of reports. The role of workers in such a system lies in the field of creativity and goals of the company, and not in the context of how to draw up a particular document.
Company and employee behavior
GOST R 6.30-2003 and other regulatory documents determine the form of documents, details, words and phrases, specify the expression logic and sizes of paper media, indentation, margins, borders of figures, tables and other technical details - all this is important and appropriate to consider.
The normal work of the company is the usual workflow in which the role of each employee is regulated and expected.
In this context and in connection with the features of the modern level of development of information technology, the issue of employee behavior has become relevant. Against the background of the expected variant of the development of certain events, works, documents, deviations can be detected.
This aspect is no less significant for building the company's infrastructure. It is important not only to organize the correct work with documents, but also to ensure control over the process of working with documents.