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Administrative Office Procedures Course (1 day)
A written, tested office procedures guide that keeps the office running when the person who 'just knows' is away.
In many offices the real procedures live in one or two people's heads. When those people go on leave, resign or fall ill, invoices wait, suppliers go unpaid and new staff learn by trial and error. This course in administrative office procedures shows delegates how to capture the way their office actually works and turn it into a clear, usable procedures guide.
Delegates start with why documented procedures matter: continuity, succession, audit requirements and recovery after a disruption. They then work through the full method – logging tasks over a few days, asking colleagues what they do, choosing which procedures to write first, writing step-by-step instructions from a template, and testing each one by having someone else follow it. The day closes with what belongs in the guide and what does not (passwords and confidential personal information stay out), how to organise it in a binder or on a shared drive, and how to launch it and keep it current.
It is a hands-on workshop: each delegate drafts and tests at least one real procedure from their own job before the end of the day.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Business continuity when key administrative staff are absent or leave
- Faster, more consistent onboarding of new office staff
- Written procedures that support internal and external audits
- Less reliance on any one person's memory
For your delegates
- A step-by-step method for documenting any office task
- A procedure template you can use the next day
- At least one procedure drafted and tested during the course
- Clarity on what to keep out of a shared guide
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain how documented procedures support continuity, succession planning and audits
- Identify and rank the office tasks that most need a written procedure
- Write clear, numbered procedures using one consistent template
- Test a procedure by having a colleague follow it, then close the gaps
- Organise a procedures guide with a contents page, sections and version control
- Keep passwords and confidential personal information out of the guide and store them securely
- Introduce the guide to staff and set a routine for keeping it current
Who should attend
Office administrators, secretaries, receptionists, personal assistants, office managers and team leaders who need to capture how their office runs – especially in small businesses and branches where one person holds most of the know-how.
Course outline
Day 1 – Building your office procedures guide
Why procedures matter
- Continuity when a key person is away
- Succession planning and handovers
- What internal and external auditors look for
- Recovering after a disruption, from a system failure to load-shedding
Finding the procedures to document
- Logging your own tasks over several days
- Asking colleagues what they do and how
- Listing, grouping and ranking tasks in a spreadsheet
- Choosing the first five procedures to write
Writing procedures people can follow
- A standard template: purpose, owner, steps, forms and contacts
- Numbered steps rather than long paragraphs
- Enough detail for a newcomer to succeed
- Screenshots, checklists and sample forms
- Testing the procedure on a colleague and correcting it
What goes into the guide
- Front-desk standards: phones, visitors and correspondence
- Diary, meeting and travel arrangements
- HR administration: leave, absence and breaks
- Payroll inputs and staff benefit queries
- Supplier, petty cash and filing routines
Organising and protecting the guide
- Contents page, sections and numbered tabs
- Binder, shared-drive version or both
- Version control and change dates
- Keeping passwords and confidential personal information out
- Secure storage and POPIA considerations
Launching and maintaining the guide
- Review and sign-off by management
- A short briefing to introduce the guide to staff
- Where to keep it so that people use it
- Collecting improvements and scheduling reviews
- Personal action plan
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20. Delegates should bring a list of their regular tasks; a laptop helps for drafting but is not essential. Workbook, procedure template and action plan included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“We were particularly impressed by the quality of facilitation and the practical relevance of the content presented. The programme was delivered with professionalism, clarity, and a strong emphasis on real-world application.”
“The facilitator effectively encouraged participation and used practical examples, discussions and interactive activities to ensure that the concepts were understood and could be applied in the workplace.”
“Business Optimization Training Institute facilitated Microsoft Excel Training for our company. The course was efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by the quality of training.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. Training a whole office together works well, because everyone then writes procedures in the same format.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Will we leave with a finished procedures manual?
You leave with the method, the template and at least one tested procedure. A complete guide usually takes a few weeks of part-time work; the action plan sets out how to finish it.
How is this different from the Office Management Training Course?
This course covers one job in depth: documenting how the office works. The Office Management Training Course covers running the whole office – work allocation, resources, records, safety and staff.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
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Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
Your quote request is for: Administrative Office Procedures Course (1 day)