CXC

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
SCHOOL BASED ASSINMENT
(2014-2015)

Candidates Name:

Savan Brown

Candidate Number:
Centre Name:
School

St. James High

Centre Number:
Territory:

Jamaica

Teacher:

Miss P. Hewitt

Title: An investigation into the extent to which open plan layout

contributes to efficiency in the sales department of the staff at
ADS in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Table of content
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Preparation 1- Preparation
... 1-2
Title of project
Aims of project
Functions of the Sales department
Correspondence letter
Preparation 2- Gathering
. 3-6
Methodology
Procedure
Schedule of Activities
Health and safety practices
Staff Rules
Preparation 3- Presentation
.. 7-12
Report
Back ground of organization
Over view of topic

Limitations
Findings
Major Finding
Reflection
Appendix.........................................................................................................
13
Bibliography

Acknowledgement

The successful completion of this study would not have been possible
without the assistance and cooperation off a number of individuals.
Consequently, I would like to thank the employees of the ADS global Sales
department for their massive support and valuable time spent on answering
the questionnaires given and my family who have been a constant source of
encouragement and assistance. I would like to thank my grandniece for
relieving me from house hold duties while I was engaged in this study finally,
special thanks to my teacher Mrs. P Hewitt who guided me every step of the
way through this exercise.

Introduction

The researcher has been a student at the St. James High School for
the past four (4) years. During this time, I have chosen to investigate about
Hence I have decided to conduct a survey to investigate the organization of
ADS global which regard to find out what the Sales department is all about
and its main roles.

PART 1 PREPARTION
Title of the project
Out of all seven topic that was given, the researcher chose the
following topic.
An investigation into the extent to which open plans layout contributes
to the efficiency in the Sales Department of ADS in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Aims of Project
At the end of this research, the researcher wishes to:

Find out if open plans layout contributes to the efficiency of department

Find out if open plan layout impact on the workers of the department

Investigate how effective is open layout in the department

Functions of the Sales Department

In order for the sales department to be effective they should:

Control the script of sales
Its up to an individual/workers to make sales

Convince Purchasers
1

Correspondence
Haddington District
Hopewell P.O
Hanover
October 7, 2014
Manager
ADS Global
Fair View P.A
Montego Bay
St. James
Dear Sir/Madam,

Re. Permission to conduct study

My name is savan Brown a 16 year old student of the St. James High
School. As a requirement of CXC, I am required to complete a School Based
Assessment project SBA. The topic being investigated is '' The extent to
which open plan layout contributes to efficiency in the sales department.''
I am interested in interviewing employees on the job and am hereby
request permission to conduct study. I can be contact at 286-6467. Thanks
for your time and corporation.

Yours faithfully,
.
(Student)

PART 2
Gathering Data
Methodology
In order to collect information for the research, the researcher chose to
use the form of a questionnaires. A questionnaire is a list of research or
survey question asked to respondents and designed to extract specific
information. Advantages of questionnaire are:
Large amount of information can be collected from a large number of
persons in a short period of time.
When data has been quantified, it can be used to compare other
research and maybe used to measure changes.
There were two (2) participants in the survey and the questionnaires
were consisted of ten (10) questions open-ended

Description of sample
This is a research carried out at the ADS global organization on an
investigation to which open plan layout contributes to efficiency in the sales
department. The gathering of information was done by the use of
questionnaires where they were done by the staff members of the sales
department.

Procedures
On Thursday October 30, 2014, the researcher took the questionnaires
to the persons of the department and handed out the questionnaires to two
(4) females who worked in the sales department. They took approximately
five (5) minutes to answer all ten questions after which they were returned to
the researcher.
FIVE QUESTIONS ASKED OF COMPANY PERSONNEL
What does the word efficiency means?
Does open plan layout contribute to efficiency in the department?
What is the main factor considered in deciding on the choice of layout
in department?
Are there any disadvantages to open plan layout in department.
What is the main disadvantage to the open plan layout of the
department?

Schedule of Activities

DATE

ACTIVITIES

COMMENTS

02 September
2014

Teacher introduced
SBA to class

Seems challenging

03 September
2014

Formulated topic,
aims and function

It was challenging to formulate

the topic aims and function.

04 September
2014

Permission letter was

written

I learn an easier way to write a

business letter.

09 September
2014

I wrote my
correspondence

07 October
2014

Permission letter was

carry to ADS

30 October
2014

Questionnaires were
taken to ADS

It seems difficult but I was help

by my teacher for it to be
accomplish

Letter was accepted

They were answered and

received by the researcher

Health and Safety Practice

One health and safety practice that the researcher observed while
conducting the study was not to touch any equipment unless he was
authorized to do so by a member of staff in the sales department.

Staff Rule
One staff rule that the researcher had to comply with was making sure
that waiting on the security to verify with the sales department that
permission was given to conduct the interview with workers in the
department as it relates to the study. When these checks were completed,
then the researcher was allowed inside the office.

6
PART 3 PRESENTATION

Report
Upon reflecting on all the activities that were involved in the thorough
completion of the project, one task that the researcher would have
approached differently was choosing a different organization. Reason being,
there were limited persons working in the particular organization chosen.

Background of Organization
ADS global is located at Fair View Shopping Center at Bogue in the
popular community of Montego Bay , was found by Mr. Ron Kay (CEO) in the
year 2007 and located in the parish of St. James. In the organization of ADS
global there are about a number of ten (10) departments including the
Quality Assurance Department, the Human Resource department, Training
and Client Relations department and it goes on with the remaining amount.
ADS global have been developing call centers with a wide variety of call
centers manager solutions and consulting services. ADS global Facilities are
design to deliver a wide range of services.

Overview of topic
The layout on open plan began Hundreds of years ago with the process
of dialogue. Open plan has grown more in our present times than during the
past centuries to the possibility of electronic devices used worldwide but

mainly in our present organizations. Open plan has opened an effective line
of communication to the huge help from technology. Open plan layout has
given numbers of persons within and out of an organization communicates
even more efficiently.

Limitations
One of the challenges faced by the researcher while conducting the
project was formulating questions for the questionnaire.
The researcher has didnt spend too much time on this project
Getting device to prepare this School Based Assessment (SBA)

Recommendations
I would like to make the following recommendations based on my SBA:

Ask for assistance when formulating questionnaire

Make a schedule in order to spend more time on SBA
To buy or to barrow a typing device from an earlier date

Findings
Upon the information that was gained from the respondents of ADS
global who participated in this survey, when they were ask what does
efficiency means as shown in question eight (8) of the questionnaire the
responses are shown on the bar graph below.

Column showing the level of responses wen ask what efficiency

Figure 1
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

An amount of Forty Four percentages of the respondents chose doing

work well as the definition of efficiency. Thirty Three percent chose being
capable or skillful as their response and the remaining Twenty Three percent
of the respondents selected one producing satisfactory results as the
meaning of the word efficiency.

Findings
Pertaining to the researchers collected information from the ADS global Sales
department where the respondents were asked what is the main factor is
considered in deciding on the choice layout the following is as shown on the
3-D column below.

Bar graph showing the main factor on the choice of layout

Figure 2

60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Number of employee

Space

Money

Forty Four Percent of the respondents selected the number of

employee as the main factor considered on the choice of layout while fifty six
percent chose space as their response and but the graph shows that money
wasnt selected as a response.

10

Major Finding
Based on investigation that was carried out by the researcher, when
respondents were asked if they do think that open plan layout contributes to
efficiency the responses are as shown on the Pie Chart below.

Figure 3

33%
Always

Sometimes

Seldom

67%

Figure 3
Sometimes was selected by Thirty Three percent of the respondents as their
response while a huge amount of Sixty Seven percent was selected the re
respondents response when they were ask if they do think open plan contributes to
efficiency but seldom wasnt selected as a respondents response.

11

Reflection
Upon reflecting on all the activities that were involved in the thorough
completion of the project, one task that the researcher would have
approached differently was choosing a different organization. Reason being,
there were limited persons working in the particular organization chosen.

12

Bibliography
Office Administration for CSEC
Person List
Supervisor
Date: 24 October 2013
Place: ADS Global
Job Title: Sales department
Publisher: S Finisterre, L Payne and J Reid Longman Office
Administration for CXC

Publication list

Name of Author:
Nelson Thrones
Publisher:
Ann Margret Jacob
Nelson Thrones
Year Published:
2011

Bibliography

Electronic Document Preparation and Management for CSEC

Publication list
Name of Author:
Nelson Thrones
Publisher:
Ann Margret Jacob
Nelson Thrones
Year Published:
2011