routine interoffice memo using the direct approach for an office procedure change

ROUTINE INTEROFFICE MEMO – use the direct approach
Paragraph 1 – Main Idea Paragraph 2 – Supporting Information Paragraph – Date and
goodwill In supporting information do we use bullets or enumerations
YOUR TASK:
As Purchasing Department manager, write a hard-copy memo directed to all employees
informing them of the new procedure. Remember to include all the information needed for the
new purchase requests

PROBLEM
Along with your parents, brothers, and sisters, you own a share of a
growing family business with 55 employees. As the head of the
Purchasing Department, you realize that the business must keep better
track of purchases. Some employees use the company purchasing order
forms, but others submit sloppy e-mails or handwritten notes that are
barely legible. What’s worse, you are not sure whether he requested
purchase has been authorized by the budget manager. You talk to the family management
council, and they urge you to establish a standard procedure for submitting purchase requests.
Because the business has a good Web site, you decide that purchase requests must now be
downloaded from the company Intranet (http://www.austin.com/Intranet). To provide the fastest
service, employees should fill out the new purchase request form. This may be done manually or
digitally. Employees must include complete information for each requested purchase: date,
quantities, catalog numbers, complete descriptions, complete vendor mailing address and contact
information, delivery requirements, and shipping methods (usually f.o.b.).

The Purchasing Department should be sent the original, and a copy should be kept by the
requesting employee. An important step in the new procedure is approval by the budget manager
on the request form. That is, employees should talk to the budget manager and get her approval
before submitting the purchase request. You think this new procedure will solve many problems
for you and for employees.
Draft: April 9 Final Interoffice Memo: Beginning of class on 4/14.
To be typed: Times New Roman, 12 points – Styles: No spacing
Formatted: start the dateline at 2 inches from the top
Set side margins at 1” or 1 ¼ inches
Align the information following the headings
Leave two blank lines between Subject and the first line of memo
Single-space within the memo and double-space between paragraphs
Heading: DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT:
Double-space between each heading item