White defined “O & M as the improvement of all aspects of transacting business with special emphasis upon procedures and relationship”.

In the words of Milward he says, “The usual functions of O and M are the examina­tion of the structure of the organization under review and the studying of administrative and clerical methods, office mechanization and equipment, office layout and working conditions.”

M.P. Sharma writes, “O & M work means reviewing the internal organisation and proce­dures of any administrative agency with a view to suggest improvements so as to ensure greater efficiency in its working.”

In the words of S.B. Bopat, the founder of O & M in India, “In simple terms it means paying intelligent and critical attention not only to what is done but also to how it is done and at what cost, in what time, labour and money, paying attention to the design of the machine and its working processes and not merely to its end product”

On all levels, is a process of evaluating and examining a company’s internal structure, operating methods, procedures, management modes, and control systems (from the lower ones like shops, for example, to the highest ones like CEOs, head managers, directors, etc.). The main goal of such an assessment is to identify the company’s organizational inefficiencies, particularly when compared to competitors. It may also determine how successful a company is at achieving its organizational objectives. The administrative procedures are the most commonly examined in terms of organization and methods.

The goal of O & M is to increase an organization’s efficiency. It investigates its structure and operation for this purpose. Its goal is to reduce costs while achieving the best organization and work methods.It uses scientific techniques to simplify processes and work, removing all unnecessary work and avoiding unnecessary delays. The government’s activities are constantly expanding and changing in response to changes in the economic and social structures.

It is a process that systematically examining activities in order to improve the efficient use of human and other resources.It is essentially a specialized function with the primary goal of increasing an organization’s efficiency and control. In this way, it can be viewed as a necessary function that should be included in any organization’s structure.

Advantages of Organization and Method 

The following are the main advantages of O and M:-

1. It improves the general efficiency of the office
2. Reduces the clerical and paper and ultimately reduces wastage.
3. Out down since unnecessary steps requiring clerical labor and document are eliminated.

Disadvantages of Organization and Method 

Even though O and M are beneficial, it is not immune to the critics’ constant attacks. The following are its drawbacks:-

1. It tends to have an adverse effect on staff morale
2. work simplification is carried out theoretically, which could not be workable when put in practice.
3. It requires constant training on staff to enable staff to cope with the introduced systems.

Principles of O & M:

The guiding principles of O&M are as follows:-

1. Principle of the Flow Work: Work must flow to the employee on a regular basis. Uneven work flows, which can be very heavy at times and very light at other times, can make employees feel depressed. He never has the sensation of being on top of the world. As a result, an even flow of work is desirable.
2. Principles of ‘Promotion’ of Participation by Every Employee: This is critical to the success of any activity in any organization, especially in O & M, which involves many employees presenting changes, innovations, and improvements. All employees must feel like they are a part of the process.
3. The Principle of Distance Reduction: The papers and people in the office must take the shortest route possible. Long and winding routes are inefficient in terms of time, money, and effort. The officer in charge of operations and maintenance must examine the routes taken by men and papers and reorganize them so that they travel the shortest distance possible.
4. Principle of Domination of Work Activities: Re-copying should be avoided whenever possible, and work activities should be combined. Re-copying will occur in certain types of work, but each system and type of work should be studied by the O&M officer, and the combination of work must be completed.
5. The Principle of Essentiality: Every activity must be justified in terms of its importance, and those that aren’t must be eliminated. The principle of essentialities aims to minimize non-productive elements, which should be kept to a bare minimum, while maximizing the so-called productive elements of a procedure.