Internal Policies Regarding the Creation of Business

Internal Policies Regarding the Creation of Business Contracts and Electronic Communications

First and foremost, the most important aspect of business contracts is to have them. "In our experience, it's mostly been the buddy-to-buddy or 'bro deal' projects that take a turn for the worse due to a lack of professionalism" (Reeve & Payne 2009). Before the start of any project, a contract must be drafted defining the deliverables and scope of the project. After the contract is signed, "be sure to keep it handy. Refer to the contract to manage your internal team" and to deal with any issues that arise during the completion of the project (Reeve & Payne 2009). While sometimes changes are necessary because the project's time and budget expands beyond the original parameters of the contract, the contract is the ultimate 'anchoring point,' of the enterprise. Contracts should be specific, but also contain clauses which make provisions for unexpected occurrences.

Particularly when dealing with subcontractors whose input can be of great significance in ensuring the timely completion of the project, since even delays of a short duration of important component parts can add up over time, the contracts must specify that the contractor must keep track of how he or she utilizes the given time frame and have specific deadline by which the contractor can notify the company of any delays. All contracts should contain provisions noting when the contract is null and void, due to delays, the inability to perform, or ethical breeches on the part of the contracted entity.

As well as clearly-delineated contracts with contractors and clients, the organization must similarly have detailed policies regarding electronic communications, which is a vital part of firm activity. "While electronic communication tools are tremendous assets to our company when used appropriately, abuse of these resources can put both employees and the company at risk" (Buchanan 2010). To minimize the impingement of corporate security by external threats such as viruses and other malware, surfing the internet and sending personal emails from a work account is strictly prohibited, whether the employee is sending email from a work-based terminal or working online at home.

Employees must be aware of the fact that their email is monitored when sent from their work account, and that all email is archived by the company. "The company retains ownership of the content of any messages and data sent from, received by, or stored in or upon the company's computer and that communications systems are the sole property of the company, regardless of the form and/or content of these messages and data" (Buchanan 2010). By law and policy, employees have no expectation of privacy when they use their corporate email account and their communications become the property of the organization. If, for legal reasons, email correspondence must be provided to law enforcement, the company does not need to obtain the employee's consent to do so.

Employees are asked to show discretion when opening all emails, particularly emails with attachments, and if there is any doubt about the sender's identity they should not open the email and contact the IT Department for further advisement. A single file can infect an entire system, which results in loss productivity and a loss of funds. Employees are required to use their company passwords at all times to access their accounts, and should not disclose those passwords to anyone.