The difference between a memo and a memo.

The interaction of employees of the corporation with each other can be carried out through the use of memorandum and service notes. What are their features?

What is a memo?

Under a memo it is customary to understand a document that is addressed by the company's employees to a higher level of management of the organization. It is drawn up in order to inform the competent persons of the company about significant events and facts in the life of the company, as well as to send recommendations to the management regarding the response to certain situations.

A memo can be sent not only to a person holding a higher position in the management structure of a company, but also to another organization, in relation to which the company where the drafter works is a subsidiary.

The memo is expected to contain:

  • heading;
  • dates of compilation;
  • name and position of the person to whom the document is sent;
  • a text block about the facts that became the reason for writing the note;
  • a block of text on conclusions regarding relevant facts;
  • a block of text on recommendations and suggestions to management regarding the response to the events referred to in the note;
  • Name, position and signature of the originator.

The memo can also be supplemented by various attachments. In this case, another text block should be present in its structure - indicating the sources attached to the note.

If the document is supposed to be sent to another organization - most likely, it will be a higher-level structure (for example, the head office of the holding), then the note is usually signed by the head of the company in which the document is drawn up.

What is a memo?

Under a memo it is customary to understand a document that is addressed to:

  1. to those persons who made it up to those persons who are approximately at the same level with him in terms of official authority;
  2. the management of the firm to those subordinate units;
  3. by the management of departments, services, subdivisions to those employees who work in the relevant structures of the firm.

The range of issues reflected in memos can be very wide. Through them, practically any information is exchanged within the company. Service notes, like memoranda, may reflect events significant for the life of the company, as well as suggestions and recommendations for responding to them.

Note that by means of a memo, the head of a firm can direct certain managerial orders to the level of subordinate structures. Usually they are issued by orders, but in some cases it is easier to draw up a note. As a rule, such orders do not have the status of a local normative act and therefore, strictly speaking, no sanctions are expected for their failure to comply. But unofficially, in many firms, memos are equated in terms of being binding on to orders.

The structure of the document in question is generally similar to a memorandum. But it is worth noting that it is practically not used in correspondence between different companies - regardless of whether they are legally equivalent entities or are subordinate. For this, there are other types of sources - for example, letters, offers, notifications.

Comparison

The main difference between a memorandum and a service memo is that the first document is addressed by employees to the management or management of the company, and the second - by some employees to others, or sent by management to subordinate structures and employees. In addition, a memo can be sent from one company to another, and the official one, as a rule, is used only in the internal document flow of the company.

The structure of both sources can be the same - it often happens that the differences between them are reduced only to the name, as well as to the ratio of the powers of the originator and the addressee.

Having determined what is the difference between a memorandum and a memorandum, we reflect the conclusions in the table.

Table

Memorandum Memorandum
What do they have in common?
Both documents can have the same structure (differ significantly only in the name, the ratio of the powers of the originator and the addressee)
What is the difference between them?
Addressed by employees to the management or management of the companyAddressed by some employees to others, management - to subordinate structures and employees
Can be used by a company for correspondence with another legal entity (as a rule, a higher structure within a group of companies)Almost always used only in the internal document flow of the company
.