What is a Letter Number? Definition, Function and How to Make It

What is a Letter Number? Definition, Function and How to Make It

Letter numbering is something that should not be overlooked when making letters, especially official letters or official letters from government or private agencies. Giving letter numbers has certain rules and in each agency these rules are different.

When assigning numbers, official letters or service letters are mandatory and require a letter number. Apart from being the main requirement, this letter number will also make it easier to categorize the type of letter.

Then, what is the meaning of the letter number itself and how do you make the letter number? Come on, take a look at mudabicara.

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Understanding Letter Numbers

The letter number is a composition of the writing sequence number, letter code, date, month and year the letter was written. The code on the letter number from each agency or institution that makes the letter will be different and the code that is made also has its own category according to the type of letter that is made.

Providing a letter number will make it easier to store or archive letters by a letter writing agency. When writing, the letter number is often placed at the top left of the letter.

Writing letter numbers must also be understood by people who are involved and play a role in correspondence matters. This is because the letter number must still be given even though the letter is in electronic form. The assignment of letter numbers to an official letter or official letter is separated from one code to another using a slash (/).

So, from each existing letter number component, a slash is separated. This aims to make reading the code or letter components easy.

Then, is it important to number the letter? Of course it is very important, this is because giving numbers to official letters has the main function of knowing the type of letter and making it easier for the archives department to archive letters and making it easier to sort the numbers of letters that come out.

Apart from that, the code on the letter number also determines the type of letter that has been issued. This will make it easier for the recipient of the letter to know what letter they received and what to do with the letter. So, the letter number in making an official letter or official letter is something that must be present and is the main thing in correspondence.

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Letter Numbering Rules

When making official letters, there are several numbering rules that are commonly used. Letter numbers cannot be placed in arbitrary positions. Generally, the letter number is written in the upper left position, just below the letter head.

Apart from the position not being arbitrary, the codes entered also have their own rules. Usually, when making official letters or official letters, the letter number format includes the letter type code, serial number, name of the institution, sequence of months written in Roman numerals and the year implemented.

Functions of Official Letters

Before creating a letter number on an official letter or official letter, there are several functions of an official letter that you need to know, including:

  1. An official letter has the main function, namely as a means of information or notification regarding special matters conveyed by one party to another party.
  2. The function of an official letter can also be as written evidence in the form of a document where the contents must be accountable.
  3. An official letter functions as a work guide in carrying out an activity where the official letter contains work steps for certain purposes.
  4. Another function of an official letter is as a reminder tool for the recipient of the letter, be it an individual, organization or institution.
  5. Official letters also function as historical evidence and chronological evidence if needed at any time.

Characteristics of Official Letters

To differentiate official letters from other general letters, you need to know the characteristics of official letters. The following are the characteristics of an official letter:

  1. Use standard language in accordance with Indonesian language rules and Enhanced Spelling (EYD).
  2. Made in short, concise and effective language and easy to understand the context.
  3. Official letters do not use implicit language, but rather explicit language.
  4. Equipped with a letterhead stating the party issuing the official letter.
  5. Official letters always include the letter number, date, destination address and attachments if available.
  6. A special stamp or seal is attached for certain conditions.

Letter Number Generation Function

The function for creating letter numbers is:

  1. To make it easier to organize, both for storage and retrieval if necessary.
  2. To find out the number of letters received and issued by organizations, institutions or companies and to make it easier to classify letters based on content.
  3. To make it easier for the secretary to continue numbering the letters that will be written next.
  4. Become a reference in future correspondence or also in the next stages of offering communication development.
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How to Create Letter Numbers

Here are several ways to create letter numbers that you need to pay attention to.

1. Understand the components of letter numbers

When grameds looks at the letter numbers themselves, they are usually separated by an italic sign (/). It turns out that each number and letter separated by this sign has a different meaning. So, we need to know what are the components in writing the letter number itself.

In general, the letter number consists of:

  • Mail number code,
  • Order number of the letter issued,
  • Name of the institution that issued the letter,
  • The current month, the current month is written in Roman numerals,
  • Current year.

When writing this official letter number, the five components must be listed and separated by a slash (/).

2. Outgoing Letter Numbering Format

After knowing the components of the letter number, what must be paid attention to is the format for numbering outgoing letters, where this number becomes the code for conveying information about the type of letter issued.

The following is how to write the outgoing letter numbering format along with the letter number code:

  1. Decree (SK): 01.
  2. Invitation Letter (SU): 02.
  3. Application Letter (SPm): 03.
  4. Notification Letter (SPb): 04.
  5. Loan Letter (SPp): 05.
  6. Statement Letter (SPn): 06.
  7. Mandate Letter (SM): 07.
  8. Letter of Assignment (ST): 08.
  9. Certificate (Sket): 09.
  10. Letter of Recommendation (SR): 10.
  11. Reply Letter (SB): 11.
  12. Official Travel Order (SPPD): 12.
  13. Certificate (SRT): 13.
  14. Employment Agreement (PK): 14.
  15. Cover Letter (Speng): 15.

This means that when writing gramed numbers you must follow the codes above for each type of letter. For example, number 01 is the number for the decision information letter, this letter code is placed at the very beginning after “Number:… (fill in letter code)”.

3. Examples of appropriate letter writing

To make it easier to understand, write the official letter number and its explanation as follows:

For example:

Number: 01.004/ SMA-SM/V/2018

Then it will be divided into examples of letter components one by one in the form of information as follows:

  • 01: Outgoing letter number code, 01 is the type of decision letter.
  • 004: Serial number of the letter issued, 004, so this letter is the fourth letter issued.
  • SMA – SM: Name of the profile of the institution that issued the letter, for example SMA Suka Maju.
  • V : The current month in Roman numerals.
  • 2018: Current year.

Next, what grameds need to know is about how to place numbers on official letters. The letter number is written at the beginning of the letter parallel to the bottom of the attachment and page of the letter.

Example :

Number: 01.003/SMA-SM/V/2018
Attachment: –
Subject: Decision of OSIS Management Members for the 2018/2019 Period

The explanation above is an example of how to write general letter numbers. Meanwhile, for daily needs, writing numbers can be adjusted to the needs of the agency creating the letter. Apart from that, don’t be surprised if you find numbers written differently using the methods discussed above.

When writing letters from certain institutions, they usually include a code for the recipient of the letter, whether the recipient is internal or external to that institution. The recipient code is written in the order of the letter’s serial number, the recipient’s code in the internal or external section of the letter-writing institution, the subject code and the current year.

4. Example of writing an order number and assignment letter

The order of numbering of Orders and Letters of Assignment is as follows:

  • Manuscript number (sequential number in one calendar year);
  • Signatory position code;
  • Month, written in two digits;
  • Publication Year.

Example 1:

ORDER
NUMBER 09/D-IV/02/2012

09: Order letter serial number in one calendar year.
D-IV: Position code for Deputy for Management.
02 : 2nd Month (February)
2012 : Year 2012

Example 2:

ASSIGNMENT LETTER
NUMBER 08/D-IV/11/2012

08: Serial number of assignment letters in a calendar year.
D-IV: Position code for Deputy for Management.
11 : 11th Month (November).
2012 : Year 2012.

5. Numbering of Official Letters Signed by Officials under the Minister/Agency Head

The official letter signed by an official under the head of the agency consists of:

  • Service Letter security degree code;
  • Manuscript number, serial number in a calendar year;
  • Agency abbreviation or acronym;
  • Abbreviation or acronym of the initiating organizational unit/work unit;
  • Archive classification code;
  • Month;
  • Publication Year.
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Filing Letters Based on Classification Codes

  1. Classification in a ministry or government is a classification arranged based on problems, reflecting the functions and activities of implementing the duties of all organizational units within the ministry or regional government, namely carrying out some of the general tasks of government and development in the fields of general government and regional autonomy, ideology, politics, development. villages and agrarians, coded with Arabic numerals, detailed in decimal using three basic units, equipped with auxiliary codes, area codes and abbreviations for component names.
  2. The classification pattern is arranged in stages using the principle of development from general to specific in problem relationships, preceded by 3 basic details, each of the first, second and third details, as a basic pattern that functions as a helpful bridge in finding the problem code listed in the classification pattern.
  3. In accordance with the decimal nature of archives, they are grouped into 10 main problems, coded 000 to 900. From these 10 main problems, a distinction is first made between substantive (main) tasks and facilitative (supporting) tasks. Numbers 100 to 600 are codes for substantive tasks, while numbers 000, 700, 800 and 900 are codes for facilitative tasks. Code 000 accommodates facilitative issues outside of supervision, personnel and financial issues. Apart from that, problems related to household matters are also accommodated, such as internal affairs and problems that cannot be included in other groups such as official travel, equipment, state or regional symbols, signs of honor and so on.
  4. Thus, these 10 main issues have accommodated all activities in carrying out the duties of the Ministry, including agencies within its environment.

The ten problems are as follows:

  • 000 General
  • 100 Governments
  • 200 Politics
  • 300 Security and Order
  • 400 Welfare
  • 500 Economy
  • 600 Public Works and Manpower
  • 700 Supervision
  • 800 Staffing
  • 900 Finance

The code is a tool for identifying problems contained in a letter archive and as a tool for determining where the archive is located in the order of problem relationships in the arrangement of all archives in the deposit.

This code also indicates the existence of a systematic sequence of archive issues and control cards in the file. Auxiliary codes are a form of presentation of certain problems which are aspects that always arise in connection with other problems, plus each code requires further details to be able to provide an extra dimension to the archive.

The auxiliary code in question is:

  • 01 Planning
  • 02 Research
  • 03 Education
  • 04 Report
  • 05 Committee
  • 06 Seminars, Workshops, Workshops
  • 07 Statistics
  • 08 Legislation
  • 09 Not used

Region code to indicate regional division. By paying attention to the principles, the area code in question is arranged as follows:

  • 11: Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam;
  • 12: North Sumatra;
  • 13: West Sumatra;
  • 14: Riau;
  • 15: Jambi;
  • 16: South Sumatra;
  • 17: Bengkulu;
  • 18: Lampung;
  • 19: Bangka Belitung Islands;
  • 21: Riau Islands;
  • 31: DKI Jakarta;
  • 32: West Java;
  • 33: Central Java;
  • 34: Yogyakarta Special Region;
  • 35: East Java;
  • 36: Banten;
  • 51: Bali;
  • 52: West Nusa Tenggara;
  • 53: East Nusa Tenggara;
  • 61: West Kalimantan;
  • 62: Central Kalimantan;
  • 63: South Kalimantan;
  • 64: East Kalimantan;
  • 71: North Sulawesi;
  • 72: Central Sulawesi;
  • 73: South Sulawesi;
  • 74: Southeast Sulawesi;
  • 75: Gorontalo;
  • 76: West Sulawesi;
  • 81: Maluku;
  • 82: North Maluku;
  • 91: Papua;
  • 92: West Papua.

Regional codes for provinces can form their own regional codes for districts/cities in their region, while districts/cities can form their own regional codes for sub-districts in their region.

To find out which component handles the problem, the following component name abbreviations are needed:

  • SJ : Secretary General;
  • IJ : Inspectorate General;
  • KESBANGPOL: Directorate General of National Unity and Politics;
  • OTDA: Directorate General of Regional Autonomy;
  • PUM: Directorate General of Public Administration;
  • BANGDA: Directorate General of Regional Development;
  • PMD: Directorate General of Village Community Development;
  • DUKCAPIL: Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration;
  • SECONDARY: Directorate General of Regional Finance;
  • TRAINING: Education and Training Agency;
  • R&D: Research and Development Agency

To find out which Regional Work Unit handles the problem, an abbreviation of the name of the Regional Work Unit is needed which can be regulated independently in accordance with applicable regulations.

That’s the meaning, rules and how to create letter numbers, grameds. Hopefully all the discussion above is useful and can broaden your insight.