Best filing system?

Do you guys have any advice on general purpose filing systems for office use?

Do you feel that hanging files are the only way to go? Or do you feel the old fashioned manila file that sets in the drawer and has a adjustable "compression" slide that holds everything in place is better?

Reply to
me
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Neither, nor a combination of the two! Hanging files fall down under the rest, lots of wasted space in the drawers. If you overfill them with manila folders the manila folders ride too high in the drawers. And since they do have open sides, sometimes the most important part of a paper gets damaged, such as the signature lines.

We switched to manila pocket folders eons ago, now no papers that must be kept on file get damaged or lost.

Everything else is scanned and stored on accessable electronic media with an off-site backup.

Also, by using scanning and electronic storage media, certain files may be duplicated and stored under various topics. This can be very useful, especially for paid receipts that may contain more than one tax deduction item on the same receipt, such as a prescription and a work expense.

For paper files, pocket folders come in single, three, six, twelve and higher sections. Great for active files that have different components dealing with the account.

Developing a heirarchial filing system that works best for your situation is where the nightmares come in. Having a document on hand that you cannot readily find is not good.

TTUL Gary

Reply to
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.

That sounds like carelessness, poor folder design, or poor drawer design.

Do all kinds of documents need pockets? It sounds like you gain bulk and expense and lose flexibility.

A scan yields a big image file, and the only way to find the image is by the information in the file label and the folder label.

Do you mean scanning with OCR? That's time-consuming and error-prone, and you probably still need to file the original as proof.

You fill your drawers with pocket folders for all sorts of papers?

Twenty-five years ago my responsibilities included filing approximately

100 papers a day. People phoned me all day long for the information on those papers. In the few cases where I needed to show an original, I could retrieve it in less than a minute.

The secret was in the implementation of a database. Typing alphameric is slow and error-prone. I set up my database so all input was numeric. As I looked through the papers with my left hand, I could key the data with my right. The database was compact and allowed me to sort and retrieve data in all kinds of ways. It also made it easy to locate the originals.

Each time I finished inputing a batch, I'd bundle it and put it in a file drawer. I can't remember how I bundled batches.... rubber bands? I can't remember if I used folders. If I used hanging folders, I didn't use many, for too many would have cluttered my files. The database told me the date of each document I'd filed. That made it easy to pull a bundle and find the paper.

Reply to
Choreboy

My experiences as well. And exactly why I posted the question. Looking for other ideas on filing system. It just didn't seem like hanging files were making things that much easier or neater for reasons you cite above.

Interesting!

How do you store the pocket folders tho? Just have them laying flat in a file cab? Or are the setting upright somehow?

Reply to
me

Which style do you find yourself using the most? the single pocket files? And these have "flaps" that one can secure, right?

Agreed 100 percent!

Reply to
me

Please explain a bit more ok?

Did you "number" the papers and use something like Access to track them? Is that what you mean?

Reply to
me

Based on the questions that seem to have arisen, I thought I would expound a little more about my filing system.

Pocket Folders are not used directly in place of Manilla folders, Manilla folders ARE used, but they are placed INSIDE of the pocket folders. Current files are in 2-drawer or 4-drawer filing cabinets. Archived files are in cardboard file boxes with lids. Each cardboard file box contains only a certain type of file, that must be retained.

FWIW - The ONLY hanging file cabinets that I have found that actually work well are wooden with brass rails that the files hang from. All the rest seem to drop the front and/or back file all too often. Those with wire hangers either bend or the wire comes loose from it's mounting dropping the whole rack of files into the bottom of the drawer.

A question was asked about the expandable files, multi-pocketed files and whether or not they had cover flaps. In our case, only a select few have the flaps for closing them, the rest are open topped and fairly rigid. They are large enough to hold a couple of pocket folders filled with Manilla folders inside of each section, yet they compress quite easily not to waste space. The expandable files are only used for daily access papers on projects that are open.

Here is an example of how we used the expandable files. I was in the historical home renovation business for over 25 years. There is one heck of a lot of paperwork that goes with real estate that must be right at your fingertips. In the back section of the expandable file we had two pocket folders. The rearmost pocket folder contained a Manilla folder for purchase contracts, a Manilla folder for Appraisals and a Manilla folder for legal documents. The second pocket folder contained a Manilla envelope for plat maps, original architects plans and detailed measurements.

Also in the rearmost section were brown sealed Manilla envelopes that bore only the year they pertained to. These Manilla envelopes contained receipts for material purchases and other expenses that were claimed on that years taxes.

In the center section of the expandable file there were also two pocket folders, each with Manilla folders inside. One of the pocket folders contained any information that should be passed on to the buyer when the house was sold. Warranty papers that went with appliances, doors, windows and fixtures, etc. The other pocket folder contained renovation and service notes, items that were completed and what adjustments had to be made from the original renovation plans.

The front section of the exandable file was used to hold daily access files and receipts. One of the pocket envelopes would contain a folder named correspondence and another for paid receipts. Another would contain permits and inspection notices. But the very front pocket envelop contained all the renovation activities. Order of events, schedules, etc. Every paper that had to do with one particular address could be found within this one expandable file.

When the house sold, all the pockets would be removed from the expandable file (which could then be reused for another property) and placed in a larger pocket file with a top flap. This file then went into our Tax drawer where it would be audited. Depending upon the time of year, it may need to be kept for each quarterly report. After the yearly taxes were completed, the file would then be sealed and moved into the archives, which were cardboard file boxes in storage.

Since we kept every original document in a single expandable file, it was no problem to grab this entire file when we had a meeting that was related to this particular property. Such as a planning and zoning commission meeting or for closing. Or even for an audit. Everything was there and in one place. You were never missing something from another file cabinet.

Every important document was also scanned and archived. Daily work orders, schedules and the like were all computer generated, so normally only the completion reports were placed in the paper files.

We also took a lot of pictures which were either scanned or digital to start with. When we found defects that needed attended to, these were shot in close up detail both before and after the repairs or corrections were made. In essence, we kept Before, During and After photo's of almost every stage of a project. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. You would not believe the number of people who make false claims about certain aspects of a construction project a few years down the road. Such as a bad deck rail, reuse of original wiring, etc. When these claims arise, the photo's show the original, the original removed and the new installed and usually in enough detail to show it's quality. Keeping all of these photo's sorted as to which room and wall they pertained to can be a nightmare if we didn't have an excellent system for doing so. In addition, each photo must bear some recognizable location key in the image. If not, it could be a photo of almost any wall in any house. So each image has some unique distinguishing feature that can prove it is the photo of the object in question.

Since every document is on electronic media, only in rare cases do we need to dig out the original archived paper files.

Before computers, we used to discard old paper files to make room for new. Because of our storage area, a 14 year cycle worked quite well for us. But everything from 1977 forward has a scanned copy that can be accessed from our computers.

Another great aspect of storing scanned copies of everything, is that you can store duplicates under different titles.

As an example, let's take a scanned photograph that belonged to your grandmother and after her demise was then given to one of your aunt's, but you have no idea which one or even if it survived. The photo contains 3 individuals, your aunt Hilda, your Grandmother and an unknown person, plus a Cocker Spaniel named Heather. A copy may be placed in the photo's folder containing images of aunt Hilda, another copy can be placed in your file for images of your Grandmother, and a special file for images of unknown individuals. The unknown images file is sorted by who might know who this person is, if you ever bump into them. Then we go to the PETS files. There is a copy under the person's name who owned the pet in their pet's file. Another copy might be placed in a file named Pets that are listed both by pet names and by pet breeds. In other words, you can do a search for relatives that own(ed) Cocker Spaniels and all the images of Cocker Spaniels would come up, showing who owned them and when (if known).

The same thing applies to scanned receipts. If you file a copy by vendor, a copy by item, and another copy by where used (if applicable). You can at a glance find out how many items were purchased from so and so vendor. You can do an item search and find out a certain item and which vendors they were purchased from. If you filed the items also where used, you can look up the location to see which items were most commonly used at that location, etc.

This does not necessarily mean that you have to physically store a large image more than once. Many programs allow you to apply sort keys to files and use as many sort keys as you want to use for that file. As far as images, whether they are a photo or a document that was scanned. Each has a scan header associated with it. A simple text document that can be printed with the image. This text document is searchable with almost any program, including the FIND text in file feature of Windows itself. So it's not necessarily extra work to include the search codes if you are documenting an image. It's not hard to put Aunt Hilda, Unknown, Grandma and Heather over the photo image mentioned above. Only I normally use the full and correct names, including maiden names and nicknames in the header.

Home filing is often much harder than business filing, due to the number of things you would like to have at your fingertips. The only trick that I can pass on regarding the filing of diverse items is to try and use some heirachial system that works best for you. One that would be easily recognized by someone other than yourself as well.

Don't be afraid to bury something too deep in a heirarchial type of filing system. I think you will find it actually makes finding things a whole lot easier in the long run.

Those who place EVERYTHING in like what is called the Root Directory on a computer, can never find anything, because they cannot remember what they called it and why.

Whereas those who used a few specific topics as the Root Directory with sub-topics as a sub-directory, can find theirs much more more quickly.

TTUL Gary

Reply to
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.

Fantastic info Gary!!

I will have to print out your reply and read it...and get my head wrapped around your method.

May main complaint with hanging files is that every brand of hanging file I've tried the metal rod that they hang from comes unglued form the actual folder. And they will fall from the rails.... basically fall apart in your hand.

So.... that's why I'm looking at alternatives to hanging file methods.

I will try the pocket folder idea. I like the fact that it has a flap that lets you "enclose" all the papers in one secure "envelope"..... especially for grabbing and taking all with you.

More questions later ..... but let me REALLY read your suggestions.

Reply to
me

I was working with MAPICS in inventory control. I numbered the items. It had nothing to do with filing.

A factory may deal with 50,000 items. It might take more than 30 letters, punctuation marks, and digits give each a name that described it specifically. Those long names are hard to read and type, and it's easy to make errors. Also, when you try to describe an item with its name, there may be variations in the way it's written. Records might show you were out of the item when in fact you had plenty, listed under a slightly different name.

The telephone company solved the problem before 1900. If you tried to dial a person's name and address, it would take a long time and you'd keep misdialing. So they gave every phone a five-digit number. That's how I set up MAPICS. On the computer screen or any paper generated by the computer, an item's description would appear beside its five-digit number, but the number was all a person typed.

Anyway, I filed papers in the order they arrived. It was a simple, compact system without much opportunity to file a paper in the wrong place. It was easy to find a filed paper because the computer could tell me when I'd processed it.

Reply to
Choreboy

Ah yes MAPICS. We just had an online demo of the software for a new parts bin we are building here at work.

However.....I'm still a bit fuzzy on how you filed your personal papers. Did you just assign them a sequential dumb number....enter that into a database along with information abt what the paper was..... and keep the papers in a big fat single file?

Reply to
me

Sometimes I wish mine were bigger. Have you used a stretcher?

Then why did you recommend it? Storing copies in various folders to make them easy to find is self-defeating because you have to look through all those duplicates to find what you're after. In the confusion, you might delete the last copy of an important photo.

Conventionally, they have been called database programs.

Mine don't.

Nobody uses Windows anymore except in Appalachia.

You can do the same thing by putting a DB or WP file in the folder with the photos. Besides the subjects in a photo, it can be useful to include dates and places.

The only reason to add a level is that you have too many documents at one level. When I get too many papers in my Electric Bills folder, I staple them in bundles according to the year and put those bundles in my Electric Bills Archives. That's why I'm thinking of trying a stretcher.

Reply to
Choreboy

What is a stretcher?

Reply to
me

I didn't use MAPICS for personal papers. The subject seemed to be filing a large volume of papers with immediate access to the information. In that case, if you transfer key information to a computer database, you can file the papers in a simple, compact way.

Personal receipts can be bunched chronologically if you have check registers and credit-card statements to determine the date of a particular paper. Items that come with manuals get their own folders.

The only thing in my home where filing is complicated is my collection of Armstrong CDs. I may have 100, each with 20 songs or so. I used a database program to create a record for each song, with the name of the song, the name of the CD, the recording date, the original record company, the original recording number, the city, and the other artists. Because the information had to be input only once, there was no need to create numbers. For a given CD, much of the information remained the same for several songs, which meant I didn't have to retype it. I store the CDs in alphabetical order, and the database puts the information at my fingertips.

Reply to
Choreboy

A stretcher is a piece of canvas wrapped around two poles. The advantage of sleeping on a stretcher is that you can be moved out of the way if necessary. Otherwise, I wouldn't allow employees to sleep in the kitchen.

Choreboy, if your stretcher isn't long enough, try sleeping with your feet up on a rabbit hutch.

Reply to
Barbecue Bob

Don't ask dear...don't ask..........

Reply to
Mrs Bonk

I see

So you keep ALL papers in one file or expanding pocket.... and then you number them sequentially, right?

Then create a computer database using those sequential numbers and adding any needed info. And use that database to find what you need?

Reply to
me

I might get more into an expanding pocket if I had a stretcher.

By simple, compact, filing, I mean one level of hierarchy and lots of documents in each partition.

I once worked in a library. When somebody checked out a book, we'd pull the book's card, stamp it with the borrower's number, put the card in a pile, and put a date slip in the book. At the end of the day, we'd sort the book cards by author. Even if there were a thousand cards, we'd file them in the same partition, the partition for that date. Because the system was simple, we didn't misplace cards.

If we'd had a computer, we could have used it for quicker access to information in the files: for example,in which date partitions were the copies of a certain book and what books a certain borrower had.

I didn't create sequential numbers for the papers I filed. I'd sort them according to the information on them.

Reply to
Choreboy

Isn't it some kind of patented medical device that is supposed to help repair the effects of a prolapsed uterus...???

Reply to
Gregory Morrow

Have you lost a screw Gregory? You don't seem quite 'with it' of late. Eat plenty of oily fish , they say it's good for the brain.

Reply to
Mrs Bonk

I'm very particular, I just won't put any old trout in my mouth...

I am fond of a particular fish from the Bay of Biscay, it translates into English as "groper"...the French name I can't pronounce, it has a french letter in it's name that I can't quite get my tongue around.

Reply to
Gregory Morrow

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