Filing Organization and Efficiency
by Diana L. Martin
To say the pandemic has thrown a wrench into business operations would be the understatement of the century, but one thing the slowdown has done is give us the opportunity to assess, revise and reorganize. When you’re looking for ways to improve efficiency in the office, one of the most basic processes to consider is your filing system.
Options in filing products are overwhelming and this article would be very, very long if we discussed them all, so I’m going to concentrate on just a couple aspects today.
Color Coding
Color coding is one of the most basic methods for efficiency in filing. The human eye recognizes color more quickly than it recognizes text. Assigning a particular color to a letter (A=red, B=blue, C=green, etc) creates color blocks in your files, which, in turn, allows for quicker retrieval of files. Your mind learns which color is associated with each letter and it becomes intuitive. It also make misfiled items very obvious, reducing errors. Color coding can be accomplished through the folders themselves or through the labels.
Specialty Folders
Specialty folders can help you better organize the materials inside the file folder. This category includes items such as section folders, organizer folders, classification folders, fastener folders and notes folders.
Section Folders - This item has multiple interior pockets to subdivide and safely hold documents. It is scored for 1/2” expansion and has oversized tabs in position 1.
Organizer Folders - Organizer folders are similar to classification folders except that they have no fasteners. The item below, Smead SuperTab Organizer Folder, has two full-height dividers to create three individual sections within the folder. Each section expands 3/4”.
Classification Folders - Classification folders generally have one or two dividers with fasteners, plus fasteners on the front and back covers, allowing multiple ways to subdivide the contents all within the same folder. They are also available with pocket dividers instead of fastener dividers.
Fastener Folders - Fastener folders have no interior dividers, but have fasteners on the inside front and back covers. The most common configuration is fasteners in positions one and three, which is at the top of the folder on both covers.
Notes folders - Last, but not least, these folders have note lines on the outside and inside panel to allow you to record important information directly on the folder instead of on a sticky note that will eventually fall off and be lost. They are available in a variety of styles and can be purchased with or without fasteners.
These are just some of the many filing options available. If you would like our expert sales staff to do an analysis of your system and give recommendations tailored to your business, call us at 877-795-2600 to set up an appointment.
