Filing and Records Management

3. Making It Work

3.1 Write file names on the spines of (narrow) folders or ring binders, writing from the top downwards. Consistency means all the titles on a shelf can be read at once, at a glance.

3.2 If it is not obvious, put an outline of the contents on a record sheet in the front of each file, with dates for each update.

3.3 Use colour to make files easier to use.

• Use a differently coloured file for each category. For example, red for sales and green for accounting.
• Use coloured dividers to separate sections.
• Use coloured paper (or mark the top right corner with a highlighter pen) for important documents. For example, an invoice, a contract, or a progress summary.

3.4 Do not let working files get too fat.

• Papers in a file will start to be damaged once it is more than about 3cm thick. Close the folder (insert a sheet saying 'Folder closed, see Part 2'), mark it 'Part 1' and open a new folder for the same file (marked 'Part 2').

3.5 Where documents are created electronically, store them on PC hard drives or on local servers where employees can access them - subject to appropriate accessibility rules.

• Discourage employees from saving work-in-progress and other files to their PC desktops. Files saved to the desktop may not get backed-up and could be permanently lost should the PC fail

3.6 Records of one-off enquiries that do not fit in anywhere else should be filed in date order in a 'general enquiries' folder.

• These records should be destroyed after a short time (eg six months), if the enquiry has not come to anything.
• One-off sales enquiries are different. They should be archived for the previous five years.You may be able to sell your new products to these old enquirers.