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 electronically - on PC hard drives, on local servers or on disk 'jukeboxes', which offer enormous capacity.

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.