Organisation saves you time, and time is money. Here are three simple filing guidelines that will shave hours off looking for paperwork - and help you find your desk!
Filing structure
Depending on the type of documents being filed you may need to vary the structure you choose. The simplest and most common would be:
- Alphabetical (A, B, C)
- Numerical (1, 2, 3)
- Chronological (Jan, Feb, March)
How you use these systems is up to you. You may choose to have different structures for each filing cabinet draw or even use one structure for your main categories and list the sub categories within with a different structure.
Categorising
Arrange your filing into categories that work for you. The easiest solution is to come up with the main categories that include the most data and then create sub categories to further simplify your filing system.
For example a main category may be FINANCIAL and some of your sub categories may be:
- Bank Deposits
- Loan
-
Personal Account
Labelling
Labelling is a crucial rule when it comes to filing or the system will not be easy to use or maintain. You should label your folders/document holders so it is clear and visible. Some things to remember are:
- Use a dark coloured medium point pen
- Use minimal wording
- If available always use a plastic tab on the suspension files
Using these guidelines will help make the system work for you and your filing task much easier!
If you need any help getting your workspace organised we can help.
Contact us for more information.
