Filing System Characteristics 1
The selection of an appropriate filing classification system requires
analysis of the information needs of your office. There are three
basic systems:
- Alphabetic
- Numeric
- Alphanumeric
Within these three systems there can be applied a number of variations,
designed to the needs of your office.
Because each system has certain advantages and disadvantages, the
first step in selecting an appropriate system is to look carefully
at characteristics of your office's record-keeping practices. There
are four main characteristics to examine.
How records are used or called for -- The nature
of the records and how they will be requested should be the first
determining factor in your selection of the system. For example,
if vendor files are referenced by name, alphabetic arrangement
is indicated; invoices called for by number will best be filed
in a numeric system; correspondence, if retrieved by subject, should
be filed alphabetically by subject.
How many records are maintained -- In an office
that maintains a small volume of records, an alphabetic system
is usually adequate; however, in an office where more records are
maintained and the filing system may need to be more expandable,
the better choice may be a numeric or alpha numeric system.
Size of the office -- The size of your office usually
dictates the number of individuals responsible for the filing of
records, as well as those who are authorized to have access to
the files. Usually, although there are exceptions, the larger the
office, the greater the number of people who will process and use
the records.
Who uses the records -- The system you select should
be appropriate to the people using the records. A subject classification
system may be more useful for the records that are best defined
by specialized topics, whereas records which fall into easily identified
groups and which are accessed by many employees are better arranged
by number. |
|
Alphabetic |
| Alphabetic classification is used to file records
by person names, businesses, institutions, government agencies, subjects,
topics, or geographic locations, all according to the sequence of
letters of the alphabet. 2 |
Subject |
| Subject filing is a variation of alphabetic filing,
which is the arrangement of records by topics or categories rather
than by person or business names. 2 |
Numeric |
| Numeric filing systems arrange records by number.
It is an indirect access system because an index to the files must
be used to retrieve information. 2 |
Alphanumeric |
| Alphanumeric systems use a combination
of subject and numbers. 2 |
|
