Within my alphabetical filing system on my computer, I have a folder (in the C folder) for “Correspondence.” This folder keeps most of my documents that I created for other people.
This is the way I always name these files and others that may not be correspondence per se (reports, notes, etc.):
Date To – Brief Subject
It looks like this: 09.05.09 T. Ernest – Summary of Test Results
The key is to type the date first using this format. Not 090509 or Sept0509 or any other variation. The reason is this: you want to be able to identify the correct document at a glance. The periods help you do this. Using words for months will throw the alphabetical listing off. By typing the date this way first, your files will always be in alphabetical order.
I always tell people, “You don’t want to have to open the file in order to figure out what it is.” The entire point of an organizational system or filing system is to be able to quickly retrieve what you need. The alphabetical filing system is the foundation for this. This naming structure takes it a step further. Hope this helps!
]]>In my home filing system, I have a drawer designated for bills, company correspondence, retirement accounts and insurance. Behind each of these major categories are related files ordered alphabetically.
To mix these in the strict alphabetical files would be counterproductive and increase the time it takes for me to retrieve them. A great rule to follow is if it takes you longer than 30 seconds to file a piece of paper or retrieve a piece of paper from your filing system, you should adjust your system.
A Multi-tiered Approach
There may be times when you need to make decisions based on your available filing cabinet space. When assessing my space in relationship to my business files, I knew that I only had three drawers left and not enough files or space to dedicate to my business files. I decided to take a tiered approach and stagger my files.
My business name is Door 41 Solutions.
So, as described in the instructions for setting up the alphabetical filing system, I had
I then used the next set of slots to align labels for the sub-files for my business:
This way, I can visually see the relationship of these files to the main category “Door 41 Solutions” within the alphabetical filing system. So far, it’s working wonderfully!
]]>