7 th Edition  Read-Smith, Ginn Records Management © 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Chapter 5 Alphabetic Records Management

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Alphabetic Records Management  A method of storing and arranging records according to the letters of the alphabet B BETSEYS CRAFTS B BAILEY BARBERS B A ATWATERS FOODS A AONE STORAGE A

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Terms  Records management—the systematic control of all records from their creation, or receipt, through their processing, distribution, organization, storage, and retrieval to their ultimate disposition  Storage—the actual placement of records, according to a plan, into a folder, on a shelf, or in a file drawer

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Terms  Storage method—a systematic way of storing records according to an alphabetic, subject, numeric, geographic, or chronologic plan  Storage procedures—a series of steps for the orderly arrangement of records as required by a specific storage method or records management system

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Equipment  Storage equipment commonly used for paper records includes  Vertical file cabinets  Lateral file cabinets  Shelf files  Mobile shelving

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Equipment Vertical fileLateral fileShelf file File space in linear inches: Floor space required in square feet: 4.9* 5.5* 3 *Includes draw-pull space

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Supplies  Supplies commonly used for paper records include  Guides  Folders  OUT indicators  Labels  Sorters

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Supplies  Guide—a rigid divider with a projecting tab to identify a section in a file  Primary guide—identifies a main file section B A  Special guide—identifies an individual, company, or subject B BENNETT PROJECT A APPLICATIONS

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Supplies  Folder—container used to hold and protect records A AONE STORAGE  General folder—for records to and from correspondents with a small volume of records  Individual folder—used to store several records for an individual correspondent  Special folder—used for records following a special guide

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Supplies  OUT indicator—a control device showing the location of borrowed records OUT  OUT guide or sheet—replaces a borrowed record  OUT folder—replaces a borrowed folder

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Supplies  Label—a device containing the name of the contents of a folder, drawer, or container A AONE STORAGE  Caption—a title, heading, or description of a record(s) printed on a label Caption in all caps near left and top edges or under color bar

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Selection  When selecting storage equipment and supplies, consider  Type and volume of records  Degree of required protection of records  Efficiency and ease of use of equipment and systems  Space considerations  Cost

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Advantages  Advantages of alphabetic records storage  Alphabetic dictionary (A to Z) order is simple and easy to understand  Direct access method with no index required saves time and money  Related records are kept together  Storage is easy following standard procedures

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Disadvantages  Disadvantages of alphabetic records storage  Rules for alphabetic storage must be followed to prevent misfiles and lost records  Similar names and transposition of letters can cause confusion  Related records with different names are filed in more than one place  Confidential records are not secure because names are shown on folders

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Design  To design an alphabetic system, the records manager should know  Total volume of records to be stored  Number of records in each alphabetic section  Expected activity (use) of the files  Length of time records are to be kept  Efficiency of the filing personnel  Time and resources available for training personnel

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Color  The use of color enhances the effectiveness of a records storage system  Color coding—the use of color as an identifying aid in a filing system (different colors used to divide the alphabetic sections)  Color accenting—the consistent use of different colors for different supplies in the storage system (guides, folders, OUT indicators, and labels)

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Procedures Check for release mark Read content to determine filing segment Mark filing units on record Indicate record location under alternate filing segments  Inspect  Index  Code  Cross- Reference

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Procedures Arrange records alphabetically by filing segment Place record in appropriate folder Locate record by filing segment  Sort  Store  Retrieve

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Procedures  Tips for indexing correspondence  On an outgoing letter, the most important name is usually in the letter address  On incoming correspondence, the name for storage purposes is usually in the letterhead  When both the company and the name of the individual are shown, use the company name  On a personal letter, the writer’s name usually should be used for storage

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Storage Procedures  Letterhead on incoming document coded for storage Release mark

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Tickler File  A date-sequenced file that "tickles" the memory and serves as a reminder that specific action must be taken on a specific date October

© 2002 South-Western Educational Publishing Misfiled and Lost Records  Result from improper indexing or coding, lack of attention to spelling, and careless insertion of records into the storage equipment  Often delay or affect the work of more than a dozen people  Reduce an organization’s effectiveness in serving customers