A Fast Office Filing System Using a Filing Cabinet
Filing Papers at the Office
One measurement of your organizing skills is definitely your ability to find and retrieve the right files when you need them. We highly recommend using a filing cabinet. Here follows one solution for that.
My own filing system at work. I store the papers in plain manilla folders that are inside hanging folders. The file folder frame has been installed into a normal cabinet that was right behind my back.
Organizing the Files: One way for organizing the files is to use one single alphabetical filing system per entity. That way is suggested by e.g. Mr. David Allen. It is however not for me. I group the files into groups. I am currently using the following classification:
- Customers – one folder per key customer (other customers for the rest)
- Collaborators/Suppliers – one folder per key supplier (other suppliers for the rest)
- Projects – project folders with project specific material
- Company – our internal brochures, policies, strategy reports and financial analysis I have printed out
- Organization & Staff – staff related material
- Articles & Other – general stuff
- Personal – for files that don’t relate to work, but have somehow ended up here for filing
In stead of an alphabetical order I always put the files I have last used as first in their group. This way the files I use most often end up in the left side of each category. There is no need for alphabetic ordering.
Using the File Folders: The idea is simply to store paper in file folders in stead of having them in piles on your table. Create one folder per suitable entity. Often a company or project name will do. I use a label printer for labeling the folders (black ink on white tape). A simple battery driven hand held label printer is quite cheap, approx. $ 30-50.
Keeping your system up to date: This requires some discipline. Try to file all your papers lying on your table at least once per week, but don’t just file everything; you should avoid filing, if you can throw something away.
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