If paper documents are not organized, cases of “missing desired information” are likely to occur. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures such as file management by document type and content.
However, many people may be worried that they do not know the best way to make documents easy to find.
In this issue, we will focus on the methods and demerits of file management of paper documents for below people.
- “Paper documents are increasing and you do not know where to find what you need.”
- “It is difficult to quickly find what you need from a large number of documents”
- “I want to unify the way documents are stored within the company because they are stored in different ways.”
If you are in charge of these issues, this article will help you understand how to manage information in your company in an easy-to-understand manner and improve accessibility to information.
Contents
How to do filing to help organize documents
First of all, we will show you how to do filing to help you organize your documents. It introduces not only the procedure but also tips and pointers, so it is a must-see for companies that handle paper documents.
(1) Dispose of unnecessary documents
First, clean up your desk area by identifying and disposing of unnecessary documents.
For example, an organized desk area will improve work efficiency by allowing you to quickly retrieve what you need and concentrate on your work without unnecessary items in sight. In addition, it is easy to make a good impression on those around you, which can lead to trust.
On the other hand, if unnecessary documents are left on the desk, it is difficult to find necessary documents quickly, and the risk of losing them increases. Therefore, it is advisable to dispose of unneeded documents frequently to avoid a situation where necessary documents cannot be found quickly.
(2) Separate documents
Next, sort the necessary documents by category, such as “by frequency of use, by month, by case, etc.” For example, sort the documents by frequency of use.
For example, if you separate documents by frequency of use, you can store only what you need near your desk, making your office easier to work in. Also, if documents such as expenses are sorted by month, you can quickly check the documents for the month in which the expense calculation did not match.
As mentioned above, proper separation of documents can lead to improvements in the business itself.
(3) Use an index
Finally, store your separated documents in a file and index (headings) them.
At this time, it is recommended to write not only the name of the file, but also the subject, department name, and year to make it as easy as possible to find the documents.
Without an index, it is difficult to tell from the outside which file and what documents have been stored, and you will have to check the contents one by one. Therefore, an index is necessary as a device to distinguish at a glance.
What are 3 items useful for file management?
Below we introduce three types of filing that are frequently used. The advantages and disadvantages of each are also explained so that you can compare and consider them.
Vertical Filing
Vertical filing is a method of managing documents by placing them between folders and standing them vertically.
Vertical filing has the advantages of “less hassle” and “easy to add documents” because there is no need to punch holes or bind papers. On the other hand, it also has the disadvantages of “not being able to flip through the pages to find them” and “making it difficult to take the entire file with you.
Therefore, it is suitable for cases where you do not have a lot of time for filing, or when you create documents frequently but review them infrequently.
Bookkeeping filing
Bookkeeping filing is a method of filing documents in a binder or other file with a spine and arranging them on a bookshelf.
This method has the advantages of “being able to flip through the pages” and “being able to carry the entire file with you” because the documents are bound like a book.
On the other hand, it has the disadvantages of being cumbersome to put in and out and rearrange documents, taking up space, and requiring periodic purchases of files. Therefore, it is important to note that it takes time and effort to set aside time for filing and to purchase supplies.
Letter Cases
Letter case filing is a method of storing documents in trays or drawers.
While letter cases have the advantage that you can open the drawer and “get the document right out”, the disadvantage is that you have to take the document out to see the entire document.
If you use a letter case to manage your documents, you should use clear files to separate them by type, or organize them in the order in which you take them out most frequently.
What are the challenges of managing paper documents in files?
This section describes the challenges of managing paper documents in files. Check whether the following challenges apply to your company and review how to manage them in the future.
(1) Management costs are high
The first issue is that management costs are high.
If you can free up the space that cabinets occupy, you can make better use of your office. Furthermore, if you can no longer store documents in your office, you will need to purchase a storage unit or use an outside storage service, which incurs extra costs.
As mentioned above, not only is it time-consuming to organize documents, but also storage space and other resources must be allocated.
(2) Not being able to find information quickly
The second challenge is that information cannot be found quickly.
Since there is a limit to the amount of information that can be contained in a file or index, if you want to know the details of a document, you must check the contents of each and every file in question.
In addition, file management can easily become a personalized task, and if there is not enough handover of “where and which information is where,” even the whereabouts of the files will be lost. As described above, filed paper documents are time-consuming to find, and can put a strain on the original work.
The third issue is the time and effort required to share information.
When paper documents are shared with a team, they must be copied for each person in the team and then distributed to each person. Another method is to convert data to PDF format and share it via e-mail, but there are concerns that this method does not facilitate smooth communication regarding documents.
In addition, many companies have recently introduced teleworking, which requires a system that facilitates smooth information sharing and exchange.
For example, by using Stock, which allows teams to easily share PDF files by pasting them into a “notebook,” and to exchange information linked to the notebook, the time and effort required to share information can be eliminated.
The best way to solve the disadvantages of filing
Here is best way to solve the disadvantages of filing.
Organizing paper documents in a file is inefficient because it takes time to find and share documents in the end. Therefore, you should break away from inefficient paper document file management and introduce tools to digitize your document management.
However, multifunctional tools may be difficult to use for those who are not good at IT. Therefore, simple tools that are not excessive in necessary functions are optimal.
In conclusion, a simple tool Stock that anyone of a non-IT company can easily use is essential for internal information management.
Stock’s “Note” can be easily shared with the team by simply writing information or attaching PDFs. In addition, notes can be organized into “File” and have an extensive “Search function” so you can quickly find the information you want by searching for keywords.
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
Summary of challenges in managing paper document files
We have focused on the challenges of managing paper document files.
The steps to successful filing are to “dispose of unnecessary documents, separate documents, and store them in an indexed manner. However, even after sorting and indexing, it still takes time to find the information you want.
Therefore, if we break away from the method of file management of paper documents and use “tools that allow us to organize and search information,” we can eliminate the stress of not being able to find the information we want.
Therefore, your company should choose to implement “Stock”, a simple tool that anyone can use easily, with functions of “information sharing,” “file management,” and “search”.
Free registration takes only a minute, so using Stock and get rid of inefficient file management.
