Centralized Filing

Cne of Lhe mosL lmporLanL records managemenL declslons an organlzaLlon musL make ls wheLher Lhe
flllng sysLem should be cenLrallzed or deparLmenLal (decenLrallzed) usually ln a small buslness records
are sLored and managed from a slngle locaLlon (cenLrallzed flllng) Powever some largescale
operaLlons may flnd lL more beneflclal Lo have flles sLored and managed by each deparLmenL
(decenLrallzed flllng) 1here are advanLages and dlsadvanLages Lo each sysLem 1he cholce of flllng
sysLems ls lnfluenced by facLors such as
O Lhe slze of Lhe organlzaLlon
O Lhe locaLlon and dlsLance beLween deparLmenLs
O Lhe volume of records LhaL are creaLed
O Lhe frequency wlLh whlch records are accessed
O Lhe number of deparLmenLs LhaL may need Lo use Lhe same documenLs
Centralized Filing Systems
CenLrallzed flllng ls Lhe placemenL of Lhe flllng equlpmenL and personnel for Lhe enLlre organlzaLlon ln a
slngle locaLlon whlch ls accesslble Lo all oLher deparLmenLs


Advantages Disadvantages
lL ls more cosL effecLlve Lo have a slngle records
managemenL deparLmenL
8educes dupllcaLlon of flllng equlpmenL and
documenLs
Lnsures LhaL all relaLed daLa ls kepL LogeLher
Lnables mosL efflclenL use of sLorage space
1here ls greaLer sLandardlzaLlon of flllng meLhods
resulLlng ln greaLer accuracy and qulcker reLrleval
8ecords managemenL can be handled by Lralned
personnel Lhereby lncreaslng efflclency
1here ls beLLer supervlslon and conLrol over Lhe
creaLlon reLenLlon use and dlsposlLlon of
documenLs
lL ls posslble Lo achleve hlgh levels of securlLy
when documenLs are malnLalned ln a slngle
locaLlon
SLaff can ensure LhaL documenLs are seen only by
auLhorlzed users preservlng confldenLlallLy of
senslLlve lnformaLlon
llles are kepL ln a slngle locaLlon so all personnel
know where Lo go Lo geL deslred lnformaLlon

8equlres Lhe employmenL of fullLlme records
managemenL sLaff
8ecords may be Loo far from Lhe personnel who
need Lo use Lhem
A slgnlflcanL amounL of sLored lnformaLlon may
never requesLed by oLher deparLmenLs
1here may be delays ln obLalnlng urgenLly requlred
records because of chargeouL procedures
messenger dellvery problems or Lhe documenLs
may be ln use by anoLher deparLmenL
ueparLmenLs may flnd lL lnconvenlenL Lo conform
Lo Lhe rules regardlng Llmely reLurn of documenLs
1he records managemenL sLaff may noL have Lhe
level of speclallzed knowledge needed for effecLlve
sub[ecL flllng of documenLs
1here can be wasLage as employees may choose Lo
make coples of documenLs and malnLaln personal
flllng sysLems ln order Lo have records close aL
hand