UNIT 5 : ALPHABETIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT

5.1 Alphabetic Records Management

Alphabetic filing system to easily retrieve documents and records that have been filed
under a commonly used name. An administrator may index a name using a personal
name starting with the last name.

5.1.1 Alphabetic Correspondence Filing

Correspondence

• Any written communication between a business and another person

• Correspondences may come in the form of letters, emails, text messages,

voicemails, notes, or postcards.

Defining the Alphabetic Correspondence File

• Collection of letters, memorandums and related documents-arrange in

alphabetical order

Common types of manual filing equipment

1. Top- access
2. Side-Access
3. Top or side access storage equipment

Top-Access Equipment

Top-access file storage –file equipment that contains records stored vertically on
edge and dropped

Type of top-access storage equipment is vertical file cabinet

 Vertical File Cabinet

• Most familiar, most used storage equipment for business
correspondence.
• Have pull-out drawers – hold business papers in front-to-
back vertical arrangement.

Compressor- movable support placed behind guides and folders to allow

contraction.
Side-Access Equipment
File equipment –stores records vertically with access from the side.
 Shelf file – side access file consisting of horizontal open shelves – similar
to open bookshelves
• Require less aisle space because file drawers are
eliminated
 • Provide maximum use of wall space with floor-to-ceiling
storage capacity.
• Provide handy, open, side access to folders.

Top-Or Side-Access Equipment

 Lateral file drawers – combine features of both vertical and shelf file.
 Lateral files cabinet – provide the same top –access drawer filing.
EXAMINING CORRESPONDENCE FILING SUPPLIES

 The supplies needed to establish the alphabetic correspondence file:

1. Guides – mark the alphabetic sections of filing systems
2. Folders – hold the papers
3. Labels – identify drawer, shelf and folder contents.

Guides

• Guide is a divider, projecting metal or plastic tab.

• Used to identify a section of the files and to facilitate reference.
• Made of durable pressboard material to sustain heavy and help support the
folder in the file
Tabs
• Available on either the top or the side of the guide.
• A top-tab guide – used for top-access filing
• A side-tab guide – used for side- access filing

Folders
• Folder – sheet of heavy paper, usually
• Placement of guides and folders – makers guide and folder tabs easily
visible.
• File folders – available in different tab cuts and positions.

Tab Cut
• Folder tab cut –width of the tab relative to the width of the folder.
• Standard folder cuts – fifth, third, half and full cut folders.
• A half-cut folder tab – occupies one half the total width of the folder
• A full-cut, or straight cut tab – occupies the full width of the folder.
• A full-cut, or straight cut folder tab –occupies the full width of the folder

Tab Position
• Location of the tab on the guide or folder
• Allow guides an folders to be arranged in a number of ways in the
vertical/lateral file
• Tabs are at the top for top-access files.
• Tabs are located on the side of guides and folders for side – access files
Picture 4: Tab position

Suspension (Hanging) Folders

• Have two metal or plastic rods extending beyond the top front and back flaps
of the folders
• Advantage of hanging folders – no compressors are needed tin the drawers
to hold records upright

Labels
• Drawer, shelf, guide and folder labels – provide important identifying
information for the correspondence file.

Drawer labels

• Identifies the drawer contents

• Too time-consuming to open drawer
• Label caption –cantered on the label and typewritten or computer – printed.

Open captions & Close caption

• Show the beginning of the alphabetic raged contained in the drawer

Storing Other Records

Catalogs and Directories
• Catalogs and directories are representative of a type of reference material
used in much business, industrial, and service organizations. These records
are found in bound-book form or in loose-leaf binders.
• For active records o the catalog type in their original form, rotary filing units
frequently hold and carry these bulky books.
• Catalogs are marked and filed according to several plans :
1. By firm name
2. By number
3. By subject
 Large and Odd-Sized Records
• These records include maps, blueprints, stencils, forms, and computer
printouts.
• These records are too large or too bulky
• They need to be stored in flat files or suspension files.

5.1.1.1 Geographic Method

Filing – method of storing and retrieving records alphabetically first by location
and then by individual, organization or project

5.1.1.2 Subject Method

 Filing – method for classifying coding, and filing records first by subject and then
by individual, organization or project.

 Filing paper records – important skill in today's office. 95% of office records are
hard copy records

 Hard copy – paper copy of a record

 Office rarely use electronic storage for correspondence

 most frequent correspondence filing system in the modern office -

1. The equipment commonly used to file correspondence

2. The supplies needed to establish the filing system
3. The procedures followed to prepare and file the paper records

5.1.1.3 Name Method

 Alphabetic correspondence name file: collection of letters and memorandums
received/written, arranged in alphabetical order by name
5.2 RECEIVING AND FILING CORRESPONCENCE

5.2.1 Receiving and Filing correspondence

5.2.1.1 Upon receiving mail

Time stamp

In many companies, a mail room clerk opens the mail and marks each letter with a
dated rubber stamp or a time-stamp machine.

 Records the date and sometime the time, or the receipt of each piece of mail
 After mail is time-stamped, it is sorted according to recipient’s names or
departments and delivered to them. After a letter has been read and answered,
both the original letter and a copy of the reply are release to the records
department for filing

5.2.2 Filing correspondence

What is to be filed?

Documents that should filed include:-#

• inward correspondence in all its forms
• internal minutes relating to the correspondence
• copies of outward correspondence
• internally generated administrative, financial, legal and
operational documents

Release mark

The release mark is an agreed-upon mark placed on a record showing that the record
is ready for storage. The mark is made on the letter by a secretary or by the person
who originally received the letter. The initials of either person are written in the upper
left part of the original letter. A copy of an answering letter does not need a release
mark.

5.2.2.1 Process of filing correspondence

i. Loose papers should be sorted by file number or name.

ii. Loose papers received each day for filing should be processed.
iii. Papers will now be ready for sorting
iv. Papers will be clean
v. Papers should be filed in chronological order
vi. The folio number, subject or title of the papers