STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION Units 3a and 3b

WHY DO WE FILE Information must be: Kept tidy Able to be found easily and quickly when needed Kept safe Stored in an accessible place

FEATURES OF A GOOD FILING SYSTEM Quick and simple to use Not take up too much space Able to meet future needs Located in a convenient place Documents should be safe and tidy Credit only

INFORMATION CAN BE STORED In a manual, paper based form (hard copy) In electronic format (soft copy)

MANUAL STORAGE OF INFORMATION Vertical filing cabinets Horizontal filing cabinets Filing trays Lever Arch files

A PROCEDURE FOR MANUAL FILING File regularly throughout the day Before filing, check for a release mark: F for file Tick Initials “File” stamp Line through Staple papers to be kept together Sort documents in order Place in correct file in chronological order Replace removed documents with an absent marker Lock cabinets containing confidential documents Old documents should archived to free up space

FILING ORDER Alphabetical Order Numerical Order Folders in order of surname Customers etc allocated a number Direct – no index needed Alphabetic index required Easy to understand and use May require some training to understand Suitable for small organisations Suitable for large organisations Difficult to add new customer Index required – may be slower to find things Chronological order – date or time order: Place documents in file most recent at the top – it is the most likely to be needed!

ELECTRONIC STORAGE OF INFORMATION Memory Stick Floppy Disc CD Rom DVD Zip disc Hard Disc

HOW CAN FILES BE STORED ELECTRONICALLY? Using an Application package Database Word Processing Spreadsheet Desk Top Publishing Presentation Scanning in information Downloading from the Internet Saving images

DATABASE A database is an electronic filing system A file/table holds all the information needed on a particular topic. A record is a collection of information about one thing eg Employee A field is a column containing all the same information Fields can be formatted to hold particular types of information, eg date, number, currency etc You can enter as much information as you need You can Add, Delete and Alter the field type easily

I see from out database that you are allergic to penicillin! EXAMPLES OF DATABASES I see from out database that you are allergic to penicillin! I can look up your information on our database – what is your account number please? My name is Mr Bain and I can look up my student details on Click and Go – our student database I have all my patient details on a database – this allows me to print prescriptions

WORD PROCESSING Word processing is the storage of text documents Advantages Information can be edited, added to and deleted quickly and easily Graphics can be added to documents to make them look more interesting A variety of formats (eg bold, italics etc) fonts and sizes can be used Documents can be stored and recalled at a later date Most useful in the Admin department for creating letters, leaflets, posters, reports etc

SPREADSHEET A spreadsheet is a software application which is used to manage numbers and carry out calculations. It calculates using formulae. Spreadsheets can produce graphs. Advantages Calculations carried out instantly Calculations accurate if formula is correct Data can be easily converted to graphs and charts Most useful in Finance and Sales department for wages, sales records, stock records, invoices, graphs illustrating movement of sales

SCANNING DOCUMENTS Many large organisations scan all documents received and work with the scanned documents which are then available for all authorised staff via the network. Many official forms have to be completed in black ink which probably means they will be scanned when they are received. Paper documents can then be archived or shredded to save space.

IMPORTANCE OF FILE MANAGEMENT Files prepared on the computer are stored electronically. It is important that a proper system of file management is used so that computer files can be found again when required. Decide How to name the file Where to save it Set up appropriately named folders Set up sub-folders within the folders Insert the filename and path at the foot of documents to help locate them at a later date Clear out unnecessary documents regularly Back up documents daily

MANUAL VERSUS ELECTRONIC Saves space – no need for cabinets Little training required Documents can be accessed by many users People prefer to read paper Databases can be searched and sorted very quickly Lost documents cannot be replaced Documents located quicker than going to filing cabinets Takes time to locate documents Records can be added, deleted and edited much more quickly than on paper Confidential – use of log-in and passwords Back-ups easily made Takes time to train staff to use system Faults can lead to delays in finding info

VIRUSES Organisations using electronic filing must keep themselves protected from viruses It is easy to lose important data if staff are not trained to deal with viruses Use virus scanning software Update virus software regularly to catch new viruses Do not open e-mail attachments from an unknown source Do not allow staff to bring in discs/CDs/memory sticks – they may be infected

MICROFILMING Some organisations use microfilming to archive documents which are no longer needed or to preserve delicate/very old documents

EVALUATION OF FILING METHODS Factor Manual Electronic Cost Type of equipment (and cost) will depend on type of documents No of filing cabinets required Equipment – installation and maintanance Training costs Security costs Space Is there enough space for vertical cabinets Will expansion cause a problem Lockable cabinets required for back-up storage Training Filing staff may need to be trainied in indexing rules (if this system is used) Training on hardware and software Credit only

TO SUM UP … Why do we file Features of a good filing system Manual storage of information A procedure for manual filing Filing order Electronic storage of information Database Word Processing Spreadsheet Scanning documents File management Manual versus electronic Viruses Microfilming Evaluation of methods