As a professional organizer I’m often asked to create a filing system or correct a filing system that is covered in couple of inches of paper because it was just too difficult to maintain.  Here is a document that I share with clients as we guide them through the creation of a customized system.  With the rules listed below you no longer have to fear the four letter word again! 

FILING RULES

There was the promise of a “paperless world” that we all envisioned with the computer age however there is still the need for hard copies in our world.

Surprisingly enough, something as simple as filing is either not done properly or not done at all.

The following rules help people administer their files in a timely manner.

CATEGORIZING

Categorizing is the back bone of the entire filing process.  Whether you use an alphabetical, numerical or chronological structure, a filing system is only effective if you can find everything quickly and without a struggle.

– Main categories are crucial.   Take the time and give it some thought.  Start with categories that pop into your head immediately and work with that as a basis.  Keep in mind if it is a shared filing system you must share your ideas for category names.

– SUB categories dissect your main categories into bite size pieces.  Uses as many as you like but keep in mind the KISS process, Keep It Simple Sweetheart!

Examples:

Banking – Master card, Air Miles, Canada Trust,      BMO statement notices

Important Documents – Marriage cert., health cards, deposit box info, passwords for the electronic world

Income Tax –  Software, T’s, current year return, etc.

Insurance – CAA car, home and life documents

Investments – Stocks, bonds, RESP, RSPs

Medical – prescription receipts, dental, hospital receipts. 

Receipts (Misc.) – any day-to-day receipts, gas, groceries, toiletries, restaurant

RRSP – current statements

Utilities – gas, hydro, telephone, cable etc.,

– Avoid making a miscellaneous sub category.  Miscellaneous is defined as mixed or various.   You need to specify a category.  If it is meant to be filed, it is meant to have a category name.

LABELING

Labels are meant to be seen.  Make it easy on the eyes to instantly find a file.

– Use a medium black marker, print, and no script, or better still invest in a label machine.

– Use as few words as possible and put further descriptions in the file.

– Line up tabs flush to left or right, avoids zigzagging, which is hard on the eyes, and can lead to misfiling.

FILE, DON’T PILE

Piles create disorganization which leads to non productive action.

– If your filing cabinet is close to your desk you avoid the temptation to pile.  Remember putting something into a filing basket doesn’t constitute filing.   Why touch a file twice?   Put in the cabinet the first time around.

– Always file document most recent at the front of file, previous documents are hardly ever looked at.

– Business cards are an excellent source of information.  Staple them in the front inside flap of the current file.

– If letting go of some documents causes anxiety, designate a temporary holding box.   Record the deposit date for each item.   If you do not touch it for 6 months, IT IS NOT NEEDED.

– Warning: if the file has grown too large, then it is time to divide into subcategories or purge.

PURGING FILES

The purging process familiarizes you with the files in your cabinet thus giving you knowledge and control over your documents.  With this in mind there are a few questions you can ask yourself when you start the purging process.

– Is it worth keeping?  Old auto/life insurance policies.  Old manuals and warranties that are no longer applicable.

 Are copies necessary?   No.  Shred for confidential purposes or use the blue box.  The only time copies are necessary is when you are going to use them right now.

FILE CABINET SPACE

One of the biggest filing deterrents is a “STUFFED” filing cabinet.  This causes misfiling, frustration and not to mention paper cuts.  A crumbled documentation does not present itself well.  Leave at least a quarter of the drawer empty or better still put your filing supplies in there.  With filing supplies on hand it encourages you to quickly create new files as you need them rather than pile papers on top of the cabinet.

In summary, paper documents are slowly diminishing and the electronic format will prevail; however if we do not address filing rules at the paper stage we just defer the problem without resolution.

The post Burlington Professional Organizer – Filing Rules appeared first on DeClutter | Organize | Downsize | Estates | Burlington Organizer | Organize Me Please.

Help is just a phone call away for a stress free office environment !

The following points can serve as a guide to keep us focused on your objectives.

Frustrations to be eliminated, obstacles to be overcome, problems to be solved:

1. Office located at 321 Any Street, in Toronto needs to be organized for an employee that holds the position of a consultant for ABC Group.
2. Administrative tasks such as expense receipts and timesheets have to be properly filled out and submitted in a timely manner.
3. Processes put in place to maintain an organized office and a functional working style.

    

Comments following for the above objectives.

1. In order for us to stay focused and to relieve stress I have created a “step by step” plan (see below) to bring order to your current office. This plan requires that we work together because certain decisions need to be made by you.  i.e. category names, files, etc. My mandate here is to create a place for everything that will be staying in the office.  With this completed your office will be functional and will give you the time to spent on the important activities such as finding new clients.
2. Expense receipts will require a “mini” file container (Staples carries them, Beaumont), which have tabs in it so categories can be created. This mini file size is 10” by 3” and has 10 tabs, which should be more then sufficient for expense purposes.  There is also a spot to put a pen so you can write down additional notes on the receipts for clarification purposes. With this mini file it creates a one stop shopping for all your receipts and puts them in an orderly fashion (tabs) so expense time is not so overwhelming. A window of time will have to be allocated to populating the expense forms which will be at the end of each month.                                                  Time sheets will be created on line and will be a daily occurrence.  While you are keeping track of client hours on your daytimer it will be easy to transpose to your time sheet thus being submitted on time.  We will set up a time sheet file on your computer with an alarm on your calendar so you know that month end is coming and that you have the responsibility to submit.
3. To maintain an organized office I will supply you with a document that I created and can be used in any room.  I call this document the “10 commandments to organize any room.” Here is a snap shot of some of the  commandments that pertain to you and your situation:

    

   • Window of time: make an appointment with yourself to organize a space.
   • Focus, focus, focus, – stay in one spot at a time, DON’T wander
   • Remove clutter – especially from desk tops
   • Purging – Such areas as: garbage/recycling, no use for, two of a kind etc.
   • Group like for like – self explanatory
   • Infrequently used items – space is valuable don’t waste it with these items
   • Everything has a place…find a home for everything
   • Maintenance – take 5 minutes at the end of each day to put things in their place

      

      

Opportunities to focus upon and turn into your advantage.

• Your office is quite large and has a wonderful view so it is inviting to work in and perhaps you can hold staff meetings in here instead of coffee shops so no wasted time occurs.
• All your accomplishments hanging on the walls are quite commendable and are nice anchors however we will tame them a bit so you look at them as accomplishments not as distractions.
• Love the large white board because we can create process checklists and it will be right in front of you.  Perhaps we can pick up some bright coloured markers and have some fun with it so it is much more noticeable.
• David, you have terrific energy and with a little guidance you will be ahead of the game, it will just take practice to create good working habits.

   

The plan and path……………………

With the initial start up of this project, your availability will be paramount because of the decisions and directions that need to be made.  With that said, I will need two to three days to create the office foundation.  I normally work 8 to 10 hours a day but that does not mean I need those types of hours from you.

Keep in mind the backbone of this process is to CLEAR the clutter, CONTAIN i.e. files, boxes, so you can CREATE!

Here are the steps to get us into motion:

• · Remove all trash (plastic bags, recyclable items)
• · Take all items from top of desk and put into groups and then put aside, we are in the process of creating a working area, which will be the top of the desk.
• · Remove printer from top of desk, it is taking up valuable space, perhaps but on top of new filing cabinet
• · Pull all items from the corners of the office and assess if business or personal and put into groups (will provide boxes for temporary containment)
• · Take the box with business items and pull all paper items (these will be amalgamated with items on top of desk)
• · Remove all paper items from desk beside window and perform the same actions noted above.
• · Review existing files and see if any of paper items from the desk can be placed in these files.  This would be the appropriate time to assess what categories are necessary for this business and proceed with creating.  Coloured files are also excellent for identifying subjects and this can be easily done. This will also provide us with an idea as to what will be going in the new filing cabinet.
• · Once categories have been decided upon, create files and put appropriate papers inside.(OMP can provide labeler)
• · Decisions will need to be made as to what will be kept in the filing drawer attached to the desk; my suggestion is time sheets, receipts, templates etc., The current client files will be kept in white container (currently on side table) and placed on top of desk. Decisions will need to be made as to what is current and what needs to be archived.
• · Review desk drawer to ensure it has proper office supplies
• · Review side desk cupboard to figure out what the function will be, perhaps personal items
• · Review bulletin board and discuss the purpose of this board and take action.
• · Review purpose of large white board, as noted above, a place for checklists.
• · Review all items on walls and discuss what personal items will stay and perhaps pick a wall where they can be placed so they end up being a nice anchor not a distraction. Perhaps we can create a wall of fame so to speak!
• · Group all personal items and assess what stays in the office and what goes home. With items that are staying we will determine if they should go in a desk drawer or on a bookcase shelf.
• · Current position of desk is fine however we need to discuss the window distraction that may occur.  A new 2 drawer filing cabinet would be perfect by the window and not too far from the desk for assess ability.  A little greenery cannot hurt either since there is tons of room you could pick a large plant for one of the corners. 

What Organize Me Please brings to this endeavor:

I have eighteen years of experience in the IT Administration industry.  I have five years experience as a professional organizer.  That experience has allowed me to assist people with customized solutions to increase the efficiency of their homes, their offices or individual requirements.  A highly motivated self-starter who combines enthusiasm with a strong work ethic to achieve outstanding results and excellent client services.  Key competencies:

• · Listening skills
• · Multitasking
• · Proactive problem solving
• · The production of accurate and detailed work
• · Bonded and insured

References:  I have two references that I can provide.  Let me know if you prefer email addresses or cell#s.

Pricing:

Consultations $99 plus tax (minimum of 2 hours)

Hourly rate $55 for the first 50 hours, $52 for the rest of the project hours.

Administrative and shopping hours $45

If an organizer assistant is necessary for this project it will be discussed with clients prior to employment.  Invoices are issued on Mondays for the previous working hours.

Project Time:  My estimate time at this point will be 2 to 3 days; this does not included the 22,000 emails but we will certainly be looking at them!  I will assume it is a lot of trailer emails, which can be rectified quickly.  I normally hand out homework with all my clients and this would be one of the areas for you to accomplish with my guidance.

OMP Availability: Currently I have time available the first and third week of February 2011. Please note that in my business it is first come first served.  This is not meant to be a deterrent but is just the nature of my business.  It would be perfect to have two consecutive days but I can accomplish quite a bit in one day.  It is not expected that you spend the whole day with me because I will have the plan in action in the first couple of hours so if you are not available for questions I have other areas to move on to that I can do on my own.

I look forward to the opportunity to organize your office so you have a comfortable level of control as we go through the process.

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