FILING DIVISION
Only a small per cent of the records of a business are found in the books of account; the larger part are in the form of business papers of various kinds. And, since the records in the books are, in the main, based on the records found in these papers, the papers themselves are not less valuable than the books. Letters, orders, invoices, receipts, vouchers, contracts, specifications, and estimates form the basis of the larger part of the business transactions of all houses, giving authority for transactions and offering proof that the transactions have been completed. The proper preservation of these papers is, therefore, a necessity, and, since they form so important a part of the records, they must be accessible.
The filing division is, therefore, one of the most necessary in the office of any enterprise, and should receive the careful attention that its importance deserves. Whether the equipment of the filing division consists of a single file or many large cabinets, it should be located where it will be accessible to all departments. It should be given as nearly a central location as the general plan of the office will permit. In a very large enterprise a separate room may be required, while in a small business the files may be arranged along the wall or around a corner. But whatever its location, aisles leading to the filing division should be left open, that it may be reached conveniently from any part of the office. Since good light is not so essential as for some other divisions, it is sometimes advisable to locate the filing division where the light is not sufficient for another division—as the bookkeeping division. At the same time, there must be sufficient light to enable the file clerk to do the work properly.
As a general rule, all filing should be in one place, although under certain conditions, which are referred to later, special departmental filing is justified. It should be possible to obtain from the general files all papers that have a bearing on a particular transaction, or all of the correspondence of a given concern. More or less confusion results when certain of the papers are missing. For example, if a part of the correspondence about an order is filed in the sales department, the papers in the general file may not give a complete history of the case, and the order may be accepted or rejected under a wrong impression because the most important letter is missing.
When independent filing systems are maintained by the different departments, it is sometimes difficult to determine just where certain papers will be found. To say the least, it is quite difficult to collect all of the papers referring to one subject, when the filing is handled in this manner.
Experience has demonstrated that a central filing division is really more convenient for the department manager, than to maintain his own filing system. If the system has been properly installed, he can obtain correspondence or other papers from the general files about as quickly as from his own files, with the added advantage of obtaining all of the correspondence with a particular person. If another department has been in correspondence with the same person, he has their letters as well as his own. When the credit man, for example, reviews the correspondence of a customer from whom he is trying to collect an account, he will not be ignorant of the existence of a letter from the sales manager in which special terms were offered to secure the order.
The File Clerk. The filing division should be in charge of a file clerk and the clerk should have full control of the work of the division. In a large business, a chief file clerk and several assistants will be required, while in a small business it is customary for the stenographer to do the filing. No matter what the extent of the filing, the principle is the same; if but two persons are employed and one is expected to do the filing, the other should neither file nor remove papers from the file. When a letter is wanted, the file clerk should be asked for it.
The essential qualifications of a file clerk may be summed up as follows:
A good memory;
The habit of accuracy;
The ability to read confusing chirography;
The ability to spell correctly;
Speed.
To these might be added the possession of a liberal amount of common sense, the faculty of absorbing information, and ability to correlate facts according to their importance.
A good memory is very necessary, for the papers that have been filed must be found when wanted. Letters signed by an individual may be filed with the correspondence of his firm. When the manager calls for "that letter from Whitcomb," it is embarrassing to ask him with what firm Mr. Whitcomb is connected; still more so to keep the manager waiting while an index is consulted.
A comprehensive index is necessary, of course, and the efficient file clerk will be fortified against all possible contingencies with proper indexes, but a memory which will permit of ignoring indexes, except in special cases, is a valuable asset. It may be stated as a rule that it should not be necessary to refer to special indexes to locate the letters of a regular correspondent.
Accuracy is another very necessary qualification. Accuracy is a habit—the habit of first finding the right way to do a thing, and then doing it that way every time. The habit of doing a thing the same way every time is very important in filing. If the rule is to file all correspondence in the name of the firm from whom it is received, no matter by whom signed, it is very essential that all letters from the firm be filed in exactly the same way—not a part of them in the name of the individual.
Accuracy is necessary also in placing letters in the files. Letters that belong in the Be division of the index must be filed there—not in the Ba division; letters intended for folder No. 19 are to all intents lost, if placed in No. 91.
To be able to read confusing chirography is a talent that is much appreciated in more than one line of endeavor; it is especially valuable to the file clerk. The signatures of many men are notoriously difficult to read, and large numbers of such signatures come to the filing division of every concern having an extensive correspondence.
Spelling might seem to be an accomplishment not absolutely essential to the equipment of a file clerk, but the ability to spell correctly is very helpful. It is a great help in indexing. Especially when a finely subdivided index is used, correct spelling is necessary to determine the division under which a paper should be filed.
Speed is an absolute requirement. When the manager wants a letter, he wants it at once. When the day's mail reaches the filing division, it must be filed as quickly as possible. Some one may call for a letter within an hour after it reaches the files, and to find it in the unfiled correspondence means inevitable delay. Nowhere is prompt service more thoroughly appreciated than in the filing division.
The importance of securing a file clerk with proper qualifications is apparently overlooked in many offices. A girl is placed in charge because she will work for a small salary, resulting—unless she is qualified—in very poor service. An incompetent file clerk can, in a short time, get the files in a demoralized condition almost impossible to straighten out. The necessity of proper filing makes the position one of real importance. On the other hand, the possibilities of the position are seldom appreciated by the clerk. This is due, perhaps, to the policy of making the position one of the lowest in the office from the salary standpoint; but the greatest possibilities of the position lie outside of the salary question.
The position of file clerk is a sure stepping stone to something better—a more responsible and better paid position. No clerk in the office has a better opportunity to obtain a general knowledge of the business. From the stenographer who files the manager's personal correspondence, to the clerk in charge of an extensive filing division, each is intrusted with important papers revealing the very secrets of the business. The position is a confidential one, and the clerk who can absorb the information that must inevitably come to his notice, and keep the information to himself, is surely preparing to fill a higher position; he has a golden opportunity to demonstrate his absolute trustworthiness.