Posts Tagged ‘Alphabetical Filing’

alpha filingYou have decided to create an alphabetical filing system based on a name. Where do you start?

The order to file alphabetically by name is: last name, first name or initial, then middle name or initial.

1) To get started first determine how many records will be put into the system.  This will determine how much shelving you need.

(Read my article “Questions to Ask Before Choosing Shelving for Your Files”) for help determining what type of shelving to buy.

2) Then, divide your shelving into 26 sections. Studies have determined the percentage of how many people have a last name starting with each letter of the alphabet.  By using the results of these studies, you can estimate what percentage of the file room each letter will use.

File Room Alpha Breakdown

(A=3.2%) (B=9.7%) (C=8.0%) (D=4.9%) (E=2.2%) (F=3.8%)

(G=4.9%) (H=7.8%) (I=0.4%) (J=2.6%) (K=3.6%) (L=4.5%)

(M=9.3%) (N=1/7%) (O=1.3%) (P=4.5%) (Q=0.2%) (R=4.8%)

(S=10.2%) (T=3.4%) (U=0.4%) (V=1.0%) (W=6.8%) (X=0.1%)

(Y=0.5%) (Z=0.2%)

Each section will reflect the information provided above.  An easy way to designate each section is to write each letter on a piece of white tape or a blank white label.  You can stick this lettered label at the start of each section.

3) Put the files in the correct section based on the first letter of the person’s last name.

(Here is a handy tool that will automatically alphabetize lists.)

4) Next, go the second letter of the surname, then the third letter, etc..

Some additional rules are:

-Surnames with prefixes (Mac, Mc.,  etc.), are filed as if they were one word.

-How about if the two last names are the same?  Then go to the first letter of the first name.

-When someone has a title, put the title at the end of their name.

-Any abbreviations in a name should be alphabetized as 
  if they were spelled out (St. – saint)

-Ignore hyphens and file compound names as one unit.

For maximum efficiency-color code your alpha system.

Please share any alphabetic filing stories you might have!

Here is a great place to find supplies for your alpha filing system.

In an organized filing system folders are arranged in some kind of order. Some commonly used systems include: alphabetical, straight numeric, terminal digit numeric, or by a category.

Sub categories can also be added to the above methods. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems upfront will allow for an informed decision based on your particular needs.

This article looks at alphabetical filing.
Before putting the files into alphabetical order you have to decide what will be the designator of the file. This will allow you to get an idea of the total quantity of files in the system.
Using a name is the most commonly used factor. Most systems put last name first, then the first name. For example: Beth Smith would be filed before Pam Smith.
-Most people are familiar with this type of filing because libraries (at least partially) and home filing systems are usually alphabetical.
-The staff should be able to learn and become comfortable with the system in a timely manner.
-The total amount of shelving available for the system can be divided into alphabetical order before you start to add records (the chart below shows how to estimate space for alpha sorted files).
  File Room Alpha Breakdown
(Y=0.5%) (Z=0.2%)

- The need to shift the records after purging records is reduced because which records that are removed is usually random.

-The records that are then added to the system will also be random and fall across the entire filing system.

- A cross reference may be avoided if the situation is such that the name used on the record is easily available.

-This system does not work well with very large filing systems. With a large amount of files the chance of duplicate names is great which can lead to confusion and increase retrieval time.
-Color coding is more difficult since you need to have 26 colors or combination of colors to designate all the letters of the alphabet.
-Spotting misfiles can also be harder.
-Trying to remember where a letter falls in the alphabet adds to the time of filing and retrieving the records.
-Dealing with some of the rules of alpha filing can be very confusing. (For example, does Mc come before or after Mac?) Every time I go to the library I stand at the stacks trying to remember these rules (and I have to keep going through the alphabet to find a particular book on the shelves).
-If confidentiality is an issue having a person’s name on the file may be a privacy violation.
-Chances are increased that an unauthorized person can find a particular file.
In conclusion, making the decision on what system to use depends on your needs and how you rank the advantages and disadvantages list above.
See my article "Analysis of Terminal Digit Filing"  and  "Analysis of Straight Numeric Filing"  for information about numeric filing.
Need folders for your filing system?  Efficiency Solutions carries a wide range of filing products!
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