Modern Filing System

The filing system has changed and improved considerably over time to meet the change in an office. The modern system of  filing is characterized by the increasing use of improved office equipment,  such as computers. The traditional filing system is not able to meet all the requirement so it has a limited use in modern offices. So, the traditional filing system has been replaced by modern filing system. Some important types of modern filing system are as follows:

Horizontal Filing System:
Horizontal Filing system is  a modern type of filing.  The documents or letters are chronologically placed in folders one upon another in horizontal or flat position. The latest documents are placed on top and the oldest at the bottom in the folder. There are two types of horizontal filing:

Flat file:
A flat file is made of cardboard or thick paper. Each file is attached with a pair of metal clips or laces on left-hand sid of it to hold the papers tightly. In this system, papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat or sleeping position in the file. For the easy identification of files, they are classified into alphabetical, numerical, geographical and subject bases.All the files are safely kept in an almirah, a wrack, or a drawer in a flat or horizontal position.

Arch Lever File:
An arch lever file is popular and commonly used to preserve documents, record, and letter. It is made of thick cardboard, a pair of an arch-shaped metal rod, a lever with lock and a pair of clips. The rods, lever, and clips are attached on the left-hand side of the file.  A pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of each paper. To inserted and take out the paper, the lever is unlocked and clips are opened. When the job is done the lever is locked and clips are closed. The files can be placed on a table, in a drawer, cupboard, wrack or almirah a flat or horizontal position.

Advantage:

1. This type of filing is very simple to understand and easy to operate.
2. It is economical because the flat or arch lever files are less expensive.
3. This type of filing requires minimum space to store files.
4. The speedy reference of letters and documents is possible in this filing.
5. It safely keeps the documents and letters from dust, dirt, moisture, silverfish and termites.

Disadvantage:

1. It is time-consuming because the papers need to be punched, inserted, locked or unlocked, opened and closed.
2. There is difficulty in locating a particular file.
3. The reference of paper is inconvenient.
4. There is limited capacity for filing letters and documents.
5. The documents may be damaged while punching and inserting them.
6. It is not suitable for a large-scale organization having a large number of documents.

Vertical System of Filling:
It is the most popular type of filing in modern offices because it is particularly suitable to larger where many transactions take place everyday. . The folders are folded in the middle to hold the letters and documents in them. These folders and files are placed in a drawer in a vertical or upright position. In files and folders, letters and documents are placed in a chronological order without punching and tying them up in a pair of clips.

Advantages:
Some of the advantages of the vertical system of filing are as follows:

1. It has a large capacity to preserve a large number of letters and documents.
2. This filing system is flexible it can accommodate any number of folders as per requirement.
3. It is a very safe method of filing because it keeps the documents and letter safely in a file or folder, drawer, and cabinets.
4. It is relatively less expensive because of its space capacity.
5. The documents can be readily available because it contains alphabetical, numerical and subjectwise indexes.
6. This filing system is universally applicable.
7. Letters and documents are preserved in files folders, cabinets so, secrecy is maintained.

Disadvantage:

1. It requires files, folders, drawer and cabinets so it requires relatively higher investment.
2. This filing system requires relatively larger space to install its equipment.
3. It is not easy to operate because it requires special knowledge and skill to operate.
4. There is a possibility of the documents being misplaced.

Horizontal Filing System:
Horizontal Filing system is  a modern type of filing.  The documents or letters are chronologically placed in folders one upon another in horizontal or flat position. The latest documents are placed on top and the oldest at the bottom in the folder. There are two types of horizontal filing:

Flat file:
A flat file is made of cardboard or thick paper. Each file is attached with a pair of metal clips or laces on left-hand sid of it to hold the papers tightly. In this system, papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat or sleeping position in the file. For the easy identification of files, they are classified into alphabetical, numerical, geographical and subject bases.All the files are safely kept in an almirah, a wrack, or a drawer in a flat or horizontal position.

Arch Lever File:
An arch lever file is popular and commonly used to preserve documents, record, and letter. It is made of thick cardboard, a pair of an arch-shaped metal rod, a lever with lock and a pair of clips. The rods, lever, and clips are attached on the left-hand side of the file.  A pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of each paper. To inserted and take out the paper, the lever is unlocked and clips are opened. When the job is done the lever is locked and clips are closed. The files can be placed on a table, in a drawer, cupboard, wrack or almirah a flat or horizontal position.

Advantage:

1. This type of filing is very simple to understand and easy to operate.
2. It is economical because the flat or arch lever files are less expensive.
3. This type of filing requires minimum space to store files.
4. The speedy reference of letters and documents is possible in this filing.
5. It safely keeps the documents and letters from dust, dirt, moisture, silverfish and termites.

Disadvantage:

1. It is time-consuming because the papers need to be punched, inserted, locked or unlocked, opened and closed.
2. There is difficulty in locating a particular file.
3. The reference of paper is inconvenient.
4. There is limited capacity for filing letters and documents.
5. The documents may be damaged while punching and inserting them.
6. It is not suitable for a large-scale organization having a large number of documents.

 Vertical  Suspension Filing

Vertical suspension filing is the improved form of vertical filing. The drawer with the documents is fitted with a metal frame from which pocket folders are suspended. The sides of the drawers are sufficiently high to support the suspension bars. There are two types of suspension filing a) flat-topped, where the rigid bars support a flat top and b) indexed-tabbed, where the reference trip is contained on a tab slightly inclines backward.

Advantage:

1. It facilitates easy location of the documents.
2. This filing is more flexible than the ordinary vertical filing.

Disadvantage:

1. It is expensive because it involves a high cost to install and operate.
2. It requires more space to install the equipment.

Lateral Filing:

Lateral filing is another system of filing which requires more floor space to install the equipment. So, the lateral filing was developed to overcome the limitation of suspension filing.  Lateral filing is the modified version of vertical suspension filing. In this system, the documents are filed laterally along the shelf, the pockets having index strips on the visible ends of the files. The shelves can be installed up to a height of 2 m and the depth of each shelf is less than 60 cm. It is so designed that even the existing almirahs and cupboards can be used for this filling.

Advantage:

1. It requires less space to install the equipment because the size of cabinets is smaller.
2. The letters and documents can easily be located because of the use of an index.
3. It saves the costs as the cabinets of vertical suspension filing can also be used.
4. It provides more scope for expansion as per the growing needs of a modern office.

Disadvantage:

1. It requires higher investment because it needs specially designed almirah and shelf.
2. It requires skills to file the documents.
3. It is not suitable for smaller offices as it requires higher costs to install and operate.

Some important types of modern filing system are as follows:

Horizontal Filing System:
Horizontal Filing system is  a modern type of filing.  The documents or letters are chronologically placed in folders one upon another in horizontal or flat position. The latest documents are placed on top and the oldest at the bottom in the folder. There are two types of horizontal filing:

Flat file:
A flat file is made of cardboard or thick paper. Each file is attached with a pair of metal clips or laces on left-hand sid of it to hold the papers tightly. In this system, papers are chronologically placed one upon another in a flat or sleeping position in the file. For the easy identification of files, they are classified into alphabetical, numerical, geographical and subject bases.All the files are safely kept in an almirah, a wrack, or a drawer in a flat or horizontal position.

Arch Lever File:
An arch lever file is popular and commonly used to preserve documents, record, and letter. It is made of thick cardboard, a pair of an arch-shaped metal rod, a lever with lock and a pair of clips. The rods, lever, and clips are attached on the left-hand side of the file.  A pair of holes is made on the left-hand side of each paper. To inserted and take out the paper, the lever is unlocked and clips are opened. When the job is done the lever is locked and clips are closed. The files can be placed on a table, in a drawer, cupboard, wrack or almirah a flat or horizontal position.

Advantage:

1. This type of filing is very simple to understand and easy to operate.
2. It is economical because the flat or arch lever files are less expensive.
3. This type of filing requires minimum space to store files.
4. The speedy reference of letters and documents is possible in this filing.
5. It safely keeps the documents and letters from dust, dirt, moisture, silverfish and termites.

Disadvantage:

1. It is time-consuming because the papers need to be punched, inserted, locked or unlocked, opened and closed.
2. There is difficulty in locating a particular file.
3. The reference of paper is inconvenient.
4. There is limited capacity for filing letters and documents.
5. The documents may be damaged while punching and inserting them.
6. It is not suitable for a large-scale organization having a large number of documents.

Vertical System of Filling:
It is the most popular type of filing in modern offices because it is particularly suitable to larger where many transactions take place everyday. . The folders are folded in the middle to hold the letters and documents in them. These folders and files are placed in a drawer in a vertical or upright position. In files and folders, letters and documents are placed in a chronological order without punching and tying them up in a pair of clips.

Advantages:
Some of the advantages of the vertical system of filing are as follows:

1. It has a large capacity to preserve a large number of letters and documents.
2. This filing system is flexible it can accommodate any number of folders as per requirement.
3. It is a very safe method of filing because it keeps the documents and letter safely in a file or folder, drawer, and cabinets.
4. It is relatively less expensive because of its space capacity.
5. The documents can be readily available because it contains alphabetical, numerical and subjectwise indexes.
6. This filing system is universally applicable.
7. Letters and documents are preserved in files folders, cabinets so, secrecy is maintained.

Disadvantage:

1. It requires files, folders, drawer and cabinets so it requires relatively higher investment.
2. This filing system requires relatively larger space to install its equipment.
3. It is not easy to operate because it requires special knowledge and skill to operate.
4. There is a possibility of the documents being misplaced.

 Vertical  Suspension Filing

Vertical suspension filing is the improved form of vertical filing. The drawer with the documents is fitted with a metal frame from which pocket folders are suspended. The sides of the drawers are sufficiently high to support the suspension bars. There are two types of suspension filing a) flat-topped, where the rigid bars support a flat top and b) indexed-tabbed, where the reference trip is contained on a tab slightly inclines backward.

Advantage:

1. It facilitates easy location of the documents.
2. This filing is more flexible than the ordinary vertical filing.

Disadvantage:

1. It is expensive because it involves a high cost to install and operate.
2. It requires more space to install the equipment.

Lateral Filing:

Lateral filing is another system of filing which requires more floor space to install the equipment. So, the lateral filing was developed to overcome the limitation of suspension filing.  Lateral filing is the modified version of vertical suspension filing. In this system, the documents are filed laterally along the shelf, the pockets having index strips on the visible ends of the files. The shelves can be installed up to a height of 2 m and the depth of each shelf is less than 60 cm. It is so designed that even the existing almirahs and cupboards can be used for this filling.

Advantage:

1. It requires less space to install the equipment because the size of cabinets is smaller.
2. The letters and documents can easily be located because of the use of an index.
3. It saves the costs as the cabinets of vertical suspension filing can also be used.
4. It provides more scope for expansion as per the growing needs of a modern office.

Disadvantage:

1. It requires higher investment because it needs specially designed almirah and shelf.
2. It requires skills to file the documents.
3. It is not suitable for smaller offices as it requires higher costs to install and operate.

Open-shelf filing:
Open-shelf filing is a very common type of filing. The files are kept on open shelves in a numerical order.  Usually, files are laterally kept in open shelves in numerical order. In this type of filing, shelves are arranged in rows leaving adequate space in between the two rows for people to freely move.

Advantage:

1. It saves time for reference as letters and documents can easily be located.
2. It is convenient for employees to handle.
3. It is suitable for larger offices having a larger volume of correspondence to handle.
4. It has more scope for further extension and expansion.
5. It is less expensive as the cost of equipment is low.

Disadvantage:

1. It is not suitable for a small and medium type of offices.
2. There is always a chance of misplacing or losing files.
3. There is a lack of secrecy as the shelves are open.
4. There is a lack of safety of letters and documents from ducts, dirt, insects and moisture.