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Indirect Access Filing Systems
GOD | Nov 24 2005
(X-post from Google group.) I followed a link to the Paper Tiger software and it started me thinking about my filing system. Even without using their software, I like the idea of having an index that gets updated with your file information. The problem of course is that since this is indirect access you can't just locate your file without using the index, but at the same time you are able to put in more information about your file in your index so that it is easier to find it when you actually do. Here's a good link on filing systems: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/recordspubs/fs.html Does anybody use an indirect access filing system as opposed to the direct access alpha-system that David Allen suggests? Anyone have any experiences to tell regarding this? I decided that if I do do this then instead of using a standard linear numeric index (1..2..3, etc.) I think I would like to use date stamps for the index. So, for instance, I could file my birth certificate under the actual date of my birth, as with other items. I think I'd still maintain a direct access alpha sorted file system for files I am frequently accessing. Does anybody know if the cheaper Brother labellers support date/time stamping? 2 Comments
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 I use a digital master...Submitted by tomrokey on November 26, 2005 - 9:54am.
I use a digital master index in an Excel worksheet to keep all my work related files. I print up pre-numbered mailing labels as document 100, document 101, etc . This system also has an element of chronological order as used by the Naguchi System. All papers that are not filed in a specific purpose structured filing system like ""Customer Invoices"" or ""MSDS sheets"" are indexed in my digital system. The other day my boss uncovered an official looking letter from a government agency. The letter was about 3 months old, no action item but it looked too important to just toss. So naturally he gives it to me and says ""you might want to keep this"". His problem was solved, mine just began. So I enter a description or headline of the item that will be rich with tags or keywords for future searches and slap that sucker with the next document # label, file it and go on with my work. (I think that Excel allows about 1000 characters per cell which is plenty for most facts. Longer than this and I will link to an external file.) If I ever need to retrieve this item, I can do it quickly based on a keyword search. All these paper documents are filed in numerical order which approximates chronological order. If an article turns into something larger like a project, that number will be retained and future additions to that file are indexed in my big list with its corresponding number. A sort of project activity report can be created by searching for ""Document 451"" as each reference to that search string will be listed out in chronological order. This has saved my butt several times. So this is how my digital world interfaces with the physical world. As an index to a paper document in my file folder, or if it is too big for the file cabinet, then maybe a note that the spare fuses for the new Alludium Q36 Explosive Space Modulator are located in the door of the control panel. Tom » POSTED IN:
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