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Unit 3
Storage and Retrieval of Information
Learning Outcomes
Heathers TaskImportance of a good filing systemFeatures of a good filing systemManual Based filing systemMethods of filingElectronic Based filing systemFile ManagementMethods of filing electronicallyBack-up ProceduresMicrofilmingSecurity of InformationIts a hard day at the office for Heather Munro!
Mr Millar has decided that its time
to assess the way in which information is
stored at Caledonian Health & Fitness.
He has asked Heather to be
responsible for finding out
how information is currently
stored and then identify
ways in which it can be improved.
Lets find out how Heather got on
I wonder why it is so important to have a good filing system?
Mr Millar explains to Heather that there
are many reasons why it is important to
file documents:
To enable documents to be found easily this saves a lot of time eg a query from a customer can be answered quicklyTo make sure that documents are kept safe it is important that they are kept in a good condition so that they can be referred to at any timeTo make sure that legal requirements are met the law says that certain documents have to be stored for a period of time eg employee contract; tax forms etc)How can I ensure that I create a good filing system?
Mr Millar explains to Heather that the main
features of a good filing system are:
Easy to useEasy to accessSecure it is important that only authorised personnel use the systemEasy to control important that the correct procedures are followed to ensure that documents are not lost or filed incorrectlySafe it is important to ensure that documents are prevented from being worn and tornNot expensive a good system will be one which is cost effective to install and maintainWhat type of filing is currently used at Caledonian Health & Fitness?
Heather decides to find out how employees
currently file their documents. She discovers
that MANUAL-BASED systems are used. The
examples of these methods of filing are:
Heather decides to find out what the employees think!
Heather asks Mr Ray Cruit (the Recruitment
Officer) what he thinks of the MANUAL system
that he uses to file all his documents.
I am really pleased with the manual filing
system because of the following:
Miss T Raynor doesnt agree!!!!
Miss Raynor overhears Mr Cruit and disagrees!
I am not happy with the manual filing
system because of the following:
Activities
Complete the following tasks in your activities booklet:What METHODS are used to file documents?
Now that she has identified what a MANUAL
filing system is, Heather now wants to find out
what METHODS are used to file the documents.
The 3 main methods of filing are:
ALPHABETICAL
NUMERICAL
CHRONOLOGICAL
ALPHABETICAL FILING
Alphabetical filing is the method which is most commonly used as it is very easy to use. Customer records for example can be stored in order of surname. In order to make this an easy method to use GUIDE CARDS are used to SUBDIVIDE the names eg Da; De; Di etc
Miss T Raynor thinks that it is a very good idea to file documents alphabetically as it is easy to look up employee records you look for their surname and find the file!
Advantages and Disadvantages of ALPHABETICAL FILING
Logical and straightforward to useAdvantages
Disadvantages
What is an ABSENT CARD?
An ABSENT card is used when a file is removed from its place in the filing system.
The card clearly states WHO has the file; WHEN the file was taken; and, WHEN it was returned.
The Absent card
shown opposite
is used in the
Sales/Marketing
Department at
Caledonian
Health & Fitness:
DATE REMOVEDFILE NUMBERBY WHOMDATE RETURNED01/07/05452MR SMART02/07/0528/08/05135MRS AMBLEON30/08/0505/10/05580MR SMARTNUMERICAL FILING
Numerical filing is when NUMBERS are used to file documents instead of letters. This method means that customer documents would be filed using their account number or employee records could be filed using their employee ID number
Mrs McKenna thinks that this method of filing is ideal in the Finance Department as it is easy to see how many customer accounts there are when a new customer joins Caledonian Health & Fitness they get the next number!
Advantages and Disadvantages of NUMERICAL FILING
Quick to useAdvantages
Disadvantages
What is an INDEX CARD?
An INDEX card is used to find files which are stored in a numerical filing system.
You must first look at an alphabetic index to find the file number.
Heather has found an INDEX card used in the Personnel Department at Caledonian Health & Fitness:
NAMEFILE NO
DONEGAN, S
10982
FORRESTER, C
8915
MCDONALD, A
2294
WEBSTER, J
2651
CHRONOLOGICAL FILING
Chronological filing means that all documents are stored in date order the most recent documents are placed at the front of the system.
Mrs MacDonald thinks that this
is an excellent system to store
the customer magazines that have
been produced as it is very easy to
find a particular edition last months
or last years.
Advantages and Disadvantages of CHRONOLOGICAL FILING
This is an excellent method to use if a key feature of the information stored is the DATEAdvantages
Disadvantages
Activities
Complete the following tasks in your activities booklet:Time To Introduce an ELECTRONIC-BASED system!
Before finding out what an
electronic filing system is and
how it operates it is first of
all important to understand
the importance of
FILE MANAGEMENT
File Management
File management ensures that all dataand information is stored and managed
efficiently
Files should be given an appropriate filename Files should also be given a suitable extension:Access files end in mdbWord processing files end in docSpreadsheet files end in xlsSimilar files should be placed in appropriate folder:Mr Nichols has a folder for each supplier so that information is stored correctlyMr Cruit has a folder for each training courseMiss Munro has a folder for all her database files and a folder for all her letters that she typesFile Management Activity
Make sure that you have SG Admin folder in your server accountCreate the following folders:DatabaseSpreadsheetWord ProcessingNow make sure that all your files are properly organised!Take care you may need to create new folders to ensure that your files are stored correctlyAre there any files which you no longer need? Time to DELETE them!!Equipment required for an ELECTRONIC-BASED system!
Heather considers introducing an electronic
system of filing for Caledonian Health & Fitness.
The following equipment is required:
PC files of information can be stored on the PCs HARD DRIVEFLOPPY DISK these are portable and can be used in any PC. Imagine a file cabinet in your classroom. The floppy disk is able to store folders (drawers) of information (files)CD-ROMS stores vast amounts of information. Examples of CD-Roms are encyclopaedias; archives etcZIP DISKS modern storage device which can hold a large quantity of information. Many use this to save information from the Internet as it can cope with the huge amount of dataWhat METHODS are used to file documents electronically?
Now that she has identified what an
ELECTRONIC filing system is, Heather now
wants to find out what METHODS are used to
file the documents.
The ways in which files can be stored
electronically are:
USE OF SOFTWARE
SCANNER
DOWNLOADING
Why is it important to back-up files of information?
It is imperative that back-up copies are made of
all files to prevent data being lost.
Data can be lost or corrupted in a number of
ways:
Faulty computer system and loss of powerWhat Software is used to store information electronically?
Database eg. AccessWord Processing eg. WordSpreadsheet eg. ExcelDesk Top Publishing (DTP) eg. PublisherPresentation eg. Powerpoint (this slideshow!)A Database (Microsoft Access)
A database is an electronic filing systemRECORDS of information are stored and updated electronicallyMr Wallace (Personnel Manager) maintains a database of employee recordsMrs MacDonald (Sales/Marketing) Manager keeps a database of customer recordsA TABLE stores the RECORDS of information which are entered using FIELDSIt is very easy to find exact information by carrying out a query or a searchInformation can also be easily manipulated, edited, and deletedA Word Processor
(Microsoft Word)
A Spreadsheet
(Microsoft Excel)
Desk Top Publishing - DTP
(Microsoft Publisher)
Presentation Software
(Microsoft Powerpoint)
A Scanner
A scanner is used to scan images and place them onto a computer fileDownloading
Downloading is a feature commonly used in todays business environmentInformation can be extracted from any internet site and DOWNLOADED onto a computer fileIt is a sophisticated way of copying information from one stored area to anotherAdvantages and Disadvantages of ELECTRONIC FILING
Saves spaceEasy to find informationDocuments can be scanned easilyBack-up copies of documents can be made easilyMore than one person can view the same information at the same timeUse of passwords means that information is secureVery expensive to buy the hardware and software requiredHardware and software needs to be maintained and upgradedTraining required for all employeesThere may be a fault in power supply or a virus may occur resulting in loss of dataHackers may steal confidential informationAdvantages
Disadvantages
Manual or Electronic?
Heather reports back to Mr Millar
on her findings.
When deciding upon using a manual
filing system or an electronic filing
system the following factors must be
taken into consideration:
Activities
Complete the following tasks in your activities booklet:Microfilming
Papers are filmed to reduce them in sizeEquipment needed for Microfilming
Camerafor filming the documentsAdvantages and Disadvantages of MICROFILMING
More durable than paper many libraries store newspapers on microfilm as in time paper wears and tears very easilyAdvantages
Disadvantages
Security of Information
There are many methods used to ensureUse of Passwords
It is important that the following measures are adopted:Passwords must be changed regularly to prevent hackers accessing your accountA mixture of upper and lower case letters should be used to make the password more complex and difficult to copyKeep the password confidential at all timesHeather has created a Code of Good Practice for all employees at Caledonian Health & Fitness
The following measures should be taken WHEN USING your workstation:Heather has created a Code of Good Practice for all employees at Caledonian Health & Fitness
The following measures should be taken WHEN AWAY FROM your workstation:The Data Protection Act
Heather has been made aware of the Data
Protection Act and has made the following notice
to show to all employees:
The Data Protection Act says that all personal
data must be:
Collected lawfullyUsed for a specific purposeOnly held for as long as it is neededAccessible only to authorised personnelMade available to allow the individual to view information held on themAccurate and up-to-date at all timesActivities
Complete the following tasks in your activities booklet:NAME
FILE NO
DONEGAN, S
10982
FORRESTER, C
8915
MCDONALD, A
2294
WEBSTER, J
2651
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