Unit 2: Correspondence Filing

Question 1

What is correspondence?

Answer 1

written communication

Question 2

Who do companies need to correspond with internally, individuals, and government?

Answer 2

internal: offices,employees, individuals: clients/customers, government: regulatory agencies

Question 3

Who do companies correspond with other businesses, organizations, and media?

Answer 3

other businesses: suppliers, outsource, collaborate, training, organizations: financial, charitable, shareholders,
media: press releases, quarterly reports

Question 4

What types of documents are considered to be correspondence?

Answer 4

letters, resumes, memos, reference materials, faxes,

emails

Question 5

What filed information might be used to determine order in which records are filed?

Answer 5

alphabetical (names), geographically (region), subject (company divisions, departments), numerically (phone and policy numbers)

Question 6

What types of companies might use each of the filing systems?

Answer 6

alphabetical (school, doctor’s and casting office), geographically (retailer, broadcaster, automobile co.) , subject (Starbucks, Chapters), numerically (insurance, clinic, courier company)

Question 7

what are 3 primary guides?

Answer 7

major alphabetic divisions, placed before other guides, folders

Question 8

What are 3 individual folders?

Answer 8

correspondence to/from company, significant volume of correspondence, order is reverse chronological

Question 9

What are 3 miscellaneous folders?

Answer 9

correspondence to/from companies, etc. minimal volume of correspondence, arranged alphabetically (entities grouped), reverse chronologically (most recent first)

Question 10

What are the file naming guidelines?

Answer 10

unique, brief (as possible), grouped by category, contain identifying documentation, use “shortcuts”/pointers

Question 11

labour costs of lost files

Answer 11

locate-$120, replace-$250-replace

Question 12

Non-labour costs

Answer 12

lost credibility and customer confidence

Question 13

Describe a file out card.

Answer 13

size of a file folder, acts as a placeholder

reference tracking information-taken by, number or name, date

Question 14

When do you need a dedicated folder for correspondence?

Answer 14

how frequently you use it, and how often you expect correspondence

Question 15

When do you add folder #2?

Answer 15

2.5 cm (or 1 inch) warrants a new folder

Question 16

what 4 questions should you ask yourself about keeping or discarding?

Answer 16

Will I need this again? Is this the only copy? Am I the official keeper of this file? Do I need the entire document?

Question 17

What should you consider when keeping or discarding files?

Answer 17

nature of records, legal restrictions, value of records to your business: high-tax and financial records, low-active projects, upon completed, digitize or move offsite

Question 18

How long do you keep records for medical or legal?

Answer 18

medical: 16 years (age 19 +16 years)
legal: 10+years

Question 19

What business records should be kept permanently?

Answer 19

charters, copyrights, patents, trademarks, vendor’s contracts

Question 20

Name files to retain for 1 week, 3 months, and 5 yrs.

Answer 20

1 week or less: pay stubs, 1 week: ATM receipts, 3 months: statements: bank, credit card, investment documents, utility bills, 5 yrs: insurance: medical, home

Question 21

retention guidelines for files 7 years to 10 years.

Answer 21

7 yrs: tax returns, income/expense(property), 10 yrs: home repairs- income related docs, 10+yrs: mortgage documents, expiration/death- warranty documents

Question 22

retention guidelines: personal forever

Answer 22

-academic record documents, marriage, divorce, birth, citizenship

Question 23

archiving guidelines-advantages and disadvantages

Answer 23

keep offsite: accessible, secure-good, cost factors-bad
recycle: environmentally friendly, simple-good, secure-bad, shred: secure/environmentally friendly-good, cost: time consuming or extra money, bad

Question 24

what is ideal time for filing?

Answer 24

-focused task, uninterrupted if possible, small batches throughout day (before lunch, end of day), find your productive time

Question 25

why do you need to cross reference correspondence?

Answer 25

remind, direct, and reduce duplicates

Question 26

How do you handle incoming mail on another company’s letterhead?

Answer 26

date (rec’d) stamp, sort for distribution, distribute, release for filing, file

Question 27

How do you handle outgoing mail on another company’s letterhead?

Answer 27

file a copy

Question 28

What does I.I.C.S.F. stand for?

Answer 28

Inspect Index, Code, Sort, File

Question 29

How do you inspect and index incoming mail?

Answer 29

-inspect by released or return, index by letterhead.

no letterhead: use signature

Question 30

How do you inspect and index outgoing mail?

Answer 30

inspect by filing or logging, index by checking inside address, company or person’s name

Question 31

How do you file documents in individual or miscellaneous folders?

Answer 31

individual: date and recent on top, misc. alphabetically, group if more than one document, most recent on top