Document Management and Archiving Processes

Posted on Mar 21, 2025 in Business Administration and Innovation Management

Key Reasons for Maintaining Documentation

The main reasons why a company should maintain documentation are:

  • For the shared interest of the organization issuing the documents and the company that receives and maintains them. It creates an active, living memory of company information.
  • For legal requirements.

Understanding File Management

A file is the set of documents that a company produces. These items are stored in a space where all documents can be found when requested (documents in a warehouse seek the requested information).

Phases of Data Processing

  1. Registration/Annotation: Recording the data in question.
  2. Classification/Organization: Identifying and distributing the data.
  3. Coding/Designation: Assigning a name to each piece or set of data.
  4. Treatment/Manipulation: Working with the data.
  5. Calculation/Statistics: Performing arithmetic calculations.
  6. Archiving/Custody: Saving or archiving the data.

Data Collection, Processing, and Archiving

Data -> Tab reviews and articles -> Air Waybill -> Invoice -> File -> File reviews.

File Types

Based on Ownership

  • Public archives: Belonging to state, regional, and local administrations.
  • Private archives: Belonging to businesses, religious institutions, political parties, and trade unions.

According to Document Age

  • Active
  • Inactive
  • Semi-active

File Organization

Based on Usage Frequency

  • Active: Contain current documents.
  • Semi-active: Contain infrequently used documents with little current information.
  • Inactive: Contain documents that are kept indefinitely but are not current and not consulted.

Based on Autonomy Level

Centralized

Advantages:

  • Optimal space utilization.
  • Unified classification criteria.
  • Reduced risk of document loss.
  • Increased control over filed documents.
  • No need to establish coordination rules between departments.

Disadvantages:

  • Time lost traveling to the archive.
  • Potential for increased bureaucracy.
  • Increased company budget costs.

Decentralized

Advantages:

  • Faster document filing.
  • Quick document location.
  • Lower maintenance costs.

Disadvantages:

  • Reduced space in departments.
  • Potential for differing classification criteria between departments.
  • No designated person to handle filing tasks.
  • Possibility of misinterpreting coordination rules between departments.

File Systems

A file system aims to quickly locate and retrieve documents.

Conventional File Types

  • Folders, sorters, and simple hanging folders.
  • Filing folders: with rings and Type AZ.
  • Furniture, shelving/modules, cabinets with hanging folders, shelves, and safety guidelines.

Microfilm

Microfilm: Photographs documents for microfilming, significantly reducing document sizes.

Information

Streamlines administrative work.

Technological Means Used in Document Filing

Mechanical

Cabinets and shelves on rails, electromechanical devices, and containers with rotating shelves.

Computer-Based

  • Basic: Use of accounting programs, payroll software, etc.
  • Semi-integrated: Use of relational database management programs.
  • Integrated: Capture and digitization of paper-based information.