Alphabetical presentation: advantages and disadvantages

In an organized filing system, the folders are arranged in some sort of order. Some commonly used systems include: alphabetic, direct numeric, terminal digit numeric, or by category. Subcategories can also be added to the above methods. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems in advance will allow you to make an informed decision based on your particular needs.

This article analyzes alphabet file. Number systems are evaluated in other articles.

Before putting the files in alphabetical order, you need to decide who will be the designer of the file. This will allow you to get an idea of ​​the total number of files on the system. The use of a name is the most used factor. Most systems put the last name first and then the first name. For example: Beth Smith would introduce herself to Pam Smith.

ADVANTAGES:

The alphabetical presentation has several advantages.

a) Most people are familiar with this file type because libraries (at least partially) and home filing systems are often alphabetical.

b) Staff must be able to learn and become familiar with the system in a timely manner.

c) The total number of shelves available to the system can be broken down into alphabetical order before starting to add records (*the following table shows how to estimate space for alphabetically ordered files).

*A=3.2%

B=9.7%

C=8.0%

D=4.9%

E = 2.2%

F=3.8%

G=4.9%

H=7.8%

I=0.4%

J=2.6%

K=3.6%

L=4.5%

M=9.3%

N=1/7%

OR=1.3%

p = 4.5%

Q=0.2%

R=4.8%

S=10.2%

T=3.4%

U=0.4%

V = 1.0%

W=6.8%

X=0.1%

Y=0.5%

Z=0.2%

d) Another advantage is the need to change records after record purging is reduced because the records that are removed are usually random. New records added to the system will also be random and will be included in the entire file system.

e) A cross-reference can be avoided if the situation is such that the name on the record is readily available.

DISADVANTAGES:

The alpha presentation also has some disadvantages.

a) This system does not work well with very large file systems. With a large number of files, the possibility of duplicate names is great, which can lead to confusion and increase recovery time.

b) Color coding is more difficult since 26 colors or combination of colors are needed to designate all the letters of the alphabet. Detecting bad files can also be more difficult.

c) Trying to remember where a letter falls in the alphabet increases the time it takes to file and retrieve records. Also, dealing with some of the alpha display rules is confusing. For example, does Mc come before or after Mac? Every time I go to the library I stand in the stacks trying to remember these rules (and I have to keep going through the alphabet to find a particular letter on the shelves).

d) If confidentiality is an issue, having a person’s name on file may be a breach of privacy. Also, they increase the chances that an unauthorized person can find a particular file.

In conclusion, making the decision on which system to use depends on your needs and how you rank the advantages and disadvantages listed above.