General
Colour Coding is the assignment of colour to a number, letter or particular item that shows meaning. In filing we assign a colour for each number 0 through 9 and a colour for each letter A through Z to aid in filing and retrieval of all types of hard copy files. By putting these colours (letters, numbers and designators) in a particular position on a file folder, file pocket etc., a colour/block pattern is formed. When these patterns of colour are broken, a misfile has occurred.
In retrieving a file, colour recognition speeds look-up time. It also saves pre-sorting time and speeds filing time. Colour coded filing can reduce filing and retrieval time by 50%. Approximately 75% of every dollar spent in filing areas is people time; therefore colour coding can save as much or more than 33% of the money that is now spent on your present non-colour coded files.
Misfiles are virtually non-existent in colour coded files because of the ease of spotting a file that is out of order. Colour coding need not be complicated and can be applied to almost any filing situation. Colour coding can also be used other than numbers and letters. Colours can be given to designate whatever happens to be most significant in segregating particular files one from each other.
Alphabetical Filing
Alphabetical colour coded name files are much easier to maintain without requiring a cross reference file. Colour coding alphabetical breakdowns of initials with colour can direct you to the proper file area and eliminate misfiles which is most common in non-colour coded alphabetical files. Filing of common names is accomplished by coding the first two or three of the last name; example, James C. Bayer would be coded “BA”. In larger alphabetical files, the additional coding of the first name initial will further break up the large name groupings in the file. As the example, “J” for James. We now can go immediately to the “BA” section and then to the: J” section in the “BA” group to retrieve or refile. When filing corporate or company names, it is suggested to use the first two or three letters of the first full proper name, example. “Ajax Tool Works” would be coded “AJA”.
Alpha-Numeric Filing
Alpha-numeric filing is simply the combining of letters and numbers in a format that suits the file situation. Many times files have alphabetical indicators which have a particular meaning in a numeric file, or vice versa. When filing alpha-numeric files a decision must be made as to whether the number or the letter is more important for locating or segregating the file, since the file can be set up either way.
An example is a trade school that files using three different letters and five digits for the colour coding. The “C” is the student living on campus at the school; the “O” means the person is living off campus; the “W” means the student is a corresponding student. These main indicators help route the file to the proper department when it leaves the file room. When filed, in central files, they are kept in numerical terminal digit order by student classification.
Straight Numerical Filing
Straight Numeric filing is the filing of numbered documents in a numerical sequence order starting from the first number and proceeding to the highest. Colour coding a straight numeric file is somewhat dependent upon the total number of files. The major advantages of straight numeric filing are no training of file personnel, since most people know how to find files if they are numbered from the lowest through the highest number in the files. Ease of retiring old files; in most cases of straight numeric files, the oldest files are the ones with the lowest numbers. However, this does not mean that their activity might be less.
It is normally better to keep files straight numeric, if the first file will be as active as the newest.
Special Colour Coding
There are various special codes which can be added to a file to give the file added dimension or meaning. One way of colour coding for meaning is through the use of plain solid colour designators. Designators might mean, for example: type of insurance, sections or departments of a company, doctor grouping or whatever would aid in retrieval, sorting or selecting types of files. The alpha-numeric example showing a state abbreviation and number also has a solid colour designator. In this case, it denotes special files pertaining to the job number; blue meaning union contracts; green meaning sales contract; red meaning insurance forms, etc.
Another useful and popular special code is time dating or purge codes with the use of year colour labels so that the files can be removed when they became so old and inactive that they are just taking up active file space. Many firms date files for removal and storage after 3, 5, or 7 years. Therefore, year codes become important to keep the file free of inactive files and to save cost on equipment and space. New year codes are added or replaced as the file is updated. The colour makes this easy and time saving because we can remove all old files by their colour; there is no necessity to read or to even look inside the file. The year code colours usually repeat every ten years. All year codes should be spaced away from any other coding on the file folder.
