Certain things never seem to go out of style. From classic apparel like blue jeans and old recipes that still taste lovely each and every time, there are some things in life that need no updating or improvements to keep them useful.

In a business or office situation we often see old favourites still in use years after they first began to be produced.

Items like ballpoint pens will still be found in almost any company. No matter how advanced technology may become, people will still need to jot things down quickly from time to time. Even businesses that operate only on the internet still provide standard notebooks and pens to employees for convenience.

Another oldie but goody is your traditional ring binder. Here at Office Allsorts we still receive regular requests for these useful pieces of filing equipment. Businesses requiring document storage of papers ranging from invoices to client correspondence use ring binders both in the office and at off-site storage facilities. They are also often used on the go, by companies that need to provide estimates or receipts at mobile locations.

While the ring binders of old haven’t been modified to a large extent, they do currently feature certain elements that make them even easier to use. Components like plastic pockets eliminate the need to punch a hole in every document, and elastic closing systems can now better protect your papers.

Many ring binders from Office Allsorts are sold in packs of three, five or ten, making it easy to equip your office with a matching set and set the foundation for an organised filing system.

You can also choose from a range of materials, depending on the desired durability of your binder. Some filing jobs require a very basic model made of paper covered board, while others will be best protected in a full polypropylene cover.

Click here to see all of our ring binders, and for any queries don’t hesitate to contact our friendly experts.

Proper filing and document storage is more than just buying some files and writing clearly on the tabs. There is a huge range of filing products available to make the archiving of your documents a simple and efficient process and best of all in the current financial climate it’s an area of business improvement that you can implement without having to invest heavily.

At a time when businesses are striving to be as efficient as possible filing and archiving presents a fantastic opportunity for companies of all sizes to streamline their processes at the fraction of a cost of other initiatives. Put simply, poor filing harms businesses as it makes then less efficient. There are also the legal obligations to consider that means all company information should be kept safe and secure from fraud, they are also obliged to keep finances in an accurate and accessible manner for audit.

Updating  your companies filing systems is not something that has to wait until a filing cabinet breaks or your lever arch files become so warn that they are only held together by sticky tape. Although there may be some pain involved in switching from an old to a new system the long term benefits of a properly organised filing system should far outweigh the short term extra work caused.

When we talk about filing systems and archiving documents this is not limited to the main filing cabinet in the corner of the office. Every desk and work station has the opportunity to be organised more efficiently and the introduction of some simple low cost filing solutions such as presentation booklets or desktop drawer sets will help you colleagues by ensuring  that their work space is clear and important information is stored close to hand. Most businesses in the UK have a quiet period, and this presents a great opportunity for the business as a whole and the staff to overhaul their filing and archiving processes.

Filing solutions are not just about the information that you want to keep, it also involves the information that you need to dispose of. In a recent study by Fellowes only 64% of businesses had a clear policy of how to handle sensitive documents. In  addition to this the same study found that 32% of employees admitted to always throwing away sensitive documents directly into the bin. Both these figures show us that many businesses have room for improvement in this area of their filing solution and with the possible serious legal consequences that could come about from employees poor handling of information quick action is required for many companies.

Outsourcing your shredding is common practice, however this can be a costly exercise and many businesses can be put off implementing a shredding solution due to the perceived cost involved.  On-site shredding offers a lower cost option which also has the added benefit of reducing the possibility of fraud. Shredders are available in a range of sizes and for us as little as £200 you can purchase a high security departmental shredder that comes with a 5 year manufacture guarantee. Another option is to provide personal shredders to key individuals in your business so they can manage their own shredding, this allows for sensitive information to be disposed of almost immediately thereby further reducing fraud risks.

Filing may not seem like an area of your business that requires investment of money or time but if you’ve ever had the experience of not being able to find an important document and consider the amount of time that was spent hunting for it or the costs and time spent having to reproduce it