Tips for Picking the Best File Folders for Your Industry
On the job, day-to-day tasks vary greatly depending on what industry you work in. For example, you would probably organize documents in file folders much differently in a doctor's office than you would in a retail store. And you wouldn't likely archive law firm files and school records in the same way either.
Fortunately, there are different kinds of file folders that are designed with specific uses in mind. In this buying guide, we are highlighting the unique folder needs of a few different industries and the styles of folders that industry professionals find to be the most useful. Feel free to scroll down to the industry that you work in for tips on how to choose the best file folders for your important documents.
Topics Covered in this Buying Guide
- Legal Industry File Folders
- Education Industry File Folders
- Financial Industry File Folders
- Healthcare Industry
1. Legal Industry File Folders
Although certain aspects of the legal industry are slowly, but surely, moving to online platforms, a great deal of legal paperwork is still maintained in folders. In law firms, law enforcement stations, court offices, and government administration offices, professionals often use folders with top sheets to designate the status of the documents inside. These folders are typically arranged in a cascading manner to allow them to move from one stage of completion to the next as a case is resolved.
It is common for case paperwork to be initially filed in a manilla folder when it's just starting out and then progress into an accordion-style folder and maybe even a banker's box full of folders later on as the attorneys receive more documents. Both letter-size and legal-size folders are commonly used in the legal industry.
Recommended Folders for the Legal Industry
2. Education Industry File Folders
Teachers and school administrators often use folders to keep student documents organized and separated from each other. Some of these folders are used only by educational professionals, while others are designated to students for their use as well. File folders for the education industry should be very durable, especially if young children will be using them.
You can place folders on bookshelves or in file boxes for students to easily access and place homework assignments and tests inside. Brightly colored, plastic or poly file folders are great for schools because they are sturdy, spill resistant, and are appealing to children. Color-coded folders can be labeled with a "to do" side and a "finished side" for children to submit completed work. Hanging folders are also useful for teachers who need to organize lesson plans for different school periods or subject areas.
Recommended file folders for schools
3. Financial Industry File Folders
Banking, lending, and accounting professionals use file folders to keep track of client accounts, investment records, and statement ledgers. Financial professionals often utilize hanging folders that contain multiple folders inside for multiple years of tax returns. These individual folders will contain W-2 forms, 1099s, and tax deduction documents. Combinations of hanging folders and internal file folders can also be used to separate documents from various checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, social security benefits, mutual funds, stocks, and bonds.
It is helpful to index loans, leases, and mortgages by name or number, and color-coded labels will help you find what you need more quickly. Fastener folders and classification folders that are made with a sturdy pressboard material are great for large loan files. And if you need to store away many financial documents for backup, you'll likely want an end-tab shelf filing system to save space, costs, and hassles.
Recommended folders for financial professionals
4. Healthcare Industry
Even with frequent discussion of transitioning to electronic medical records, the average medical office still has cabinets and drawers full of patient data. Keeping all of this confidential and highly sensitive data organized is crucial in the field of medicine, which is why it's so important to choose the best file folders for the healthcare industry.
Straight-cut tab manila folders, purchased in bulk, are often used in doctor's offices and hospitals and then identified with color-coded labels. These are ideal for open-shelf filing systems. It is also useful to have end-tab fastener folders in medical offices to secure and display the most pertinent patient information on the top of a stack of records. Medical file folders with dividers allow healthcare professionals to separate clinical notes, medication profiles, and insurance information. Standard weight manila folders, as opposed to heavyweight options, may be sufficient for healthcare industry use. However, colored folders are used less frequently in medical offices than in other industries.
Recommended folders for medical offices
Of course, there are many other industries that use file folders on a regular basis as well, such as retail stores, nonprofit organizations, and churches. Many of the file folders that we carry at On Time Supplies are multi-functional and be used by professionals who work on a wide variety of tasks.
Start a live chat with us if you any questions about our file folders or whether the folders you're thinking about buying are well-suited to your industry. Happy browsing!
