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 happymoon77/iStock/GettyImages Traditional paper filing has been largely replaced or aided by file storage in computer databases. There are advantages and disadvantages to traditional filing. Although paper files are at your fingertips and easily accessible, they also take up a large amount of space and waste paper. Determining whether a traditional filing system is right for you depends on your business. Legal firms and companies that hold medical records might find that their files change or grow so quickly that traditional paper filing is the only way to keep up with daily developments. Easy to AccessTraditional file organization is easy to access. Files are physically in a central location. If you can't find something, you can spend as long as you need going through each file until you find exactly what you're looking for. The ability to see, touch and read your files whenever you need to may help you think about how to innovate aspects of your business. Easy to UnderstandTraditional filing systems are typically easy to understand. Files can be arranged in several ways, including alphabetically, by topic or skill sets, numerically, by date, by location or in order of importance. Even if you don't initially understand the filing system being used, you can figure it out by going through the files and paying attention to their defining factors. OutdatedOn the other hand, traditional paper files have been replaced in many organizations with computer filing. More companies are scanning and downloading their files into office computers. With this method, workers can find files and upload them instantly with search database software, saving time and increasing productivity. Difficult to ProtectTraditionally organized files are difficult to protect. Fires or other natural disasters can destroy files, which may result in lost business. Backing up traditional files is time consuming, and takes hours of copying, labeling and re-filing. Lack of Space and EfficiencyTraditional file organization can get out of hand. The number of files to organize grows with your business; it can be a pain in the database to find space for all that paperwork. Filing items efficiently can also become a challenge. References Writer Bio Oubria Tronshaw specializes in topics related to parenting and business. She received a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Chicago State University. She currently teaches English at Harper Community College in the Chicago area. Photo Credits happymoon77/iStock/GettyImages
Traditional file organization refers to an approach to organizing computer-based or electronic files. Prior to computer databases, many businesses simply organized files by creating folder structures and placed documents and files into folders based on category or type. This method has given way to database systems in many cases. However, traditional filing is sometimes advantageous if you have a relatively small number of files. Simple to UseThe traditional filing system is very simple to set up and use, assuming the number of files you maintain is small. If you have five basic categories of documents and a limited number of files in each, for instance, you don't need a database system to easily store, maintain and retrieve your files. You also don't have to worry about learning a software system and training employees to use it. Minimal InvestmentIf you're using a traditional filing system, you also don't have to make an investment in a software database that may include an upfront purchase and ongoing licensing fees. Naturally, you need a computer, which is fairly commonplace in business whether you store files or not. Your basic file structure is maintained right in your computer's hard drive. Alternatively, you can purchase a very inexpensive external hard drive that allows you to transport files from one computer to another. Poor Data IntegrationA major deficiency of the traditional filing system is that it doesn't enable cross-file data integration or data sharing. With a software-based filing system, you can maintain various folders but you can cross-match searches to retrieve documents in multiple files. Additionally, you can enable multiple employees to search through shared data files. This integration reduces time to search through all individual files, a benefit that's especially important if you maintain a large amount of files or have a large client base. Duplication and Lack of SecurityYou also risk duplication of data if you don't integrate your files through a database. In a traditional system, your computer doesn't recognize that you create similar documents and store them in different file locations. Additionally, your traditional filing system doesn't offer nearly the level of security that a carefully crafted database filing system does. Encrypted data and current security are key features as company's regularly develop enhanced database systems. References Writer Bio Neil Kokemuller has been an active business, finance and education writer and content media website developer since 2007. He has been a college marketing professor since 2004. Kokemuller has additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University. Image Credit George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images What are the problems with the traditional files system?Problems resulting from the traditional file environment include: Data redundancy: duplicate data in multiple files, leading to data inconsistency, different values used for the same attribute. Program-data dependency: Changes in programs requiring changes to the data. Lack of flexibility.
Which of the following are disadvantages of file processing system?Data Redundancy and Inconsistency - Identical data are distributed over various file system . This is because of the redundancy inconsistency may occur on updating . 2. Data Isolation - Data is stored in various files which may be in different formats .
What is traditional file processing system?Traditional file processing systems include manual systems and also computer based file systems that were linked to particular application programs. This is the type of file processing that you used with your 3GL programming. They share a number of characteristics.
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