Filing to Cabinets and Categories

FYI utilises Cabinets to limit user access to documents and Categories to "tag" your documents with relevant metadata. This approach makes it easier to search and find what you need compared to traditional folder-based systems.

Cabinets

Cabinets are the top-level hierarchy for filing documents within the practice.

You can configure the number of cabinets and the naming conventions applied to reflect the broad divisions of operations in your practice.

FYI comes shipped with best practice default cabinets. When FYI is implemented, the following Cabinets are automatically added:

• Corporate Affairs
• Correspondence
• Final Reports & Returns
• Partner Files
• Permanent
• Policies & Procedures
• Practice Admin
• Workpapers

Defaults for Cabinets can also be held for each client. When filing a document for a selected client, the default is offered and can be changed as needed.

Defaults for Cabinets can also be held for each user. These will be offered if there is no default held for a selected client.

Access to documents within a Cabinet can be restricted to a specific User Group in order to secure access to information. Where a user does not have access to a Cabinet, they cannot see any of the documents stored within.

It is important that Cabinets are set up correctly for your practice before you set up your User Groups. 

Refer to Setting up your Cabinets and Categories.

Categories

Categories are the way in which documents in FYI are tagged with meta-data to create a filing structure. Categories can be used as filters on lists when displaying the information in FYI.

When FYI is implemented, the Category Year is automatically added.

You can set up additional Categories. For example a Category Work Type which can be set up to suit the requirements of your practice - for example, Tax, Audit, Administration and more.

When filing a document for a selected client, these defaults are offered and can be changed as needed.

Defaults for Categories can also be held for each user. These will be offered if there is no default held for a selected client.

Refer to Setting up your Cabinets and Categories.

Using Folders vs Tags

In traditional folder-based filing structure, a file can only sit within a single folder at any time. If you can’t remember the folder name or accidentally drag the folder inside another, it can be difficult to find what you need.

For example, if you want to locate all of your 2020 Tax Letters in .pdf format, for all clients:

In a folder-based system you could:

• Perform a search for the text "2020 tax letter" but this may miss documents if the naming convention differs even slightly (such as, "tax letter - 2020").
  Or
• Search each individual client folder, followed by the "2020" year folder and locate their tax letter, but this is extremely time-consuming.

In FYI’s "tag-based" system you could find these documents simply by:

• Performing a search and filtering on the Year category "2020", filtering on document type PDF and search for a document name containing "tax", or searching the name on "letter".

Finding and refiling documents is extremely easy in a tag-based system - it's just like filtering and sorting an excel spreadsheet of all your documents.

The benefits become greater the more data you have available to you!

Refer to Search and Retrieval.