Reference no: EM133034697

You and two other students have been invited to assist the owners of a small clothing company to gain better control of their records. The two owners of Creative Designs design, create, and sell silk ties for men. A variety of designs are used, including various holiday and sports themes in addition to their own creative, whimsical designs. Currently, the company consists of the two co-owners, one sales representative, and one administrative assistant. Temporary workers are often called in to help prepare a large order for shipping. The administrative assistant is responsible for preparing files for storage, filing all records, and retrieving records as needed. However, everyone in the company has access to the files, and they often remove records if the administrative assistant is helping prepare a shipment to a major retailer.

Because the company is small, few records controls are being used. Sometimes an owner is unable to locate the sales records for a specific buyer, and no one knows who has a custom-design client's records. Misfiling occurs frequently because someone is in a hurry when records are refiled, and file users often stack records to be refiled wherever space is available. The administrative assistant spends unproductive time searching for misfiled records and records that should be in storage but are not.

The owners plan to expand the product line to include matching dress shirts, which will mean more employees and more records.

1. Work with your team members to prepare a list of recommendations to help Creative Designs improve its records management. Include the kind of records procedures you would recommend for this growing company and additional supplies or equipment needed to provide adequate control of records.