How often does this happen? You open a client file and spend the first five minutes scrolling through years of note history, desperately looking for that one critical note or maybe all the notes related to a specific topic.
Using Notes effectively isn't just about capturing the note. It's about making it findable for you and your team in the future.
Here is the 3-layer system to master your file notes:
Layer 1: Type & Subtype (The Filing Cabinet)
This is your primary, structured classification. Think of it as the mandatory filing system for your entire practice.
- Type: The high-level category (e.g., Advice Document, Meeting, Call, Email).
- Subtype: The specific item within that category (e.g., SoA, RoA, Initial meeting, Review meeting, Adhoc meeting, Enquiry).
Your practice should have a clear, consistent structure for these. But this rigid structure can't capture everything. What about the context of the note?
Layer 2: Tags (The Flexible Search Filter)
If Type/Subtype is the "filing cabinet," Tags are the flexible, adhoc "hashtags" you stick on the file.
Tags are not meant to replace your Type or Subtype. You wouldn't create a Tag called "Review" if that's already a Subtype.
Instead, Tags should capture the context or topic that the rigid structure doesn't.
How It Works:
When creating your note, you still select your Type and Subtype as normal. Then, in the 'Tags' field, you add your labels. Unlike Subtypes, you can add multiple tags to a single note.
Tags must be setup in the Note|Tags field definition by your system administrator. Some examples might be; Super, Investment, Insurance, Draft, Needs review, Final
Why do it?
Your Type and Subtype might be Meeting and Review, but the Tags Super and Investment tell the story of that meeting. Now, you can filter all notes for any client that has the Super tag, regardless of whether it was an email, a call, or a review meeting.
Layer 3: Pinning (The "Must-Read" Thumbtack)
This final layer is for visibility. You've classified your note (Type/Subtype) and made it relatable (Tags), but what about that one note that is more important than all the rest?
That's where Pinning comes in.
How It Works:
On the client's 'Notes' page, find the critical note and click the 'Pin' icon (it looks like a thumbtack). This immediately replicates that note to a separate "Pinned" section at the very top of the list, where it will stay until it's unpinned.
💡 The Pro-Workflow: Using All Three
Here is how you combine them for a perfectly managed client file:
Scenario: A paraplanner has just finished drafting strategy notes for an upcoming client SOA.
- Type/Subtype: They select Advice Document and SoA. (The what)
- Tags: They add the tags Draft, Needs Review and Super (The context)
- Pinning: They Pin this note as it is the most important right now. This note may be superseded in the future and then you would unpin this note.
Stop scrolling and start structuring. Using these three layers together saves time and makes your team more efficient.
