The Most Effective Way of Organizing Your Files, Folders and Documents
Are you pulling out your hair figuring out the best way to organize your office documents? Read our article to know the easiest way to keep your official documents organized and easy to retrieve.
Businesses of all types and sizes will have documents that they need; whether they create them to
issue them to others or whether they receive them from internal or external sources, there is going
to be paperwork. Though the volume may be less for a small business, this does not make them any
less important.
When it comes to important documents, it is crucial to treat them with the respect that they
deserve. This will not only keep them organized and readily available but also secure and easy to
access. While a locked filing cabinet may be the first option considered by many people, this does
not necessarily mean it correctly meets the requirements of the business.
In fact, the best way to achieve the ultimate level of organization for paperwork is through the use
of high-quality software to keep them electronically. Make use of this tool
https://www.filecenterdms.com/info-document-management-software.html to help run your business
in the smartest way possible.Be Orderly
At its most basic, being organized means doing things in an orderly manner; this can be applied to all
aspects of a business, such as paying salaries correctly and on time, or arriving for appointments as
scheduled. This is no different when it comes to processing and storing documents, files, and folders.
An orderly filing system will ensure that documents are kept properly in every sense of the word; not
only will they be kept in a systematic way, but they will also be safe against the risk of loss or
damage.
Some may argue that leaving files and documents in your in-tray or in a prominent place on your
desk is sufficiently orderly – they're in date order and you know exactly where they are – however,
this is a fallacy. Using this type of method which lacks any real planning can result in documents
being taken and placed elsewhere, being dislodged by a desk fan, or being soiled by an accidentally
spilled coffee.
You may be able to get to them whenever you're ready because they are close at hand, but when
you consider the full picture, it is actually the opposite of orderly.
Keeping things in good order makes particular documents, files, and folders easy to find and to be
able to reference, which is not true of an over-flowing in-tray. You may find some great tips about
organizing files and folders on this article on Zapier.Choose Convenience
Whenever you are considering the way in which to organize your documents, you should determine
whether it is convenient, which will play a part in how effective it is.
Using a filing cabinet that is housed next to a desk may seem like a convenient way to keep files
organized, but this would no even be true for the smallest company that is merely holding its ground
rather than growing. Even a company that is not attracting new customers will still need to update
and maintain their existing records, which will mean adding documents to existing files. There is
nothing convenient about upgrading to a larger filing cabinet or having to get another one because
the one you have is too full.
It will still be necessary for employees to leave their desks to physically go to the filing cabinet in
order to find the document they need, even if they only need some information from it rather than
to actually send it anywhere.
What if multiple people need to access documents in the filing cabinet at the same time? Will they
line up and take their turn or jump in and search while someone else is searching? Consider the
needs of everyone who will have access to the documents and whether the organizational method
you choose is convenient for all of them.
Though a filing cabinet may provide the ability to organize files in a certain order, this doesn't
necessarily mean it is convenient. A manual filing system provides too much scope for documents to
become damaged or lost, or even for files to be returned to the wrong place, which results in time
being spent looking for it.Keep Up with the Times
An effective method of organizing files will allow for easy correspondence with other parties, as it
will make it possible to transfer documents without issue. In order to achieve this, you need to be
able to provide documents in a format that can be accessed and viewed by the recipient.
Accordingly, if others are making use of the most up to date technology, you need to be able to keep
up with them; if someone else maintains a paperless office, they are unlikely to want you to send
any necessary documents by mail.
It is necessary to organize the files, folders, and documents of your business in a way that offers
convenience and efficiency, which is possible with document management software. By using this
method, you will be able to collate all your existing documents and any future ones onto one system
so that they are all in one place. It will be necessary to properly organize all existing hardcopy
paperwork before proceeding with this method to ensure the transfer is completed methodically.
Within an electronic system, documents can be properly labelled so that they are easy to identify,
and they can be arranged into files to further section off documents into their relevant departments.
This will enable the creation and saving of documents in a systematic way that will help demonstrate
the high level of organization within any company.
The capacity of the software means that you will be able to store a vast number of documents,
which will negate the risk of not being able to provide an old document because it had already been
destroyed. Think about how you would feel if you suddenly got a letter from the IRS to claim that
you owe back taxes, but you no longer have the tax returns to be able to prove them wrong.
In addition, by creating documents and saving them to an effective and efficient electronic filing
system, you will be able to save paper as hard copies will not be required. What could be better than
helping the environment while creating the best record-keeping system for your business? You will
no longer need to repeatedly buy reams of paper, deal with jammed printers, or deal with stuffed
filing cabinets.
By using this method, you will be able to get access to the documents at any given moment, whether
you just want to view them or attach them to an email for sending.
In this day and age, it would be difficult to argue that the most effective way of organizing files,
folders, and documents would be anything other than an electronic format. A high-quality electronic
document management system will offer everything you need to be able to keep your files
organized properly.
