If your business is still in the business of using paper to create and manage documents, then proper physical organization of those files is vital. Not only is it key to making sure that things like your business finances and records are organized, but it can save you a ton of time and effort when you’re much more easily able to find what you need during the working day. As such, here are a few tips to make sure that your file storage and organization are up to snuff.
File things consistently
First of all, ensure that you have the filing cabinet organizational tools that you need to be able to split your paperwork into different sections, and to be able to organize them. Sometimes, organizing files by date makes more sense, such as if they are your financial records, whereas some might be better organized by alphabetical order, such as files related to employees or clients. Think about how you’re likely to filter down your options first if you were to start searching for a specific file and recreate that same process with your physical paper organization. Make sure that you separate any files related to ongoing work from completed work, as well. Streamline things to keep sifting through irrelevant documents to a minimum.
Print with intention
How you print the files that you use can also make a big difference in how you store and track your paperwork, as well. For instance, if you are printing off multiple copies of a document that has multiple pages, the default printing setting will print off all of the copies of page 1, then all of the copies of page 2, and so on. This requires you to organize them all yourself, which makes it very easy for copies to get lost or mixed up in the process. Learning how to collate print jobs can prevent this. Take the time to know your printer’s options and how they can save your work and prevent mistakes that cost you time and more printing resources.
Know what to keep and what not to keep
The reality is that one of the biggest causes of lost time and effort is simply keeping paper copies of too many fields. You have to know which documents are not going to be necessary to keep in paper form. If a file is going to be relevant to future work needs, or is part of a record that you’re likely to have to be able to reproduce, then you should certainly keep a copy. If you’re not likely to need it in the near future, however, it might be better to back it up with a digital copy, especially with the help of Cloud storage, rather than taking up precious physical space with it.
Don’t underestimate the impact of a well-organized filing system on your workplace. Follow the tips above and you will see real efficiency improvements while avoiding the dreaded missing or lost files that can really pose problems down the line.
