Manage your files

Here are some tips to help manage your files. The original source for this document is: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_85.htm The Art of Filing - Managing Your Documents... and Your Time. I have edited and re-written portions of the original documents.

1) The first rule is to avoid saving unnecessary documents. Don't make a habit of saving everything that finds its way into your Inbox or on to your hard drive by way of downloads, loans of software, Freeware, trail versions, etc. . Take a few seconds to glance through the content, and save a file only if it's relevant to your work activity. When I say work activity, I mean ACTIVITY AT WORK. Your home computer is your business, and the time you spend trying to find a file is YOUR TIME, not the company’s time. Having too much data on your computer adds to the clutter that makes it harder to find things in the future – and it may, over time, slow down your computer's performance.

2) Us a consistent method for naming your files and folders. For instance, divide a main folder into subfolders for customers, vendors, and co-workers. Give shortened names to identify what or whom the folders relate to. What's more, you can even give a different appearance or look to different categories of folders – this can make it easy to tell them apart at first glance. Suppose we have a folder named BuildingProj [Building Project]. You would make sub folders UNDER this main folder and name them bidders, vendors, collaborators, etc., and you would put the appropriate files in the appropriate folders.

3) Store related documents together, whatever their type. For example, store Word documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and graphics related to a particular project in a single folder – rather than having one folder for presentations for all projects, another folder for spreadsheets for all projects, and so forth. This way, it's much quicker to find, open, and attach documents for a particular project.

4) Separate ongoing work from completed work. Some people prefer to save current or ongoing work on their computer's desktop until a job is completed. Then, once it's done, they move it to the appropriate location, where files of the same category are stored. At periodic intervals (for example, weekly or every two weeks), move files you're no longer working on to the folders where your completed work is stored.

5) Avoid overfilling folders. If you have a large number of files in one folder, or a large number of subfolders in a main folder – so many that you can't see the entire list on your screen without scrolling down – break them into smaller groups (subfolders or sub-subfolders). Think of creating a sequential menu, arranged either in chronological or alphabetical order, to make retrieval easy. For instance, you can divide a folder called "Business Plan" into subfolders called "BP2005," "BP2006," and "BP2007." For Business Plans of the year 2005, etc. Likewise, you can divide a folder for a client named Delta Traders into subfolders named "Delta Traders sales presentations" and "Delta Traders contracts." The idea is to place every file into a logical folder or subfolder, rather than have one huge list of files.

Having said this, there is usually little point in creating a folder for fewer than about five documents. If you do, the time you spend clicking through subfolders to get to the documents you need may not be outweighed by the greater ease of finding them.

6) Install Google Desktop on your PC. If you can (sometimes IT departments don't permit this), install Google Desktop on your PC – you can find this at http://desktop.google.com. This tool creates a desktop search engine that indexes all of your files and emails. It allows a search through your Google Index that is quick and easy.

7) Back up, back up, back up. Make sure your filing system is backed up. Make sure , that your PC is backed up regularly and that the backup includes the directories where you file information. You can download a FREE backup tool from Karen Kenworthy at: http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp Backup to an external, USB drive or to a CD. Store a backup OFF SITE in case your PC is stolen or the business burns to the ground.

8) Prioritizing Your Files for Action - Take these approaches further by customizing your file management. This can help you prioritize your work, which can lead to better efficiency.
a. Organize files by dates. Incorporate a date into the file name. This will help you determine which is the most recent document in the folder, without having to open the file and read through the content. For example, a file named "Guidelines 12Oct07" would indicate a version of the Guidelines file dated October 12, 2007. Again, BE consistent, and follow the company policies and procedures manual for dating. As you know, dates can be expressed in various ways.
b. Some people use version numbers to distinguish between documents that have been reworked or changed. Examples would be "Delta Traders contract v1" and "Delta Traders contract v2." This also makes it easier to pick out the most current file. I use this often when dating image files. Dog1Ver2, and Dog2Ver1 are images of two different dogs, but I have only one version of Dog 2, while I have TWO of
Dog 1. If your document is going to be looked at, used, or amended by several people, you need to be particularly careful about version control: People quite rightly can get very annoyed if versions are mixed up and their work on the document is lost. Be consistent with version numbers, too, of course.

Make sure you put the version number in the file name, and also consider having a version control table at the beginning of the document showing the version number, the date of the version, the person making changes, and, perhaps, the nature of changes made. See the header of this article, for example.

For any system to be useful and effective, it must also be convenient for you. To some extent, this depends on the nature of your business or the work that you do.

[10-11-2007]