Break Free from E-File Entanglement:
7 Simple Steps to Organize Your E-Documents and Create a System You Trust
There’s nothing more frustrating than having to look high and low for something you know you have. And it’s uber-frustrating when you have to sift through piles of paper and files on your desk to find that one bit of information you seek.
But when you have to find an electronic document, it should be so much easier, right? They’re electronic after all, so shouldn’t the Search function find everything you need?
Not necessarily.
When your search takes longer than going to the right file to find the right document, you’re losing time. When you have to spend more minutes sifting through the results of the search function, you’re losing time. When you have to open and close multiple documents to see if you found the right document, you’re losing time – and your documents are named well, but that’s a whole other story.
The clients with whom I work use several methods for storing their documents, all of which take too much time and add more frustration, so I’ve outlined 7 steps that you can take to get started with organizing your e-documents to create an e-file system you can trust.
Step 1 is Location
First, choose one location for all your e-documents, if possible. Either the C: drive, My Documents or a Shared Drive. If you have to put certain documents or folders into a shared drive due to corporate guidelines, that’s fine. For everything else, pick one location for the rest of your stuff.
Step 2 is Separation
In the drive typically used the most, create two folders: one for “Business” and one for “Personal.” If you prefer to name the business folder according to your company name or by another name, feel free. Same goes for the personal folder.
Also, put a “1″ in front of the Business folder and a “2″ in front of the Personal folder so that they both fall at the top of your folder list in that order. Move (and organize!) all e-documents and folders into each of these two main folders and everything else listed below these two folders should be a system file or software that doesn’t belong in Business or Personal.
Step 3 is Consolidation
Recreate your new file system with new groupings. Consolidate documents that belong together. Keep documents in groups according to major categories, like departments, programs, projects, functions, etc… When categories grow, divide them into smaller sub-categories. You may need sub-categories for your sub-categories, so always start BIG and then break it down.
Step 4 is Elimination
Simplify what you’re keeping. You’re likely to find tons of documents you no longer need, use, want or love. If you haven’t looked at something in months or years, consider deleting it. Only keep what’s useful to you.
Step 5 is Simplification
Simplify by getting rid of all the short cuts to your documents and folders on your desktop. Organize documents previously stored on your desktop in your new e-file system and begin using and trusting your system. The stronger you make it, the more support it will give you when you need it the most.
Step 6 is Isolation
Isolate the software programs you use most often and organize them on the left side of your desktop screen in groupings that help you find what you need when you need it. Keep these separate from ones you don’t use often and eliminate software icons from your desktop altogether if you don’t need them at all.
Step 7 is Utilization
Open My Computer first thing in the morning when you open up your e-mail program and other programs you use all day long. Go to the location you chose in Step 1, whether that’s My Documents, the C: drive or a shared drive. These programs are easier to use and maintain when they’re open and ready for action. They can be minimized on your screen, but available all day long.
