Organizing your files in an easy-to-find location on your computer allows you to use your time efficiently and helps you find the documents you need in a moment’s notice.
Organizing your files in an easy-to-find location on your computer allows you to use your time efficiently and helps you find the documents you need in a moment’s notice.
Here are some best practices to consider implementing for your digital files:
1. Set goals for digital file organization
a. Start by asking who, when, and how. This allows you to understand how you will set up your files.
i. Who needs to understand your digital file organization system?
ii. When will you start this and how much time can you spend?
iii. How will you know you’ve succeeded?
2. Prepare and get input
a. Talk to the leadership team and your team to get their input and understand their priorities. Here are some potential questions to start with:
i. What do they like/dislike about the current digital file organization system?
ii. What’s confusing/difficult to find?
iii. What are some of their suggestions on organizing digital files?
3. Delete and archive first
a. Go through and delete files you don’t need so you don’t waste time organizing them. If you’re not sure whether to keep them, you can put them in a folder titled “Archive,” and revisit them later.
4. Organize digital files by name, date, project, or department
a. Decide on the best way to organize files based on your organization and its needs.
b. You can decide to organize files by name, date, project, or department.
5. Choose a file naming convention
a. After you decide how to organize your files, decide how to name them.
i. Example: If you’re organizing by date, your file name structure might be: YYYY-MM-DD, followed by any other details you might search for.
6. Establish a system for version control
a. Establishing a system for version control allows you to know which document is the final version you will be using. This is especially useful if there are multiple people collaborating on one document.