How do you file your documents on a computer?
Are you tired of wasting time looking for a document on your computer? Like the mountains of paper files piled up on your desk, files and digital files accumulate on your computer. And all this mess is seriously hampering your productivity. How to be efficient when you don't know where a file is located?
Why is it important to file your documents properly?
Adopting a rigorous ranking is essential to improve your daily productivity. An orderly work environment promotes concentration and reduces stress, while saving valuable time.
By not looking for a file for long minutes, you can speed up task resolution. It also encourages collaborative work, as it becomes simple and fluid to share information.
In addition, clear and effective filing is an essential element of data security. Indeed, the readability of files and folders reduces the risk of accidental information loss and promotes the establishment of regular backups.
End digital chaos once and for all with these 7 tips for effectively filing documents on your computer.
6 tips for filing documents on a computer
In order to organize your files clearly and develop an effective filing plan, we suggest that you implement 6 tips that will allow you to put your files in order.
1. Delete duplicate files
It often happens that you save the same file in several different places or that you download an attachment or a document several times. These useless copies clutter up your desk, but they also take up memory on your computer.
So a good way to start organizing your computer is to delete all duplicate or even triple files.
2. Create general folders
Folders are essential for organizing your documents and finding them easily. They form the first line of your document structure.
There are several ways to structure your files. You can opt for an organization by customer or project, by date or by theme.
It's up to you to determine which method works best for the way you work. Finally, name your files carefully and simply so you know immediately what they contain and avoid abbreviations that you may forget.
3. Create sub-folders
Once you have arranged your files in the various general folders you have created, you will be able to organize them into sub-folders.
As with general folders, create subfolders that make sense and follow a certain logic. You can choose to organize by date, by file type (Word, images, PDF, etc.) or by categories (communication, marketing, invoices, etc.).
To remain efficient and find your documents quickly, avoid creating too many subfolders. Your organization should be convenient and your files should remain easy to access.
4. Name files and folders correctly
It is essential to name your files accurately so that they are easy to find when you search on your computer.
For example, if you have just created an invoice for your customer A, store it carefully in the Customer A > Invoice > 2024 > July folder. Avoid simply calling it an “invoice,” as you will most likely have more than one for this customer. Instead, a relevant file name would be “Customer Invoice A July 2024". As long as you can, try to keep it as short as possible using abbreviations for example (“nov” for November).
However, if you want your files to appear chronologically, you must take into account your computer's ranking logic, which is either in alphabetical order or follows the American nomenclature for dates, i.e. “year — month — day.” Ideally, you should therefore name your invoice “2024-11 Customer A bill”.
Finally, if you want your undated files to follow a particular order, simply add a number in front of the name (1-Planning; 2-Partners; 3-Budget; etc.).
5. Archive documents you no longer need
If you have completed one of your projects, you can move the entire folder containing all the documents related to this project into a folder called “Archives”. Don't make the mistake of deleting folders from your old projects, as you may still need to look into them to help you with a similar project.
Keep this “Archives” folder on your computer or save it in Wimi Drive.
6. Use a collaborative platform
You want an efficient tool to store, organize, and easily share your documents ? One collaborative platform is the ideal tool. Wimi offers you a unique space where you can centralize all the documents related to your projects and exchange them with your team, but also with your customers and partners.
You find all your shared folders per project. View, edit, and share your files with your collaborators and schedule automatic backups. You control the access rights to the various folders and thanks to an automatic versioning system, you always work on the latest version. And above all, your data is completely secure.
What filing system should I adopt for my personal and professional files?
The choice of your ranking system is above all personal, because it depends on your specific problems and needs, but also on your work habits.
In all cases, it is necessary to create a clear, logical, and hierarchical folder structure. A personal filing plan can thus be composed of categories such as “Administrative Documents”, “Professional Life” and “Professional Life”. Then, each of its categories can have subcategories. For example, the “Administrative Documents” section will include “Taxes”, “Banks” and “Insurance” files.
In the same way, your business files will be organized into main folders such as “Customers”, “Marketing” and “Human Resources”, which themselves include relevant sub-folders.
An important point is to maintain flexibility in your approach at all times. In this way, you can change your ranking system over time.
What tools or software are recommended for organizing documents?
The choice of tools depends on the size of your company or the complexity of the projects. Thus, if a small business or a freelancer can classify its documents with native file managers such as the Windows file explorer or the macOS Finder, teams have every interest in turning to a collaborative solution.
An all-in-one collaborative platform like Wimi for example is useful for adopting a global approach to project management. Beyond the simple storage of documents and their classification, it also offers you functionalities such as a personalized workspace or task management tools.
Best practices to adopt to keep a computer tidy
Once your document filing process is complete, don't let up! To capitalize on your work and keep your computer tidy, apply these 3 best practices.
- Sort regularly by deleting all unnecessary files and reorganizing the overall structure if necessary. With the help of cleaning tools, clean up your hard drive and operating system.
- As you add new files, don't forget to add tags or labels within your Wimi space to find your documents in a few seconds.
- Protect your data by organizing regular backups or taking advantage of Wimi's automatic backup feature to save time and ensure the preservation of essential information.
Conclusion
Filing your documents on your computer is not that complicated. You'll be amazed at how much more productive you can be with a computer and well-organized documents. And what a feeling of accomplishment after doing this major cleaning. You know what you have to do!
