Whether you are running a company or working for one, digital document storage is always a hassle. Companies struggle with managing their documents even with advanced cloud-based document management systems. Having a digital or cloud-based management system does not mean you do not have to worry about the organization of the files.

Like on-premises document storage, digital document storage also needs proper organization for seamless management. Finding a document can be quite an ordeal if the documents are not managed properly especially when you are running short on time. Even when time is not a limitation, you can end up spending way too much time on a simple task just because your documents were not organized. This adds to low work efficiency and unwanted time delays.

So, if you are also having a hard time managing your documents, worry no more as we have got a few tricks up our sleeves to help you out.

Let us get started right away then!

Be specific in naming folders

One of the first and foremost things when it comes to digital document storage is following a proper naming convention. It is a very common practice yet many people tend to skip it while saving or uploading files or documents when in a hurry. Always remember, following a specific pattern in naming files goes a long way.

Start off with a basic word for instance ‘Sales’ and as you add more files to it try to be more specific as to what those files are. The file in the sales folder could be ‘Sales in Jan20.’ You can add all the files that come under the ambit of sales in the sales folder and so on.

Sifting through the scans and arranging and properly naming them in folders will take time but trust us once you get the hang of it you will never want to have it any other way. This way you will save your employees and yourself a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted because of the improper naming of the file folders.

Add folders within folders

Another handy tip for digital document storage is nesting folders within folders. This allows you to add more organization to your folders. Companies that have a lot of documents to store, cannot make do with just folders.

For instance, if there is a folder named ‘Sales’ and a certain company has years of documents to be put in sales, the subfolders could include ‘Sales_20’ or ‘Sales_21’ and more. This way all the similar files remain under the same parent folder so that whoever wants to access sales files from any year would know where to look for them.

Create a proper hierarchy within folders

While you nest folders within folders, maintaining a proper hierarchy is integral to good management. A proper folder hierarchy entails a logical chain of folders. As the number of folders within the folders increase, maintaining consistency becomes all the more important.

Imagine there is one parent folder named ‘Sales’ with a subfolder Sales_20. This could have a subfolder named ‘Sales_20_Jan’ or simply ‘Jan20.’ This is one of the easiest techniques to arrange your folders. As long as the route you pick to name your file makes sense to you, you are good to go.

Arrange files as per your convenience

Many people opt for either the alphabetical order or the chronological order to arrange the files in their document management system. It is a good way to arrange your document files but not quite efficient if you ask us.

At times, the files you require the most are under the piles of folders. The folders that you hardly open are often more accessible because of the alphabetical order. You ought to arrange the folders at your convenience. Drag the folders you are opening the most to the top. This way, you will be able to access them easily without having to look for them. This will, again, save you a lot of time that is otherwise spent either scrolling or typing in the search bar.

Delete folders you no longer need

Many times companies no longer need to keep the data for a plethora of reasons. Employees or whoever oversees the document management system is often caught up with the question of whether or not to delete a certain folder. It is an important question. And needs to be addressed the moment anyone realizes that the company no longer needs to keep certain data.

Clear the clutter. Ask yourself if you are in charge of whether you would need these folders in the future or not. If there is no chance that you would then go ahead and delete it.

Final word

Organizing your digital document storage is not a piece of cake. But once you are through it once, the rest of the things become a heck lot easier. Save yourself from the daily grind and organize the document management system today!