No matter how far technology has come along, we still have the occasional need for paper documents. Some industries require hard copies of things like patient information or signatures on certain documents, or maybe it’s just easier to keep up on storage of older records that way. Whatever the reason, physical document and record storage is still an important part of many jobs and industries, and if you find yourself spending a lot of time trying to manage proper filing techniques at work we’ve got a few tips here:
Make Sure You Have The Right Equipment
There’s a lot more to record storage than you might think, and it’s important to know that not all filing cabinets are the same. Depending on the nature of your documents, you might require something with a lock, something a little taller (or shorter depending on the size of your office), or something deep enough to accommodate everything you need to store. For longer-term storage of documents, you might want to consider some document storage shelving options to keep paperwork around for longer and in a safe area where it won’t be accidentally re-arranged or lost in the shuffle.
Know What To Keep And What To Throw Away
It’s too easy to get stuck in the mindset of keeping every scrap of paperwork that comes your way, “just in case”. When anything crosses your desk, take a few seconds to glance it over and only resolve to keep it if it’s relevant and necessary. This applies to retaining documents as well – if you only needed to hang on to a file for a certain length of time, or if you find some printouts that are no longer relevant to the work you’re doing, don’t feel bad about tossing them out to make room for new documents.
Store Related Documents Together
Having a good filing system for your filing system might sound a little redundant, but it’ll help save a lot of time, space, and effort in the long run. For example, keeping completed work separate from uncompleted or ongoing work can keep your files straight and prevent misfiling or accidentally uncompleted work or forms. If paperwork you need to hang onto can be broken down by time frame – yearly, monthly, etc – then organizing them by their scope can come in handy; for example, having separate folders for your 2014 accounting paperwork and your 2015 accounting paperwork will help everything stay separate and uncluttered.
Hopefully these tips get you off to a good start when it comes time to re-sort and re-file your needed documents and paperwork. It might look daunting, but with the right equipment and the right mindset you can see it through.
