3 Ways To Improve Organising Digital Files – Everybody has personal and professional digital files. Throughout a lifetime, all of this information can start to build extensively.
Most people know the basic rules of organising files. For example, it’s generally common sense to backup data in case certain services steal or delete all of one’s data fast. Of course, it’s not always third-party services causing trouble, with negligence from oneself or colleagues causing file complications too.
Files must be organised effectively for better information management and security. Here are 3 ways to make progress toward this aim.
Merge Files
Having lots of separate files can confuse people, especially when they are many in number. It may be best to group these digital documents for greater access and efficiency.
The process of merging PDF files can be done by any computer user, regardless of their digital literacy. One needs to drag and drop their chosen files into an online dropzone. Users can also reorder the files and share them easily through the same system. Doing this means storing and organising PDFs becomes much more straightforward for all.
It’s not just about the person merging the files, either. If they have important digital documents to send, then conducting a merge on the recipient’s behalf can bring peace of mind. After all, there’s no guarantee that everybody knows about these solutions, so getting ahead of anyone else’s oversights can be key.
Implement a Naming System
When there are few files on a personal machine, many people can develop shorthand or vague names for their documents. Because there aren’t many documents, the ones that exist will be easily remembered.
As file numbers start to build, this logic becomes more flawed. Soon, the vague titles can bleed into one another, and it can be difficult to distinguish one digital file from the next without clicking into it and browsing the contents. It can be a time-consuming process, as can the effort to rename everything.
Those organising their files should use simple and clear language. They should avoid the use of punctuation and symbols. It could be a good idea to include version numbers where necessary and the date the file was created. There are still some variations with the naming conventions that people choose to adopt, but so long as it’s consistent and clear, it’ll make storing and finding digital files easier.
Collaborate with Teams
Of course, a business may already have a file naming policy, which should be followed in that context. That said, it may not be perfect, but that doesn’t mean workers are powerless to change things.
Reportedly, employee negligence is the leading cause of data loss in businesses this year. Therefore, in a workplace context, improving the organising of digital files may be a collaborative effort. This would be especially important if employees are all using a shared cloud server.
Professionals could run an internal survey asking questions like:
Is finding files easy or tedious?
How can the business improve its file-sharing techniques?
Can they detail the positives and drawbacks of any file storage software they’ve used previously?
There’s more than one way to manage digital files. By collating a wide range of opinions, professionals can ensure that they do all they can to improve teamwork and keep things organised.
Poppy Watt