The age of internet has consistently bragged about its ability to eliminate the hassle that comes with physical paperwork. Cloud storage completely altered the way office filing works but as pointed out by many before us, going full-on digital is a double-edged sword.
For instance, it is common that a power outage happening at work can result in loss of data, so if you are one of those companies who abandoned the very concept of tangible storage and didn’t set up a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, then you are in big trouble.
This is the very reason majority of companies opt to keep their physical storage systems. We’re not saying you should resist innovation by choosing not to go for cloud storage but it wouldn’t hurt to have both an online and offline backup.
We understand that the idea of setting up a filing system can be quite taxing but if you know how to go about it, it’s an effective way to store important office data for both internal and external purposes.
First thing you need to do is to declutter. Remove every piece of item that is no longer relevant to the company and once you’re done, that when you start to actually set up the office filing system.
Next is to learn to prioritize. If a particular file is not something your team needs on a daily basis, keep it at the back and instead, place the ones you need often at a space more accessible.
For files that are crucial and your company can’t afford to lose, a filing cabinet with a lock is the best way to go. Duplicate the files so you have a backup in case the other one gets lost or damaged somehow.
Remember, prioritizing is knowing how to arrange the files in accordance to your staff’s needs.
Finally, develop a labeling system that’s easy to remember and navigate around so employees won’t have a difficult time trying to find what they are looking for.
If you need advice on how yo set up an effective filing system in your office. Give our effective office space planning experts here at SOI a call and we’d gladly help you!