It’s amazing how much time is wasted due to insufficient filing systems. If you’re not very organised when it comes to filing, putting a system in place for your documents and records can seem like a daunting process. It needn’t be. One of the biggest problems facing businesses is the misconception that they need to keep every document, and every email.

When it comes to managing your records, and putting an efficient filing system in place, there are several things you need to consider…

Which documents do you actually need to keep? What documents would you consider to be a record of your business? Are you likely to refer back to it? Is the document accessible elsewhere? How are you going to store your documents? Have you considered what happens to your emails?

Having a good clear records management system in place will also greatly assist with ISO compliance.

There are a few tips below which will help you with organising your systems:

Think of everything through the READ / ACTION / DELETE cycle Do you really need to keep it?

Introduce naming conventions to all your documents and stick to them. This will make  them easier to find in future.

Make sure you incorporate version control into corporate policies and procedures. You are then able to make sure you are always looking at the most recent document.

Name your emails to stand out! If you ensure all emails are titled with the area of business to which they refer, and whether there is an action to complete, this will improve efficiency immensely.

Think about who you are sending your email to. Nowadays our in boxes fill up with so many emails and more than half of them are irrelevant to us.

Where possible, try to stick to paperless working, and scan paper items. By keeping your documents online, you are only dealing with one system which is easily backed up and requires less storage space!

A lot of people have suspension file holders in drawer units in their desks, and they use them for a myriad of different things, but right now I’m going to give you an idea of how to use them to organise your time more effectively by setting up daily & monthly rotating files. It’s a simple idea but it works well, and you can use this same philosphy on emails too.

• Take 12 suspension files, label them January through to December, and place a document wallet into each, for your monthly file.
• Take a further 31 suspension files and label them 1-31, for your daily file

Everytime you come across something that doesn’t need actioning just yet, you place it in the appropriate monthly file. At the beginning of every month you empty the current monthly file into the daily files based on when they need actioning. Give yourself a few days breather by placing each item in a date a few extra days ahead of when it’s due. The monthly folder can now go to the back of the section.

Get in the habit of checking your daily file first thing every day by setting yourself an email reminder, or putting a warning tape over the PC on button until it becomes a habit! You will likely find you check it several times throughout the week, and on going this system should enable you to become more disciplined with paperwork too. Getting into the habit of using the RAD system; Read, Action & Delete for all paperwork will also help declutter your desk.

Working with a clear desk helps you concentrate.

This process can be used to aid invoicing and bill paying too. By writing out your payment cheque, placing it in an envelope and putting it in the day file three days before it’s due to be paid, then posting it on that date means it will get there on time, but the cash is in your account until the invoice or bill to be paid.  

Just think how lovely it will be to always be able to find that document when you need it!