Best Document Control Solution Tips
It’s probably happened to you. Somebody was waiting to get their hands on an important document while you looked through a pile of paperwork to find it. Perhaps you filed the document in the wrong folder or had put it aside to deal with later. Sometimes you may actually end up missing a deadline because you’ve lost a file whether it is in its physical form or stored on your computer.
When you find that you’re spending too much time trying to track down files, it’s time to look at a document control solution that is effective and will work for you. It’s crucial to keep all of your files accessible and organized at all times. Not only will it save time and energy in the office but it will keep your clients and customers happy as well. Here are some tips you can use to help you gain control over your documents and the organization of them.
Use a Consistent Document Control Method
Consistency is key when you are categorizing your folders and files and giving them each a name. It’s always a good idea to map out a plan for folder storage before actually getting started. Take a pen and paper and form a hierarchy of the main categories, subcategories and miscellaneous folders you might need. You may need a number of main folders that are divided into subfolders.
When creating names for all of the folder types you’ll need to be consistent with the way you name them. For example, if you’re going to be using short forms for some of the names, you should do it for all of them. This way, when you’re searching for the folders and files you have stored, you’ll know whether to search for them using the abbreviated form of the name or the full name. Even simple things like naming your folders should be done consistently in order to find your folders quickly and easily when you need them.
Storing Related Documents
Instead of having one single folder, for example, that is dedicated to presentations for all types of projects, create subfolders for each one. This way you’ll find it much easier to find your documents and you’ll be able to keep all file types in this folder including presentation notes, graphics, reports, spreadsheets, letters and more.
Completed Work Should Be Kept Separate from Ongoing Work
If there is a special project that you are working on with a team you can create a separate folder for it and keep the ongoing and completed work in different subfolders. Look for a document control solution that gives you the flexibility to create as many folders and subfolders as you need to keep your business well organized. All of the project files can be kept in one location and as the ongoing work is completed it can be moved into the folder for completed files.
Discard Any Unnecessary Documents
Have a meeting with your employees to determine what types of documents must be saved and which ones can be discarded. If you are hesitant to do this and want to make sure that no documents get completely removed, you can create a folder for discarded documents. This way they have been ‘discarded’ but can be easily retrieved if need be. All it takes is one employee that makes the wrong judgment call and gets rid of an important document to create a big problem.
You can also find a document control solution that allows you to file older, obsolete and unnecessary documents automatically. It’s important to keep your active files and the completed documents you need to keep stored separately from other files that may not be as important or have been deemed to be obsolete.
Avoid Putting Too Many Files in a Single Folder
If you find that things are getting confusing you may be overfilling some of your folders. When this occurs, you may need to re-categorize the files and create separate folders based on what you find. The goal is to have every file placed in a logical subfolder or folder instead of having a huge amount of files in one single folder.
Document Control Software to Meet Regulatory Requirements
If you are in an industry that has regulatory requirements that must be met, look for a document control solution that gives you the functionality you need. It should be able to monitor when employees need to take the next training sessions, consider who has the qualifications necessary for positions and allow you to send out forms saying that all the requirements have been completed.
Search for All-In-One Document Management Software
In order to keep all of the folders and files in order you should be working with one complete document control software that can do everything you require and much, much more. It should be able to grow with you as your company expands and offer features that you not only need today but may need tomorrow. Keeping documents on different software is never a good idea. You need one that all of the employees, teams, managers and administrators can use.
When everyone can access the information they need, business traveling is no longer a problem. The document management software you choose should be enabled and secure to allow you access from wherever you are for safety and security reasons and for easier access from anywhere in the world where Internet is available.
When you have this type of document control solution in place, you’ll also need to ensure that only the people that need to access certain files can get into them. You’ll need to be able to control who has access to the files and also limit accessibility to those that don’t need to view them. You should be able to send out confidential data to specific individuals without having to worry about it falling into the wrong hands. You may not want a sensitive document meant for a team leader, for example, to be read by the custodian.
Use these tips to manage your documents to keep everything organized and easy to access. To find the best document control solution for you, please visit interaxgrp.com now to experience an interactive demo of the best document control software on the market.
