Managing electronic files, continued. Storing electronic files is easy, but can create a haven for outdated and unorganized documents. Many people take the same approach with electronic folders like physical file folders and use them as places to hold every document, saving them for just in case. This is not the best strategy because memory space on the server or your computer is usually a limited commodity. Enormous data files slow your system down and create a vast sea of files to manage. Another issue with electronic files is the organization. Having endless files filled with randomly named documents slows you down when you need to search for a particular document. Without a file naming strategy, you will most likely have to rely on your memory for retrieval, which is another time waster. Taking the time to set up your folders and naming both files and documents with a systematic format makes organizing and searching your files and documents more efficient. Having a filing strategy that manages your file size and facilitates faster retrieval is the goal. Moving files through phases of inactivity helps you determine when to archive your data to external media. Finally, naming your documents with a uniform pattern allows you to use the search function on your computer more effectively, taking away the need to rely on your memory. The method presented here is a recommendation. You certainly can modify this to fit your individual needs and circumstance. Just remember the following when developing your own strategy: make it consistent, use your computer’s file search function, make it time-sensitive. Place your archive material on an external medium.
