Tips for Organizing Your Office File Storage Area

When it comes to office organization, the filling system is one of the most important aspects. Too often, people try to save every single document, regardless of whether or not it is necessary. This can lead to a lot of clutter and wasted space. Here are some tips on how to create a better filling system and only save the records that need to be saved. Keep reading to find more  tips for organizing your office file storage area using filing cabinets or shelves with boxes.

Organize Your Filing System

Has your file clutter gotten the best of you? It’s always a good idea to frequently organize your filing system for many reasons. One being that it will help clear your desk, giving you more space to focus on your work. It will also help declutter your mind because, let’s be honest- a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind. Not to mention, it’ll make finding documents much easier and faster when you need them. 

How to Store Your Documents

When it comes to storing your documents, the two most common options are filing cabinets and keeping filing boxes on shelves. Both of these options have their own pros and cons, so it’s important to choose the one that is right for you.

Filing Cabinets 

Filing cabinets are a great option if you need to store a lot of documents. They are also very sturdy and can be locked, which is ideal if you are storing sensitive information. The downside to filing cabinets is that they can be expensive and they take up a lot of space.

Filing Boxes 

Storing your files in filing boxes on shelves is a great alternative to filing cabinets if you have limited space. They are also less expensive and can be easily moved around if needed. The downside to shelves with boxes is that they are not as sturdy as filing cabinets and they are not lockable.

How to Keep Your Files Managed

Avoid saving unnecessary documents

One way to avoid saving unnecessary documents is to create a system for what documents need to be saved and for how long. For example, you may only need to keep financial records for seven years. After that, you can shred them. Or you may want to keep customer records indefinitely. Another way to avoid saving unnecessary documents is to scan and save digital copies of documents instead of saving the physical copies.

Be consistent with your methods

How can you be consistent with labeling your documents? One way is to create a standardized naming system for all of your documents. For example, you could use the date followed by a description of the document. Another way to be consistent is to always put the documents in the same order. For example, you could alphabetize them by last name or date. Each organization is different so it is important to find the labeling system that works best for your files.

Store related documents together

One way to store related documents together is by creating a filing system that groups documents together by type. Another way to store related documents together is to group them by project. For example, if you are working on a project with multiple team members, you could create a folder for all of the project-related documents.

Off-Site Storage Solutions

If you are looking for some extra space in your office while you are getting organized, Augusta Data Storage offers off-site storage for your documents. 

Cool Storage

If your items require special storage conditions, Augusta Data Storage offers climate controlled vaults. Our facility is NARA compliant which means our facility meets the minimum structural, environmental, property, and life-safety standards for federal records storage. 

Security

If you have storage space at Augusta Data Storage you will be granted access to our inventory monitoring software. Our O’Neil software allows you to check the status of your records that have been moved in or out of storage. You are also able to make service or retrieval requests through our client portal 24/7.

Shredding

If you are looking to make permanent space, Augusta Data Storage offers on or off-site shredding. We offer many shredding solutions to best accommodate your files. Here are our shredding options:

Bulk shredding: Bulk shredding or purging allows you to take mass amounts of documents and dispose of them at once. 

Scheduled shredding: Scheduled shredding allows you to to schedule when you’d like your documents to be shredded. This can be monthly, quarterly, yearly, or a one time shred. 

On and off-site shredding: Augusta Data Storage can shred your items on or offsite. If you choose to do so, we will bring our shredding truck to you so you don’t have to do any of the work. If that doesn’t sound like something you’re comfortable with, bring your documents to us. 

All of our shredding options keep your information safe and secure through our NAID-AAA certified process. Once we have completed the shredding process we will provide you with a shredding certificate for your records.

Are you ready to get shredded? Call us at 706. 793. 0186 or check out our website to get a quote today.