For example, in the "blog posts" folder, I saved three different posts. These posts are arranged by publish date mmyy and named by post topic, rather than by blog post title since titles often change. This structure works really well with files that will be going through many rounds of edits. I used this folder structure while working in publishing to keep track of all the rounds of editing, typesetting, and proofing that goes into a finished book.
I keep track of each draft of the blog post by saving it to either a "to review" or "from review" folder, meaning that the draft was last edited by me "to review" or by my editor "from review". This helps eliminate confusion around the draft number I edited the blog post three times, but my editor edited twice.
Keep the file name the same, but add the initials of the editor onto the end. Change the file name to include v2 on the end and remove the initials. This will become your second draft. Open the file, make your edits, and send your file back out for review. Because the number of reviews and drafts your file goes through can vary, repeat this folder structure as many times as necessary.
Looking back on your folders later, this will help quickly find the final version of the file. If you haven't already saved earlier versions of your files, you can restore recent previous versions of files in Dropbox , OS X , Windows and more.
If your Desktop houses hundreds of files, all related to work for just a few clients, creating folders for each client might be your best bet. Or if you have an overwhelming number of receipts for business expenses, sorting them in folders by year or month could be the simple structure you need. However simple, find a system that works for you, and then stick with it.
Consistency is what will help you stay organized in the long run. Instead of—or in addition to—folder structures, try tagging files. The benefit of tagging is the ability to add multiple tags to a file, such as tagging an invoice for Client XYZ with an "invoice" tag and a "Client XYZ" tag.
Then you can see all invoices together or all files related to "Client XYZ" together, depending on your query. You could store the report within a folder structure like this:.
Or you could simply add "department," "report type," and "date" tags to the file and avoid folders altogether, like this:.
So when you want to find this file again, you can search for it by tags:. The key to tagging is to tag every new file immediately and consistently. On a Windows PC, tags are supported on some file types, and can be added in a comma-separated list via the file properties pane.
Check this guide for more info on tagging in Windows. Once you've decided on a folder or tagging structure, it's time to start using it. Eventually, you might want to go back and organize your old files according to your new structure, but for now, start fresh with the files you are working on today.
If you sync your files with OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, or Google Drive, you can use Zapier to automatically creating your folder structure. The first step to using Zapier, in this case, is deciding when you will need new folders created. If you make them every time new projects start, set up a Zap to watch your project management app for a new project.
Or, if you want new folders created every month or week, use Zapier's Schedule tool to create folders on a certain date. Then, connect your file sync app, and have Zapier make a new folder.
You can then add more steps to your Zap , and have it make as many subfolders as you need—and can even have it copy default files into the folders.
For example, if customers sign up for your service with a Wufoo form, Zapier will add their data to Pipedrive CRM, then create a new project folder in Box along with any subfolders you use in your folder structure. If you need to save contracts, templates, or other documents to that folder, Zapier will copy them to the folder, too. Or if you want to make new monthly folders in Dropbox. Start your Zap with the Schedule app, choosing the day and time for it to run.
Then, set up the folder structure you need for your month's work. Here are some other Zaps to help you get started. Then you can add extra steps to the Zap for each additional folder your structure needs. Looking for more inspiration? See our article that features some of the best ways to add automation to your organizational workflows. Organizing your folder structure is only half the battle. Keeping your computer organized will also require tidying up your file names.
Files are made up of two components: the name whatever you decide to call it and the file extension the type of file, like. How to make your file name as descriptive as possible with essential parameters. Avoid long file names ; they should not exceed 30 characters. As such, depending on the number of parameters you want to use, they are likely to be abbreviated.
When this is the case, it is important to document this in a readme. Avoid special characters and spaces when separating the different elements of your file name, do not use spaces or characters like? You can use dashes and underscores. Example of a good folder structure:. Policies, procedures and forms. Often, it is the groundwork that is the hard work, and creating the file directory structure with the right folders is the easier part.
For example, in Workspace one of the most popular features is the Document Management app , a game-changing capability that can bring all documents that employees work with into one online workspace and folder structure. This gives the opportunity to redefine the folders that employees access their files on, bringing together Microsoft previously known as Office , your file server, One Drive, and SharePoint including your Teams folders.
Here you can create your ideal file directory structure design, by:. It really is worth taking care of your folder structures. If your folder structure has broken down, you have the opportunity to rethink it from scratch and create a great file directory structure. Do you have questions about Workspace ?
Please contact us! How do you increase customer happiness and, differentiate yourself from all the other MSPs and VARs in your area that offer the exact same services, like Microsoft and IT security?
Mark Grasmayer, Head of Marketing at Workspace and guest lecturer in digital We are constantly improving the user experience of the digital workspace. Additionally, we allow people to easily contact colleagues Intranets were once static one-way channels for sharing company news. Modern intranets are interactive, dynamic, personalised and offer much more than just news.
We explain how a modern and social intranet can boost employee satisfaction. The modern intranet: social, The importance of good folder structures in the digital workspace by Mark Grasmayer Jul 3, All Blogs , Digital transformation , Elevate your intranet , Employee experience , Maximize Microsoft Why folder structures matter Unfortunately, folder structures are often a huge mess.
It is well worth spending some time considering a good digital folder structure that will: save people time finding the items they need, sometimes at short notice reduce the risk of people using the wrong document contribute to an overall good employee experience encourage people to think about where they place their documents rather than using the folder structure as a digital dumping ground make your overall digital workspace easier to manage and more sustainable support future structured approaches to managing content, such as content or SharePoint migrations, or introducing new search capabilities.
What makes a good folder structure? At a high level, a good folder structure has three major aims: It helps employees find what they need quickly and with confidence It guides employees to store files inside the directory structure in the right place, again with confidence It is sustainable, so the folder structure can evolve and grow without having to be reorganized, or without the folder turning into a dumping ground.
To achieve all three aims a digital folder structure usually must have the following attributes: Intuitive labeling so folders are easy to understand, reflect the subject of the files within them and guides the user to what is below it in the hierarchy. Has the right balance between granularity and findability.
You want the right number of folders and an appropriate number of items within them. Has the right depth. How many levels does a person need to go down to find what they need? Consistent in how it is structured. A consistent approach helps employees navigate a folder structure through an inherent logic; however, there may be different elements of your folder structure that may have to be organised differently.
This is the case where you are working across a wider folder structure serving a number of different audiences and purposes. Has a structure that is sustainable and is flexible enough to evolve with your needs , for example where you can add further categories and more documents without breaking the original folder structure.
Has the right governance. How do you work out a strong folder structure? So, your digital folder structure also needs to consider different factors such as: Your audience and how they think and work. Who is going to be using or accessing the folder? And who is going to be accessing documents? And how do they think? What work processes do they follow? This detail really can dictate folder structure.
For example, you may adopt a very different approach for a folder of documents that everyone is going to access across your company, and just those that are more working documents for a project team. The purpose of the documents within the folder structure. Different parts of your folder structure may have different purposes. It may be solving a business problem and need to be accessed regularly.
In this example, the data contain audiotapes of the interviews, interview transcripts, stimulation material shown to the research subjects, and photographs taken by the subjects. Data files are files connected to the same interview event conducted on the 22nd of January The latter part of the name reveals the specifics of the file. In this case, "audio" means audio tape and "trans" a transcription of the audio tape. However, background information must never be stored in the file name only.
Batch renaming is organising research data files and folders in a consistent and automated way with software tools also known as mass file renaming, bulk renaming. Follow the steps in the video to use Bulk Rename Utility to batch rename your files. Data Management Expert Guide 1. Plan 2. Process 4. Store 5.
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