Tips for Starting a Successful Business

3 Factors To Remember When Creating Labels For Your File System

23 January 2017 by Brianna Cole

It's a great start to organize your files in one secure, convenient location. However, it's even more important for you to properly label and organize your files. Insufficient label data or trying to cram too much information into a single file will typically defeat the purpose and make you even more disorganized. Make sure you're on the right track.

Think Search Function

When thinking of how to label your files, start your efforts by thinking of the search function you commonly use. If you are overlooking this step, you will end up with labels that simply don't make sense, which only adds to your workload.

For instance, if you're organizing client files, think about what identifying factor your team uses to organize clients, such as an ID number, name, or home address. In this instance, if you use ID numbers, putting the name of the client on the label would serve little purpose and would only make it harder to locate your files. Think function and build from there.

Establish Consistency

Make sure you are establishing a level of consistency with your labels. To piggy back off the previous example, don't use ID numbers on the file labels in one storage area and names on the files stored in another area. Not only will this create chaos, but when it comes to organizing information, inconsistencies can create issues.

From the size of the label to the type of font used to what is included and where the label is located on the file, keeping everything the same keeps your information organized, and allows your team members to more efficiently find the information that they need.

Remember That Less Is More

Always keep the idea that less is more in mind. If you are trying to put too much information on a label, especially if it is on the smaller side, you will end up with a hard to read, jumbled mess. To stay on track with this goal, make sure you aren't overlooking the use of sub files.

To use the client file example again, with a sub file system, one file might contain application information, another payment history and another service requests. The idea is separating information by theme. With this set-up, the label can be customized based on the specific contents of the file, making it easier to locate.

Make certain you're keeping organization in mind when creating labels for the best results. For more information, visit sites like http://www.northwestlabel.com/.

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