ORGANIZING THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

The very first thing that faces to us when we open our computer is the desktop layout where it displays the default basic window’s icons of our computer’s programs.  In observing with some colleague while working, I’ve noticed that most of their desktops are congested of folders and files that are perplexing and cluttered.  The layout of our desktop is the main door to our electronic files, which is our work.  If in main door alone is an intricate pathway to our main file, how much more we’ll need to go through when we click each folder towards to the document we need? It requires us to spend little extra time finding the right location of our document.

In my opinion, desktop should be organized since it starts here the very beginning of our daily works.  Organizing the desktop needs a good judgment in classifying the genre of the documents. It will help us to facilitate our work efficiently, create a smoother workflow, and increase the productivity.  Although organizing the electronic documents is depends on the individual who uses the unit, good layout is still important to improve our operation and to create a good business impression.  If sometime sorting folder’s name may depend on the nature of work, but trying to adhere in the common format is good move.  Below are my 2-cents in keeping a well-organized desktop that I feel maybe helpful to others.

1. Avoid saving your documents in the desktop to keep it neat, limit the practice if inevitable.

2. Choose drive D or your libraries to store your documents.  Your libraries help you to classify your file as to document, music, picture and video.  However, only the owner of the computer can access the documents stored in the computer.  In drive D, whoever replaces you can access your files and do your work.

3. Classify the documents according to type of work not based on Microsoft program.  Some named their folder as MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, PDF, etc. regardless if they are letter, reports, forms, etc.  The boss will ask you to give him the letter copy anyway, not give him the PDF.

4. Create a “Shortcut Folder” on your desktop.  Your shortcuts of all useful programs, folders and files that contained in your computer can be put in this folder.  The more tasks you are doing the more possibility for you to create shortcut links to your desktop until become disorganized and clutter as more icons are added to the desktop.  The shortcut folder then helps to control the space of your desktop.

5. In your shortcut folder, have a “Temporary Folder” and use this for the documents that you cannot classify and for documents that you will delete later.  Using this will control the sporadic tendency of your desktop layout.  If you are in a hurry to save your file, you can save it in the desktop for the meantime but make sure to move this to the proper file later.

6. Still in your shortcut folder, use “Forms”, “Letters”, “Reports”, “Temporary” for instance  as the name of your sub-folders.  That is, all forms, whether it is in word, excel, or PowerPoint will be kept in your “Forms Folder”, as all letters be it PDF or words doc will be kept in “Letters Folder”.

As we work along, we cannot help but to have sub-folders of the sub-folders of the main folder.  The important here is we understand the main folders for all of these.  We should know what items to have in our desktop, organize and minimize them.  Limit the space of our desktop with important icons only.  The fewer icons it has the fresher it looks.  The sporadic look of our layout is tiresome and gives stress.  Help ourselves to find ways in sorting out strains, anxiety and hassles.  Do not make our world complicated out of disorganized electronic documents.  

By Alex V. Villamayor

October 3, 2013