6 Tried-and-True Ways to Better Organize Business Paperwork

If you’re like most people, you have several large drawers in your home or office full of receipts, invoices, product manuals, and other papers that you need to keep track of. Organizing your business paperwork doesn’t have to be a time-consuming, tedious task. There are many ways to streamline your system and make it easy to stay on top of your documents. Using color-coding for specific documents to labeling folders and designating particular locations for each type of document, there are many ways to tackle the paper pile. Once you get the system down to one that works for you, it’ll be that much easier to keep up with your paperwork every month.

Run An Audit

An audit is often the best course of action when looking at organizing any part of your life; that is to say, check what currently exists and see what you can do to improve it. Regarding business paperwork, it is wise to gather all of the existing documents that you have and systematically go through them, disposing of redundant paperwork and refiling the stuff you need more efficiently. This will be a long and tedious process, but the payoff will be immeasurable. Several days of sorting could potentially result in many working hours saved from you or your staff being able to search for what you need more smoothly. Once you have established a sense of order, you can move onto the next step.

Rearrange Your Filing Cabinet

This one can be as sophisticated or as uncomplicated as you desire. The main point is to keep all of the critical paperwork used regularly towards the front and easily accessible and the less used towards the back. If you want to go a step further (which is always recommended), you can assign classifications and labels to each file, making them easier to find at a glance.

Digitize

The benefits of scanning business paperwork can be described as a better way to manage and view your important documents. Businesses are one of the places where scanning technology is prevalent. Managers and owners have realized the benefits of using a scanner than the old-fashioned way of storing or filing paperwork. Scanners are a modern and easy-to-use way to organize documents, and for some companies, it is even a requirement to scan and store documents. You can scan all of your existing paperwork and make it a rule from then on that employees must file all new documentation digitally.

Use Specialist Software

There is plenty of software that can simplify business documentation that ranges from accounting to human resources. Contracting is a prime example of where this software can help. Contracts are critical to most businesses, but paper contracts can bring up a myriad of issues. This stems from the fact that they are prone to physical damage and need vast amounts of time spent on basic tasks such as updating stakeholders about any amendments. According to the contract specialists Contract Hound, you can save time and money by allowing software to automate certain operations and keep things organized by having everything located online. By using contract management systems, you can store all documentation in the cloud and automate mundane tasks.

Hire Outside Help

Your business should put a system in place that makes it a requirement to store documentation in the proper locations correctly. This can even be law in some business categories. The ideal way is to train employees on the appropriate handling of paperwork. You could do the training in-house or hire specialist consultants to come in and get things set up. Once they have everything in order, they will train staff on the correct procedures for maintaining efficiency. The main advantage of hiring professionals is that they will have the experience and time to handle this allowing you to get on with the business of business. The downside is that these services are often not cheap, and it could disrupt workflow until the job has been completed.

Shred What You Don’t Need

Shred often and shred with impunity. An often overlooked aspect of document organization is getting rid of redundant items. Disposing of papers that are not needed for running the business or that you don’t need to keep can be filed away in the trash. However, the safe disposal involves, at a minimum, shredding to keep information secure.

Paperwork is one of the leading causes of stress in the workplace. (It is estimated that employees spend up to 6 hours a week looking for documents.) This is because paperwork can quickly devolve into a chaotic mess. Fortunately, there are ways to organize business paperwork that are both efficient and effective.

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