Most of today’s work clutter isn’t on our desks – it’s in our computers. Disorganised files and messy inboxes can be just as damaging to your productivity as having a messy office. Here are some ways that you can digitally declutter your business to make it work more efficiently.
Get on the cloud
Nowadays, work is done from multiple devices including computers, phones and tablets. This can sometimes result in files and data being strewn across multiple devices. Rather than storing all your information on the hardrives of these devices, start storing everything on the cloud. By using Hybrid Cloud Solutions, you can access your files and data using any device from any location. This could allow you to take notes on your phone that you can then access on your work PC, or start a document at home that you can finish at work without having to email it to yourself. Cloud documents can also be accessed by multiple people at once and edited in real time.
Create an efficient filing system
If your filing system is a mess, take some time out to reorganise it so that’s information can be easily accessed. Try to use a logical folder system – whether it’s an alphabetical system or a dated system. For files that you want to keep secure such as legal documents, it could be worth downloading special software to store these files from websites such as Symfact.com. Such content could be password protected if only you want to have access to it. If you’re using a mixture of Apple and Microsoft devices, make sure that documents are saved as a special format or converted to be read on all machines.
Reorganise your inbox
For getting on top of a cluttered inbox, it’s worth creating a folder system that can allow you to easily prioritise emails that need acting upon. The five folder method is the most effective and involves sorting emails into folders as to when they need to be responded. Your inbox is the first folder for reading emails – from here you can sort them into one of four other folders ‘today’, ‘this week’, ‘this month’ and ‘FYI’. The latter folder ‘FYI’ can be for emails that have been acted upon that you may still want to refer to as well as emails that are purely informational and require no action. Take time to delete emails from your inbox occasionally, set up a spam filter to get rid of spam and make sure that every new email is read by the end of each new day (if you’re currently lagging behind, this could involve a few days spent solely catching up).
Uninstall excess software
It’s likely you’ve got software on your computers that you don’t use. You may even be paying for some of this software. Consider the programmes that you don’t use and get rid of them. It’s possible that certain software may be able to do the job of multiple programmes, freeing up space. For difficult-to-remove software you could consider downloading an uninstaller from a site such as RevoUninstaller.com.
