Organising Business Files and Folders

Managing business files and folders can quickly become complex particularly in larger offices with multiple departments and high volumes of staff. Documents are often stored across a wide range of locations, including lever arch folders, filing cabinets, shared network drives, SharePoint, OneDrive, and even email inboxes.

Streamlining File and Folder Management in the Workplace

This fragmented approach can turn what should be a simple file retrieval into a frustrating and time-consuming task.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Where did I save that file?” or found yourself searching through filing cabinets, digital folders, or a colleague’s inbox without success, you’re not alone. Disorganised file management wastes valuable time and can hinder productivity.

Just as supermarkets are laid out in clearly defined sections for ease of navigation, a well-structured file management system helps reduce frustration, streamline access, and boost overall efficiency.

However, any system you introduce must be user-friendly and intuitive. If it’s overly complicated or difficult to maintain, staff are less likely to adopt it leading to disorganisation all over again.

Here are our tips for organising business files effectively -

Best Practices for Storing and Organising Business Files

Efficient file management is essential to smooth day-to-day operations in any organisation. Yet, a common issue we continue to see is business-critical files being saved on individual laptops or left printed on desks making them inaccessible to others who need them. It may seem obvious, but the consequences of poor file storage practices include duplicated efforts, lack of version control, and ultimately, wasted time.

To avoid these issues, documents should be saved in a shared, secure location such as a company server, network drive, or a dedicated document management system (DMS). These platforms ensure all team members can access the same up-to-date information and, crucially, offer backup protection. If a laptop is lost, damaged, or stolen, your business files remain safe and retrievable.

Organise by Category

A strong folder structure starts with clear top-level categories. Choose a system that aligns with your business operations. Examples include:

• By Department – e.g., HR, Finance, Operations, Sales, Quality, Compliance

• By Client – Create individual folders for each client with consistent subfolder structures (e.g., Contracts, Invoices, Reports)

• By Product or Service – House all relevant content under product-specific folders with subfolders for marketing materials, technical documentation, roadmaps, etc.

Organise by Date

For recurring tasks and time-sensitive documents, date-based organisation can be highly effective. Creating folders by year and/or month allows users to quickly find the most recent files or refer back to historical data. When folders are no longer active, they can be archived to reduce clutter without losing information.

Use Subfolders – But Keep It Simple

Once you’ve established your top-level categories, introduce subfolders to help users drill down to the specific content they need. However, avoid over-complicating the structure. Use only as many sublevels as necessary to maintain clarity.

Label Folders by Document Status: Draft, Final, Archive

Adding subfolders to reflect the status of a file can support version control and improve collaboration:

• Draft – For documents in progress. Include version numbers or dates to track changes.

• Final – For approved, completed documents ready for use.

• Archive – For storing outdated materials, such as early drafts, research notes, or deprecated content. Keeping these separate avoids clutter while preserving access for reference.

Create Folder Templates for Consistency

Once you’ve defined a logical folder structure, turn it into a reusable template. This promotes consistency across departments and simplifies onboarding for new employees. For example, if files are organised by client, having a standard folder layout (e.g., Contracts, Meetings, Deliverables) ensures everyone follows the same approach.

Avoid “Floating” Folders

While it might be tempting to rename folders with a number or symbol (like “_” or “1”) to push them to the top of a list, this practice undermines the structure you've worked to create. Stick to your naming conventions and use logical hierarchy to ensure long-term efficiency.

Speak To Document Management Experts

The manual processes outlined above can work well initially, and may work well enough for organisation's processing low volumes of documents and emails.  But, as the organistion grows this can become problematic.

Many of our clients initially came to us because of document chaos and a lack of document control.  Simply finding documents was problematic, coupled with

audit nightmares and security issues.  Even when structured network folder rules were put in place, cracks started to show.

We heard that inherently, employees slipped back into old ways of working, saving business files in a way that worked for them, rather than the organisation as a whole. 

By implementing a dedicated document management system, it becomes the only place to digitally and securely store documents.  Documents can enter the system via a scan or directly from an inbox making it easier for employees. 

With strict naming conventions, business files can only be saved in a certain way, and following business rules.  For example, a quote can only be saved as 'quote' not quotation, price, or another variation.   When storing, employees will select how to save the document via drop-down select lists that are set, and fixed upon implementation of the software.

No duplicates can enter the system and searching for business files is simple with results are brought back in seconds.  The system works well for version control, tracking all edits, when they were made and by who, which is important for audits.

Organising business files and folders can be time consuming, especially if you've been working in a disorganised way for some time.  If you're still struggling to get a handle on the overwhelming number of business files your business is creating, get in touch to discuss how our document management software will help.