The rigor in the document archive is extremely important for the good management of a company's records.
After all, an organization's documentation contains its most important information, and the clutter and sloppiness in document management it can cause many long-term problems, including delays, reduced productivity, and even financial losses.
Therefore, here are some valuable tips on the best techniques and methods for archiving documents. Come with us and happy reading!
What is document archiving?
Document archiving is a fundamental practice within the business context, encompassing both physical storage and digital archiving.. This process ensures that important documents, after active use, are organized and stored in a way that they can be easily accessed in the future.
For a company, maintaining an efficient filing system means not only preserving records crucial to the operation of the business, but also complying with legal and tax obligations, such as retaining tax documents for specific periods.
In physical archiving, documents are placed in folders, boxes or filing cabinets, following an organization system that facilitates retrieval. Digital archiving uses document management software, where documents are digitized, cataloged and stored on servers or in the cloud, offering advantages such as saving physical space and agility in searching for information.
Both methods require attention to security, ensuring that sensitive documents are protected from unauthorized access or loss. Implementing effective archiving practices is, therefore, crucial to the integrity, security and efficiency of a company's document management.
How important is document archiving?
The main advantage of document archiving is that it makes it possible for companies to have greater control over their processes, since the data is saved in a safe, differentiated and organized way.
A company that does not have an efficient document archiving system will have great difficulties in locating and storing its data, jeopardizing the security of its most precious information, losing productivity and exposing itself to countless bad consequences.
After all, you never know when a particular operation will ask for old information contained in some historical document of the company to be checked again – and, for this to happen in a clear and organized way, attention must be paid to the company's filing methods.
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Tips on how to file documents in your company
Effective document archiving is not just about storing your data on a computer or physical file. In fact, the organization is a fundamental element of a good are documents capable of conferring the security and practicality necessary in the administrative routine of a company.
After all, cluttered documents tend to get lost over time, generating numerous inconveniences for managers, employees and customers. Below, we list some valuable tips on how to implement good document archiving practices in your business:
Screening
First of all, we recommend that you start organizing your documents by doing an initial sorting and separating them in a standardized way: to categorize them, you can use criteria such as: clients, employees, dates, types of work, etc.
Often, this initial screening work is performed by companies specializing in file scanning, saving the management team time and energy.
However, it is necessary to reinforce that the screening process is important not only at the initial moment of archiving documents, but throughout the entire management of the company's files.
So that the mess does not become a problem again, it is important that the entire flow of documents in and out that occurs in the company passes through the manager, so that they are organized and directed to their proper destinations, following the criteria previously established. .
Ideally, this process should be carried out daily, in order not to wait for many documents to accumulate, making their filing time-consuming, exhausting and confusing.
organizational index
After separating and categorizing all the documentary material, the creation of an index cataloging all the data and information becomes an essential measure to simplify possible searches and queries.
There are several criteria for establishing indexes, the most common of which are:
Alphabetical
Extremely common, the alphabetical ordering criterion does not require much explanation. It is shown to be an intuitive and easy-to-apply method, both physically and digitally.
Alphanumeric
Similar to the previous one, but a little more elaborate, it allows a more detailed organization, separating, for example, folders into A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, and so on.
By groups
Separating documents according to other criteria, such as by project, by region, by responsible professional, or by topic, can be another valid way to classify your files.
Custom code
Through encoding, various information can be associated with the file itself. This is a method widely used in commerce, when products and prices are coded, according to the practice of SKU (Stock Keeping Unit).
With good care that the codes don't get too complicated, this can be a great solution.
Macro categories and subcategories
The categorization of documents is a delicate and extensive process. Start by separating your documentation by macro categories, such as alphabetical order or year.
It is also important to have a dropdown file for each macro category, from which all data will be organized by subcategories into folders.
cross-reference
It may happen that the same document belongs to two or more different categories. In such cases, choose one and attach cross-references.
Scanning
A large part of a company's papers can be digitized, making this method one of the most used today. Basically, digitization consists of converting the physical files to the digital scope, so that they can be stored on devices such as computers, flash drives, clouds, etc.
It is advisable to hire companies specialized in this type of service, as they usually offer online management platforms so that the information can later be accessed and managed by authorized personnel.
microfilming
Microfilming is a practice that has been gaining strength in Brazil. Basically, it consists of capturing the images of documents by photography.
Unlike digitization, which sometimes requires that physical files still be preserved, microfilming, in many cases, completely replaces the original documents, allowing for their disposal and reducing the company's paper volume.
Electronic document management
Electronic Document Management, also known as GED, is what we call the use of technology in the management of document processes.
There are a number of excellent platforms available on the market, making it easy to search, manage and data analysis documents, and promoting satisfaction and productivity in the internal environment of companies that adopt them.
Physical file management
While the vast majority of physical documents are scannable, there may be some exceptions where it is necessary to keep the originals.
Therefore, we reinforce the importance of structuring the physical space so that, over time, the archive does not become a warehouse full of rubble, inaccessible and often unhealthy.
In addition to this basic issue, the company must also invest some resources in order to maintain the security and integrity of its files.
These solutions can range from hiring trusted professionals to take care of guarding and managing the space, to installing security cameras, or even biometric access systems for authorized personnel.
Some document scanning companies also include, in their services, the provision of professionals focused on physical file management.
Pay attention to expiration dates
Although there is part of your file that needs to be stored indefinitely, most of your documents have an expiration date and can – and, why not say, should – be discarded, so that an unnecessary volume of data is not accumulated. that are no longer useful.
Most administrative documents, such as tax books, minutes, public notices, COFINS and others, are valid for 5 years. However, there are some that expire after longer periods (pension payments, for example, require 35 years of storage).
Therefore, when preparing document indexes, reserve a field in the tables to designate the validity period of each one of them. In the case of physical files, it is possible to insert a label in the folders, showing the time for expiry of each documentation.
In this sense, the implementation of a temporality table (TTD) can be of great value. It is a resource that not only determines the duration of the document, but also its final destination, in accordance with current legislation, ensuring security in the company's document archiving process.
The TTD must be established by a Permanent Commission for Document Assessment (CPAD): basically, a group of professionals from the company itself, selected with the purpose of evaluating the temporality of each document, as well as deciding on their final disposal.
boomerang effect
Within the concept of archiving documents, this term refers to the practice of returning it to its proper location after removing a document for consultation.
It seems too elementary to mention, but this is a basic habit that many organizations neglect and end up not establishing within the company's culture, causing clutter and stress to inevitably take over the work environment again.
When we talk about digital documentation, the advice is also valid: the data must be made available for consultation, and files are not allowed to be moved from a folder in the management software used (except by authorized personnel).
As you may have noticed, when we talk about document management and archiving, there is a growing trend among companies to migrate from the physical to the digital realm. To talk better about it, we have prepared a complete content, and that you can check by clicking here!
