Documents are a fundamental element in the routine of any business. Regardless of its size or field of activity, it is an undeniable fact that the proof of the existence of a company and the performance of each of its activities occurs through the presentation of them, which makes it important to know where to store documents.
Having said that, it is easy to understand the importance of carrying out a good document management, that goes through all sectors and functions of the company, from the firm's records, to contracts, employee files, receipts and many others.
Whether we are talking about extensive paperwork or digital files, these documents must always be accessible to the manager and his team, so that the processes occur in an organized and fluid manner.
Although this may seem like a simple task, what we observe in practice is that it is a complex job, which demands specific practices for its proper conduct – we are talking about more than simply storing everything in drawers or virtual folders, but about keep records organized and accessible so they can be easily located whenever needed.
The way an organization conducts its document management process can easily lead to desired success or complete disarray.
It was with this in mind that we prepared this special article, with complete tips on where to store your company's documents, optimizing your management process and providing the efficiency that is expected from a company of excellence.
Shall we go ahead?
The importance of leaving your company documents well organized and stored in a safe place
A company that is not in tune with the importance of keeping its documents well organized and stored in a safe place will have enormous difficulties in locating and accessing its most sensitive data, jeopardizing the security of its essential information, losing productivity and exposing itself to countless bad consequences.
Therefore, for the organization to have greater control over its processes, its data must be saved in a secure, differentiated and organized way – which is only possible with an efficient data management system. archiving, which prioritizes process optimization and promotes high-performance management.
Considering that, constantly, information from some historical document of the company needs to be checked again, it is necessary to pay strict attention when filing the company's documents.
That said, there are a number of factors objectives which attest to the importance of adequate storage, both for managing the company's documents and for ensuring its success and growth, as we highlight below.
More agility in processes
A competent document management, which considers the types and functions of each one of its records from the beginning of the company's activities, favors that the processes occur with agility and objectivity - mainly as the business grows, and, consequently, the volume of documents of the company also become bigger.
Therefore, it is important that this rigorous work of organization occurs from the beginning, and extends throughout all the phases of the management process. In addition, a good document management It is essential to optimize internal communication, which also favors agility and productivity.
Information Security
The information contained in your company's documents is extremely valuable for you – and also for your competitors. Efficient document management considers the importance of controlling access to company records and, thus, preventing data leakage stealthy.
Reduced costs
It is always good to remember that failures in planning and organization cause harmful results to the business, which invariably leads to unnecessary costs.
Since, as we have already highlighted, well-organized documentation promotes more agile processes, your employees' productivity is increased, and more time is left to prospect sales.
legal security
One of the main functions of documents within a company is to attest that their contents are within the terms of the law, as well as to ensure compliance by all those involved.
From details about the employees' working hours, to the rights and duties provided for in a contract between the company and a client, passing through the firm's activity history – its documentation is of vital importance to avoid later problems with the law, and that alone is reason enough to manage it with extreme care.
brand perception
All the advantages obtained with the good organization of documents end up strengthening the way the brand is perceived by the public – after all, organization, seriousness, security and agility are directly associated with quality in the provision of services.
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Where to store your physical documents
Even with recent digital advances, many companies still choose to conduct their document management through traditional means – that is, using physical documents, instead of electronic ones.
Others are still in the transition process between analog and digital, so that there is still, although on a smaller scale, the need to deal with the good old paperwork.
And although the process of Scan de business documents carries with it a series of advantages, it is possible to organize the physical documents of a company in an efficient way that does not harm its productivity.
Pasta
Stacking your office papers on a table may even seem like a good idea, when we are talking about small amounts – the problem is that, little by little, more and more documents add up, until the mess takes over and the location of an item specific turn into a big problem.
Therefore, traditional folders remain an excellent way to organize your paperwork – especially if accompanied by identification labels. That way, when you need to consult a particular document, you and your team won't have problems finding it.
Furthermore, there are folders with internal divisions that are excellent alternatives for organizing your documents in a categorized way – either by type, date, alphabetical order or any other criteria you deem necessary.
Cabinets
Cabinets are important items for organizing your office papers. In addition to preventing folders from being scattered over tables, they are very useful for dividing them into their different categories.
You might have a locker just for contracts; another for your archive; another for the bills; and so on.
Self storage
Self storage, or self-storage, is a type of solution adopted by people (both individuals and companies) who do not have enough space in their properties.
This is a service offered by companies that rent spaces of the most varied sizes so that the contractor can safely store their documents and other valuables there.
Where to store your digital documents
With constant innovations technological and the obvious advantages offered by the use of digital documents, it is not surprising that the electronic document management be increasingly adopted by the most diverse companies in the market.
Considering this modern phenomenon, we point out, below, the main options for where to store your organization's digital documents:
Google Drive
Google's storage service is quite popular as it is available to anyone who has an account on the platform. The user has 15GB to store his files online for free – but it is possible to buy more space, if necessary.
You can also download the Google Drive app (available for Windows and OSX), and sync your files across different machines. The same can be done on smartphones, as the official app is available for both Android and iPhone.
Dropbox
Almost as widely used as Google Drive, Dropbox also allows the user to download an application to their computer or cell phone and synchronize their files between different devices.
However, the capacity that the service offers for free accounts is less than that of Google: they are only 2GB initial, being necessary to join the paid packages, in case the user wants a bigger space.
ZapSign
As it should be, we ended our list with ZapSign's electronic signature tool.
This is a solution widely adopted by several prominent organizations in the market, being ideal to simplify and optimize a company's electronic document signing process – thus eliminating a series of completely unnecessary costs and bureaucracy.
When it comes to where to store documents, ZapSign also represents the ideal solution for companies dealing with a large flow of contracts, powers of attorney and agreements in general, as documents signed by the platform are automatically stored and can be easily accessed, thanks to its simple and intuitive interface.
Available both in a free version for testing and in paid versions, ZapSign's solution stands out for offering a high level of integration, making it possible to send the contract through several virtual communication channels, such as WhatsApp, email, SMS, Telegram and others.
And since we mentioned ZapSign's e-signature tool, How about clicking here to learn more about our services and speak to one of our consultants??
CEO of Henshin Agency and digital marketing consultant, fascinated by content marketing and an admirer of Japanese culture.
