5 Ways to Organize Your Office

Your work can falter when you have a messy office with papers scattered everywhere, missing documents, and no labels. When your office is disorganized, so are your thoughts and work ethics. Your concentration would dwindle, and you may even lose some important files that you need to finish your project!

Organize your office with our five tips on decluttering your workplace! You will be able to find those much-needed documents faster, and you’ll prevent the horrendous situation where an important document is accidentally sent to the shredder.

1.  Declutter Your Office

When your workplace clutter is piling up faster than your work is, you need a good decluttering to get rid of unnecessary items, store unneeded supplies, and keep your office clear of any knick-knacks.

Declutter office areas one place at a time to avoid mixing workplace necessities together. Take the time to go through each item to decipher whether you need to trash it, store it, or keep it within reach for easy access. For personal office desks, encourage coworkers to clean up after themselves, and limit the amount of personal belongings sitting on desks.

Keep the frequently used items, such as printer paper, staplers, and chargers on hand for a quick grab, while others like printer ink and spare pens should be stored in the supply closet, preferably in baskets or boxes with proper labels. Any trash items, junk documents, and unneeded drafts should be shredded and thrown away.

2.  Organize Your Files

Your files – both physical and digital, are the essence of your work, and where you record all the important information you need for your project. Files are of utmost importance around the office, as without them, your workplace cannot function properly.

Organize your paper files by segregating them into separate folders based on the department responsible for these files, project, and date. Arrange them in an easy-to-read way so anyone who needs to refer back to these documents would easily find the information they are looking for. This would decrease the time taken to look for documents.

Organize digital files with keywords and notes that would help you find them using the search function. For instance, all files referring to Project X should be filed in one folder named so, and labeled with [PROJECT X] in each filename. Include the date and specifics of the files as well. Alternatively, you can create a secure online database for your files to back them up.

3.  Label Everything

One mistake many workplaces make is not labeling anything. Labels are necessary for a reason: you get to find needed documents at first glance. Labels tell you what the contents of a file, folder, or storage area is without needing to inspect the contents. These not only save time and effort, but they make it easy for anyone to find what they need even if they’re new.

Invest in a label machine to make your labels look professional, or simply use label stickers that you can write on if you prefer to make manual labels. Everything from supplies to files should be labeled, and don’t forget to label your cables, chargers, and digital files as well!

4.  Duplicate Important Files

Have you ever had those important files you accidentally deleted, shredded, or tossed away? Those important documents should be kept under lock and key as they are essential to your work. For digital files, back them up to a secure cloud storage so you can have a copy when you need it. Physical files may be duplicated using the copy machine.

Keep important documents separate from others to avoid accidental mix-ups. If these documents are necessary in everyday tasks, then keep them on hand for easy access. Otherwise, store them in the file cabinet under labeled folders.

5.  Keep Important Office Supplies within Reach

Nothing is more annoying than missing that stapler just when you need it, except when it’s looking for a working pen right when you need to jot down important information. Keep these within reach: on your desk, in an optimal drawer, or in a storage basket you can easily reach while on your desk.

If you have shared office supplies, then organize the office to make sure these are accessible to all employees. Printers, for example, should be within reach of the wireless network so every employee can print their documents with ease.

Ulani Uriah

Umar Nisar was born and raised in the busy city of Abbottabad. As a journalist, Umar Nisar has contributed to many online publications including PAK Today and the Huffing Post. In regards to academics, Umar Nisar earned a degree in business from the Abbottabad UST, Havelian. Umar Nisar follows the money and covers all aspects of emerging tech here at The Hear Up.

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