How to easily find the right documents
Datum: 2025-11-24 09:52
It can be a hassle, this fact that we save digital documents in multiple places — often out of necessity. Where is that document you are looking for? What is the right place for what you have finished and now need to save? Your colleague is preparing something and puts it where you can access it, but of all the places you collaborate in, which one was it this time?
For you who prefer listening to reading, this post is also available as an episode of the ""Done!"" podcast:
Not just folders anymore
If it were just the regular document storage services that are named something with “drive”, it would be one thing, but in addition to that you can upload documents and files to all sorts of services you collaborate in, such as helpdesk and project management systems.
Next step after the map
A while ago I wrote about the benefit of creating a digital document map to give you a better overview of what you have. Getting that clarity is a good start, but it would be even better if you create somewhat improved order while you see now how you keep all your files today.
Do this
Once you have created a simple map of where you store what types of documents and made it clear for each place what the criterion is for a document to be there, do the following two things:
- Look for places where the same thing is stored in another place too.
- Should the two locations be merged into one?
- Are any of the files there so outdated that they can be removed (or even the entire one place)?
- Should the two parallel places still exist? What is then the actual criterion that distinguishes the two places? - At a certain place, are there files or documents that actually should not be there, as they do not meet the criteria that governs? Move them to their rightful place instead.
Go through as many places as you can manage and have time for.
If you want to get better order in your documents over time, define a clear, delimited to-do task as the next step in the process. It may for example include that you spend half an hour clarifying one of your storage locations, after which you can check off and then define an additional next step.
Less time wasted on unnecessary things
If you gradually refine how you and your colleagues store documents, it will become increasingly easier to both find what you need and quickly save the document in the right place. You avoid wasting time looking and redoing what you can’t find. Instead, you have more time for the important tasks you prefer to spend time on.
How about you?
What are your tricks to save digital documents in the simplest way? Please write to me and share.
(Do you also have a system for how you name your documents? Naming documents and files well is an art as a new document gets old quickly!)
You can get even more tips!
If you want more tips on how to create good structure at work, there are many ways to get that from me - in podcasts, videos, books, talks and other formats.
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