You Deserve a Well-Organized Folder Structure: Tips & Tricks

Think of it like your home. Sturdy walls and certified locks and hinges keep out intruders, and a combination of pipes, cables, and connections provides heat, water, and essential communication services. That covers the hardware.

Next, you’ll focus on the layout and structure. That is to say: the logical connection between all the elements and components that ensures everyone knows their way around and feels comfortable in the house. Structure is about logic, ease of use, and labels. “Kitchen,” “bedroom,” “living room”—there’s hardly any doubt about their functions.

Naming elements is the key to finding everything you’re looking for. That sounds obvious, and you don’t need to be a professor to figure it out. Yet it turns out that many entrepreneurs still often see naming as a stumbling block when it comes to creating a good folder structure. And this is despite the fact that a logical folder structure—one that everyone can understand—is the very foundation for storing, editing, sharing, and securing documents.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume you decide to implement a smart document management system (DMS). This is a cloud-based solution tailored to your document workflows and current privacy laws, and equipped with robust security certifications. This ensures that the efficiency, flexibility, and security of your work processes are optimized to the fullest extent possible.

But now for the organization. A folder structure designed primarily to allow a wide variety of users to work with it benefits from simplicity and clarity. It is important that everyone is on the same page and that all users are aware of the benefits of a clear and intuitive structure.

Make sure you prepare thoroughly, define clear responsibilities, and proceed step by step.

• Tip 1: Make the benefits tangible and build support.
  No matter what structure or naming system you come up with, if others don't take it seriously, you'll get lost in a maze.
• Tip 2: Make a list of the desired functions and clearly distinguish between them.
  Before you start organizing, it’s a good idea to make an initial, basic breakdown into, for example, “active work folders,” “inactive work folders,” and “archive folders.”
• Tip 3: Identify your core processes, describe them as concisely and clearly as possible, and organize your folder structure around them.
  Create a manageable number of easily recognizable folders based on core processes such as “financial management,” “internal management,” or “portfolio management.”
  In practice, subfolders are often created under these main folders. Think of collective names like “purchase invoices” or “contracts,” or the names of clients or staff members. The latest generation of document management systems, such as Xtendis One, offers the option to work with labels or hashtags instead of subfolders. This way, you can reach your destination faster with fewer clicks. If you do choose to use subfolders, keep the number limited and give them logical names.
• Tip 4: Make sure your folder structure has a logical and recognizable hierarchy.
  Make sure in advance that your folder structure aligns well with your business operations. Then guard that structure like a lion.
  And what do we do with the existing system? Don’t take on too much all at once. Choose an appropriate time—the start of the new fiscal year, for example—involve your colleagues and employees in the plans, and start with a clean slate. Make the kick-off a celebration.
• Tip 5: Seek advice, don't take on too much, and celebrate your success.