Manage Financials and documents
If you work in a workplace or at home, keeping track of financial records can be difficult. Keeping your records organized reduces stress and allows you to look up expenses or locate receipts. It improves customer service because it allows employees to quickly access documents. This results in faster responses and more consistent.
The first step is to gather all the documents you own. Examine your kitchen counter or entryway table, your home office desk and car trunk, garage and wherever else papers tend to accumulate. Clear out clutter and get rid of unnecessary materials like catalogs, product manuals, bills, and empty envelopes. Create categories to organize your remaining documents. A “To Pay” category could include an invoice stack that needs to be paid via online payment or the use of a check. A “To Read” category could include items that require an immediate review and be subsequently filed or destroyed after having read. A “Needs Actions” category is for items that require immediate attention, for example, charges from credit cards and insurance claims.
After organizing your documents, consider your storage options. Physical methods include using a filing cabinet or binders or the storage of files in offsite facilities. Digital methods typically involve an industry-specific solution for document management that offers a central, single place for storing and organizing documents. These solutions provide powerful security by giving you an individualized control over who is able to access and alter information. They also provide audit trails to ensure transparency and accountability.