Information: If you produce it you have got to manage it

When it comes to managing your online information, think of your garage. If you keep adding stuff to it with no rhyme or reason, eventually it piles up, and you often can’t find what you are looking for when you need it. Then when it becomes too much, you end up spending time cleaning it up.

Garage_Clutter_0

It is the same when it comes to keeping your information in order. Some estimates that on average we spend 1.5 - 3 hours a week looking for lost documents. We cannot find the information or its correct version costing us time and money. With so much technology many of us fall into bad information management practices. How can we correct this?

Here are just a few ideas

Storing information in multiple locations

E.g. Outlook, Repository (i.e. corporate), Shared Drive, Mobile Devices, Computer, Cloud, Thumb drives, websites

Pick one as your main repository. Preferably something that allows metadata input. Whether it be for personal or business use put all your information that has value to you in that repository. Consider all other information transitory in nature and valuable for a period. Once its usefulness has passed - delete it.

Question: Do you still have invitations in your inbox for events that have past?

Using a weak file naming convention

Adopt a consistent, intuitive way to name files and place them in folders. Use intuitive descriptions especially if you are sharing the information with others. A consistent naming convention will help you coordinate, manage and find files.

A few suggestions on this

• Don’t use non-alphanumeric characters. They have other purposes in programming. The exception _ (underscore) and a – (dash).

• Avoid long folder names. You can avoid confusing search results by being precise. Start with a general category and work toward the specific file.

e.g. MarksFile\social-media\blog\article\information-management.wpd

• Be careful with your use of upper and lower-case characters.

Note: Some search engines are case sensitive and others are not. Whatever you choose, be consistent.

• Numbers can be difficult to recall and keep in sequence although dates and times are viable. Be in conformity with the order YYYYMMDD and time should always be HHMMSS.

• You can personalize a file by adding a surname with initials.

e.g. MarksFile\social-media\blog\article\information-management\HudsonM.wpd

• Indicating version control is good.

e.g. MarksFile\social-media\blog\article\information-management\HudsonM\V1.wpd

We forget about metadata.

Metadata is data about data. Adding it can make finding data easier. The typical examples of metadata include author, date created, date modified, file size, file type, etc. Some more sophisticated information management systems can include data such as keywords, organisation, audience, product type, etc.

Email clutter

Most of us clutter up our email inbox. By not dealing with the information right away its just ends up sitting there taking up space. Clutter, like the junk in the garage, just makes it harder to find what you need. Whether it be for personal or business use do something with it when it arrives. e.g. respond to it, file it or delete it.

In summary manage your information by:

• Storing it one central repository

• Choosing a consistent naming convention

• Remember your metadata

• Avoid email clutter and

• Keep your lawn mower blade sharp