Holly Condon • March 30, 2020
While it never gets too cold here in Miami, spring cleaning is no less an annual ritual. And these days, that means our virtual as much as our physical spaces are due for a dusting. Outdated and unwanted documents clog your storage and database like so many hairs in the drain. It’s time to get rid of those old and unnecessary files. Here’s how.
When you clean out your closet, you’re looking for all those things you bought years ago — some you don’t even remember buying — and getting rid of the ones you’ll never wear again.
The same philosophy holds for your software applications. How many are just taking up space on your hard drive, ones you haven’t used once in the past year? Some of these applications actually write new files to your computer whether you’re using them or not, taking up more space than you think. Others run in the background, draining computing power.
Make a list of the applications you use every day. Then see how many on your computer do not make that list. This helps improve application management.
If you’re like most, you download files every day. That includes documents, pictures, software updates, calendar appointments, and PowerPoint presentations, to name just a few. The amount of storage space this consumes can add up.
Check your downloads folder and decide which files stay and which ones go. Going through this process not only frees up space but helps you get more organized as well.
Keeping good customer data helps you serve existing clients as best you can while also helping you find new ones. But if you’re automating many processes, which you ought to be doing, you will accumulate a lot of false or outdated customer data. This can gunk up the works of your marketing and communications team.
This spring, go through your existing customer data and make sure it’s all accurate and up to date. Reach out to clients to make sure they’re still interested in the mail and communications you’re sending out to them.
While you’ve got their attention, you can also ask them what other products and services they’d be interested in that you don’t currently offer.
At the rate technology advances now, most enterprises are acquiring new equipment at least every year. Have you recently replaced the old equipment in your office?
For instance, if you’ve recently switched to a cloud-based document management system (DMS), it may be time to think about whether you still need old filing cabinets and slow data servers.
If last-generation workstations are sitting in storage, one option is to donate them. If you can’t find a match for your old hardware, though, it’s important to properly recycle it. Many manufacturers offer their own programs to recycle the equipment, which often contains elements that, with improper handling and disposal, can be harmful to human health and the environment.
But before you do this, be aware: companies in compliance-based businesses like healthcare, finance, and professional services need to make sure they aren’t inadvertently sharing sensitive client information. Destroy all data on any hard drive or storage component before donating or recycling it, no matter what industry you’re in, but in these ones especially. Failure to do so could mean massive fines and even more damaging reputational damage.
Spring cleaning can be a challenge if your company is drowning in paper documents and old technology. So if you ever need help with making your office tidier, PairSoft is a DMS that can help you do just that. Contact PairSoft or schedule a free personalized demo to learn more.
With over 25 years' experience in the SaaS space, Holly brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the table. She previously held leadership roles at PairSoft's subsidiary PaperSave and resides in South Carolina with her family.
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