Shared files on client servers can become pretty disorganized, bloated and inefficient in a matter of just weeks. As virtual CIO, you can help your clients get off to a strong start by instilling specific best practices in terms of organizing their shared files.    

Pruning the “Weeds” on the Server

To tackle disorganized shared files on the server, each client should appoint one person to be in charge of server folder structure and file-naming conventions.

Implementing a LAN is one of the easiest ways to scale up your clients’ personal productivity to workgroup or company wide productivity. However, once employees begin using shared files and folders on a centralized server, chaos can follow rapidly.

When talking to your client about this issue of shared files, a good analogy in the offline world is, ask your clients to consider what would happen if they bought a new lateral file cabinet and told everyone they could put whatever they wanted in it, without any underlying structure (no drawer labels, no hanging folders, no nothing).

With this type of explanation your clients should easily grasp the importance of organizing computer shared files just as diligently as manual files.

As a result, it’s very important for each of your clients to appoint an “owner” (or custodian) of each shared file folder. This person gets four key responsibilities.

Organizing Shared Files

  • Design and maintain an orderly set of folders and subfolders in which to put the shared files
  • Monitor storage space use (checking the MBs and GBs), in conjunction with any quota or storage management tools that you’ve already trained them to use
  • Purge and archive obsolete shared files and folders  
  • Set up and enforce file-naming conventions everyone can follow easily
Bottom Line on Shared Files
Without a system in place to organize shared files they can become an unruly mess.  You don’t necessarily want to have to deal with the fallout so training your clients’ employees how to manage shared files is your best line of defense.

In this article, you’ve been introduced to Shared Files. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about Shared Files, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.