The amount of data held by businesses keeps growing and growing. With companies having stored years’ worth of computer-based data, SMEs are looking at more dynamic ways to store information.
The Cloud is the place to start, taking away the need for onsite servers and giving scalable hosting for data. In many ways though this is still an “empty space” – your data will still require organisation. Bad organisation can be an extreme time cost for SMEs. It’s been estimated that people can spend sixteen hours a week filing and searching for documents.* That’s over 34 days a year for just one person! But no matter how your data is stored there are things you can do to make finding data easier.
The key is to look at your data storage as a project with clear goals and tasks to perform. You will need a project leader who can manage the needs of the business and undertake the organisation planning. You will need to consult with your business on the most appropriate way to store files. For instance, is it easier to search by client name or task type? Today’s systems can provide you with lots of options for metadata within files, which should give you structure to your files beyond simply a type. Names are vital too and finding a rule for all files can also help save time. You’ll also need to be able to archive your data simply, so that you can easily find it again if you need to.
For more tips on how you can work smarter with your data, take a look at our free ebook here.
*’The hidden cost of information work’, IDC
Recent articles
What's your goal today?
1. Connect to the Colt network
Our network directly connects 32,000+ buildings, with millions more through our extensive worldwide partners, powering global businesses with high bandwidth requirements. Find out if you're Colt connected now.
2. Learn more about digital infrastructure
We've worked with experts to build hundreds of guides, whitepapers and blogs across a range of technology & infrastructure topics, as well as videos, webinars & lightning talks. Find out more about them below.
3. Explore our customer success stories
We work with global businesses to deliver world-class connectivity solutions, with a range of available professional & managed services to help you get exactly the right fit for your business. Read more about some of our customers' success stories.
