The 2017 Office Organizing Guide

To operate at peak performance levels, you've gotta stay well organized and efficient. Today on the OfficeAnything.com blog we'll teach you how to do just that. The tips, product suggestions, and organizational strategies provided here will have you ready to rock your work day.

The Basics:

First things first, you need to take a couple hours to purge and clean your workspace. Go through your old file cabinet drawers to remove any unused and expired documents. Once purged, remove your existing files one drawer at a time, returning them in the correct order. There's bound to be some misfiles in there!

Consider how you're arranging your files. Your most regularly used and accessed files need to be located in the drawers closest to your workstation. Your most important and confidential documents need to be in a file cabinet that locks for security.

Don't forget about your stationary items when organizing your space. There's likely loose pens, tape, highlighters, and post it notes scattered throughout your office. Arranging them in a central location is a smart idea!

Assessing Your Needs:

Once your current space is properly arranged, it's time to assess your available room for growth. All to often, interiors become maxed out. When this happens, we tend to find ourselves operating in a rogue fashion that's far from effective. You need at least two available drawers to maintain an organized interior. If you don't have room for growth, it's time to integrate a few office add-ons.

Creating Additional Storage Space:

If it's time to add storage and square footage is tight, consider integrating a wall mount hutch unit. They don't waste valuable floor space! With a wall hutch you'll be creating a ton of extra organizing potential.

Traditional metal file cabinets will always have their place. That said, there area alternative filing and organizing solutions on the market that will actually enhance corporate appeal. You can't go wrong with a multi-stor cabinet from a brand like Global Total Office. They feature a variety of organizing drawers that can accommodate everything from jackets to files.

If you purchased your furniture recently, it likely came from a full service collection that features matching products for organizing. Brands like Mayline offer an array of popular lines that include bookcases, desk side pedestals, storage cabinets, and much more.

Popular Storage Products of 2017:

• Stackable File Cabinets: The ability to stack cabinets is really cool and effective. Stackable modular filing solutions from brands like Global are incredibly popular in 2017
• Executive Wall Cabinets: If you're looking to improve storage potential while creating an upscale vibe with your interior, an executive style wall cabinet is the way to go!
• Mobile Desk Pedestals: With mobile file and stationary pedestals you'll be able to utilize the space underneath your desk and credenza. Many of today's pedestals feature cushioned tops that double and seats for guests.
• Hutch Units: As previously mentioned, when floor space is tight wall mount hutches are your best bet. They typically rest atop credenzas, your bolt directly into the wall. 

The Best Brands:

Not all storage products are created equal. You need to be aware of cheap imitations and knock off items that aren't built to last. We recommend selecting organizing products from a reputable manufacturer you can trust. This year, you can't go wrong with industry leaders like Mayline, Global Total Office, OFM, and Cherryman Industries. Their selection, pricing, and quality is truly top notch.

Basic Organizing Tips:

1. Organize your file drawers every Friday afternoon before leaving work to ensure you return to the office on Monday ready to roll!
2. Keep file cabinet keys in a safe place. There's nothing worse than having to break into your own cabinets.
3. Don't forget to clean up and organize your digital files once a month. Saving old unnecessary documents on your computer will eat up a ton of storage space.
4. Ensure your most regularly used files are located in the cabinet closet to your desk.
5. Keep stationary items in a centralized location.
6. Color code and label the files that hold your important documents.

Office Organizing: Tricks Of The Trade

No workspace can operate at peak performance levels without being well organized. Good organization starts with a good plan and great habits. In today's post we'll share the tips, tricks, and product suggestions you'll need to achieve both. Enjoy!

Start With A Deep Cleaning

It always helps to start fresh! Take the time to give your office a thorough cleaning. Take out the trash, organize your file cabinet and desk top. Vacuum underneath your desk to get rid of all those old candy wrappers and crumbs. In the long run, it will be much easier to form new habits if you start your organizing mission with a clean space.

Create A Plan

Your office organizing will be much more effective if you have a plan. Once your space has been thoroughly cleaned, write down a list of areas that will need tending to both daily and weekly. Prioritize your list and tackle them one by one as the day goes on. Check out the sample list below to get you started.

• Take out trash
• Vacuum floor
• Organize files
• Organize desk top

Form Good Habits

Sure a plan of attack will help, but you've got to be wiling to form the habits necessary to stay well organized. The weekly organizing routine you create should be one you can realisticly stick too. Get in the habit of putting files back in their place when your done using them. This well help you avoid spending too much time at the end of the day putting them back in their place. Commit to never leaving your office in a messy state. This will ensure you arrive back to work the following day with a clean work environment that's ready to roll. Good habits like this will set you on the path to organizational success.

Use The Right Storage Solutions

Perhaps your office space is poorly organized because your simply out of room. If this is the case, there's definitely some great ways to tackle the problem. Ditch the potted plants and room aesthetics that provide little value in an overly crowded space. Replace them with versatile storage solutions. A wall storage cabinet or bookcase will provide the same appeal while keeping your stationary and important literature well organized.

If you're limited on floor space, take to the walls! Hutch units are a great way to maximize organizing space. These handy tools mount directly to the wall or sit on top of desk surfaces. It's likely that a hutch to match your current office furniture collection is available. Adding a wall mount hutch will increase visual appeal while rewarding you with the additional space needed to keep your office functioning properly.

If you're still in need of organizing space, consider the addition of a mobile file pedestal. These space saving storage solutions can be situated directly underneath desk and credenza surfaces or along perimeter walls. Pencil Box File and File File pedestal options are widely available from top rated manufactures like Global Total Office, Mayline, and Cherryman Indsutries.

Follow Through

Once your office space is well organized, you've got to follow through. Don't slip back into old habits and let important tasks go unattended to for months at a time. It's never fun to spend hours looking for a document that's out of place or buried under a sea of paperwork. Hold yourself accountable and your work day will be all the better for it.

Additional Tips

• Keep track of file cabinet keys to ensure you can always get to your important documents when you need them.
• Lock or password protect all physical and digital files for security purposes. 
• Be sure to keep your digital files properly organized as well. Create thumbnails on your home screen to help.
• Purge old files and documents to ensure your drawers do not become overly crowded.
• Establish task areas that are defined by the type of activity that happens in each zone of your office space. For example, your main workspace would be the desk while your reference area would be where your file cabinets are located.
• Keep the items most commonly used throughout the day the closest to your desk to avoid unnecessary trips across the office. 
• Make a list of daily work goals you hope to accomplish by certain times.