Some people print out all e-mails and keeps them in binders, others divide their Outlook project folder into subfolders and don't bother with binders, some people have a single outlook folder for each project and put all their faxes in binders, some people delete e-mails after reading them and throw out faxes. What is considered best practice??? The people who throw everything away seem to be more focused on design and more capable of arguing about past events.
"i am scared, feeling like a sitting duck.
the other day tina recovered folded client letter from my jeans back pocket folded, adopted the shape of my ass and edges rounded during a laundry operation. most likely i must have deleted the e mail as well. i don't know what other important documents reside where. i gotta keep em all."
-from the anotomy of one man practice.
There is a transition to electronic data from project files. The credibility of data (letters, faxes etc) can be improved by using non editable data formats such as PDF. Word docs and excel spreadsheets will not necessarily stand legal scrutiny due to the editing possibilities inherent in the file. We save all our outgoing attachments (including attached letters, drawings, e-mail and delivery confirmations as PDF files (with digital signatures) to the project directory, date prefixed for easy navigation.
As we don’t scan in all incoming documents so there is still the need for files and binders. Oce are a company that will offer the ‘full service’ document scan, print and document management, but this is only feasible with a large Practice.
Of course important contractual documents remain in hard format and filed accordingly.
If in doubt, save everything for a minimum 5 years.
I actually think things need to be saved for seven years.... combination of typical accounting requirements and statue of limitations. In Canada at least.
Hmmm... I'm going to print everything at the expense of a few trees, hard drive fails on server once a month and I'm prone to dropping my laptop. If documents need to be destroyed for any reason it's also easier to burn a box of paper than find and erase all files on network and laptop.
Administration is the evil underbelly of this profession, it enslaves architects to impassionate time squandering. I say rise up, abolish administration!!!
Death of Project Binders Breeding Outlook Fanatics?
Some people print out all e-mails and keeps them in binders, others divide their Outlook project folder into subfolders and don't bother with binders, some people have a single outlook folder for each project and put all their faxes in binders, some people delete e-mails after reading them and throw out faxes. What is considered best practice??? The people who throw everything away seem to be more focused on design and more capable of arguing about past events.
i keep both.
gotta keep em all.
"i am scared, feeling like a sitting duck.
the other day tina recovered folded client letter from my jeans back pocket folded, adopted the shape of my ass and edges rounded during a laundry operation. most likely i must have deleted the e mail as well. i don't know what other important documents reside where. i gotta keep em all."
-from the anotomy of one man practice.
There is a transition to electronic data from project files. The credibility of data (letters, faxes etc) can be improved by using non editable data formats such as PDF. Word docs and excel spreadsheets will not necessarily stand legal scrutiny due to the editing possibilities inherent in the file. We save all our outgoing attachments (including attached letters, drawings, e-mail and delivery confirmations as PDF files (with digital signatures) to the project directory, date prefixed for easy navigation.
As we don’t scan in all incoming documents so there is still the need for files and binders.
Oce are a company that will offer the ‘full service’ document scan, print and document management, but this is only feasible with a large Practice.
Of course important contractual documents remain in hard format and filed accordingly.
If in doubt, save everything for a minimum 5 years.
I actually think things need to be saved for seven years.... combination of typical accounting requirements and statue of limitations. In Canada at least.
Hmmm... I'm going to print everything at the expense of a few trees, hard drive fails on server once a month and I'm prone to dropping my laptop. If documents need to be destroyed for any reason it's also easier to burn a box of paper than find and erase all files on network and laptop.
Administration is the evil underbelly of this profession, it enslaves architects to impassionate time squandering. I say rise up, abolish administration!!!
Come to think of it, the burned up hard drive excuse maybe a good one if the tax man comes for an audit.
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