One of the final big tasks in organizing JoAnn’s messy desk was creating a functional filing system. JoAnn was not a huge fan of filing, especially financial documents. Over time, this created a backlog of documents that needed to be filed. This resulted in stacks of papers in drawers (or the floor) without any file folders to organize or contain her documents.

We helped JoAnn sort and purge the paper we found in her office, using some of our favorite Smead products to help us along the way. For her financial documents, we created a system that rotates every other year, so she won’t have to keep creating new labels and files each year. The way that this system rotates, it ensures that JoAnn knows exactly when it is time to archive financial documents.

We installed the filing systems and taught JoAnn how to use and maintain them. JoAnn is excited about her new filing system. She explained, “I was thrilled that after the first day, I could see my desk! It’s great that I can now walk in and be in my space. I don’t have to worry about finding space; it’s a sense of calm that it is so organized and I can instantly get to work.”

We chose to use Smead Viewables products for JoAnn’s filing system because:

• The software makes it simple to format and print labels
• The 3-dimensional tabs make it easy to see the categories you create
• The software allows you to color-code labels

Other Smead products that we used in JoAnn’s office:

• Viewables Color Labeling System
• TUFF Hanging Folder with Easy Slide Tab
• SuperTab Oversized Tab File Folders

Stay up-to-date with our blog for our big reveal of JoAnn’s completed new office transformation! You may not even recognize her new office!

Photo courtesy of Leo V. Santiago.

Special thanks to Smead for their filing system products.

The next step in transforming JoAnn’s overcrowded space into a functional office was scanning.  JoAnn has been saving paper copies of her past work, as well as other reference materials, in large binders in her office.  They were taking up valuable space and creating clutter, so we suggested that she scan the documents she no longer needed physical copies of.

While JoAnn had considered this option before, she never followed through because the task of scanning that many documents is fairly time consuming and overwhelming.  Thankfully, we were able to partner with Scan-Doc to help us tackle the project.  Scan-Doc was able to convert five entire bankers boxes worth of JoAnn’s binders into electronic files stored safely on a flash drive and organized into convenient sub folders.

Many of JoAnn’s reference materials are now paperless, stored in electronic files to save space.  She told us the scanning “was one of the most exciting parts of this whole experience.  I was over the moon to receive five bankers boxes worth of scanning; it cleared out so much space and now that they’re electronic, I can use them so much more efficiently.”  JoAnn can now reference what she needs from the comforts of her computer, rather than sifting through piles of paper.

Continue following our blog for the final steps we took in JoAnn’s office transformation, as well as the big reveal of her new functional office!

Photo courtesy of Leo V. Santiago.

Special thanks to Scan-Doc for their scanning services.

In January, we announced the winner of our second Messiest Desk Contest and the big reveal is right around the corner!  JoAnn is an educator with an overcrowded office and extremely busy schedule. She expressed her desire for a functional office that would allow her to be more productive in her roles and responsibilities. In order to make her office more functional, one of the items we needed to address was storage.

We began working with JoAnn in February to assess her space, identify her challenges and goals, learn how she would prefer to work in her space, and take steps towards creating an efficient office.  With her office currently being utilized more for storage, she had been using her guest bed as a makeshift desk!

JoAnn’s office was cluttered with piles of papers, boxes of books, and a wide variety of office supplies.  She needed a storage system that gave everything a proper “home” within her office.  We started by sorting and purging JoAnn’s paper and office supplies, then designated where everything should be stored based on how often JoAnn needed access to them.  She already had some great containers that we were able to reuse, but there were some items that needed better storage solutions. We turned to Turnstone and found products with the perfect mix of functionality and aesthetics that fit her needs and space.

Often times, people choose containers before they start their organizing project.  Instead, begin by sorting and purging.  Then take into account what is actually left and measure the areas where your containers will live to ensure you are maximizing your available space.

Based on the needs of JoAnn’s space and supplies, we installed the following products from Turnstone into her new office:

• For storing her office supplies: Bankers Boxes
• For her in and out boxes: SOTO Letter Boxes
• For storing desk supplies: SOTO Pile Boxes
• For storing her active projects: SOTO File Boxes

Be sure to follow our blog for the next steps we took in JoAnn’s office transformation, as well as the final reveal of her new functional office!

Photo courtesy of Leo V. Santiago.

Special thanks to Turnstone for contributing modern storage bins.

Happy National Clean Off Your Desk Day! It doesn’t matter if you have five-minutes to clean your desk or five-hours, our team at Innovatively Organized has compiled five ways you can celebrate this productive holiday.

1. Clean & dust your desk - When you take a moment to think about everything that comes in contact with your desk, it’s surprising we don’t disinfect & dust it more often. Here is a quick how-to for cleaning your desk.
2. Control the cord chaos - We live in a world where cords seem to be coming out of our ears. Take a few minutes to purge cords you no longer use and tidy the cords that are permanently plugged in around your workspace. Read more tips on organizing your cords and cables here.
3. Place items you use most within easy reach - Create a semi-circle around you when seated at your desk to use optimal space. Take into account whether you are left or right handed and be sure to make use of vertical space by installing shelves and bulletin boards on the walls around your desk.
4. Think paperless & organize your digital clutter too - Set-up a desktop scanner (our favorite is ScanSnap S1300) and start using virtual notebooks to reduce the paper clutter. To cut down on digital clutter, download the Monthly Computer De-Clutter Checklist.
5. Nominate yourself for the Messiest Desk Contest - If your desk (or your coworker’s desk) needs a complete organizational overhaul and you live in the Puget Sound Region, nominate yourself for our Messiest Desk Contest here. Nominations accepted until January 19, 2013.

For monthly tips on productivity and organization in the workplace, sign up here.