If only every project and every client were as
memorable as when you start your business with a new manila folder,
proudly bearing the first client's name!
Over the years you rely as much
on your memory as your filing system for the details: client names
serve well until Mr. Smith has a second project and another manila
file with his name on. Heaven forbid a new Mr. Smith comes to you!
As the papers and old projects pile up, your project management
system becomes clumsy.
The use of a year number and -
"one up" project numbering system (e.g. 09-123 ) can make project
management run more smoothly. The year gives you a range to tie
into, especially useful for a large number of projects ( saving you
from the grand search of every piece of paper you ever wrote on ! ),
and the number gives each project a precise, unique and logical
place in your filing system.
The all important “Project Reference
list” should always be handy.
It can show as much or as little
additional information as you may need, but it should at least show
who you worked for, and probably what the project was. This list
allows you to add new projects and can highlight projects "in
progress". Once a project is completed and filed away, the number
system make it snap to find again. This list, if you keep it
properly, can be used for quick reference of : current workload,
jobs on hold, jobs of a similar type, jobs from the same client,
payments outstanding, billing details, even market trends. In fact
you can tag the reference list with columns for any criteria you
find significant. Make the reference list a spreadsheet - this lets
you sort he information however you want. Your computer will love
you for using numbers instead of characters! Create reports of
projects in a size range, client range or billing range. Once the
data is input, the need to retype it for every report is eliminated.
Every filing system has its
drawbacks. The anonymity of the project number, while giving added
security if you need it, is also impersonal. Always remember to use the
client’s name and or company name on all correspondence. It is also
a good cross-reference check of your system..
In a numbering system, the numbers
are FREE.
Use them as often as you want -
it is better to assign an unused number than to lose information
because you didn't file it properly. A change in project number can
be used to signify the end of a project phase. This information can
be used in billing, especially if many people work on a single
project.
Mr. Smith expects you to know
him immediately! If you make revisions to an existing project but
intend to keep the previous version, use a new number. A client can
pinpoint the version he is looking at when you are on the phone by
referencing your project number. "Project 93-456, on the front" is a
lot easier to look up than "On the front of that job you did for me
a couple of years back."
The use of a number system requires
some commitment
It is important to write the
appropriate number at the top of EVERY item of paper in your files,
check that the correct number is referenced on your papers and
especially on contracts; use it in naming associated computer files
for graphics, videos, research notes - everything that goes with the
product. One thing to watch for carefully - Use of an incorrect
number or no number used will quickly cause chaos; overwriting
computer files or copies of documents not where they were expected.
Don't be tempted to spend more time
managing your system than working!
If you start a new
numbering system and intend to incorporate existing data and plans,
make sure you leave enough numbers before the one you start with -
but don't be tempted to stop work to catalogue. Assign numbers to
the old files only if you use their information. This system is
designed to increase efficiency, not create extra work for you.
In our digital age, everything
is becoming numerically based. Alphabetical filing systems are
limiting. The numerical system grows as fast and as far as you do.
Make the Power
of Numbers work for you!
THE
POWER OF NUMBERS
