Office management: From chaos to organization

The past few years have seen countless technical innovations designed to make our lives easier: From tractors to feeders, everything is getting "smart." Only when you look into the offices do doubts arise as to whether we are really in the 21st century: Paper, folders and documents still pile up on and next to desks. But there are good ways to finally get rid of paper and access documents from anywhere.

Hand on heart, what does it look like in your office? Are there piles of paper on your desk that are constantly growing? If so, you can improve your personal office organization and save a lot of valuable time. Invoices, delivery bills, contracts, minutes, receipts - there are dozens of types of documents in a farm business. These arrive at farms either in analog form (paper-based) or in digital form (via email and in various file formats).

In all areas of life, from the household to the barn and field, the shift from the analog to the digital world is in full swing. Cooperation with banks, insurance companies, suppliers, service providers and customers, communication with the tax advisor and the tax office, application procedures and communication with authorities, documentation requirements - the increased demands can only be met by consistently using the possibilities of "digitalization". Digitization in this context means:

• Conversion of analog information into digital data
• Automation of processes and business models by networking digital technology, information and people.

In practice, it can be observed that digitization is progressing very differently in the agricultural context. In outdoor farming, agricultural technology and in the barn, digitization is usually very advanced. One need only think of the technical developments that have taken place, for example, in tractors and harvesters in recent decades. Currently, we are on the verge of digital farming. Agriculture can be considered a pioneer in these areas.

In the office, on the other hand, development often lags behind the possibilities. Here, you as farmers are responsible for progress yourself - and naturally like to stick to the old ways of doing things.

The ever-increasing requirements for documentation of activities, ingredients and movement data of material and animals or the reporting obligations to the authorities, banks and other institutions have an aggravating effect. All this does not exactly promote enthusiasm for working in the office. Therefore, despite its immense importance for the success of a business, this area is often treated very stepmotherly.

The increasing flood of documentation can be efficiently managed with the right software solution. These can be so-called document management systems (DMS) or portal solutions, which distinguish themselves by ensuring the archiving of data in compliance with the law. If these systems are also web-based, it is possible to access this data from anywhere in the world. Another advantage of these systems is the digital search options, which allow you to quickly find and filter various contents. These options can save a considerable amount of time and reduce the strain on nerves.

In addition, cooperation with the tax advisor, authorities and consultants is facilitated. Depending on the system, access options to accounting-relevant documents exist per se for the tax consultants or can be set up individually. What all systems have in common is that access rights can be set up for external consultants and users. Time-consuming faxing and e-mailing or the handover of so-called accounting folders (shuttle folders) can then be eliminated.

The effect of inefficiency in the office is very easily amplified by poor external conditions. Just think of a small office, poorly temperature-controlled, dark wallpaper, a tired ceiling sparkle, a small desk that is barely recognizable under piles of files, a tippy desk chair, folders in all colors with hand-labeled spines, shelves that are insufficient so that the floor is also used as storage space, an old PC, a tube screen in front of it.

In the analog world, a good structure in the folders is crucial so that you can easily find your way around yourself or, in an emergency, strangers. Digital systems work completely differently. For them, a huge pot of data is the optimum. The available software solutions therefore offer different options to accommodate human needs. Some work with fixed folder structures. Others allow a high degree of flexibility for custom designs. And still others work completely without folder structures.

How do you bring order to a chaos that has grown over many years? The best way is with a radical cut and a complete fresh start. Inbox, folder storage, workspace - every move should be as efficient as possible.

The goal of effective digital document management is to make the documents themselves, and especially the information they contain, available as quickly and easily as possible. And this also applies to tax consultants, management consultants or auditors. This can not only simplify collaboration, but also accelerate it, because documents and information can be exchanged easily and promptly. These advantages due to time savings and faster and better information from documents can hardly be valued in monetary terms. But they are the basis for informed decisions.