Final Final

Taking time to name a file properly will save time in the long run. In working on documents with a team, why do we add the word “final” to a document name?  Are documents ever REALLY final? Sure, a file may be sent to the printer, published or used in a presentation but a document is never done. There can always be added time spent refining, reprinting, tweaking or reposting. 

I admit I’ve been guilty of labeling a document version 1 only to find that the rest of the team doesn’t know that version 6 is the publishable document. So I’ve tried, “final,” “Final + date”, or my personal favorite “Final Final” only to look back in a project folder and still not be able to quickly identify the last version released. 

So how do I solve the draft-version-final mess? Set up rules, a good nomenclature and then communicate the rules with the team and check that I (and my team) follow the naming rules.

Set up and agree on nomenclature for file and folder names. For example, distinguish between working drafts with V0-00 and final releases with V00. 

Yes: “WHC Invite V0-01.doc”and “WHC Invite V01.doc” 
No:  “WHC Invite Vers1.doc” and “WHC Invite Final Version 1.doc”
  
Use leading zero in versions (V01-00) and dates (YY-MM-DD) is much better than M-D-YY as file names will wrongly appear in alpha/numerical order.

Being organized always pays off!  Finally, no more file names with the word final!

Anita, Reach Partners