If your business or working life requires you to send and receive big files on a daily basis, and you’re still quite new to this, then you might need a bit of help managing all of that data. When business starts out, you find simple solutions to the problem, but as things grow you start to realise that it’s all getting too much to handle.
Below are some perfect tips for managing large media files, especially for those who are new to the game:
1. Create Company Guidelines on Handling Large Files
If your company is growing and now handling a lot more data in the form of large media files, then you need to get your team together and start brainstorming some solid guidelines and policies on how to manage it. Consider it part of your company’s “digital constitution” as you’re doing it.
Your guidelines should include things like identifying someone within the company who will from now on be responsible for all matters relating to data sharing and security. It could fall under the umbrella of an existing role, or it could be a new role that you create, but someone needs to have a clear mandate to manage these issues. Other ideas could be rules on sharing files with people outside the company, restricting who has access to certain files, rules on storage, backing up and more.
2. Find an Online Storage and Sharing Solution
The best thing you can do is engage with a service provider to give you a tailor-made file sharing and collaboration platform through which your team can send and receive these files, and your customers too. The above-mentioned named person responsible for data matters could also be responsible for leading the development of this platform, and the training required to teach its use to all team members.
These big file sharing and storage services will save space on your computers, and keep large files securely located in a common location where staff can access them securely from any authorised device. Added security should include tracking of files, identifying who is using them, who last modified and when, etc.
3. Back Up, Back Up, Back Up
The idea of backing up may sound old-fashioned, but it’s still necessary just in case. A good method for companies to create a backup is by using external hard drives. They’re affordable, small, easy to store and label, and offer a kind of old-world “hard-copy” solution that beats filing cabinets hands down. They certainly take up a lot less space.
Of course, external hard drives are not the only option, but they are local and secure, unhackable, cheap and plentiful, which works to their advantage. Cloud backups are also an option if that’s what individuals prefer.
4. Continually Update and Enhance Your Policies, Training and Workflow
Finally, you shouldn’t believe that whatever you do today to solve your problems with handling large data files will be a solution that lasts indefinitely. You will need to work with your team as it grows to develop policies that suit your growing organisation. Data security is typically the biggest concern, not because everyone is dealing with top-secret intellectual property, but because large files may also be huge bundles of client-related information that also must be kept secure.
Your staff will need to be trained in new policies and handling procedures. A clear workflow needs to be established that shows who should have what kind of data, when and for how long, etc. Only through this kind of planning and preparation can you be sure of little to no mishap when it comes to managing large data files.
