Organise document names and working versions

Look for confusion in real working files

Before choosing a naming convention, open files that your team has used recently. Look for names that do not describe their contents, copies held in competing folders and documents whose reference version is unclear. Ask users how they find a document and how they decide whether it is ready to share. A useful rule responds to these observed difficulties. It should not become a complicated naming system that colleagues abandon as soon as an urgent request arrives or a document is passed to another department.

Make a name understandable outside its folder

A file name can combine the project, document type and working status in a consistent order. For example, “Atlas_Brief_Working” explains more than a name such as “final_document_corrected”. Choose terms that receiving colleagues understand, including when a file arrives as an attachment without the context of its original folder. Avoid abbreviations known only to the author. For a Moroccan team working across different languages, agree on common references while adapting the actual document content to its audience. Check that the convention remains easy to read on everyday devices.

Separate working status from approval

The word “final” does not explain who reviewed a document or which use was approved. Define statuses that colleagues can recognise, such as working, awaiting review, approved and replaced. Moving between them should correspond to an identified action by the appropriate owner. Retain older versions when the history remains useful, but keep them outside the current working view. Someone new to the file should be able to identify the usable document without opening every copy and reconstructing the sequence of changes from uncertain file names.

Keep a shared reference for the team

Choose the workspace that holds the reference version and share its link where practical. When sending a separate copy is necessary, identify its status and origin. Centralise comments in the shared workspace instead of spreading them across competing copies. During a meeting, open the common reference before discussing a change. If a colleague works offline, agree how those edits will be brought back into the reference document. This makes the handover understandable without silently replacing another person’s work or producing several copies that all claim to be current.

Test the convention and keep it usable

Try the approach on an active file, then ask someone unfamiliar with that file to locate the document that should be sent. Their hesitation shows where the rule needs simplification. Provide a short reference sheet with an example name, an explanation of statuses and the location of the shared version. Name a contact for ambiguous situations. Felexia Conseils can help organise documentary workflows as part of management advisory. A naming convention becomes useful through shared understanding, consistent use and practical adjustments based on the way the team works.

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