T 3.31 Unstructured data organisation

Inadequate instructions and/or a lack of training for staff members can result in a confusing organisation of data on the data media in use. This can lead to various problems such as:

• Waste of disk space through multiple storing of the same data

• Hasty or non-deletion of data, because nobody knows any longer what kind of data is stored in which files

• Unauthorised access, if files are placed in directories or on data media which are made accessible to third parties

• Inconsistent version numbering of different directories and IT systems

Example:

A new staff member with little IT experience was not briefed on the importance of structured data organisation. Problems occurred shortly thereafter, because the staff member had stored all files in the root directory, without creating a single subdirectory.