I'm getting better at collecting data but terrible at organizing it. I have a client with 8 accounts across 3 utilities and my desktop is a mess of PDFs named things like bill_scan_003.pdf and duke_energy_something.pdf. Before I start the next engagement I want a proper filing system. What do you all use?
How to organize billing data once you have it — folder structure tips
Top-level folder is the client name. Inside that: one subfolder per utility, inside each utility folder: one subfolder per account number. Inside each account folder I put the raw bills in chronological order named YYYY-MM format, plus a summary spreadsheet. So it looks like: ClientName > Duke Energy > Acct-12345 > 2015-01.pdf, 2015-02.pdf, etc. Takes discipline to set up at the start but saves hours later when you're referencing specific bills during your analysis.
I do something similar but I also have a master intake spreadsheet for each client that logs every document I've received — date received, source, document type, account number, billing period covered. When you're working 8 accounts you need to know at a glance which bills you have and which are still missing. I color code: green means I have all 24 months, yellow means partial, red means nothing received yet.
Organization is one of those things that separates professional auditors from hobbyists. Art's folder structure and Rosa's intake log are both excellent approaches. I'd add one more element: a naming convention for your workpapers. Every analysis file should include the client name, account number, and date in the filename. When you're managing multiple engagements simultaneously, being able to find any document in under 30 seconds is essential.
Implemented Art's folder structure and Rosa's tracking spreadsheet on my current engagement. Game changer. I can find anything instantly and I know exactly which data is still outstanding. Should have done this from day one.