There are times when you might make changes to a file, only to wish to revert back to the previous version. Sometimes you’ll accidentally overwrite an important existing file, and sometimes someone else will make edits to a document without permission. All of these situations warrant version control, or having the ability to view different iterations of a file. Here’s why you need to have version control in place, as well as what’s at stake if you don’t have it turned on.
Preventing Lost Progress
When multiple people have access to the same file, it’s easy for changes to overwrite progress. It’s also relatively common for progress to get lost due to user error or an unexpected powerdown. With version control, you have a certain measure of protection against these issues. You can keep full previous versions of a document safe, or you can preserve those small snippets and after-the-fact additions. All you need to do to access a previous version of a file is revert it to a pre-existing version; knowing this is available to you should make new edits infinitely more palatable.
Holding Editors Accountable
Another great reason to use version control is that you can see who makes changes to a document over time. You can see individual pieces of text and information on who made the edits (and when). With this information comes the ability to keep your team accountable for changes made, as well as the ability to promote transparency amongst your staff. When everyone knows who is making edits and why, reporting on changes and adjustments to clients becomes significantly easier.
Making Collaboration Easier
When you have multiple people working on a document, it’s easy for multiple versions to find themselves spread out across countless email inboxes throughout the duration of a project. However, when you have everyone working on the same document hosted in the cloud, they’ll be far less confused, and there won’t be any confusion about which version is up-to-date. You also avoid the “version sprawl” that happens when you have this constant back and forth. When you’re working on the same document in this way, version control becomes exceedingly important if only to keep a record of who is making the changes, especially for complex and important projects.
Does version control sound like a tool your business can use? We’d love to have a chat about how you can make it happen. Learn more today by calling us at (616) 828-5360.