Paper Tiger Filing System software is an indexing system for your physical files that has a powerful and easy-to-use search engine built into the database so that lost information is virtually eliminated in your office. You would simply type the information into the database relating to your physical files.
Keep your paper in its original form (you do not have to scan it) and use the power of the computer to quickly and easily find the information when you need it. This is the best of both worlds. You get all of the best things from the computer, but do not have the problems of using a scanner, such as removing paper clips, staples or sticky notes or the problem with paper jams in the scanner.
Paper Tiger can index anything; it’s not just document management! Some things just can’t be scanned, i.e., contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. That cannot be done with systems that require scanning into an electronic file.
However that being said, our developers are working to provide a digital solution enhancement to Paper Tiger Online that will allow you to search your scanned and other electronic files, along with your physical items. Digital Tiger is not quite ready, as it is still in Beta testing phase, but when available, Digital Tiger will be able to connect your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs account, then you will be able to search from one place to find both your paper/physical items and your digital files. We hope to have this available soon.
The way it will work is described on our web page at http://thepapertiger.com/digital_tiger. Digital Tiger will be a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online account (Basic and Pro plans).
To prepare for Digital Tiger, you can go ahead and create, scan or upload your digital files to Google Docs. Of course, Paper Tiger is available now and you can begin indexing the items that you need to keep in hard copy format. Paper Tiger allows you to index your paper files and other physical items that you need to keep in hard copy format, such as contracts, instruction booklets, or CDs, DVDs, Books, home or office inventory and/or storage, etc.
So for paper filing, you would first set up all hanging file folders in your file cabinets at one time using the numbered tabs that you print out from the software and they never change. You input information relating to each document in the database’s digital file location. Paper Tiger assigns the file number to the document or set of relating documents that you want to put in the same hanging file folder. You can give the document any name you want without any worry about finding it later. This is because the system will allow you to tag keywords that describe all documents that you put in your hanging file folders. For documents that you want to add to the same file, simply edit the Item and add additional keywords necessary for the new document(s).
Because the hanging file folders are already setup and waiting for your information, you eliminate the time-consuming hassle of having to find and create a file folder and tab each time you want to file something. Again, the software will assign an index number to each file you add to be put in the first available empty hanging folder.
When you’ve converted your filing system to Paper Tiger, and you need to find a file later, you simply conduct a Google-like search in the database for whatever keyword you’re thinking on that day to find where your file is located.
Please view our videos on our Why Paper Tiger page at http://www.thepapertiger.com/tour, which may help you understand better.
You might find A Guide to Converting to Paper Tiger helpful. If you already have your files in place, we suggest start sorting the piles on your desk, then one drawer at a time. Purge (recycle) what you can.
Make the decision what would be the best option for each document. We have several articles on our blog from some of our Paper Tiger Experts who are also productivity experts that have helpful tips regarding making decisions about how to better manage your paper. Three examples are:
-Sherry Borsheim, “Too Much Paper in Your Life – Do It F.A.S.T.!”
-Stephanie Calahan, “Use the DART System to Get Through Your Paper Piles”
-Anne McGurty, “Year-End Filing – The File Clean-Out Process”
To give you an example of how you might set up a filing system, below are some suggestions. Please note these are only suggestions because everyone does not think, file or organize in the same way. If you need one-on-one professional help to get organized, we refer you to professional organizers that also specialize in implementing Paper Tiger. See our Paper Tiger Experts page. You would contract them based on their current ‘office miracle special, and they will be able to either come into your office or conduct a session or day with you virtually.
In Paper Tiger’s database, a Location is a physical Location for storing Folders, such as a file cabinet or a desk drawer that relates to a Location within Paper Tiger. So Paper Tiger uses Locations in the database to represent these places where you store the items you want to be able to find later. These Locations can be named anything you want – however you relate to what you are indexing, i.e., Action files, Reference files, Office files, Home files, House, Basement, Garage, etc.
Action Files are files you use most frequently and would be placed in a drawer close to you, such as your right bottom drawer of your desk. There are two categories of Action Files:
Temporary Action Files are files of current projects or events that will come to an end, i.e., contracts under review, files on a new committee assignment or presentation notes for an upcoming meeting.
Permanent Action Files are files for tasks that require ongoing action, i.e., “Call,” “Pay,” and “Write.” Another example of a Permanent Action File might be “Invoices to be Paid”. Once the invoice has been paid, you would move the document to the Reference Location in the Invoices hanging folder.
There is also an Action Date function within Paper Tiger in which you can select the next date that an item requires action. You can also note what action should take place on that action date. When you open Paper Tiger, a reminder will pop up for those actionable items.
Reference Files are files you need to refer to from time to time. “Auto Insurance,” “Taxes – Current Year,” and “Time Sheets” are examples of reference files.
In the Reference Files Location, you might have hanging file folders for the following:
1. Invoices (within this hanging folder, you can file invoices either by month, chronologically or alphabetically)
2. Purchases (within this hanging folder, you can file purchases either by month, chronologically or alphabetically)
3. Expenses (within this hanging folder, you can file expenses either by month, chronologically or alphabetically)
4. Taxes (within this hanging folder, you can file the documents relating to only the current year’s taxes. Previous year’s taxes should be Archived, along with the invoices, purchases and expenses for those respective years.)
5. Utilities (within this hanging folder, you can file utility bills either by month, by the type of utility or company name. You might have manilla folders within this hanging folders with the type of utility: -Electricity, -Gas, -etc….then you could just input each new bill in the front of the respective manilla folder so the latest bill would be at the front)
6. Insurance (within this hanging folder, you might have manilla folders filed alphabetically for Autos, House, and Office) The Item name would be Insurance and keywords might be ‘automobiles, cars, Ford, Honda, State Farm, name, address and phone number of agent(s), policy, home, office, equipment, health, employee, employers, personal, workers compensation, … You could also sub-divide this to Insurance-Auto, Insurance-Home, Insurance-Office into 3 separate hanging folders.
7. Software
8. Passport
9. Sports activities (schedules for tennis, baseball, classes, team members, etc.)
10. Billy (school papers, immunizations, schedules for classes and other activities, awards, etc)
11. Susie (school papers, immunizations, awards, schedules for classes and other activities, etc)
12. Community Service
13. Personnel/Human Resources (within this hanging folder, you might have manilla folders for each person in your company filed alphabetically) However, if the documents for each employee is greater than what will fit into a manilla folder, you might create a Location separately for Personnel/Human Resources. This would give you the option of creating a separate hanging folder for each employee.
14. Medical records
Click here for more file name suggestions courtesy of Deanne Kelleher, founder of kAos Group
As you see these are not in alphabetical order, and of course, they do not need to be since we are indexing our files with Paper Tiger, however you might want to think about what types of files that you want to put together. For example, the files that you will be referencing more frequently in the first 1 or 2 file cabinet drawers convenient to you. The list above would be indexed Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4, Reference 5, etc. through Reference 14. The next file that you add to Paper Tiger then would be assigned Reference 15 and would go into Reference 15 hanging file folder.
You might also have an Archives Location for the older files that you need to keep for legal or tax or various other reasons for longer periods of time, but do not need to reference. See our blog posts for Records Retention Guidelines. You would be able to transfer these files in the database from one Location to the Archives Location so that you can still keep track of where they are. Then move the physical files to the physical location to coincide with the indexed file item number in your Paper Tiger database. As information, when you transfer files from one Location to another, this opens the Item Number from the original Location for new documents.
When a hanging file has gotten too overstuffed, you can sub-divide that file chronologically by year. For example, your hanging file folder Reference 12 for Community Service for 2009 and 2010 could be moved to new hanging file folders with Item Names ‘Community Service-2009′ and ‘Community Service-2010′. If you move them within your Reference Location, they would be added to the first 2 available open Item numbers in Paper Tiger. Or you could transfer them to your Archives cabinet. Reference 12 would then have room for your new current year community service information.
For the above example, assuming that Reference Item numbers 1-4 all relate to information that you need for your taxes, you would be able to transfer those files to an Archive hanging file folder (or drawer or box depending on the amount of documentation you have and where you will be moving those documents to) named ‘Taxes-2010′ after you have completed your 2010 taxes. Reference Item numbers 1-4 would then be available for your new current year documents relating to the respective Item Names.
Other Location suggestions are described on our Not Just For Filing Paper page at http://www.thepapertiger.com/tour#4, which include but are certainly not limited to:
- Bank Security Boxes
- Books
- CDs
- Collection
- Craft Supplies
- DVDs
- Inventory
- Keys
- Moving Boxes
- Storage Containers
- Storage Sheds
- Wine
Categories in Paper Tiger is an additional section in which you can use to classify groups of related items. The Category, “Bills” might be added to “Utility bills”, “Car repair bills” e.t.c.
For your Books Location, the Category “Self-Help” might include all your books that relate to self-help or motivation. You might also have Categories for Books named:
- Business
- Crafts
- Finance
- Gardening
- History
- Marketing
- Novels
- Technology
Don’t forget to create a records retention policy for your home and/or office to have a guideline of how long you should keep records in your specific situation. We have articles under our blog category, “Retention Guidelines: How long should you keep records?” that you might find helpful.
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This article by Sherry Borsheim, a Paper Tiger Expert of International Association of Business Organizing (IABO), gives us some great questions to ask ourselves about how the ‘stuff’ in our lives affect us and others, emotionally, health-wise, financially, and in time (productivity)! How much does your stuff or clutter cost you? Check out Sherry’s Organizing Bootcamps which will give you a JUMP-START on ORGANIZING your office, home and life. She will give you her trade secrets and steps to setting up your organizing systems, including recommending Paper Tiger filing system software for document management, to be organized and manage the information and stuff in your life.
Have you noticed all the fancy new storage facilities that have been going up in your area over the last few years? I sure have and I’m not surprised when I think of all the stuff people have accumulated over the years with quick fixes and disposable gadgets. In fact, storage is a fifteen billion dollar industry and retail stores are carrying more organizing products than ever before. With the state of the economy, people are thinking twice about their purchases, getting back to basics and asking themselves, what’s important in their life? Do they really need all this stuff?
People’s stuff says a lot about them. Their stuff is a reflection of what’s going on inside of them emotionally. I often say a “cluttered mind is a cluttered space.” They have unresolved issues that they’re not dealing with and so things pile up and they say “I’ll get to it someday” or “I’ll deal with it later.” What happens when things are left for later is, things pile up and over time it can become such a big pile that they don’t know where to begin. Now the feeling of overwhelm sets in and they abandon the project all together. I’m sure we’ve all been there.
Emotional Clutter
For some, their identity is wrapped up in their stuff and they tend to live in the past. Their stuff can make them tired, lethargic and a tendency to procrastinate. For others, they haven’t developed good habits and put things randomly wherever or on the first available flat surface. Often times they are late for appointments because they couldn’t find their car keys or meeting notes. And for others, their stuff affects their finances. Simply put, their stuff runs their life!
When people’s stuff affects their quality of life and/or the lives of others, you know their stuff is problematic. Sometimes they value their stuff more than they value their relationships and I’ve seen this. This is a big warning sign to stop what they’re doing and re-evaluate what’s important to them.
Another kind of emotional clutter is unfinished projects. Honestly ask yourself:
Put Pen to Paper
I’d invite you to take out a piece of paper or use your computer to list every single unfinished project that comes to mind. It may take you a couple of days to do this exercise. Also, as you write down your list of unfinished projects, you may feel like the mountain is just too big to tackle and your stress levels may rise? I’ll let you in on a little secret, you’re not alone and there’s help.
Unfinished projects slow a person down and often their life is in stuck mode. When they’re stuck, they tend to live in the past and often miss out on the new opportunities that could come their way if they just created the space to allow it to come to them. Purging the stuff is a necessary step.
Organizing Rules to Live By
After you’ve completed your list of unfinished projects, use your highlighter to highlight only the projects that are in line with your vision for this year and enhance your life in a positive way. Think of quadrant two type activities like relationships, planning and preparation – stuff that’s important and not urgent. Next schedule time to complete these important and not urgent projects. Also take into consideration what your goals are for this year and make sure that these projects are worth your time and effort. As you finish these projects, the heavy weight you may have been feeling will begin to feel lighter and then watch your energy soar! You’ll also feel a renewed peace of mind that things are handled and nothing is slipping through the cracks.
The Real Cost of Your Stuff
When a space is filled with too much stuff it causes the person to be distracted and unfocused. Drilling down to the real reason the piles are there is critical to uncovering why you do what you do. Sometimes it’s just a simple little thing as creating a folder for a new project or jotting a reminder into your calendar or using a Velcro dot on a pen so it is where you need it every time. Really, it can be that simple! Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:
Take a few moments right now to add up the costs of your stuff. Remember to fact in any insurance costs, storing costs, cleaning costs, space allocation costs, and cost to containing your stuff. Then there’s the time you spend maintaining your stuff. Take a moment to access what your stuff is costing you and write that down on a piece of paper or in your computer. “My stuff is costing me this much in wasted time, in storing costs, in maintenance, and so on.”
Too Much Stuff Affects Your Health
Stuff can also affect someone’s health because the piles of stuff collect dust and grime and if it’s not cleaned regularly the room becomes dusty and musty. What’s the next action step you’re going to take to make your office or room more inspiring? Are you going to paint the walls, get rid of all the paper and magazines you rarely refer to, buy a shredder, or hang inspiring artwork? Write down the first action step you are going to take to get rid of the dust and make your space more inspiring?
What’s Cluttering Your Calendar?
What commitments have you made that you said yes to when you really wanted to say no? Do you have a tendency to please everyone and say yes a lot? Learn to set boundaries around your time. Get clear on your values and what’s important to you. Make sure you schedule the important stuff first, like relationships, time for yourself to exercise and getting enough sleep. Then fill in the rest of your life. At the end of the day, for the majority of people, relationships are most important.
What Do You Want to Change?
These questions haven’t been easy, but they are important questions to consider. Now is the perfect time to reflect where you are right now and access what’s working, what’s not working and what do you want to do differently moving forward? The next action step that you take now, could be the most important step you take that leads to a whole new level of productivity and peace of mind. Being organized in your office, home and life is a beautiful thing!
If your stuff has side-tracked you, all there is to do is get back on track. So, take time to answer these questions and then take action. When we leave this place, and we all eventually will, you won’t be taking your stuff with you. All your precious stuff will remain exactly where you left it. So do yourself a favour and those you love and get rid of all the unimportant stuff. It will save your loved ones a lot of time and money down the road! And remember, to enjoy the process…there is hope, life and light at the end of the organizing journey!
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Sherry Borsheim is the president of International Association of Business Organizing and Simply Productive. You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.BizOrganizing.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).
Sign up to receive Sherry’s newsletter by clicking here “Send My Kit” and you’ll receive her FREE 7 Ways to Organize Your Workspace kit!
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Example of what people are saying about Sherry:
We used to waste a lot of time searching for documents. Now, we can search and retrieve documents quickly. We got rid of the clutter and created a lot of physical space and a more pleasant and positive working space. Having an organized office space is liberating! It has helped us operate more efficiently and save at least an hour a day. The organizing journey was surprisingly easy and fun. Thanks to Sherry for helping us Conquer our Chaos!
Melanie Lam, Administrative Assistant
Administrative and Professional Staff Association
Simon Fraser University
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The mission of the International Association of Business Organizing (IABO) is to inspire people to unclutter their offices, homes and lives for peace of mind.
We believe that when businesses are uncluttered and organizing systems and process are in place, businesses run smoother and they are more profitable.
IABO provides support, education and resources to business owners, professional organizers, managers and administrative staff worldwide. We empower them and teach them how to create effective office organizing systems and behaviours that work for them and/or their team through our teleseminars, videos, online content, webinars and coaching programs.
We help businesses streamline their workflow and empower new behaviours and levels of success professionally and personally. We help you grow your bottom line!
For more information on Sherry Borsheim and her educational products and services for organization and increased productivity, go to http://www.bizorganizing.com/
Trying to maintain organized living when it comes to having a home office can be a tricky task. There can be so much paper work, documents, books and other things that seem to get in the way, get misplaced or get overlooked completely. Having a digital filing system in place, like Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, can help take the hassle and clutter out of the home office. Whether you are about to renovate a room and change it into your office or already have one in place, either way you can benefit from starting to use a digital filing system.
Gone are the days when you cannot track that one paper or document you really need. Nothing can be more frustrating than needing an important item at an exact moment and being unable to track it down. You need the data from a sheet of paper, or someone is on the phone and needs some figures right then and there. The only problem is, that particular sheet of paper doesn’t seem to be anywhere to be found.
Ironically, old alphabetical filing systems didn’t really enable you to locate the paper any easier. For instance, if you had a slip of paper for your car expenses it should filed alphabetically under car, right? It also could be under “A” for auto repairs, “F” for Ford repairs or even just “R” for repairs – that is, if it is even in the right spot, at all.
This can especially be true and even more confusing if you have anyone else working with you in your home office. How can you be sure you are both using the same methodology in your filing system? A digital filing system can help do away with all the troubles and stresses that arise from having a disorganized home office.
Using a digital filing system will help you to have organized living and declutter your life, your home office and your home in general. Imagine the time you will save by being able to track papers, documents or books with your filing system. You can index more than paper files, too. Anything that you can put a number onto, you can add to your digital filing software.
So, that includes items such as CDs or even photos. Or maybe your home office is for your business of selling collectibles online. When an item sells, you need to be able to locate it quickly so you can ship it off to your customer. You might be keeping your inventory at home, stored somewhere such as the attic and even in a rented storage somewhere off your property. How can you find that item, aside from just hoping you recall where it is from memory? The answer is to use Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to get organized and maintain organized living in your home office and work space to be more productive.
You will so love the software that you will want to expand its use to many things other than paper, such as books, CDs, DVDs, collections, storage boxes, etc! In addition, Paper Tiger Online will soon be able to connect Digital Tiger to Google Docs which will allow you to search for both your paper files and other physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve scanned, uploaded or created in Google Docs! Yes, we recommend Google Docs for your electronic files because it is the least expensive digital cloud storage that you’ll find anywhere. You’ll be able to search for both physical items and scanned or digital files from one search. This will make your time management and productivity even easier to maintain!
Whether it is your home, home office, work space or personal gathering of collectible memorabilia, getting organized will reduce stress in your life and help you be more productive. An effective filing system method, like Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management can help get your life in order, for both personal and professional. The problem often is, once you have a disorganized system, it can be difficult to get out from under it. Many people claim to have a “method to their madness” or that the filing system they have in place, with random papers stacked on every flat surface of a room, “works for them.” Truth be told, though, this probably isn’t true and they waste a lot of time searching to find what they need.
It takes more effort to deal with clutter and spending time trying to find documents and other physical items than it would if you had a system in place. Besides, if someone else had to work with that same system, he or she may not be as able to adjust to the madness. Also consider the stress having this type of home or office causes. Even if it is subconscious, people who live with clutter in their home or office life are reported to feel stressed out, depressed and generally overwhelmed all of the time.
So, let’s take an office filing cabinet system as an example. It’s already obvious the loose paper strewn around the room does not represent what a proper or useful filing system looks like. It is easier to start off organized, but even if you have already started to live in or work in a world of paper chaos, you can still change things and turn it around. Keep in mind, though, if possible, starting off being organized from the beginning will always make your life easier, as well as make it simpler to get an organizational system into place and then maintained.
Even if the office example has a fine set of filing cabinets with all the papers put where they are supposed to be, this can be a non-functional system. If you have filed papers under “auto” records but someone else is looking for “car” records or even “vehicle” records, it almost doesn’t matter how pretty the system in place is. When you use a document management software program, you can use keywords so that any one of these terms could be typed in to search for the location of a document. In a matter of speaking, it keeps everyone who has access to the filing cabinets and the filing system software on the same page.
If it can be numbered or indexed, it can become part of a filing system. This very same program you use to get your papers in your home or office in order can be used in your home to keep your storage shed in order as part of your effort to get organized. Imagine a life free of clutter and finally making sense when it comes to how things are organized. So, you keep tools in the garage, basement, the backyard shed and an offsite storage rental unit. Because of that, how will you have any idea of where to find what? By using a filing system like what is mentioned here, that’s how!
No more lost items! Doesn’t that sound good? All you do is take the time to enter the item names and keywords relating to the items you are organizing; indexing them into Paper Tiger’s database, whether it be paper, books, CDs, DVDs, collectors’ items or tools, or anything else you can put a number onto. Then when you need an item, you can conduct a quick Google-like search in the software database and find any of your belongings at the time you need them instead of having a time-consuming search from room to room. Implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and see for yourself how quickly you can get organized!
In this webinar, Anne McGurty, productivity expert of Strategize and Organize, presented an overview in how to manage your digital and paper filing, giving statistics and showing problems that people have in finding their information, whether it be digital files or paper/physical items. Anne describes how Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, will work and, using just one search to Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
We also showed screencasts for connecting Paper Tiger Online to Google Docs thereby activating Digital Tiger, in addition to scanning with the ScanSnap 1500M, how quick and easy it is to scan and upload to Google Docs.
As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
Q: I am wondering about originals. If I scan a reciept will that be accepted as original or do I need to retain the original also
A: Yes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been accepting digitized or scanned versions of paper documents since 1997 in lieu of paper documents. Please see our knowledge base article at Does the IRS accept digitized or scanned versions of my documents instead of paper documents? for more information.
Q: I want to make sure I can use Paper Tiger Online because I ordered a Fujitsu scanner in order to do so
A: You can use Paper Tiger Online with or without a scanner, whether it be Fujitsu or other brand of scanner, since Paper Tiger is an indexing system in which you type in information regarding your paper files and other physical items. If you have a Paper Tiger Online account you should be able to use Digital Tiger when it is available. Again, at first the Basic and Pro plans will allow you to activate Digital Tiger to your Google Docs account. You can go ahead and put your documents in Google Docs to be ready for when Digital Tiger is available.
Q: If my Paper Tiger account is not registered through my gmail email address, can I still link it to Google Docs?
A: When Digital Tiger is available, you will be able to connect Paper Tiger Online to your Google account, thereby activating Digital Tiger. This will be available in the Basic and Pro plans at first, and we hope to have available for multi users soon thereafter. It does not matter what email address you have on your Paper Tiger Online account, so it can be different than your Gmail or Google account.
Q: What about other Microsoft products? Do I need to convert to Google Docs?
A: We will only be able to connect to Google apps, since Microsoft does not currently allow an API to allow us to work with their software.
Q: Does this work with my Outlook emails or do I need to use Google email to have it work?
A: At first, Digital Tiger will only work with Google Docs. We will be adding Gmail and Gcalendar in the future. I believe Anne will address later in the presentation about syncing Outlook with Gmail. We do not currently have plans to connect Digital Tiger with Outlook.
Q: Which plan is necessary to get Digital Tiger?
A: Basic or Pro plan will have Digital Tiger available as soon as it is out of Beta testing.
Q: Can I backup the digital documents into my computer or portable hard drives for my records?
A: Yes, you can either create or scan your digital documents onto your hard drive first, then upload the files or folders to Google Docs. Or you can create or scan your digital documents directly in Google Docs, then backup your Google Docs to your local or external hard drive.
Q: Please present how to scan directly to Google Docs.
A: See our blog post regarding How to Get Started With Digital Tiger for a Paper and Digital Filing Solution. The second video in this article shows how to scan directly to Google Docs. Please note that this video shows the Mac version of the Fujitsu ScanSnap 1500M and the feature that this scanner provides.
Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, is a digital filing solution designed to work seamlessly with Paper Tiger Online. By using the two products, Digital Tiger and Paper Tiger, together you will be able to find scanned documents (PDFs), digital files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and your paper documents with one search. This document management software system will allow you and your team to get truly organized and stop wasting time looking for lost information.
You may wonder why we’ve chosen Google Docs as the digital file storage for Digital Tiger. We researched many digital file storage solutions, and we have found the Google is the cheapest cloud file storage that you’ll find on the market. Based on the survey responses we’ve received, people have told us they want a cost-effective solution to meet their document management needs that will allow them to get organized in both their paper and digital filing systems.
We believe that Google Docs is the missing piece to Paper Tiger Online for the digital file organization; and that Paper Tiger Online is the answer to the missing ingredient of Google Docs – - the paper piece.
If you already have a paid Paper Tiger Online account and a Google Apps or Gmail account, simply connect your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google account, which will activate Digital Tiger.
Note: if you do not have a Paper Tiger Online account, sign up for a Basic or Pro Paper Tiger Online account.
To connect your Paper Tiger Account to Google Docs:
1. Log into your Paper Tiger Online Account.
2. Click on the Accounts (upgrades/invoices) tab.
3. Locate the link to ‘Connect your Paper Tiger account to Google Documents’
4. Click the Grant Access button from your Google Account. Note: if you are already signed into your Gmail account, it will be recognized. If you are not already signed into your Gmail account, you will be directed to the sign in page. If you do not already have a Gmail account, you will need to create one by clicking on the Create an account from the sign in page.
By default Digital Tiger results are not automatically included in your search results. To perform a Digital Tiger search, you must be inside any one of your databases and either have permanently activated digital search in your “Database preferences”.
Because the preference for making Digital Tiger search permanent is Database specific, you must activate the feature for each database that you wish to search both Digital and Paper Files.
1. Within your Database go to Database Preferences
2. Under “Activate Digital Search” select “Yes. Show Digital results”
1. Above the Search bar, click “Show advanced search” (Note: Advanced Search is not available in the Basic plan)
2. In the advanced search menu, check the “Search Digital Tiger” box.
If you are looking to convert your paper files to digital PDFs, you will need a scanner. The scanner you purchase should be able to directly work with your storage engine, without any additional steps on your part. It is much too time consuming to scan in images and then upload them manually. Because Google Docs is so popular, many name brand scanners are now supporting direct input into the Google Docs system. The scanner software will create the PDF, convert the PDF to a searchable format using OCR (optical character recognition) and then upload the file into Google Docs in one simple process, saving you enormous amounts of time and making the process more enjoyable.
You can use the scanner that you already have in your office, however please check with your scanner’s manufacturer for any software updates that might allow you to scan directly to Google Docs. See our knowledge base articles for other scanner information.
We have tested several scanners and this is by far the best scanner that we have encountered. We recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap 1500 (or 1500M for Mac users). Please note that the Fujitsu ScanSnap 1500 scanners are not Twain driver scanners. If you need a scanner that has or supports a Twain driver, check the Fujitsu scanners that do support Twain drivers at http://www.fujitsu.com/global/support/computing/peripheral/scanners/drivers/index.html#itwain
It is said that the average American spends over 150 hours per year, just looking for lost information. Some estimates are even higher than this! Based on a 260 day year (not considering holidays, personal days, etc., and let’s say you never look for lost information on the weekends…), that is almost 35 minutes per day, 2.9 hours per week and 12.5 hours per month!
On a personal level, the results are most likely:
On a business level, the consequences and costs can be much greater, including:
There are many ways to calculate an ROI for ‘getting your act together’ and making some changes in getting organized, but we all know that one of the biggest is the satisfaction and reduced stress of being able to put your fingers on what you need, when you need it! This feels so good and you can keep moving on the particular project at hand. But, if you want to put some hard dollars to the investment of time and equipment/software required to change the way you do things and tune up your organizing skills, take a look at this. We are calculating only hard dollar cost here — we won’t deal with the opportunity cost of being disorganized — this means how much money you might lose if you don’t properly service your customers in a timely manner.
“The average worker has 36 hours of work stacked up on his or her desk (and on the floor, on the shelves, on their credenza).” – USA Today
“The average person spends 6 weeks per year searching for misplaced information.” – North Carolina’s Brunswick Beacon
“The average person spends 8 months of his/her lifetime opening junk mail.” – New York Times
Here is a very simple calculation of the cost of looking for lost information and not “being on top of things” in your office. If you spend 35 minutes per day looking for lost information…
Your pay may be higher or lower and you may spend more or less time looking for lost information, but this calculation serves as an example of one way to think about the problem. This simple calculation ignores all the hidden costs of disorganization such as the cost of lost opportunities, added stress in the workplace, the health costs of always feeling behind, etc.
So, in hard dollar terms, you will save over $2,000 per year and get that wasted time back for other much more productive things…including going home earlier from the office. And in soft dollar terms, you will get more of your life back and be able to better service your customers with less effort using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management!
Paper Files/Digital Files 
Finally, a product that allows you to organize your ENTIRE office in one place. You will have one screen to search for all of your information, be it in PDF format from the paper you have scanned and uploaded to Google Docs or if you have the paper in your file cabinets, as most businesses do. Many people are starting to move to a more paperless environment, but still have a great deal of paper that they must manage each day. The combination of Paper Tiger and the NEW Digital Tiger makes it possible to easily convert your paper to PDF files and store them in the amazing product Google Docs. In addition, using Paper Tiger, you can easily index your physical paper files and find them while searching for your digital files…all in one search! Digital Tiger is FREE with your paid Paper Tiger Online account. (Basic or Pro plan)
Our original product, Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management in the market since 1998, revolutionized how tens of thousands of organizations/individuals manage their paper filing. Paper Tiger greatly SIMPLIFIED filing by eliminating the problems found in traditional alphabetic methods and made finding paper files in the office faster and much more reliable. The software is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system for paper files, so it works like a search engine to help you stay organized. People using the software can save over 150 hours per year by eliminating the time-consuming task of looking for lost information. People so love the software that they have expanded its use to many things other than paper, such as books, CDs, DVDs, collections, storage boxes, etc!
As the power of computers has increased, the cost of disk space has decreased and the cloud has become secure, reliable and robust, more and more people are looking for a digital solution for at least some of their paper files. This lead us to create Digital Tiger. Digital Tiger and Paper Tiger work together seamlessly to provide you one place to find BOTH your digital files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDFs and almost any other file type from your Google Docs account) AND your paper files indexed into Paper Tiger Online, in one search. Using both products, you will be able to “Find Anything in Your Office in 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!”
Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs means that you can scan some or all of your paper into PDF format and store the PDFs, along with almost any other digital file, into your ultra low cost and amazingly powerful Google Docs account. Other document management systems in the marketplace are too complex and too expensive. Paper Tiger Online will connect to your Google Docs account, thereby activating Digital Tiger, to work seamlessly with Paper Tiger and will allow you to easily find anything you have filed, digital or paper, very quickly from one interface. Monticello combines this with great training and support to provide you with a total solution to allow you to easily setup your digital paper management/document management system and make your organization more efficient with minimal effort or cost.
Digital Tiger and Paper Tiger are both designed to be easy to setup and simple to use. Powered by Google Docs, you can be assured that your data will be there when you need it with a 99.9% guaranteed system up-time and a company the size of Google Docs storing your valuable information. In addition, you will be getting great new features automatically as they are introduced.
Note: for Paper Tiger desktop customers, you can integrate Google Desktop and be able to search your digital files from your desktop.
You can use the awesome power and convenience of Google Docs to store all of your digital files in the cloud and still have the piece of mind of having a synced copy of your files on your local hard drive!
Paper Tiger Online and Digital Tiger using Google Docs is the least expensive way to move into a document management system. Digital Tiger is an enhancement to Paper Tiger Online, that connects Paper Tiger to Google Docs, to be able to search just one place to find both their physical paper files and their digital files.
Customers can begin moving to a more paperless environment by using their Fujitsu ScanSnap software or another scanner, if they prefer, to convert their physical paper into pdf format. The combination of Google Docs and Digital Tiger make this possible at a very low cost. In this economy, many businesses are trying to find ways to be more efficient and save money.
Our Paper Tiger Online and Digital Tiger customers are looking for a way to make a backup copy of all their data stored in Google Docs to their local drive for safekeeping and piece of mind. Local storage is becoming very cheap with 3 TB (yes terabytes) drives selling on Amazon for as low as $123.99 recently.
We have now discovered a great tool to do this for Mac users. The product is called CloudPull, by Golden Hill Software, $24.99 per user license. It was listed this month in Macworld Magazine as one of the “49 Top Mac Apps”. Piece of mind for $24.99 — you cannot beat that!
Windows users also have a great tool to backup all of their files to their local hard drive. The product is called Syncdocs, by Doc Freedom, $9.95 per year. You can rest easy at night having your data in the Google Cloud and another copy safely stored on your local hard drive. Syncdocs will take care of this chore for you automatically at a very low price indeed!
GDocsDrive
In addition, with GDocsDrive, made by Cloud Drive Team, users can view their Google Docs files and collections on their local Windows computer. GDocsDrive is just $19.99 for a license and that includes future updates. You will enjoy having the convenience of using Google Docs either in the cloud or on your local Windows computer. GDocsDrive is a very useful addition to your Google world at a price that is quite affordable – basically a client tool for Google Docs!
This is great news for our customers using Digital Tiger (currently in BETA testing). You can now save virtually any digital file to your Google account using the very inexpensive Google storage and then find the file using either your Google interface or using your Paper Tiger Online account. Now, when you want to take your laptop to a location that does not have internet access, all of your digital files (including all of your scanned pdfs – for those of you wanting to go to a more paperless environment), will be immediately available to you.
See this article Now, work offline on Google for further details:
Gmail Offline beta is a Gmail app built to support offline access, allowing mail to be read, responded to, searched and archived…Click here to get the Gmail Offline App.
Organizing craft supplies is a great way to put an end to the clutter that is causing you to have a not so organized life. Crafts can be a great hobby for you and your entire family, as long as these supplies and half finished projects don’t take over your home. While it can be tempting to leave things out so they are easy to find, eventually they become an eyesore. Not to mention, you usually end up not being able to locate those things you left out so you could find them because other things are piled on top. It ends up being a such a clutter problem that it starts to create more stress for you.
You can implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and get organized in every area of your life — not just for organizing your paper files!
Whether you have one artsy hobby or many, you are going to have supplies to deal with. This not only becomes messy, it can be a hazard. You want to be able to store certain supplies to avoid harm. For instance, you won’t want to keep your cutting tools or sewing needles out where your children or pets could end up finding them. Things such as paints or dyes should be kept out of reach to avoid small children getting a hold of them.
Usually, the best type of filing system for crafts in your organized life is storage boxes or containers. Something that is easy to move but durable, as well as able to prevent leakage, should one of those bottles of dye spill inside the storage container. Also, for materials you would like to make sure youngsters do not get a hold of without your supervision, use boxes that have a locking system in place.
Once you have sorted your craft supplies, you can box them in your selected container, then index and keep track of them by using filing system software. By numbering the boxes and using this program you can refer to it to locate your supplies. For instance, if you need to know exactly where your Sienna Red paint is, simply look it up by typing in the keywords, then you will know the storage box number to retrieve.
Let’s say for example you have craft materials for the following craft types,
-Pipe cleaner crafts
-Paper crafts
-Children’s Paints
-Clay crafts
-Cardboard crafts
-Holiday and Seasonal crafts
-Woodworking crafts
For each of these craft supplies, you have a container or two depending on the amount of each. In the filing system software, you could have a Location named ‘Crafts’. Within that Craft Location, you would type in an Item Name for your first craft type, such as ‘Pipe Cleaner’. Then in the Keywords section, type in all the different colors of pipe cleaners you have in stock and maybe even what you’ve crafted with the pipe cleaners. In addition, you might include in this keyword section (and in the box), the instructions for the crafts in which you’ve used pipe cleaners. So this might be your box #1 which would match your database Item #1. 
Your Item #2 would match your box #2, which might include Item Name ‘Paper Crafts’, and in the Keywords section, the different colors of paper you have, types of paper (card stock, construction), and instructions for different projects, etc.
Your Item #3 would match your box #3, which might include Item Name ‘Children’s Paints’, and in the Keywords section, water color sets, paint brushes, aprons, water color drawings, etc.
The great thing about organizing your craft supplies is that others can share in the filing system. If you have family members who also crochet, you can teach them how to use the same filing system software. This enables them to keep things neat and tidy, as well as find things when you are not around. Or if you work as part of an arts department, everyone will know how – and where – to find things they may need as well.
The trick is to stay organized once you have a system in place. Make sure everyone puts items back in their proper place, removes an item from the inventory list if it is used up or remembers to add an item to the filing system when it gets added to the supply inventory. This way, you can all enjoy your artistic hobbies without living with chaos. Get everyone involved. Making crafts, as well as organizing craft supplies, can be fun for the whole family.
Getting your craft supplies organized and indexed into Paper Tiger Filing System Software means you can love and enjoy your collection without it being a clutter problem and know exactly what you have and where each item is located with a quick search in the filing system database. Paper Tiger: not just for filing and finding your paper files!
From the average household to a home based business to the person who is part or sole owner in a business outside of the home, we all generate tons of paper every year, building up in piles and stacks on our desks, in our file cabinet drawers and on top of various surfaces throughout the home or office. Things accidentally get thrown away because they just were not where they needed to be. Or, things get moved by one family or staff member while they are searching for their missing item causing someone else to have to go on their own seek and destroy mission when they need something that had originally been in that pile.
The need to manage paper documents is one that is more than just about organization, however. Paper can be a major problem in many households and offices because there are so many questions about it. What papers can be thrown out and which ones must be saved? How long do you have to save these papers? And worst case scenario, what will happen on the day you find out that you absolutely need one of those papers and you just cannot find it at all? Does ‘going paperless’ mean that you will get rid of all the paper in your life?
There are several different ways to manage and organize those paper documents. You can try to work out your own system, praying that you won’t forget your cross referencing system in the meantime. Or you can implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and get organized in every area of your life — not just paper!
Now there are other products that claim they will get you organized fast and easy, eliminating all of that paper mess in the process. Some of them rely on a scanner. But, what do you do with the papers once you scan them? Do you want to throw them away or shred them? They are organized, technically because everything is neatly scanned in and digitally stored on the disc or hard-drive or in the cloud app, but what happens if you need one of those documents for a tax audit or to file an insurance claim? Is your disc or digital storage space searchable? Would you be able to quickly find what you’ve scanned?
There is also a product that has several pockets and files so that you can hold the papers that you generate for a week, but what happens at the end of the month when you move the old out and bring the new in?
Thankfully, there is a better organizing tool that allows you to file all of your papers and other documents in one easy to manage and easy to update paper filing system. Organization in the home, the office or the home office does not mean just papers all of the time – in fact, you can use this same system for other items, items that are just too big or bulky to be included in the other types of systems that require scanning.
The system does not rely on scanning or trying to consolidate all of your items into a small disc. You can keep some paper files and scan what you don’t need to keep in physical format. You know where things are by conducting a Google-like search based on your input and referencing it in the system database. It is important that your paper files that you keep in hard copy format, and other physical items, be indexed into the filing system, so that anything you want to find later can be retrieved quickly with a simple Google-like search in the database. Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management can help you get organized so that you can find what you need, when you need it – quickly!
And even better, Paper Tiger Online will soon be able to connect Digital Tiger to Google Docs which will allow you to search for both your physical paper that you’ve indexed and your digital files that you’ve scanned, uploaded or created in Google Docs! Yes, we recommend Google Docs for your cloud storage because it is the least expensive digital filing storage that you’ll find anywhere. You’ll be able to search for both physical items and scanned or digital files from one search. This will make your time management and productivity even easier to maintain!
Your home may be neat, clean and tidy, but that doesn’t mean you really have it organized. A filing system like Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management will help you get organized, clear the clutter problem and know exactly what you have and where each item in your home or office is located. By using this kind of efficient filing system that allows you to index items, you can make your home office, and every other area of your personal life, as convenient and organized as your office workspace. The only thing you will have to decide is how you would like to categorize your life before starting your home filing system.
Think of it just like organizing your work space, in that everything usually has a proper place or compartment it could fit into. Or, think of it like a department store where you would know where to go to look for whatever item it is you wanted to buy. Then, apply this to your home.
You may already have a home office and maybe even a filing system for your paper files of some sort in place, but that doesn’t mean you can find the specific file you need from your filing cabinet. Of course, even if it is working, using an improved method of filing system to make it work even more efficient is a good idea. See our blog post “Customize Your Filing System with Paper Tiger’s Indexing Method” for a better understanding on how to improve your paper filing system.
And what about your CDs and DVDs and books? Are they organized so that you won’t have to search for a long while to find the one you need?
Now, divide up your home or individual rooms by thinking of each area as an office that needs to be compartmentalized.
It could be the craft room so you can keep track of the contents of each of the bins with craft supplies. Imagine being able to find out which bin the sienna red paint is in without having to open every single container in the room to hunt for it. Or, maybe, instead of a room you select an item, such as clothing. Using a filing system would help you keep track of clothing in closets, the attic for seasonal clothing and maybe even another area in the home or in a storage unit somewhere. Imagine being able to locate your kids winter coats without driving to a rented storage unit and realizing, after an unproductive search, you must have stored them in the attic this time.
Basically anything that you can put a number onto to match the item number from Paper Tiger’s database. Maybe you are an avid collector of some sort of memorabilia as a hobbyist. That means you have items on display, items boxed up in different areas of the house, maybe even items on consignment for sale somewhere. The problem is, how can you keep track of what is where without an effective filing system software?
If you do take things to consignment or elsewhere, especially if you have certain items for sale at different places, trying to keep record of it all can be overwhelming and frustrating. By using a filing system that can easily prompt you from your computer as to where an item is, you can locate one of your collectibles in less than a minute. With filing systems that have digital technology you can even use the system with mobility by using a portable device, such as an Apple iPad, to do your search. So, if you are out and about and need to know, you won’t have to wait till you get back to your home computer.
No more lost items! Doesn’t that sound good? All you do is take the time to enter the data relating to the items you would like organized and then you can conduct a quick Google-like search in the software database and find any of your belongings at the time you need them instead of having a time-consuming search from room to room. Implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and see for yourself how quickly you can get organized!
In this webinar, Anne McGurty, productivity expert of Strategize and Organize, presented an overview in how to manage your digital and paper worlds, giving statistics and showing problems that people have in finding their information, whether it be digital files or paper/physical items. Anne demonstrates how to upload files to Google Docs, and how Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, will work and, using just one search to Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
We also showed screencasts for connecting Paper Tiger Online to Google Docs thereby activating Digital Tiger, in addition to scanning with the ScanSnap 1500, how quick and easy it is to scan and upload to Google Docs.
As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
Q: Do you offer person to person training?
A: Yes Anne McGurty offers personal training. Please contact her directly for details of her current offering.
Q: Will you be adding Gmail so that we can search Digital Tiger for Google Docs and Gmail?
A: Yes, we will be adding Gmail to Digital Tiger search as well as Google Calendar in the future, so you’ll have one place to be able to search for your physical items as well as your digital information stored in Google Docs, Gmail and contacts, Google Calendar. Further into the future, maybe even Google Voice.
Q: Not a question, but just an FYI that you may know about…. a lot of offices won’t allow access to things like Google Docs because of the risk of downloading docs from external sources.
A: We do understand that some companies have strict guidelines as to what software and/or apps employees can use. We do however, believe that Google is a very valid choice in digital cloud storage. We have researched many document management storage solutions and have found them to be quite costly for the average individual and for many businesses. We have found that Google is the least expensive for digital cloud storage, and can additionally be used for a one-stop back up digital filing storage of documents stored on your computer, iPad, CDs, flash-drives, etc., and makes collaboration with co-workers very easy, and again at minimal cost.
Q: Will the ScanSnap S1300 also work? Do you need a TWAIN driver?
A: You can scan with any scanner, and the scanner software will include what you need. I don’t know if the S1300 will scan directly to Google, however you will be able to scan to your desktop then upload it to Google Docs. ScanSnap software automatically converts scanned data into searchable PDF files at the touch of a button. *ScanSnap scanners DO NOT use TWAIN drivers.* *Note: this is a correction from the webinar.*
Whatever scanner you are using, whether ScanSnap or other scanners that do need a TWAIN driver, check with the scanner manufacturer for software updates that might include scanning directly to Google. Again, if your scanner does not scan directly to Google, you will be able to scan to your desktop or other folder, then upload it to Google Docs.
Q: Would you suggest getting Google for Dummies to better understand more of what you shared?
A: Of course, you can always purchase Google for Dummies, however we have provided some great knowledge base articles for Digital Tiger and Google Docs on our support portal. In addition, you can simply search Google Products web page to find an answer to whatever questions you have about how to use one of the Google apps. We also have a good selection of Google how to screencasts on our Digital Tiger page.
Q: I’m a one person shop why do I need the web version?
A: The decision between the web version and the desktop version is totally up to the individual and your work-flow. If you don’t need the convenience of the web version being able to log in from any computer with an internet access, then the downloadable desktop version has worked great for years. In addition, you can use Google Desktop within the desktop version of Paper Tiger, to search your digital files from your desktop. You can find a support knowledge base article on how to integrate Paper Tiger with Google Desktop from our support portal.
Q: Is it possible to execute a global search across all Paper Tiger databases?
A: No, Having different databases is only advantageous if you want to keep different filing systems separate and do not want to search for all files in all databases at one time. For example, if you have an Office database and a Home database, and you do not want items to pop up from your Office database when conducting a search for an item in your Home database.
Q: Is all the information kept in cyberspace so I don’t have to worry about backing-up?
A: Yes, you can use Google Docs as your digital file storage which is in the cloud ‘cyberspace’. Again one of the main reasons we chose Google is because of the low cost digital cloud storage. In addition, you will have access to any document that you have in your Google account wherever you are as long as you have an Internet connection to log into your Google account.
Q: Does Digital Tiger index the item by using OCR for every word of the document or only the Paper Tiger key words to find the document?
A: Digital Tiger will search whatever has been OCR’d into Google Docs for your digital files, and will search for the keywords that you’ve input into Paper Tiger Online for your physical items. Digital Tiger will search contents and file name for any file uploaded and converted to Google Docs, scanned to or created in Google Docs format. For those files that you choose to upload but not convert to Google Docs format, Digital Tiger will search the file name only, but cannot search the contents of these files.
Q: Doesn’t OCR have a lot of recognition issues?
A: OCR technology is not perfect but it is up to 99% accuracy.
Q: Are the documents in Google Docs indexed on the fly? If so, how quick is the search?
A: With OCR technology, you will be able to search for the file you’ve just put into Google Docs immediately after it has been uploaded, created, or scanned to Google Docs.
Q: What if our account gets hacked and there are all sorts of important passwords etc that we would never want hacked … so how do you ensure security and encryption etc.
A: Your digital data would be housed at Google Docs not at Digital Tiger. Digital Tiger will only search your Google Docs along with your physical items that you’ve indexed in Paper Tiger.
Digital Tiger will only connect to Google Docs, so Digital Tiger does not actually store your data. All data will be housed on Google’s secure servers. Below is additional information from Google’s website regarding security and privacy:
“Information security is a top priority at Google, and we employ dedicated teams with experts in their fields to handle these important areas. Your files are, by default, set to private, but you can choose to publish them to the Web or invite collaborators or viewers. Your files will not appear in Google Web Search results, but published files may appear in other search engines.
If you are working in a Google Apps domain, your files are, by default, set to your domain’s default setting. This setting might not be private, but you can make your docs private when you create or upload a doc or file. Additionally, to help keep your data private, it’s important to have a strong password, to not share that password with others, and to understand the sharing options in Google Docs.”
Below is a concluding statement issued by Google in their Google Apps security whitepaper which is found at http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=60762 in case you need more information:
“Google is committed to keeping the information stored on its computer systems safe and secure. Each of the ten components of Google’s multi-layered security strategy is endorsed and defended throughout the organization. Google Apps provides controls at each level of data storage, access, and transfer. Millions of organizations, including Google, run their businesses on Google Apps, and Google invests in that
trust every day. With Google Apps, users can rest assured that Google values the privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data.”
We also have information on our support portal regarding Security
Q: How do you connect to Google Docs if you signed up for Paper Tiger with a yahoo account initially?
A: It does not matter what email address you have with Paper Tiger Online. When you click to connect to Google Docs, you will be directed to the Google account log in page where you will log into your Google account. This will authenticate your connection from your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs account, not the matching of email addresses.
Q: In a search of electronic files does Paper Tiger search within documents for key words rather than just the keywords entered into Paper Tiger?
A: When your Paper Tiger Online account is connected to your Google Docs account, you will be able to search for whatever keyword you want and you will receive search results for both whether it is an electronic file that you have in your Google Docs account or a physical item that you’ve indexed in Paper Tiger Online.
Q: Is there a way for ALL files created on your PC to automatically upload to Google Docs?
A: Uploading a folder can save you the time and hassle of uploading individual files from your computer to Google Docs. When you upload a folder, you’ll also save the time it takes you to organize your files and documents into collections. You can upload one or more folders to the Documents List at a time. Individual files within that folder will be uploaded, and subfolder structure will be maintained.
For example, let’s say you have a folder on your desktop called “Photos.” Within this folder, you have sub-folders named “Family photos,” “Vacation photos,” and “Landscapes,” each containing five photos. When you upload the “Photos” folder to Google Docs, each of the sub-folders and the photos within them will also be uploaded in the same structure.
See Google’s web page for ‘How to upload folders‘
Q: Is this digital version also available for desktop versions?
A: No, but the desktop version of Paper Tiger works with Google Desktop. You can find a support knowledge base article on how to integrate Paper Tiger with Google Desktop from our support portal.
Q: I have two Google Docs accounts … can I connect to both?
A: You will only be able to connect to one Google account for now.
Q: Is there an extra charge for Digital Tiger?
A: We plan to launch Digital Tiger free with a Paper Tiger Online paid account.
Q: She’s got .docx docs listed there. Can those be put into Google Docs?
A: Yes, you can put .docx in Google. Most any file can be uploaded to Google Docs or converted to Google Docs format.
Q: When Anne scrolled down, I saw the box about SSL encryption. It wasn’t checked. Is there any reason not to check that? (It seems, the more encryption the better. Is that right or not?)
A: There is no reason why you shouldn’t check the SSL box. You are correct, the more encryption the better.
Q: Do we have to put all of our docs into Google Docs??
A: Yes, to be able to search Google Docs from Paper Tiger Online (Digital Tiger)
Q: Is there an app for Android phones with either Paper Tiger or Google Docs…to make it simpler
A: You can access Paper Tiger Online through the Android internet browser. We also have a blog post that instructs how to get a Paper Tiger icon on your device at http://www.thepapertiger.com/blog/bringing-paper-tiger-online-to-life-on-your-desktop/. As far as for Google Docs, you can go to the Android market store and search for ‘GDocs for Android’
Q: I am confused when you add a file in Paper Tiger, how do you associate with a digital file?
A: Paper Tiger Online will connect to your Google Docs account, thereby making it Digital Tiger. Digital Tiger will search Paper Tiger Online for the physical items that you’ve indexed there and will search Google Docs for the digital files that you’ve uploaded or created or scanned to Google Docs, where your documents are stored.
Q: How about correlating it to the hard disk…I created a Paper Tiger file #152 and it was a word doc on my hard disk, how do you get the link to that specific file
A: Digital Tiger will not correlate your file #152 to your file on your hard disk.
Q: So anything I put in Google Docs, it will be searchable through Digital Tiger but how about putting a file in your hard disk …just use Google Desktop?
A: Yes, anything you put in Google Docs will be searchable through Digital Tiger. You are correct that you can use Google Desktop for files on your hard disk that you’ve not already uploaded to Google Docs. Digital Tiger will only search files in your Google Docs account along with the physical items you have indexed in Paper Tiger Online.
Q: So it’s like Google Desktop, except it’s on the web (in the cloud)?
A: Yes, similar, but Digital Tiger will search your Google Docs and physical items indexed in Paper Tiger. We will also be adding to Digital Tiger search to include Gmail, Gcalendar in the future.
Q: What does Google charge for storage?
| A: Google Online Storage |
| 20 GB = $5/year |
| 80 GB = $20/year |
| 200 GB = $50/year |
| 400 GB = $100/year |
| 1 TB = $256/year |
| 2 TB = $512/year |
| 4 TB = $1,024/year |
| 8 TB = $2,048/year |
| 16 TB = $4,096/year |
Q: Does Cloud Connect work with Mac?
A: No
Q: Do I have to organize my files or can I scan in a bank statement and then search for the statement with a bank date
A: You do not have to organize your files unless you want to put all of your bank statements together into a collaboration in Google Docs. You can scan in a bank statement and then search for the statement with a bank date.
Q: What happens to my digital Word, or Apple Pages documents – are they recognized or can they be uploaded to Google?
A: They can and should be uploaded to Google Docs if you want to be able to search and find from your Paper Tiger Online/Digital Tiger account.
Q: Will it find both paper and digital at the same time?
A: Yes, as long as you have your Paper Tiger Online account connected to your Google Docs account.
Q: How will the costs for Paper Tiger change?
A: We currently have no plans to change the cost for Paper Tiger.
Q: So, it will search whole documents for whatever search terms you enter?
A: Yes
Q: Can we limit the search only to the name of the documents?
A: The search is not limited. The search results will show everything with the word you input into the search box.
Q: What kind of user implementation guide will be available?
A: We currently have knowledge base articles and some screen casts available on our support portal. See our Digital Tiger support portal.
Q: What does OCR equipment do, cost and speed and automation of a pile to later code.
A: OCR equipment makes your scanned documents searchable (Similar to the way ATM’s read checks). Cost and Speed depend on the scanner. We will have more information on our Digital Tiger support portal.
Q: Please explain what each of the various sign up options offer for each price range – so we can pick which option best suits us.
A: Paper Tiger Online options are:
Free plan is a limited single user plan that allows 1 database, 1 Location within the database and limited items, in addition to some limited functionality, which includes Advanced Find function, Find First, Categories, Activity Log on Dashboard, Transfer function. This plan is free and can be upgraded at anytime the user needs more functionality.
Basic plan is a limited single user plan that allows 1 database, 2 Locations and Items within the database. The regular rate for Basic is $5.00 monthly or $50.00 yearly.
The Pro plan is a single user plan that allows unlimited databases, Locations and Item within the database(s). The regular rate for Pro is $9.00 monthly or $90.00 yearly.
The multi-user plans allows unlimited databases, Locations and Item within the database(s), and allow the administrator to invite users and set their permissions as to what each user can view and/or edit within the database(s) and Locations.
The Business multi-user plan is for 2-10 users. The regular rate for Business is $19.00 monthly or $190.00 yearly.
The Elite multi-user plan is for 11-30 users. The regular rate for Elite is $39.00 monthly or $390.00 yearly.
The Unlimited multi-user plan is for 31 + users to an unlimited number of users. The regular rate for Basic is $59.00 monthly or $590.00 yearly.
This article by Sherry Borsheim, a Paper Tiger Expert of International Association of Business Organizing (IABO), gives us some great tips on organizing vacation planning and packing so that taking a vacation won’t add even more stress to our busy lives! Check out Sherry’s Organizing Bootcamps which will give you a JUMP-START on ORGANIZING your office, home and life. She will give you her trade secrets and steps to setting up your organizing systems, including recommending Paper Tiger filing system software for document management, to be organized and manage the information and stuff in your life.
I remember my very first client and the day we were planning out her hectic family schedule. The kids were young and involved in a lot of after school programs, there was a birthday party to plan and a million other things to get done prior to the end of school year and before the family vacation. Her anxiety and stress levels were high and she just couldn’t see how she was going to accomplish everything prior to leaving on vacation. At this point she wasn’t even sure she’d be able to make all the vacation arrangements or get everyone packed. Taking a family vacation was just too stressful!
First Things First
Together, we began to plan out on paper everything that was on her mind. Getting it onto paper is the first step to reducing stress. Next, we prioritized projects and began making a list of things that could be delegated. There was a lot of complicated logistics and juggling of schedules that needed to happen prior to even thinking of planning the family vacation.
Batch, Prioritize and Schedule Tasks
Once we had everything that was on her mind on paper, we batched and prioritized her tasks. Then we began scheduling everything into her calendar. This would give her a more realistic time-line of when things needed to get done and how long tasks would take. We even customized her planner based on her lifestyle and how she wanted to use it.
The Family Packing List
After a few hours of planning, we took a short break and she mentioned that the family vacation was really stressing her out. She just didn’t see how she would be able to make all the arrangements and get ready in time. I asked her if she had a packing checklist for the family? The tears began to roll down her face. She said that she dreamed of having a packing list because she knew that it would simplify her life. But she didn’t know where to begin and the thought of creating one was just too stressful.
That was the day I realized that the simplest of things can transform a life and reduce stress and anxiety for a person. What comes natural for me, which is organization, isn’t easy and natural for others. So I made her a promise that I would type up a family packing checklist for every member of the household and I’d help her every step of the way to make this family vacation extra special and stress-free! And that is exactly what happened – an outstanding family vacation!
Organizing is a Learnable Skill
One of the most rewarding moments for me when I’m working with my clients is when a highly creative, outgoing person who says they can never be organized, decides to make different choices. They develop new habits that support them and in turn transform their life. Then the positive impact that has on the rest of the family members because they teach the organizational skills to their kids. For me, that’s beauty and order at it’s best!
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“Organizing is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
A.A. Milne
“Life is what happens to you while
you’re busy making other plans”
John Lennon
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Did you forget something? You know the story…you all pile into the car, you’re trying to beat the rush hour traffic, you’re frantically making a list in your head and hoping you didn’t forget anything, you head out of town and suddenly you remember you forgot something. It’s too late to turn back, so you tell yourself you’ll just pick it up on the way or when you get to your destination. Who wants to be running around buying necessities and spending extra money when you could be having fun on your vacation?
Make your next vacation more enjoyable and relaxing so those obstacles don’t get in the way of you having fun! Here are a few simple vacation planning tips:
Create a Trip File
Keep all your trip related papers together in a file and when you return from the trip recycle or toss papers you don’t need and file receipts and travel expenses in your financial files. Move towards being paperless and create a document on your computer for each place you visit. List your favorite restaurants, accommodations, and points of interest. Years ago I created a “New York” document and it’s been updated and passed onto many friends over the years and I’ve completely eliminated all my travel reference files!
Create a Pre-Travel Action List
Make a list of all the tasks you want to accomplish prior to the trip either on paper or electronic. Every time you think of something capture it and get it out of your head otherwise it will keep coming up for you as a reminder to do something and increase your stress levels. Look at your list each day and schedule time to accomplish these tasks.
Packing Checklists Reduce Stress
For the past 10 years we vacation at this wonderful place with my family, and every year we pack the same things. Some years forgetting crucial items, while other years packing way too much. So, one day I sat down and wrote out everything we needed to take with us, clothing, food, sporting equipment, games and other necessities. I even made a simple meal plan with healthy meals with minimum effort to prepare. What a huge time-saver and stress reliever this has been over the past 15 years. A little pre-planning can go a long way towards a fun-filled vacation instead of disappointment and disaster.
Create different packing checklists for different types of trips or regular activities. You could have a packing checklist for summer and one for winter vacations. We have a family vacation that we take every summer and all I do is open up that file on my computer, print a copy and begin packing. I even have a small checklist in my gym bag so I don’t forget to pack a key piece of clothing! I’m sure you can relate!
Here are a couple of great resources I recommend for packing checklists if you don’t already have one. Frommer’s travel planner and Frommer’s Activity Planner are available for you to print and fill in your own packing items. Independent Traveler has a fun interactive packing checklist that you can customize for different types of trips.
Avoid Last Minute Packing
Whenever possible, pack 3-7 days prior to the trip to reduce last minute stress and a late night with little sleep. This is not a relaxing way to start a vacation. Get out your suite case and review your packing checklist and begin packing what you can. This is especially helpful if you have several family members to pack for plus yourself. You may also want to pack a separate overnight bag to carry on the plane for long flights just in case the airline misplaces your luggage you’ll have a change of clothes. Or if you spend a night at a hotel on the way to your destination you don’t have to haul in your entire luggage for one or two nights.
Savvy Travelers Packing Tips
Check the weather forecast at your destination before you begin to pack. Also, store all your travel items in a container, drawer or one location in your home. Passports, other currencies, shoe bags, luggage tags and any other travel items you use from time-to-time. This makes it easy to pack when all the items are together. Keep travel size items stocked and on-hand to avoid last minute trips to the store. Here are some other savvy packing tips:
Have fun and enjoy the peace of mind a little pre-planning and preparation gives you when you are organized!
Travel Supplies Tip for the Frequest Traveller:
If you are a frequent traveller, then it pays to buy a second set of travel cords and accessories. Keep them in a small compact carry case so it’s easy to grab and carry on the plane with you, your purse or in the car.
Check out these cool noice reduction headphones and these space-saving packing cubes for your suitcase at Magellans travel store.
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Sherry Borsheim is the president of International Association of Business Organizing and Simply Productive. You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.BizOrganizing.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).
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