Paper Tiger Blog

Did you know? In the typical ‘In Box’ …

* 40% can be tossed or recycled;

* 40% can be filed, and

* only 20% require action

Let Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management help you keep track of the 60% that you need to keep for various reasons! Also for those files that can be archived out of your frequently referenced filing cabinet, how to archive is simple with Paper Tiger.

For many years I have struggled with keeping my desk cleaned off.  Not only was this a chore that never seemed to go away, but I would often feel overwhelm just by the idea of having to get out the label maker, figure out what to call the file, and then have to thumb through the alphabetical files in order to get the new file where it belonged.  Because it was often too great a chore for me to engage in, I often put it off until I couldn’t handle the site of my desk or “organized piles.”  Moreover, the old system worked fine for annual bills and such, but miscellaneous papers would forever be filed into a state of “organized lostness” somewhere within the confines of the file cabinets; never to be seen or heard of again.

Then I discovered Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management!  It did not take me long looking over the website before I realized that this was “must have” software.  I ordered the desktop version and shortly thereafter discovered that Paper Tiger Online was in Beta, and that I could sign up to test the software for free!  This was exactly what I needed as I have computers in multiple locations in the home (my home office, my wife’s desk upstairs, and a laptop that floats throughout the house), and having the ability to access Paper Tiger from anywhere was a huge bonus.

We set up the database with several locations.  My wife has her lateral file close to her desk that we called “Mum’s” location.  Then I created an “Action” location close to where I work most.  I use one location for “admin” documents in another lateral file, and I have a “reference” location that I use to archive anything and everything that comes across my desk.   Although the numbering system seems awkward at first, it is actually incredibly useful and fast.  Essentially Paper Tiger acts as a powerful index system that tells you what numbered file is empty and available for a document, or it will let you know if there is a match somewhere that would fit the type of document that is being filed.  Since the index numbers are set up ahead of time on the hanging folders in the filing cabinets, it becomes a breeze to file papers as they come in.

For the sake of efficiency (or at least what works best for me), is that I take the document, look up the index file location (by utilizing the search feature), or I set up a new index number for item if I need to.  Once I know where the document is going, I write the file number on it, and I place it in my Action drawer in a file called “to file.”  If my wife has something that needs to go down stairs in one of the files in my office, she “Paper Tigers” it, and she will put a yellow sticky on the page with the file number and put it in my inbox.  This too will make it into my little “to file” file.  Then once a week or so (or when I’m feeling disengaged from my work), I will take out the “to file” file and in about 10 minutes or less have all the papers in that file put away where they belong!

One last use we have for Paper Tiger at the moment is that we have taken all our DVD’s and put them in a big leather binder and have thrown the cases away.  Each slot in the binder that has a DVD has a number assigned to it, and we wrote the corresponding number with an indelible marker on the actual DVD.  Once this was done we cataloged all the DVD’s in Paper Tiger.  This has been a great tool since our kids will often get out a bunch of movies all at once and we can easily find out where they go by the number.  Also, if we want to watch something, all we have to do is search for it in Paper Tiger, find out the reference number and easily turn to it in the DVD binder.

Well, we may not be “singing” Paper Tiger praises, but my wife and I are constantly commenting on how immensely useful and efficient it is.  Thanks to Paper Tiger, our desks are cleaner, our work is less stressful, and things don’t get lost in file cabinet.  Thank you Paper Tiger!  We look forward to many happy years as customers.

Kevin McAllister
Lead Pastor of Family Worship Center (www.afamily.cc)

http://www.namelounge.com

Augusta, ME

Running a home office can be very trying no matter whether you are using it to keep track of the family’s finances or running a small business there. If you don’t keep track of your papers and other items in a manner that makes sense, you will never be able to find things as you need them. Bills may not get paid on time, incurring late charges and other penalties simply because they were buried under other items. There are a number of systems that you can use to make your home office that much more efficient but there are a number of drawbacks to consider with them.

Systems that Require Scanners or Labelers

Some document management systems require that all your paper files be scanned and then formatted to a disk drive for “filing.” There are often many things that cannot be scanned and there are issues with the scanner itself. If you don’t have a scanner, this type filing system would suggest that you buy one. And this document management system may not be ideal because once you have scanned everything and put it on the computer, what if that system crashes or you are not near your computer for that moment?

With a scanning document management system, labeling everything does not always work either, especially since it does nothing to get everything organized. Sure, you know that those are all the home bills sitting there in the nicely labeled file folder, but they get moved from place to place because they have no real designated spot and they end up buried once again.

A Hybrid, Better Solution

The Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management is a hybrid of traditional filing and computer search ingenuity with the ability to help you streamline your filing system and find your items without having to run out and buy expensive equipment. You don’t scan your items so you can use the same filing system software to organize books and other items that would not be able to be scanned. (See our Not Just for Filing Paper webpage) Your files are set up in index numbered, hanging files with labels that you print from the Paper Tiger Software. These file numbers never change, but the information that is stored in them can: It is all taken care of by the filing system itself. After everything is where it needs to be, and item names and keywords relating to the items being indexed entered into the software’s database, the information is converted to searchable files. All you need to do is access a computer and conduct a google-like search to find exactly what you are looking for.

Your home office is now organized like a miniature databank, like your own personal version of the World Wide Web. All of your files are right there to be accessed by a quick search. The computer will generate a search result, showing you exactly which hanging file folder the requested information is in and where to access it. There is no searching through several different files to find an item because of differing thought processes of filing from day to day.

Tame your paper files (and other items) with Paper Tiger and get organized today!

While setting up and running a small electrical contracting firm, based in a home office, I tried three, separate and distinctly different filing systems. The third system was “Paper Tiger – Professional version”. That was over 2 years ago and it has only gotten better.

When combined with Barbara Hemphill’s teaching on “FAT” (File, Act, Toss), and the six questions of “Wastebasketry”, which I now have framed on the wall for easy reference, I haven’t looked back. (See Paper Tiger Filing System Tutorials)

I am now able to sort, search and track over 1000 individual locations with confidence. Not to mention how it has helped clear my desk space and helped me focus.

After some experimentation, my locations have developed to suit three requirements:

Requirement One the physical thickness of items I need to file.

Anything from that proverbial single sheet of paper through to some quite thick and bulky brochures and technical specifications.

Requirement Two control over the sensitivity of a file’s contents.

Be that due to tax, financial or customer information. These files are simply more “mission critical” than the latest plumbing magazine or scribbled notes of meetings.

Requirement Three retaining conveniently short memorable names.

Short also means larger, clearer text printed on the physical hanging file “tab” or label.

It also uses up less space on screen for the location column, which means more space for keywords.

Thus the names and types of storage have become:

ACT & REF for my “Action” and “Reference” files.

CSO is my “Customer, Supplier, Organisation” cabinet. The sensitive files and mission critical files that are conveniently located close by and under lock and key.

All three sections use standard hanging files in metal filing cabinets.

MAG = Side open plastic magazine holders on book shelves. Great for bulky catalogues.

TAB = Leaver arch folders with 20 way dividers. TAB is short for “Tabs”. These are good to collect together product data sheets from different manufacturers, while retaining a traditional “book” format. 20 also means the folders number up easily; 20,40,60 etc.

STA = Think “Stack”. Also Leaver Arch folders, but each holding around 100 individual papers, as I like many others, like to cut out and save news articles and magazine pages for reference. These are placed in thin pre-punched plastic files with the corner clearly numbered.

ARC = Archives. Traditional box files stored in the loft for those historic records.

Finally, again thanks to Barbara’s idea,

INF = Information. Not a physical storage location, but a place that exists only inside the Paper Tiger database. A great place to “retrieve” those little notes, ideas and other miscellaneous items.

A word on filing cabinets. At the outset, I chose to invest in full size office grade cabinets, albeit second hand, and foolscap hanging files rather than the slightly smaller “A4” size that are available for home use. It was a case that these work well for the rigours of a business and are readily available and are unlikely to be a passing fad.

One key tip I have is that I found 50 hanging files per filing cabinet drawer is a great number for both drawer labeling and practical daily use. It is easy to count in “50′s per drawer.”

Finally, when explaining the system to others, I have my own slant on Barbara’s example of the car insurance certificate.

I ask people to imagine the image of a “common four wheel motorised transport device, sat on the driveway outside.” I then ask what they would file the “legal” paperwork under? Usually they reply with something basic like “car insurance” or “insurance certificate”. However I then say, “No… its not a car its a go-cart” and then explain, isn’t the Paper Tiger keyword approach better because we can add search words like:

The vehicle type:

“go-cart, quad-bike, car, van (important to our trade).

The vehicle make model

Ford, Courier

The document Type

insurance, certificate, policy, schedule

Or the common terms people use.

“Dad’s Taxi”

This last one comes more into its own when people are using the special “lingo” and abbreviations of their own industry, e.g. Medical, Education, Engineering etc.

With a cluster of strongly related words, it doesn’t matter how people search, they soon find it even when their thought processes of filing can be quite different. Which is significant in this household.

I now “file” with confidence because I can “retrieve” with confidence.

Paper Tiger – I’d be lost without it.

By Nigel Lovell
Lovell Electrical Services Ltd.
England

The following is an interview we conducted with Anne McGurty as she talks about how she along with Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management has helped her clients get organized. Anne implements Paper Tiger in her “Miracle in a Day” to transform her client’s offices.

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Hi I’m Janet Baker, office manager of The Monticello Corporation, makers of Paper Tiger Filing System Software. We have with us today, Anne McGurty speaker, productivity expert, and author. Anne is the president and CEO of Strategize and Organize, a Denver-based training and consulting firm specializing in helping people perfect their environments and make better use of their resources – time, paper, and all forms of information management. As a productivity expert, Anne provides extensive customized services including business consulting, productivity training, process implementation, and time management seminars. She works with small business owners, large corporations, staff, and individual executives on their personal productivity. Anne is a member of the Colorado Chapter of National Speakers Association and is a past president of the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. In recognition of her expertise, Anne was nominated for small businessperson of the year 2004 by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Strategize and Organize is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise Company through WBENC.

We also have with us today, assisting with this interview, Captain Terry Clark of SailwithTerry.com. Capt. Terry sails the Mañana Maybe and provides custom sailing vacations in the British Virgin Islands. He partnered with The Monticello Corporation in one of our contests for a free sailing vacation. We welcome both of you on behalf of the Paper Tiger team.

Terry: Thank you Janet, How are you today Anne?

Anne: Hey, I am great Captain, How are you?

Terry: I am doing great. Well, we are going to got through a few questions here and if you are ready to start, I’ll start asking the questions.

Anne: Thanks for the lovely introduction, Janet

Terry: Yeah that’s a hard act to follow, Anne. Well, we are going to talk about Paper Tiger now and some of its capabilities. Anne, what is your favorite thing in your use of Paper Tiger and what it fixes?

Anne: Wow, that’s a really tough question to answer because it fixes so much. I’ve got to say my favorite thing about Paper Tiger was initially when I discovered it. I have been using the Paper Tiger since 2002. I will just give some quick background; I had been in corporate America for 20 years and being a busy executive, I always relied on administrative staff to help me. But as times changed over the 80’s and 90’s, we had less and less staff and today it’s getting to be where everyone is handling two or three jobs and they have to find all their information for themselves. So when I discovered the Paper Tiger I was finally able to be an individual who can find everything on their own and the opportunity to delegate my paper work to others.

The fact is, when you have Paper Tiger, you can create a file with the name you are thinking of today. Let’s use the example, I have a medical bill that I have just received, I have paid it; I want to keep the physical piece of paper. So I file it; I don’t know where I file it. Do I file it under medical? Do I file it under taxes 2010, or, do I file it under insurance?

Well…with the Paper Tiger, it doesn’t matter because I can set up a file name and add medical, insurance, personal and health, all as keywords. So six months from now when I go to look for it, all I have to do is hit one of those keywords and it will direct me to which file it is in. So I would say the favorite thing of the Paper Tiger, is the freedom of changing my mind when I am looking for a file and being able to find it no matter where my head is at and what words I am thinking.

Terry: OK wonderful, what are the problems that a majority of clients have to solve when they use Paper Tiger.

Anne: You know the problems that I hear from clients are: I am out of control, my office is a mess, I am really embarrassed when people show up, nobody can find anything.

So what I do is I work with them by looking at all those papers that are on their desk and figure out a system for them so that they can find them. The best way to do that is to prompt them to figure out the keywords of each piece of paper.

I have to sit with them side by side to ask them these questions, because I don’t necessarily know what is going through their mind when looking at a piece of paper.

A lot of times people have piles on their desk because they are thinking that some day maybe I will need this and I have to have it quickly at hand. So it really is a fear that they are not going to be able to find it if they put it in a file, but with the Paper Tiger, they do not have to have that fear anymore because we will have lots of keywords tagged to that file for them to find it.

Terry: OK, Do you find that Paper Tiger is used mainly by administrators or managers. Or do you find that it is a mix of the two?

Anne: You know, that’s a good question because people are saying: “Well I’ve got staff, I’ll just hire somebody to come and organize me. But the reality is, it is a little bit of everybody. I find that entrepreneurs often will need it because they are so busy with their work that they never thought about a filing system, and the Paper Tiger answers that problem for them.

I find that administrative assistants who file for their boss and their boss is constantly referring to the file by a different name, they really benefit from it.

For example, I have a secretary, administrative assistant, she still goes by the name of a secretary, and she has been working for the same man for 30 years and he doesn’t like computers. So he always has piles and piles of papers on his desk, and once a month, she gets completely overwhelmed and has to go into his office when he is out of town for the day and we go in there and pull all the paper off his desk and input them into the Paper Tiger system.

At the end of our day, we print out a list in alphabetical order for him, so he can refer to his files. That way she can control all his piles; he doesn’t feel like he can’t find his files anymore and everyone is happy. That’s where a team could work.

Individual professionals who do not have an administrative support like myself finally have the opportunity to manage their paper by using the Paper Tiger.

Many people who are creative, project managers or in the client services position. They might use the Paper Tiger because they are so busy working on their jobs that they do not understand that they do not have the time or energy to file and the Paper Tiger allows them to have a simple system to manage all their paper.

Terry: OK. Thank you. How do you go about implementing Paper Tiger in your client’s offices most effectively? And when you are doing that how long does it usually take to implement Paper Tiger.

Anne: That’s a good question. The time factor is really always a big surprise to people. I will give you an example. Let’s start with looking at what the client has; they may have piles and piles of paper and say I do not know where to start, and they ask, ‘how long is this going to take?’ And usually for a really disorganized office with piles and piles of paper, I can go in with them, and in a day its accomplished.

Now I am saying myself a lot, but people can do this individually, as well. It just might take them a little bit more time, because people, when they are working by themselves, get a little bit distracted and working with a productivity expert allows them to be focused and encouraged to make decisions on the spot.

So when I have that commitment to work with somebody, I will work with them side-by-side and having them focused on each piece of paper and making a decision of what they are thinking of; those keywords to put it into the system. Also we are looking for other issues that may be affecting their productivity, because sometimes there may be other issues other than filling that may be affecting their productivity. I like to listen for that.

Back to the time, I often tell people, let’s just go in for a day and I have what we call a “Miracle in a Day”, and I will help them get organized in that eight hours.

What that means is that, we will spend the day getting all the paper off their desk and attack what is on the floor and enter it into the Paper Tiger system. At the end of the day, they will have a basic system in the Paper Tiger setup so they can continue with all the back log and enter it into the system on their own. Sometimes people are really too busy because they are very successful people and are just going, going, going, and they are not able to maintain the system. That is a critical part where they need to invest the time to maintain their filing system.

I use the example you wouldn’t go out to Saks Fifth Avenue and buy a beautiful suit and never maintain it. You do not come home from work and crumble it on the floor. You take a couple of minutes at the end of the day and hang it up. And every month or so, depending on how much you wear that suit, you are going to have to take it to the dry cleaners and get it cleaned. Same kind of thought pattern with your filling, you maintain a little bit each day, and depending on how much usage you have, you’re going to need a good clean out and get everything taken care of so that is the investment.

Terry: All right Anne. So what do your clients have to say when you have helped them get their office organized versus what they would have been able to do without your help?

Anne: You know, gosh, I am almost embarrassed to say and I get humbled every time I work with a client, because 95% of the time people will come back and say, “Anne, you absolutely changed my life.” And I know it’s the software, it’s the system that just really changes the way people work in a way they never thought about.

This software helps significantly with helping people make decisions that they never knew how to make decisions before. With the Paper Tiger, they are prompted to go forward with their filing, make decisions and have a system to follow up. I also know with clients, I feel that they can teach other people how to work with them so they do not feel like they are the only ones who have to do all the filing.

It helps them to delegate, and it helps them to have more time and energy to work on their business or get out of the office earlier and do other things that they enjoy other than paper work.

Janet: Anne and Terry, we appreciate your time today and believe this will be very helpful to our Paper Tiger users. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you being with us today.

Anne: You’re welcome Janet. Thank you so much, it’s been great to be part of the Paper Tiger Team.

Technology has come a long way in such a short time, revolutionizing how modern day businesses are run. Local businesses have become global players through the Internet, communication has become instantaneous thanks to email, and companies have become more efficient and competitive with the help of various Information systems.

One of the few things that technology had not been able to unanimously streamline and do away with has been document management.  The word  “Document” is merely an alternative way of referring to predisposed and definite paper, which contains vital information and records on a specific subject. A tax form or document is paper with information regarding……..? You guessed it “taxes”. A contract is that important legal document buried somewhere between all your other documents with information that the CEO needed yesterday.

Anyone who has a home, a family, or works in an office can attest, that paper is ubiquitous. While buried under piles of memos, reports, to-do lists, books, receipts, shopping lists, mail, order forms, school reports or staff manuals, paper’s services seem indispensable yet the paper or documents themselves seem to be a greater burden. Quite frankly, both impressions seem to be universally true.

Whether you call it document management, paper management, or filing, it all boils down to the same thing; keeping track of your documents and being able to efficiently find what you need when you need it. The solution might be a “do it all” document management system that is efficient, easy, and all muscle with none of the fluff and pretty trinkets, which not only helps you keep track of your documents but also trains your mind to be more organized and conscious of your filing and paper guardianship.

A system that incorporates great technology with simple and proven techniques that will help turn your company into a lean, mean efficiency machine, for a fraction of the price that some companies invest in document management. A tool that will transform you into the office fairy or wizard with a magic wand, for with a few strikes of the keyboard you have the exact location of all documents at your finger tips with important descriptions, categories, reminders on important dates, and multi-user capabilities that allows the information to be shared and easily accessed across your organization. A document management system that Bob can use, Susan loves and Granddaddy Earl says is simple.

Be the first to introduce the idea of efficient document management to your company, and win all the accolades from the bosses and the accountant.  It will save the company lots of money by saving many lost man-hours, not to mention all the paper that gets used when printing and re-printing documents across the company. So the next time you hear that colleague ask, “Where’s the monthly report?” or your spouse ask, “Honey, where is last year’s tax return?”, tell them to ask the Paper Tiger Filing System Software.

Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management software is a very powerful but simple indexing system that will totally revolutionize the relationship you have with your filing cabinet, your office, home, or storage location. It is a great, easy to use software that helps you find what you need, FAST! Paper Tiger is like a Google search engine for your physical items, whether it be for your paper files, your books, CD & DVD collections, storage, etc. You would simply input the information into the database relating to your physical items, i.e., Item Name, Keywords, Notes.

It does not involve scanning, which can be very time-consuming! Paper Tiger is great for documents that you have to keep in their original paper form, and eliminates the time you waste looking for important information! Experts estimate that over 150 hours per year per person are wasted just looking for lost information.

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.

Because the hanging file folders are already set up and waiting for your information, you eliminate the time-consuming hassle of having to find and create a file folder each time you want to file something.
When you’ve converted your files to Paper Tiger, and you need to find a file, you simply conduct a google-like search in the database to find where your file is located. You don’t have to try and remember what name you filed something under because you’ve done the work up-front by inputting the keywords relating to the file in the database.

Welcome to a new level of organization and efficiency!

I began to use Paper Tiger Filing System Software (the Tiger) about a year after I started my own business. I have been in commercial Real Estate for 25 years and have participated in all facets of the industry from downtown tenant representation, through office leasing and industrial leasing & sales to the current concentration on land sales.

Before the Tiger, I was always looking for loose ends. I might have a main file with the building information and another file with tenant information and site plans in a separate area, as well as large bulky proposals and studies in another cabinet.

What a job to locate everything I needed for a meeting. With the Tiger, I’m just a click from knowing where I’ve hidden everything that relates to one or two key words.

I am always showing and telling people they should be a Tiger user. I have also started cataloging video tapes, DVD’s and other media at home. And…support is super if you ever need it.

Thomas H. Gledhill
Gledhill Properties, Inc.
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
www.gledhillproperties.com

In my daily life I am often consumed by enormous amounts of paper. Bills and letters and household documents at home. Invoices and employment documents and so much more at work. It sometimes feels like a blizzard of paper raining down upon my head. I grow weary of trying to manage it. There’s only so much room and so many trees I can kill without feeling the guilt. There has to be a way to improve this.

Guess what? There is. It’s called Paper Tiger. The Paper Tiger is a document management tool. I know what you are thinking…a what? Why do I need that? How does it work?  Well, it’s really pretty simple. The Paper Tiger is an indexing system that helps you keep track of your physical items. It is a very simple, yet powerful concept. You establish your locations physically, but manage and keep track of them digitally. Paper Tiger allows you to file information physically one way, but easily organize files virtually in a totally different way using Categories.  Categories offer a virtual view of your paper files at the click of a button. You can relate files without them being physically related!

No more duplicate files, no more fruitless searches. See your information printed in almost anyway you like. Reports are designed to make life easier for you and can be taken with you. The labeling/tab features makes setting up the software a snap! I use this great tool for all my home warranties, bills and statements. I use it at work to file documents relating to our employees and to keep track of documents. It’s a miracle how organized I am now!

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/share 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.
Most customers that convert their paper files to Paper Tiger would not use anything else – it is simple to learn, has great training resources (very important if you have staff turnover and need to train new employees) and it works.

Advantages:

• much less time consuming – setup, conversion & on-going maintenance.
• can input all documents – bound materials, original contracts, etc.
• does not destroy original documents – you keep the original paper.
• less expensive – use your existing equipment more efficiently.
• no machines to break – you are using existing equipment.
• database corruption is possible – however printed index is kept.
• secure – not easily stolen, as files are indexed and file cabinets are heavy!
• low learning curve – simple to learn in 30 minutes or less.
• make filing almost…fun! – make filing less of a chore!

I’ve become a faithful devotee and I really don’t know how I managed before the Paper Tiger. Oh wait…I didn’t, did I? At least, not very well. So go on and check out Paper Tiger today and find your way out of your paper storm!

Karen Mead
Verging On
Wingdale, NY

Self-storage facilities are used by individuals for personal possessions or as temporary storage for people in the process of moving. They can also be used for special collections such as model airplanes, cars or trains or other collectibles. Major collectors often run out of room in their own home and need this extra space.

Businesses can use self-storage facilities for a variety of reasons. Some businesses may wish to use the storage space for a short period of time. Others plan on using it long term.

Storage of files is a necessity in any company. The larger the company, the more files there will be that need storing. Self-storage facilities can be used or document retention storage facility companies are also available.

It’s more economical to use a storage facility for archived items that doesn’t need to be accessed often because you’re only paying for the space that you actually need. If you’re in an office, you’re paying a premium amount for floor space for the filing cabinets or shelving.

To ensure that you can find your items quickly when needed, it is imperative that you implement an efficient document management system like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.

Many companies have certain private files that would cause a major problem if they were ever destroyed. Copies of such files can be kept in a self-storage facility and the information relating to the files can be entered into the document management software system. A simple ‘google-like’ search in the database will allow easy and fast retrieval. Boxes would be numbered in relation to the index number assigned by the software’s database, instead of searching through each box for the needed document.

However, in order to know which files must be archived, companies first need a document retention policy with the guidelines of how long each type of document needs to be kept in-house for quick retrieval, when they should be sent to archives, and then how long to be kept in archives before destruction or to be kept indefinitely. (See our Retention Guidelines category for more information)

If you use document management software, you have more options to choose from when labeling various files. Just because you do have a great deal of flexibility in labeling your files with this type filing system, it doesn’t mean that you can’t simply use an alphabetical system. However, you can complement your filing system by cross-referencing with keywords input into the database, to enable you to find what you need when you need it without wasted time in searching for which file name you last placed it.

The important fact to remember is that using your document management software, you’ll instantly know where every single file is being kept. Naturally, the items that are being stored in a self-storage facility will most likely be archived files. They won’t often need to be accessed, but for legal reasons would need to be stored for a specific period of time.

There are also aesthetic reasons for planning your storage needs. If you have clients constantly visiting your office and all they see are filing cabinets and shelves and piles of paper files everywhere, it doesn’t really give your company a very good image. Utilizing an economical self-storage facility will help to present your company in a much better light to potential customers.

It’s only natural that there are various sizes of units because some people only need a small amount of space, while others need much larger units. Some units even have shelves fitted, which make it easy to store boxes of files.

Implement Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System in your home, office and storage today to assist you with decluttering not only your paper filing system, but any item that you can put a number onto so you can get organized and be more productive.

By Jane Plass, Info Grooming
http://www.infogrooming.com

As an information organizer, editor, and indexer, I’m always looking for new tools to help manage information. The recent release of Paper Tiger Online document management software and filing system helped me reorganize my business files.

I’ve long used a paper-based numeric filing system for some files, so I already knew the advantages: multiple entry points to access files and the ability to set up folders in advance. Paper Tiger Online offers these advantages, and others as well:

• Searching and sorting. These are huge benefits. A paper-based system is limited to scanning the index, which often is not in alphabetical order. This is fine for small files, but becomes awkward for large ones.
• Keywords. Although some keywords can be used in a paper-based system, it’s easier to use more in Paper Tiger Online. This improves search results.
• Notes for additional information
• Categories to group files
• Ease of changing, updating, and reorganizing information
• Ability to print indexes sorted by item number or by item name. These are handy for quick reference, and they can easily be reprinted when files are updated.
• Access from anywhere with an Internet connection

My business files contain financial information, projects for clients, information products and other writing projects, other information specific to my Info Grooming business, and general business information. Here’s how I reorganized them with Paper Tiger Online:

• One item for each client. The notes hold the titles of specific projects and the years they were completed. If I’m working on a project for the client, the item is also assigned the category Current Projects.
• One item for each major information product (for example, Beat Information Overload the 5F Way)
• One item for articles published at Ezine Articles (http://ezinearticles.com), one for other publications, and one for presentations. As my publications and presentations increase, I’ll add more items.
• Items for financial information, including tax information, bank information and statements (one item for each account), annual income, and annual expenses. The latter are named Finances—2010—Income and Finances—2010—Expenses, so that they file together when sorted by name.
• Other items specific to my business: activity reports, affiliate accounts, legal issues, plans and goals, service agreements, and web presence (for keeping track of web design decisions, keywords, statistics, etc.)
• Items for general business information, including articles from magazines, printouts of web pages, etc.
• The online video for Paper Tiger Online made it easy to get started, and setting up the files went quickly. It’s also been easy to make changes to fine-tune the system, such as changing item names and adding keywords.

I have many more ideas for using Paper Tiger Online:

• Database for writing and product ideas. I currently use a spreadsheet for this, but Paper Tiger Online would provide more flexibility and make it possible to access this file from anywhere.
• Conversion of my paper-based numeric systems to Paper Tiger Online. These include files for organizations that I belong to and for textile information (knitting, sewing, weaving, hand spinning, etc.).
• Database for sewing and knitting patterns
• Database for yarns and fibers in my “stash”
• Database for favorite recipes and for recipes to try. The locations will be the cookbooks or other recipe sources, and keywords will include main ingredients, so I can find recipes that use specific ingredients.

These ideas are just the start. I look forward to exploring further uses for Paper Tiger Online.

Jane Plass
@jplass

Regardless of whether you’re a primary, secondary or college/university educator, being a teacher or professor is one of the most demanding and time-consuming jobs in the world. It’s not a job where you simply clock in and out at a set time and switch off. They have to be so much more than employees.

They have to prepare lesson plans, tests, theoretical and practical exams, teach classes and assess assignments. They can’t do it all during school hours and so they end up taking work home with them to complete in the evenings and over the weekends.

Most teachers have to deal with more than one class and some also teach different subjects. That’s a lot of students to look after. It also means they need to have a superior filing system that can adequately cope with the many variables that can apply to their students. Teachers can be more effective with an efficient filing system, such as Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.

Instead of using an archaic alphabetical document management system, it would benefit teachers greatly to utilize a more flexible filing software system. Such a program would enable each teacher to tailor their filing system to suit their specific workload. They would input item name and keywords relating to each file into the database of the filing software. Then when a file is needed, simply conduct a ‘google-like’ search in the database and be able to find any file within seconds.

They can use categories including: student names, subjects, exams, tests and any other types of categories that may be relevant. Such a system means they can cross-reference files when needed and keep all related documents within the same file.

This filing system will eradicate the endless piles of files that used to sit on teachers desks or get stuffed into briefcases or suitcases, just so they could keep files intact. They can just take home the important documents and files when needed. Then archived to the filing cabinet at an appropriate time. And how to archive or move files from one location to another is simple with Paper Tiger.

If teachers implement this style of filing, then it will save them hours of time in filing and retrieving of files or documents. It will greatly increase their efficiency and enable them to spend more quality time with their students, which is their primary function.

While teachers are actually running their classes, they have to mark attendance sheets, hand out reference material to students, teach and deal with endless administrative paperwork. Excursions or field trips mean forms to send home for signatures and money. All this information can be recorded, using the advanced document management software, and be immediately actioned if needed.

By implementing this type of filing system, each teacher is also making future work far easier to manage. Teachers can teach the same subjects year after year, but to different students. If they have implemented an extremely efficient method for their document management, they can start each new year with much of their planning and preparatory work already done.

This is particularly important and relevant when it comes to lesson plans and training/reference material. Because they can archive some files until the following year, they have only to go back into those archives to retrieve those files and this means they won’t have to do the same amount of hard work all over again.

If teachers can use methods that will free up their time outside of working hours, then their family life will be of a much higher quality and that will then reflect back onto their work. A healthy work-life balance is vital for the longevity of everyone.

However, teachers are entrusted with the education of the future adults of today’s society and so it’s more relevant for them to be as efficient as possible and be at their peak when dealing with today’s young minds.

Teachers or professors can definitely be more effective with Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System!

In this article, by Denise Landers, of Key Organization Systems, Inc. and Paper Tiger Expert, Denise says the ‘paperless office’ has not quite made it to reality, and even if it had…would you be more productive? That’s where Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System comes in to help you manage your paper files that continue to flow into your life. Actually, Paper Tiger can help you manage just about everything, because anything you can put a number to, you can Paper Tiger!

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We’ve been hearing for years about the paperless office, and great strides have been made in this direction.  Yet somehow there are still hard copies of documents on desks and scribbled notes everywhere.  Paper calendars continue to sell, and business cards accumulate in stacks and in drawers.

The push in recent years for getting on the electronic bandwagon are the eReaders, and the competition is fierce.  Yet have you been to a bookstore lately?  They do not seem ready to shut their doors yet.

Newspapers and magazines offer online subscriptions, at great cost savings to them, and for awhile it looked like advertisers were abandoning the print mode.  However in recent months, after a two-year lull, there seems to be a reversal in the trend.  Multimedia Research data show magazine readership has risen 4.3% during the past five years.

If paperless is the most productive way to go, why are these situations occurring?

There is no doubt that many of the tasks we do are better performed electronically.  Yet we like paper!  One reason is that we read 30-50% faster with a hard copy as compared with an electronic copy. If you’re not sure about this, consider how you often print out a long email or a document you might want to read in depth later.

Reading faster, jotting notes in the side margins, or comparing documents side-by-side can definitely increase productivity.

One of the newer magazine ads put out through a campaign by five publishers shows a photo of Michael Phelps alongside the message:

We surf the Internet.
We swim in magazines.

It is often easier and quicker to have a paperback or magazine tucked in your briefcase when there is a 10 or 15 minute delay or a need to wait in a line.  At home and in hotels, it feels cozier to settle in with a hard copy of a book or magazine than with a piece of electronic equipment.

Everything is evolving, and it is good to combine the best of both worlds, but do not feel that, in order to be the most productive, you must have only the latest and greatest technology.

If you would like to jumpstart your organizing efforts and add to your time management skills, we can help!

Denise Landers @timetrainer
Key Organization Systems, Inc.

Original article posted at Denise’s blog

Corporate Training: workshops and consulting to increase daily work flow and reduce stress

Individual Assistance: our onsite and virtual office organizing to bring about changes quickly

On Your Own: books and CDs to work at your own pace

Archaeology is the study of past cultures to determine how people lived, based on the things they have left behind. It’s an extremely complicated field of study that requires meticulous records to be kept. However, archaeologists love digging through ruins – not files.

Archaeological expeditions can go on for months at a time and are often conducted in places with very few “creature comforts.” They usually set up tents to live in while they conduct their research.

That’s second nature to the dedicated people who conduct these studies because they’re determined to learn as much as possible about history from what they find. It’s vital they record their findings so a bigger picture can be created about how ancient civilizations lived.

Archaeology can be an exciting field of study, especially when discovering some new specimen or piece of information that reveals something about history that hasn’t been discovered yet. However, it can also be very tedious.

Many different pieces of equipment are used in such work. Some of the more primitive tools include: shovels, hammers, sieves, compasses, picks, tape measures, trowels, buckets, magnifying glasses and tiny instruments such as dental picks, toothbrushes and scalpels.

More modern equipment is also used. They include: large excavating machinery and dump trucks, tripods, flotation devices, computers and laptops. As scientific advances are made, more precise equipment becomes available to assist in studies that may previously have been impossible to accomplish.

Recording all findings during an expedition is the most critical part of an archaeologist’s job. Every single individual piece of information has to be meticulously recorded as soon as it’s discovered.

They use the knowledge gleaned from each specimen to help guide them in their research. If they left the “filing” or documenting of each find until later, it wouldn’t be as accurate and they probably wouldn’t be following the correct path as dictated by their findings.

However, thanks to computerized technology, it’s now possible to create a vastly improved, user-friendly filing system to record all information gathered during expeditions. Instead of only relying on paper-based record keeping, it’s now easy to create very “flexible files.”  These files can contain samples, photographs, test results, written reports, forensic analysis reports and every other possible form of “file/sample” that’s created at any time. Then enter the information for each of these items into Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System. Paper Tiger has a very powerful and easy-to-use search engine built in so you use the power of the computer to simply conduct a google-like search in the database to quickly and easily find/share the information when you need it.

There may be times when archaeologists need to access information from other expeditions or from their own previous ones. If they’ve already implemented efficient document management software, they can access files from anywhere via their laptop, even while out on a dig.

This can save a lot of time and money, because they don’t necessarily have to transport physical files with them when they go on expeditions. They can simply add whatever new material they discover to existing files or create new ones when they return to their home base.

Once they’ve finished an excavation, they can’t go back. Therefore each step must be done properly as they go. Even though archaeologists prefer to study rather than record the information, they know how vital record keeping is to their overall work.

Thanks to current technology and smart document management software, many tasks can be achieved in less time and at a cheaper cost. This enables more research to be carried out without incurring extra costs.

This specialized document management system can be tailor-made for archaeologists. They don’t have to simply use alphabetical or numerical file names. They can choose categories and sub-categories that accurately reflect the file contents. It’s also very easy to cross-reference documents and files so that information stored in different files or even in different places can be easily located when necessary.

Archaeologists love digging through ruins – not files. If they didn’t have to do any record keeping, they would probably be very happy. Because it’s an inevitable part of their work, they should implement the best document management software system available. Then they can reduce costs and decrease the amount of time spent on such tedious tasks, so they have more time to discover what else there is to learn.

Make filing easier and faster when returning to the office with Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System!

Carry a copy of your Paper Tiger File Index in a file folder in your briefcase when you are out of the office. As you collect papers from your meetings, refer to the File Index for the first available open item, then note the appropriate file number for them on the paper to be filed. When you’re back in the office, you or your assistant can input the Item Name and Keywords information into the Paper Tiger database and drop the papers into the file(s).

Voila! You’re done! No stacking or paper piles!

In this article, Christie Love gives us 10 Tips to Organizing with ADD/ADHD, but this is sound advice whether you have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or not. We can all function better when we follow clear steps to get organized … whether it be in your home or office!

September is National ADD/ADHD Awareness Month, I have two children at my home who have been diagnosed with this issue so it is one that is near and dear to my heart.  Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with many professionals who also dealt with this issue that were in need of organizational help.

“I prefer to distinguish ADD as attention abundance disorder.
Everything is just so interesting . . . remarkably at the same time.”
Frank Coppola, MA, ODC, ACG

Here are ten tips that I have found to be successful for organizing for ADD and ADHD individuals.

1.  Pick up as you go along so they do not have a large pile to deal with later. This is true for a room, your desk, paperwork, craft projects, and anything else that you tackle.

2.  Look for creative ways to reuse or recycle items that they want to discard. For example put outfits together to donate and let them see and know where things are going and who they are going to help.

3.  When you are doing one task … look for a way to organize. For example, if you are looking for a pencil in a drawer, take a moment to Declutter the drawer or if you are looking for a paper in a file, take a moment and throw out old items that don’t need to be kept anymore.

4.  Use a centralized calendar to help them become responsible for keeping up with activities and events instead of always being reminded. In the house keep important dates and appointments on it, at the office use a group calendar program to update everyone at once about deadlines and meetings.

5.  Use alarms and other audible prompts as reminders for items that need to be started or completed at certain times. Many people with ADD/ADHD thrive on reminders, prompts, and time restrictions so setting an alarm to go off before a meeting is scheduled to start will give them time to transistion, prepare, and still be on time.  If you are engaging in an activity that you tend to loose track of time in- like social media updates, research, etc… then set a timer for 30 minutes and limit the amount of time you spend there.

6.  Use colorful notes to remind kids of routines and items so that nothing gets forgotten. Color has a powerful way of cutting through the clutter and chaos of the ADD mind.  Using color coded folders  for different types of projects, themes, and research can help them find what they need faster.  Use colored ink in planners to easily see the type of activity they are scheduling.  Write the days schedule or task list on colored paper and have them mark each item off as they complete it.

7.  ADD sufferers do well with a routine, figure out one that works well and then work hard to keep it consistent. Find a daily routine for work and stick to it.  You may set it up so you alternate between activities that allow you to use more energy with ones that require more focus to keep you from getting bored or lost in a task.

8.  Label dividers and folders with papers so that they can find things easier without having to dig and get frustrated. Make sure that your filing system is up to date and easy to use.  ADD/ADHD sufferers do not want to have to spend extra time trying to find something, because the unneeded items can easily distract them and frustrate them. <Use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to simply input the information relating to your paper files or other physical items into the database that has an easy-to-use search engine built in, so that lost items are virtually eliminated. Action dates can also be used to trigger action items.>

9.  Keep a daily check off list of things to do so that they hold themselves accountable. A morning routine checklist, a before I leave the office checklist, and a weekly task list are all great additions to the organizational system of an ADD/ADHD person.

10.  Do not work against your natural tendencies. The very traits about your ADD/ADHD that sets you apart from others are also your biggest strengths!  Be aware of those strengths and talents and give them room to THRIVE! Find activities and tasks that allow you to work with your creative tendencies, give you the chance to talk to people, and the chance to think outside the box.  If you find that there are certain times of the day that work better for you than others, then work to get your schedule to mesh with those peak performance times for yourself.  Know your body and mind and work with it… not against it.

Do you have others to add?  I invite you to leave other tips for ADD/ADHD organization in the comments section below or at Christie’s original blog.

Christie Love is the Director of Marketing for Jennifer Rothschild Ministries. She is passionate about many things including family, her faith, and helping women grow their businesses, ministries, and impact through improved marketing and leadership practices. In October of 2010, Christie will be relaunching the reformatted version of Simple Organized Sanity Online, a site that will offer downloadable planners, checklists, and lists to help you plan and stay organized. Follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/christielove936