Paper Tiger Blog

Everyone has a different idea when it comes to organising paper. Some people love dozens of folders in perfectly colour-coded groups. Others prefer visible piles sitting around the perimeter of the office. Filing systems are as unique as the individuals who design them, but every filing system must be easily maintainable and accessible. Too much paper overwhelms every business and household because of the innumerable sources of documentation that bombard us every day. To get control over the avalanche of paper in any office, follow these steps:

1. Acquire filing supplies – Manila folders, labels, and hanging folders are required whenever a filing system is about to be constructed. Instead of shuffling the existing mess into new piles, start by purchasing supplies for the project. Assemble all the necessary supplies within reach and close to the drawer or box that will hold the newly established files.
2. Purge first – Recycle, shred, or discard every piece of paper that does not have a specific purpose. Effort to organise obsolete paperwork is a waste of space, time and energy. Make fast decisions and discard the majority of the paper lying around the office. Resist the temptation to revisit the boxes containing the discarded paper. Get rid of the paper quickly to prevent stalling the project.
3. Determine the reason for files – If files are meant to be referenced often, the access must be fast and easy. Most files in the home office are simply kept for legal reasons. Periodic access to informational papers requires clear labelling. Major groupings are not necessary unless the files are used for daily reference.
4. Decide on the best arrangement – Chronological files are meaningful for tax records, medical records, and any other documentation associated with a calendar year. Numeric files are useful for information associated with assets that can be assigned a number. Alphabetical files are useful for information associated with organisations and people. Alpha-numeric code systems are useful for organising large categories of information.
5. Make one pile – Open every drawer and box to extract all the paper inside. Place all of the remaining paper, after the purge, into one large pile of paper and work through the pile while creating meaningful groupings.
6. Implement Paper Tiger Filing System software – Create a virtual mirror image of your entire filing system through this revolutionary software tool as you file. Easily track every document that exists in your physical file system by entering a few details about each document and the physical location. See Customize Your Filing System with Paper Tiger’s Indexing Method for an example filing system.
7. Sort and file – Create your Locations in Paper Tiger with meaningful categories based on the groupings from step 5. Be careful to not make narrow categories that include one or two sheets of paper. Larger categories make finding certain papers must easier. When entering information into Paper Tiger database, you will be assigned an index number for each hanging file folder and relating documents to be filed.
8. Separate deep storage – Tax returns, medical records, financial records, legal documents, and bank statements are all candidates for safe storage where they can be protected from water and fire. All of these papers must be organised prior to storage for easy access. Keep this file trimmed to contain only the most recent copies of each document. Annual purges must be performed to keep this group of papers current. Remember to take legal requirements into consideration before destroying certain documents.
9. Shred old statements – To protect against identity theft, all bank documents and any page that contains a social security number must be shredded. Rather than burning up a personal shredder, enlist the services of a shredding service for this one-time effort. Office supply companies can recommend a reputable service.
10. Handle each document once – When new documents are received, place them in the proper place within the filing system. Avoid the habit of setting documents aside to file later. Piles grow over time and filing can be viewed as a cumbersome activity if maintenance activities are not performed consistently.

If the filing system proves difficult to use, do not hesitate to make adjustments that will make access of important information easy. Changes to the filing system are often easier to make over time when deficiencies are noticed. Every adjustment should make paper easier to find without adding additional steps. Make sure to follow the existing filing pattern and maintain the virtual filing system to make finding each document convenient and easy.

This is an article from Tom who works as a full time writer and a product analyst on Cartridge Save, a UK-based store where consumers can find printer cartridges and PhotoSmart ink cartridges.

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