You may already be familiar with the idea of using an indexing system to maintain better record management capabilities for your professional office paper files. In fact, you may even already be using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management for your office needs. On the other hand, you may not be familiar with what an indexing system is, how it works or what you can do with it.
The important thing to keep in mind is that you can use this same indexing software system to declutter your life and organize almost anything. If it can be stored somehow and numbered, it can be indexed. Also, the great thing about using this type of indexing system is that it works for anything that can’t be scanned. So while some people are converting their filing systems to a more paperless environment, it leaves them with no way to organize and index all those items that simply cannot be scanned, i.e., passports, contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, etc.
You put papers in a file for your car repair and then stick the file in your personal filing cabinet and that’s the end of that. When your spouse has to look up the amount of the last repair for some reason, he or she may not know if you filed it under “Toyota Repairs,” “Sheila’s Car” or “Mechanic Receipts” or it could be filed “Auto” or “Car”, so you see it could take a while to search through the alphabet in your filing cabinet(s) depending on how many drawers of paper files you have. With Paper Tiger’s indexing system, you simply number this file to coincide with the number assigned to it from the software, type in as many of those key search terms you can think of and file it away. When you or someone else has to retrieve the file, you use the search engine and can locate the file in a matter of seconds. It’s a hassle-free way to make your filing system manageable.
You don’t have to do this with just paper files though. Maybe you collect antique dolls, have a CD collection that is growing out of control or want to be able to keep better track of what type of seasonal clothing you are storing and where it is. By using an indexing system you can make all of this possible. Take the clothing as an example, which can be really out of hand if you have kids and therefore a great deal of clothing to put in some type of storage.
You may end up with some bins in the basement, some leather coats stored in climate controlled storage away from your home and more hanging in garment bags in the guest room closet. Trying to remember where all of these items are scattered can become confusing. If you use an indexing system you can number the bins or garment bags, type the item and location of each into your Paper Tiger database and always know where your seasonal items are even if they are not in your home.
This can be an extremely useful tool for those who sell items on places such as eBay and may store the items in various places. Just remember to update the system when new items come in and when one sold or is moved to a different location.
Paper Tiger is an indexing system for your paper files or other physical items that has an easy-to-use search engine built in so that lost information is virtually eliminated in your home or office. You would simply type in the information into the database relating to your physical files or other items to get organized so that you can find what you need when you need it, without time-wasting searches.
So for paper files, you would keep your paper in its original form (you do not have to scan it) and use the power of the computer to index the paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format, and also be able to index other physical items as in the examples mentioned above. Paper Tiger can index anything that you can put a number onto!
When you’ve indexed your items into Paper Tiger, and you need to find an item later, you simply conduct a Google-like search in the database to find where the item is located.
This solves problems with filing or finding any physical item, such as:
If you haven’t already, please view our videos on our Why Paper Tiger page, which may help you understand better how Paper Tiger works. Please also see our Not Just For Filing Paper page for great examples for indexing other items in addition to paper files.
Tags: document management software, filing system software, get organized, Paper Tiger "finding" filing system, paperless
Get out those banker boxes.
I am using both. I am using the Paper Tiger to index my life into compartments, and I am scanning documents into the cloud for when I need the info and not near where the hard docs are stored.
For those who think that scanning your life into the cloud is the only solution, be sure to check with the tax authority as they may require the original documentation.
Excess stuff? Put it in a box, create a location for the box and add your stuff. You can then store the box on a shelf or a storage locker.
I am using bankers boxes for everything. Software, photos, files, and more.
I print out stickers S101, S102 and affix them to the boxes. So if I wanted to find an installation disk I would search the Paper Tiger and it would tell me that the software was located in box S105.
I tried to combine the old method of index with file names, but in the end everything is just a number of a container or file. As information comes in it is routed to a numbered file. No need to try to remember where it is located.
I do however wish I could print a report of locations …
Rick,
Thank you so much for your example of how you use Paper Tiger! I’m sure this will be helpful to others reading our blog.
From your last comment here, I’m not sure if you know what reports can be printed from Paper Tiger Online, but please see this knowledge base article that you might find helpful: http://thepapertiger.com/support/articles.php?id=197049&catId=230
If I’ve misunderstood, and you want a report of the list of Locations only, this would be possible if you printed a screen-print. Let us know if you have other questions or if I’ve misunderstood at sales@thepapertiger.com Thanks!