In this webinar, we conducted basic getting started with Paper Tiger Online functions, such as describing the Dashboard and what is shown there, creating a Database, creating a Location, creating Items, printing labels for your items.
Then Anne McGurty, productivity expert of Strategize and Organize, continues by demonstrating the following:
-How to organize things other than paper files
-How to index items other than paper files, such as CDs and other bulky items
-How to use Categories
-Filing items from her inbox
-Searching items, then editing
-How to Transfer to Move an Item, with an explanation of why and how to use Confirmation
-How to use the Cleanout Report and benefits
-Reminders and Reminders Horizon
-Adding a Location for virtual items, such as your Ideas (thoughts, things to do, vacation spots to check out, find a recipe, etc), then Toss an item when it is no longer valid.
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. You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
Q: What is the best use of “category”? I don’t use it now — is it helpful to use?
A: Categories are best described in our knowledge base article entitled What are Categories?, and is basically is dependent on how you want to file your items and how you think. For some people using Paper Tiger’s indexing method, using Categories are helpful to be able to select a category when they want to get a view of where all of their HR files are or where all of their Tax or Financial files are.
In the example that Anne uses in this webinar, she has a music CD by Van Morrison and she also has a document with the lyrics from one of the songs by the same artist. She could have used the Category of ‘Music’ for both of these. The CD and the document would be in 2 different physical locations, but you could choose the Music category and Paper Tiger would show you all items in the Music category, as shown in the screen shot below:
Q: Why put “music” in the item name rather than in the category?
A: In this case, we were simply inputting an item name, no real logic, and definitely could add a Category of Music in this instance.
Q: What is the “notes” section used for? (the column called “Notes” next to “category”)
A: You can use the Notes section for any addition notes that you do not want to be mixed with the Keywords section, i.e., next action to be taken on this item, physical location, who borrowed a book or other item, who pulled the filed last, etc.
Q: Can that confirmation page be printed?
A: For items that you have required confirmation before the transfer completes, you can print a Transfer report from the Reports function.
Q: Why use “MC” instead of “Media Cabinet” as the name? Is there an advantage to the abbreviation?
A: In this instance, Anne used MC instead of Media Cabinet so that the smallest label could be chosen and the entire label would not be taken with the Location name.
Q: What would be best practices for tracking inventory that changes fairly frequently? Better to use item name for item – rivets and then document quantity and description in notes or key words. I have one drawer with all my rivets in.
A: Yes, Probably best would be to use what the item is for the Item Name in Paper Tiger. Then use the Keywords section for description and quantity. Notes section might be used for when and how much to order.
Q: So you are tracking just random things on your desk that need to be tasks? Then when you’re done, what do you do with it? Move to a file location? If you throw it away because it is done, do you just delete and then that number #2 is used forever?
A: You can index anything with Paper Tiger that you can put a number onto. Filing from your inbox is just one example of what can be tracked with Paper Tiger. In your example here, I believe you are asking about Action files, so when you are done with the action or task, you can move it to a reference file or other named location in Paper Tiger or you can toss it. Then the item number will be empty until you file a new item in this location. When you file a new item in that location, Paper Tiger will choose the first available open item, which in this case would be Item Number 2.
Q: Clearing out old files from the system
A: Anne describes how to use the Cleanout Report to assist us in clearing out old files. Then using the Transfer function to either move them to Archives or using the Toss function to delete the items from the database. Also see our knowledge base article entitled What happens to Items in the Trash?
Q: How to move/merge effectively, such as consolidating files into boxes.
A: Transferring files are best described in our knowledge base articles What is a move transfer? and What is a merge transfer?
In your example for consolidating files into boxes, for instance, you might name your boxes ‘Archives’ Location.
-You would Transfer the items from the original location to Archives in Paper Tiger, require Confirmation
-Then print a Transfer report to check off each item as you physically move them to the box.
-Then confirm the Transfers in the Confirm box in Paper Tiger.
-Tape the Transfer report to the box along with the Item numbers of the items you have just archived.
Q: Paper Tiger could probably be used for folders on the computer too.
A: Yes, absolutely, Paper Tiger will work to organize electronic files by treating your electronic or scanned documents as if they were paper.
Q: Where do you get the reminder? Do you need to login in Paper Tiger in order to get the reminder?
A: You do need to log into Paper Tiger and select a Database in order to get the reminder. Reminders show up in the top of the page as banners as seen in the screen shot below:
Q: Is the description the keywords or search words?
A: The description of a Location is simply describing what the Location is being used for and what type of items will be indexed in the respective Location. You can also input where the items are physically located in the description. The search function of Paper Tiger does not search the wording in the Location Description section.
The Search function searches wording input in the Item Name, Keywords, and Notes sections.
Q: How safe is using the Paper Tiger Online?
A: Our servers at Amazon Web Services are in a highly secure environment that prevents physical access, there is complete redundancy and your data is professionally maintained and backed up. Our network is protected by a state-of-the-art firewall. In addition, even our free accounts provide SSL security (data encryption) to ensure your data gets to and from our servers safely. We ensure that your data is safe with nightly data backups within our data centers.
Q: Can you put a url in the notes section that will execute?
A: You can input a url, but it will not execute or link to the web address.
Q: How to use Paper Tiger to track mental processes, i.e., ideas.
A: Create a new Location for Ideas as shown in the screen shot above. Then your Item Names would be your idea, i.e., ‘vacation spots’, ‘find recipe’, ‘to do’, ‘uses for Paper Tiger’, etc.
Q: How to keep work and home organized, but not together?
A: This would be an example of why you would want separate databases. In this case, you would want to create a Database for ‘Office’ and a Database for ‘Home’. When you want to search for something in your home, you would select the Home Database and search results would only come from this database.
Q: How to create databases for CD’s and movies
A: If you do not want search results for your CD’s and movies from your Home Database, you could create a separate database for these items.
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, you do not want items to pop up from your Office database when conducting a search for an item in your Home database. Paper Tiger does not search across the different databases.
Tags: document management software, document management system, get organized, paper filing systems, Paper Tiger "finding" filing system, Productivity, professional organizer, webinar
[...] and a Paper Tiger Expert, gives us excellent advice to make each day more productive! Also click here to see the latest webinar recording available where Anne demonstrates how to use Paper Tiger Document Management Software [...]