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The Paper Tiger Blog contains great ideas on better ways to stay organized, clear your desk, reduce stress and spend less time managing information.

PAPER TIGER DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, WOULDN’T BE WITH OUT IT . . .

I have been using the Paper Tiger Software for so long I am at a loss to remember. What I did was go through my files, which were set up alphabetical by subject matter and start cleaning them out.

I have a small book selling business, as well a great interest in genealogy. I am the bookkeeper for the business so I have many records to keep track of: Vendor records, subject records for purchasing various products and some not stocked, but you never know what a customer may ask to have located and purchased.

I found many of the older records out dated and some lost from loss of information to locate being forgotten. This has been overcome with the use of Paper Tiger Software. Also it makes it a lot easier to have set up all my files by file category and folder number, then I do not have to replace the original folder each time I have to update information. Just toss out old information and replace it in same folder, unless it is worn out.

As files get larger, I only have to expand the drawer and re-sort some folders as all are in numerical order, which can be found with the computer in a jiffy. Just type in a keyword and the Paper Tiger shows what drawer and file folder it is located within.

I have seven metal file cabinets set up in this order. Each month to be safe and not be lost if the computer is down or power is off, I create a hard copy of all the files by subject, keyword, and numerical file lists in a binder on the shelf for reference to manually look up files if need be.

There you have my working system and Paper Tiger Software is the best system I have found, bar none, and I worked for thirty years in the Office Products Industry setting up and selling file systems for customers. I wouldn’t be without it now – it is just sort of a love relationship.

Robert D. Waybright
Dallas, TX


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In Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, a Location relates to where you will store your physical items (paper files, books, CDs, DVDs, storage boxes, etc.) A Location can be named anything you want – however you relate to what you are indexing, i.e., Office files, Home files, Action files, Reference files, House, Basement, Garage, etc. Paper Tiger uses Locations to represent these places where you store the items you want to be able to find later.

Paper Tiger Locations are made up of Item names, description, capacity and review frequency.

Item Name is the descriptive name you give a hanging folder or other item you are indexing. An Item Name is what you would call the item being indexed.

  • “Museum Board Directory” might be the Item Name you give a folder that contains a current phone and address list of museum board members.
  • “Sales Reports” might be the Item Name you choose for a Folder containing each regional sales reports.
  • A Folder or Item Name labeled “Warranties” might include sub-files for “Electronics,” “Major Appliances,” and “Outdoor Equipment.”
  • Your Item Name might also be the names of Books, CDs, DVDs, Collection Items, etc.
  • See also the Many Uses of The Paper Tiger, which might be helpful to you.

When creating or editing a location, you will see the following attributes:

  • Location name: You need to be able to identify each location with unique name.
  • Description: You can further describe the contents of the location.
  • Capacity: You will need to input the number of items you think will be input into this location. This can be changed to increase the capacity.
  • Review frequency: The interval in which you want to review or be reminded to review the location.

Paper Tiger allows you to print cut-out tabs or Avery labels which you use to affix or attach to your physical items to match the index numbers assigned by Paper Tiger.


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Signed up online with the simplest filing system in the world!

I have bought at least five copies of Paper Tiger over my lifetime for specific spaces, but with so many physical places to work from it seemed unsurmountable to coordinate my different computers; office, home, travel laptop, guest computer, my husband’s ipad, now I have an organized spot in the generous spacious world of cloud computing that previously was held by Evernote! The Paper Tiger Software Is Online.

Even though currently I am a single user, I will be able to access the archives from wherever I am in the world while traveling (was in Bhutan last November) will be in Paris and then Fez this September and October. Very freeing! for your basic Sagittarius) having bought earlier versions under my professional and personal name, I sometimes couldn’t even remember which “location” I was working from as it was space related.

Having the online archive means that my office in Chicago and our Casa in New Mexico or the physical storage facilities that house the bulk of the AvalonArchives are always as near as my keyboard, my local cafe, and a cuppa joe or cappuccino. And then I can upgrade to a multi-user plan and hire people to help me categorize and file the different countries, while I am able to view all work being done when basic filing systems for the O-Z files are in place. And now with the ipad available, we can have wireless updates from these formerly “unwired” storage spaces. Of course, I hope to win an ipad from Paper Tiger!

The Avalon Archives will be cataloging it’s files using the new online version of the Paper Tiger Software. The initial date for the first electronic catalog is set for December 16, 2011. The files currently are password protected. It hasn’t been determined if the online files will ultimately be public.


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Schools and universities deal with thousands of students and millions of files. It’s crucial that university record keeping is efficient because there are always times when student records need to be accessed. Most information is kept electronically, but still there are always paper files to deal with. Whether it be in the university administrative office or the professors, a document management software like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System will be helpful. Especially Paper Tiger Online that can be accessed from any computer or device with an Internet connection.

If any of this information was to become lost or misplaced, that could cause a range of problems, some of which might affect the future of students needing essential information from their records.

Archaic systems really can’t cope with today’s modern education system. Universities offer such a wide variety of subjects that it’s impossible to keep up with them. If you have to locate a particular file in a storeroom full of dusty old files, it could take forever.

It’s vital that all schools, colleges and universities have an efficient document management system in place that is user-friendly and enables every file to be easily located. Qualifications are vital for certain jobs and information may need to be verified by potential employers before hiring someone.

Some students study at more than one university over the course of their life. Teachers may need to confirm information about the student such as grades, diplomas and degrees or other pertinent details with staff at a previous university staff. A modern, computer-based filing system will speed up this process enormously.

Records retention guideline policies must be followed. Proper record keeping practices ensure that all university records, whether they’re digital or paper based, are easy to locate, retrieve, and are credible. To achieve this, files must be maintained by the best possible document management system. These practices also apply to inactive records that must be retained for legal purposes.

Some records must be kept or archived for legal or financial reasons, for future administrative needs or because of historical significance. Retention periods for other records may be determined by university policies.

An efficient document management software is more crucial in today’s modern computer age, because a lot of the work students do is on a computer. Instead of having to turn every assignment into a paper-based document for grading, CDs, DVDs and other formats are now mediums that are permissible for assessment. Such documents can also be stored in this same format, which reduces the volume of paper wastage and the amount of room needed for such storage.

At the end of each year, files can be sorted, stored, archived or destroyed as required. The document management software that is used can track throughout the life-cycle of the files. How to archive is simple with Paper Tiger. You would have a Location named ‘Archives’ in Paper Tiger, then simply conduct a Transfer Move of the file or files being moved to the Archive Location within your database. Paper Tiger will assign a file number in your Archives file to move the file to in the physical location. For items needing to be destroyed, you would conduct a Toss of the item in the database to open the slot for another file to be inserted.

Because the management of any filing system is complex, universities generally have staff that are responsible for ensuring all filing is carried out correctly.

It would be a huge job when first converting to a more efficient document management system because details about all files would have to be entered into the computer and a standardized labeling system implemented to reduce duplication which can easily occur due to many teachers dealing with the same students.

Generally departments are responsible for their own filing and everything must be coordinated so it’s done the same way for the whole university, even if there is more than one campus.

Email is a necessary part of university life. A large proportion of a university’s operational communication is carried out via email. It’s widely used for: contact with students, advice of meeting arrangements, instructions, negotiations, authorizations, development of policies, employment matters, university announcements and circulation of reports and committee minutes.

Since most of these emails are deemed to be official records, it’s necessary to ensure they’re effectively and efficiently managed.

Email transmissions may also be requested as evidence in legal proceedings or criminal investigations. It’s vital that emails be filed properly and be easy to locate if urgently needed.

It’s crucial that university record keeping is efficient, because it helps meet legal and financial obligations, and saves time and money when filing, and especially, when in need of locating files.

That’s why we refer to Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System as the ‘Finding System.”


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In the past my offices have always been a mess – papers everywhere. My home was the same and I was sick of wasting time shuffling paper looking for that lost piece of information. A few years ago, I decided that was not going to happen in my new job. I didn’t have any money, having been out of work for quite some time, but I decided to call a professional organizer who recommended I try Paper Tiger.

To cut a long story short, people started commenting on how tidy and organized my office was – something I had never heard before. When someone asked for something, even something obscure, it would be in their hands in seconds: they were just blown away. And it took me only the equivalent of a day or so, spread over a week to set up, checking and re-filing all the paper I inherited, plus the papers I was creating and receiving every day.

I use Paper Tiger to organize me at home too. For once in my life I know where my tax return is, where my vehicle documentation is. I’m now a part-time university instructor (I’m the part-time bit – not the university), a communications coach and a career coach. I need to keep these roles separate, yet I have only one place to keep all these papers and materials, plus personal stuff. Paper Tiger  means I can do this perfectly – everything is organized, separated yet integrated, and takes so little time to keep it that way.

I’m a Mac fan and a continuing frustration over the years has been the lack of a Mac version – I had to keep an old clunky desktop pc just to run PT. I also hated having to work fixed at one spot to use the program. I tried using LogMeIn for remote access on my Mac laptop – better, but it just wasn’t ideal. The pc finally gave up and took everything with it. I was lost – I was even tempted to try a bit of reverse engineering to try to create a Mac version for myself.

The Paper Tiger support staff helped me get going again on a laptop a friend donated – they were very patient and helpful. Then during the recovery process, I just happened to enquire about a Mac version. The wonderful support lady, Janet Baker, mentioned there is now a web-based version. I knew how much I missed PT and how much I wanted to run it on my Mac, so I jumped at the chance. Once I knew I had the database back, I signed up. Didn’t need to check it out – I knew already what PT had done for me and I knew I was lost without it. Plus I’m now liberated from my crappy pc. I’m a very happy man – I have my Mac and my PT.

I’ll always be grateful to my organizer friend, to PT in general and Janet in particular – thanks. I recommend it to everyone.

David Woodward


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Heading back to school can cause a lot of chaos and anxiety for both children and parents, so organization is the key when going to school.

You may have children starting school for the very first time, or going back to school at a higher grade level. Overall the same principles in the tips below should apply to all ages. The better organized you are, the better it will be for you and your children.

Purchasing School Supplies

Most schools provide a list of supplies needed to bring when the new school year begins, i.e., pens, pencils, folders (can be color-coded), labels, highlighters, etc.

Backpacks are essential for carrying books, papers and other supplies. According to the experts, contents of the backpack should be no more than 10-20% of the child’s weight.

If you live in the U.S., check the Sales Tax Holidays at http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html for individual states before shopping.

A calendar will be necessary to ensure everyone keeps up with the new schedule, with after-school and/or sports activities. If you can, use an online calendar that both you and children can update with important dates. This will be helpful when trying to juggle work and school commitments. It can be updated and either of you can access it from anywhere. At the very least, a wall calendar for everyone to see at a glance, and update as necessary.

Establish a Routine

• Start a few days before school and have your child(ren) go to bed and get up at the normal time to get ready for school.

• Plan your evenings so they will be able to go to bed at a time to get the required amount of sleep for each individual child. According to National Sleep Foundation, “Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development.” See http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/children-and-sleep

- Set a regular time for bed each night and stick to it
- Avoid feeding children big meals close to bedtime
- Avoid giving anything with caffeine less than six hours before bedtime
- Make after-dinner playtime a relaxing time
- Establish a calming bedtime routine

• Plan for a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks for each day, so they will have the energy to handle the day’s activities.

• Plan for homework and exercise/play time.

• Every night before going to bed, have children get in the habit of picking out their clothes for the next day and packing their backpacks. This will ensure that you don’t have to iron something in the morning or a last minute search for that paper that needs to be signed and turned in.

• Get together periodically (daily or weekly) to talk about what projects are due, when they are due, and what supplies are needed so that you won’t have a last minute run to the store the night before a project is due.

• Once school starts, the calendar will quickly fill up with activities. Study will be a major component. Teach children to schedule their homework times so they don’t become overwhelmed, and don’t wait till the last minute to complete assignments.

Learn Productivity and Organizational Skills

Try this great resource of activities to help your child succeed in school and learn productivity and organizational skills, as well: http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/succeed/index.html

To keep all the school papers and instructions organized, create a filing system where you can keep all records in one place. Receipts for everything associated with school can be included, in addition to information such as school reports, excursions and any extra curricular activities. These files can be indexed in Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System so when you need something, you can quickly conduct a search for the keyword relating to the item and find it quickly.

Organization is the key when going to school. Planning ahead and getting organized will reduce stress when it’s time to go back to school.


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How Did I Navigate My Father’s Papers After His Passing?

My father passed away at the age of 87. He lived alone, in Budapest, Hungary. I, his only son, live in Toronto, ON., Canada. How, in a matter of a week or so, after his funeral, did I manage to take care of his affairs in a country famous for its bureaucracy?

You see, my father has always been what you might call, absent-minded. As he got older, his short term recall has also begun to fail. In order to combat his memory challenges, he developed a “system” for filing his papers.

This “system” was, what helped me navigate his papers quickly and effectively, even though we live a world apart. As it were, he developed the most advanced filing system, which is the basis of Paper Tiger. This system is the numerical filing system.

What I found on my father’s desk, was a box, containing large, numbered, vertically stacked, cardboard envelopes and an index card in front of them. The index card listed the content of each numbered envelope, with a main heading, followed by key words of the documents they contained. Not unlike a report you might print from Paper Tiger. I just sat in front of the box…and I was “in business.”

It so happens that I am a professional organizer specializing in office/business organizing. Having been a user as well as a re-seller of Paper Tiger for the past 6 or so years, I was surprised and not any less impressed by having discovered my father’s “manual” version of this fantastic system.

Anyone familiar with the Paper Tiger knows, that locating paper documents is really just a matter of seconds. Try to tell that to a person sitting at, what must be his/her desk – except that the latter is not visible for all the paper piles covering it. The usual answer is that “I have no problem finding what I’m looking for.” However, when I ask: “OK, but could someone else find it, when you are not around?,” I suddenly have them scratching their heads. That’s when the light goes on.

So there you have it. One of the biggest, yet less often thought of benefits of using Paper Tiger is, when someone else needs to navigate your files. My father, who has never had or used a computer, managed to figure out the “secret” behind the Paper Tiger system. Leaving me sadly alone with his numbered envelopes and his index card, I was able to navigate his papers with ease. My heart might not have been at ease, at the time, but I had no problem finding what I needed in order to take care of his unfinished affairs.

Alex Revai, Productivity Solutions


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Our public works office has been using the Paper Tiger software for several years. We use the software to keep our filing system in order, up to date, and user friendly. Currently, we use it to keep track of our general public works and archive files. This system has been so helpful in organizing our files.

When I first started working in our office, the filing system was very small, but over the years the amount of paper files grew substantially. With the growth our filing system, came the need for a better way to organize our files. I began the task of researching online for different types of filing programs that were both user friendly and would assist in getting our office and filing system back on track.

I ran across the Paper Tiger system online and after reading what it was all about, was convinced this is what we needed to organize our filing system. We purchased and installed the Paper Tiger Network version on a few of our computers, which has allowed not only me, but my coworkers to create, edit, and access files they are looking for. Saving everyone time and not leaving them reliant on only one person knowing where a specific file is located. Since implementing the Paper Tiger software, we have had so much success in organizing our filing system. Locating files is very easy and rarely is anything found misplaced.

In the last couple of years, our office has started using Paper Tiger to organize our paper maps. We have maps from subdivisions, maps of water and sewer lines, etc. These maps go back many years and were never really organized and it was always difficult to find the map you were looking for. By adding a “Maps” location to our filing system, we’ve been able to organize our paper maps and make them easily accessible to everyone in the office.

Earlier this year I saw that Paper Tiger was going online and that we would have the chance to beta-test it. We currently utilize an online system for work orders which has been very successful and eliminated the need for software on everyone’s computers. Knowing this, when I saw that Paper Tiger was doing the same I knew I had to try it out. Everyone in our office was very excited because this was something we had hoped for because we knew how great it was with our online work order system. We’ve beta-tested the Paper Tiger online version and can’t wait to sign up for the small business version. It will be so nice to not have to worry about updating software on each computer. Also, we won’t have to worry about the server where our database is stored crashing (which has happened to us a few times).

I saw today that the small business version will be available as of August 22, 2010 and we are counting the days until we can make the transition over to the online version. No longer will our office be reliant on a server that could crash at any moment in our office and lose all our filing information. Now we all will have easy access via the Paper Tiger online website, where everything is easily accessible, stored, and backed-up. Plus we can access it from anywhere if needed.

Our office has really enjoyed using the Paper Tiger software and look forward to continuing being a customer of Paper Tiger and utilizing their online program. Thanks for keeping our office organize!

Alissa Angelo
City of Stayton


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How do I use The Paper Tiger to make my life easier? It might be easier to say how I DON’T use the program!

I am half of a business that services the Alberta oil patch, plus I am a farmer, an artist, a sewer, a woodworker, a gardener and a family history researcher. The Paper Tiger helps me with all of these.

For our business: I have a Files database to record where to look for all of our business files; invoices, information articles, etc.
- Vendor company changed its name? Until PT, I never know how to file receipts when a company changed its name. Now I just enter the new name as the file name and the old name goes into the key words.
- If something happens to me, my husband knows where to look for older, archived files, because the summary of the “Old” location tells him to look on the steel shelves in the east basement.
- I have made my work even easier by using the PT file number as part of the company name in my accounting program (“Fas Gas (File 237)”), so that I don’t have to look it up every time I need to file an invoice.
- Wills, passports, etc. are all detailed, so they can be easily found (eg. “Safe in se corner of basement”).

I have separate databases for different types of books and magazines; art, farming, genealogy, gardening, woodworking.
- Each book becomes a “file”, and I create detailed key words for each one (eg. Art database, book Light and Texture in Watercolours, keywords “page 16 watercolour pansies”, Farming database, magazine Western Horseman 2006 June, keywords “page 27 treating laminitis”). And the Location says to look for that type of book on the shelves in my studio, or the big resin shelves in the basement center, etc.
- I store magazines in magazine boxes, so each box becomes a location; Box 01, Box 02, etc. Then the 20 or 25 magazines in each one are labeled with the “file number”, so I have Box 1, book 22. That way they have more tendency to get put back in the correct place, so that they are easy to find.

Fabric, ornamentations and patterns are detailed in a Sewing PT database, so I know where they are stored (Box 1 on steel shelves in basement center, Box 25 in white cabinet on south basement wall). I have to use solid Rubbermaid totes to store my fabrics, because of mice. So without my PT database, I might have to look through every box to find the piece I want.

I am also slowly detailing our huge collection of photographs, by entering keywords such as when the photo was taken, who is in the photo, where it was taken, and other pertinent information.

My biggest limitation with The Paper Tiger is the time to get everything entered into it!

Doreen Neilley


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Use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to Help You Move!

Moving to a new home is categorized as one of the top five stressors in life. There’s no magic blueprint to follow because everyone is different. Organize as you pack and avoid the risk of overwhelming stress.

I recently moved to a new house and used Paper Tiger Online to help me get everything packed in a methodical way. As I packed each box, I listed the items in the Paper Tiger database.

• I first created a Location name in the Paper Tiger database for each room in the new house. (kitchen, dining room, living room, den, laundry room, basement, etc.)

• Printed several labels for each room to be placed on the boxes. (labels for kitchen, dining room, living room, den, laundry room, basement, etc.)

• When I filled a box, I would list each item in the Keywords section in the ‘location’ where it would go in the new house, placed the label onto the box and wrote the corresponding Item number on the label to match the Item number in Paper Tiger.

• After all boxes were packed and everything listed in Paper Tiger, I printed out a complete Item List Report, and then an Item List Report for each room. (Location)

I used the packing time as the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning and get rid of things we no longer needed.

• Shredded old files that needed to be tossed.
• Bagged clothing and other items no longer needed and dropped off to Goodwill.

You’re probably thinking this was quite a hassle while packing up, but actually it didn’t take that much more time. Unpacking was so much easier than any other move I’ve made, because everyone knew where the boxes should be placed. And with the Item List Report in each room, we didn’t have to search through every box to find something before it was unpacked. We just searched Paper Tiger!

Note (things to remember):

If you have help when packing, (whether it be professional movers or family members):

• Set up your Locations (room names) into Paper Tiger Online with a capacity of 20 in each Location,

• Give each member of the family a notepad and pen with instructions to write down everything as they pack and label each box correctly. You decide how the labeling will work so everyone understands and uses the same method. If this doesn’t happen, your system will fail miserably.

• Once everyone is finished, you can enter all of the information into your filing system so that you have a complete list of everything that’s being moved.

• One of the last things to do before packing up your computer and printer is to print off copies of your list for each Location (room name). This will be especially helpful if you don’t have Internet access on moving day.

I was so glad I used Paper Tiger Online! When we needed something that wasn’t unpacked yet, I just searched Paper Tiger and knew exactly what room and box number to find it. I avoided the chaos of having a mountain of boxes and no idea where anything was.


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Moving offices is a huge undertaking. The larger your organization is, the more complicated it will be to move. It could take you months of planning and involve a lot of people in order to make a smooth transition. Something that you really need is a resource management system or indexing system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to help you move your office.

By implementing such a system at this point, you’ll save a lot of time and effort by getting rid of unnecessary files and streamlining systems, so your operations will run more smoothly when you complete the big move. This is also a perfect time to reevaluate all of your files and determine one of three actions for every file.

Your choices will be action, archive, or discard. This is a vital component of the move, because the new filing system will be able to tell everyone where files are located as nothing will be the same as it is in the current office. Better to have one upheaval than two.

This document management system will greatly reduce the amount of files needing to be moved. This will be cost effective and give you more space to utilize in other ways. It will also mean less time wasted on filing and retrieval of documents because it will be much more user friendly. In addition, it’s vital that files are packed and transported securely so you don’t breach privacy or confidentiality.

If you’ve been using an archaic filing system up until this point, it’s the ideal chance to upgrade to a more practical document management system. Instead of the old alphabetical or numerical system, use a personalized system for naming files. This will cut out all duplication due to different people using different titles for the same type files. And because everyone has access to the same files, it’s easier to organize.

Note Where Each Box Or Item Should Be Placed In The New Location

Implementing this indexing system prior to your move will not only allow you to index your paper files, but books, training manuals, CDs, DVDs, etc. Another broad category you can list in this indexing system is all office furniture including: desks, chairs, filing cabinets, bookcases and tables. Then you have all the electrical equipment such as: computers (and their accessories), printers, photocopiers, fax machines, shredders, microwaves, refrigerators, etc. There’s also the copious quantity of stationery and office supplies to pack as well.

Don’t forget to index all the moving boxes ensuring all contents in each box are input into the keywords section. You should also note where each box or item should be placed in the new location.

You Need a Detailed Plan

It’s important to create a very detailed plan so that every aspect of the move is carefully coordinated in an efficient manner. You also need to ensure that as little downtime as possible occurs in order to maintain your high standard of customer service. It’s a wise idea to appoint one or more people to act as moving coordinators so there’s less disruption to the regular work.

One major component to consider is transportation. Generally, you hire a moving company that specializes in this sort of work. However, their job is simply loading, moving and unloading trucks. It’s your responsibility to ensure everything is planned perfectly so the move is seamless and everything gets placed in the new location as it should.

To be efficient, you need to create a master plan and be able to have paper and computer based copies, because during the downtime, you’ll still need access to it.

The coordinator(s) can update the moving plans as new things are added. They should be thoroughly familiar with the new premises and design a floor plan of where everyone will sit and where all furniture will be placed so moving day runs like a well-oiled machine. It’s generally recommended to choose either Thursday or Friday for the move so you have the whole weekend as well.

The coordinator(s) can design documents relating to check lists, FAQs about the move and people’s availability to assist with the move itself. It’s important to have enough manpower or the move will take much longer than necessary. The coordinator(s), I.T. people, the PABX supplier and other phone people will be required to ensure phones, cabling, computers and the Internet are all working as quickly as possible.

Obviously not everyone will be set up at workstations and fully functioning at the same time. The coordinator will have to liaise with management to ensure that the minimum number of people are needed to maintain customer service are there and set up, complete with all workstations, and able to work until everything else is settled.

Implement Paper Tiger Today and Save Money!

Unless you want absolute chaos, you really need Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to help you move your office. You’ll have instant access to where every document and office inventory are located, because you were wise enough to implement the system to prepare for the move. It’s estimated that people waste 150 hours per year just looking for lost information, so you’ll save money too!


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Do you hate filing? Now you can Find Anything in Your Office in 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! The number one paper management software product is now “in the cloud” – Paper Tiger Online is now available & customers can sign up for a FREE FOREVER account in 60 seconds!

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 20, 2010 – Paper Tiger Document Management Software & Filing System has set the standard for helping companies and individuals get control of something they hate…filing the paper on their desk & in their office. First launched in 1998 as a desktop software product, Paper Tiger software is now “in the cloud” and available worldwide on the Internet (SaaS – software as a service).

Now anyone can start solving their problems with the paper in their office in under 60 seconds for FREE. If a messy desk is your problem, if your alphabetic filing system breaks down each time you have staff turnover, if members of your team want to be able to quickly and easily share information in the office or if you are wasting too much time each week looking for lost information, then Paper Tiger Online could be just what is needed. The new filing system product is designed for anyone who wants to get a better handle on the paper-based information in the office. Currently tens-of-thousands of organizations worldwide use the existing desktop (client) version of Paper Tiger software.

Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system for paper office files. It works like a search engine for paper files to help companies and individuals stay organized! People using the software can save over 150 hours per year by eliminating the time-consuming task of looking for lost information. Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software uses the power of the computer to index the hanging file folders in office file cabinets. This method works much better than old-fashioned alphabetic methods and is a great alternative to costly and time consuming scanning and imaging solutions.

Using Paper Tiger Online, customers will be able to access their information from anywhere with an Internet connection. They will no longer have to worry about what computer they are using (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) or if they have backed up their data. They can even see their Paper Tiger information on the Apple iPad, Apple iPod Touch, Apple iPhone, Android phones and most other web-enabled devices. The new software works with almost any Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc.) Adding an additional member of their team to Paper Tiger Online is so easy, it just takes a minute and there are no networking/technical hassles!

“Finally, everyone including our Mac customers, can use Paper Tiger software. With our FREE FOREVER account, anyone can start using the software in under 60 seconds by going to our website!”, says James D. Grady, President & CEO of The Monticello Corporation, the makers of Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software. “Our total focus with Paper Tiger Online was to make filing & managing paper much easier to do. People want to stay organized & clear the piles of paper off their desk, but not spend their life doing it.”, Grady continues.

Tens-of-thousands of companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations around the world use Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software to get organized and manage their office filing tasks much more productively. What most people do not know is that there are only 5 things you can do with a piece of paper – (1) Toss It (2) Stack It (3) File It Alphabetically (4) Scan It or (5) Index It using a product like Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software. The paperless office never quite made it to reality, alphabetic methods quickly break down and become out-of-date, and scanning solutions are costly and very difficult to implement. Also, many documents (signed contracts, presentations, etc.) must be kept in their original paper form. Some people are uncomfortable with scanning documents due to the possibility that they could lose everything in the event of a technical malfunction. For a complete list of these options and the pros and cons of each, see our Document Management Decision Guide.

About The Monticello Corporation, makers of Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software.

Founded in 1995, The Monticello Corporation’s mission is to enhance its customers’ businesses and personal effectiveness by providing the training, tools and motivation to help them solve their problems with filing and document management. The company’s main product, Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software, was created as a type of inventory management system (like a chart of accounts) for physical hanging files (you know, the green, yellow, blue and red ones in your file cabinet!)

Monticello got its name from the legendary home of Thomas Jefferson, U.S. president from 1801-1809. An avid collector of books and music, Jefferson transferred his personal library of more than 6,000 volumes to the Library of Congress in 1815, doubling its size and permanently expanding the scope of its collections.


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Record keeping is a vital part of any business. Whether you’re involved with law, accountancy, human resources or taxation, thousands of records are created and need to be maintained for many years. Legal record keeping doesn’t have to be complicated.

A document management system isn’t a money making part of the business. However, accountants, consultants, lawyers, real estate agents, government, schools – no matter your type of business or organization — rely heavily on accurate records being kept. An efficient document management system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System gives everyone access to records when needed.

If six lawyers are all working on one major case, they’ll all need access to the same files. Instead of the old, clumsy way of having to go through filing cabinets to find them each time, each person merely has to use their keyboard to quickly locate the file and retrieve it. Once the file has been dealt with on that particular occasion, information in the system is updated and the file can be returned to its original storage place.

In professional occupations such as lawyers, doctors and accountants, regulations are changing all the time. They must also deal with an ever changing volume of local, state and federal laws and ensure they comply with them all. If they implement a smart document management system, every time a new law is passed and information is received, it can be added to the relevant files so everyone has the updated information.

The old problem of files sitting on people’s desks eternally waiting for certain documents to arrive before they can be actioned is gone. This will reduce the amount of time spent on filing and retrieval of files.

Human resources and payroll departments of large organizations rely heavily on the correct filing and retention of personnel files on a permanent basis. This is a legal necessity and is vital for the company to be able to access the records when dealing with salaries and any other personnel problems that may arise.

Businesses may operate in different states and countries where laws differ. These laws must not only be recorded and stored correctly, but be easily retrieved when necessary. Once the new software has been implemented, thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours will be saved. This time and money can be devoted to the more lucrative parts of the business.

Legal record keeping doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s in everyone’s best interest to use the most user-friendly document management system available. Your business will become far more profitable if you do so, because money and time can be focused on the important aspects of your job. The mundane filing and retrieval processes will be faster and more efficient.


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In this article, Sherry Borsheim of Simply Productive and a Paper Tiger Expert, provides some instruction for what to do with the paper that comes into your life.

There are only FOUR things you can do with paper: File, Act, Schedule or Toss. I use the acronym F.A.S.T. As you open your mail over the wastepaper basket, keep the F.A.S.T. principle in mind as you sort it accordingly.

FILE

  • Reference items are placed in a tray labeled TO FILE.
  • Filing is done on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the volume of material you accumulate.
  • Simply Productive will show you how you should set this up.
  • You can find anything you file or store in 5 seconds or less, guaranteed! The system I recommend for paper-based files is The Paper Tiger Filing System software, which combines an easy-to-use computer indexing system with proven paper management methods developed by The Monticello Corporation.

ACT

  • Items that require action are placed in your Tickler File System to be acted on later.
  • There are two components to a good tickler file system. Part of the system includes an accordion file with tabs for each day of the month (1-31) and each month of the year (Jan-Dec), followed by a tab for Future Years. The other part of your tickler system is made of individual folders labeled for specific and repetitive actions, such as:
    • Call
    • Calls Expected – a folder to put notes in for calls in which you are waiting
    • Data Entry – a place to put business cards and other things that need to be entered into your computer
    • Discuss – a folder to put notes in for weekly meetings with the same person, or if you meet with several people weekly, you may have individual folders with their names on them
    • Errands – a folder to hold coupons, shopping lists, claim receipts, etc.
    • Pay – a place to put your bills until they are paid
    • Photocopy
    • Read
    • Receipts or Expense Reimbursement – a place to store your receipts until you submit them
    • Write – a place to store thank-you cards, postage stamps, return address labels, letterhead.
  • Here’s how to you use your tickler file system. The tickler file system reminds you of important follow-up (for anything that requires your attention in the future:
    • It’s an accordion file with tabs for each day of the current month (1-31), followed by tabs for each month of the year (Jan – Dec).
    • Behind the accordion file are hanging files with tabs you can tailor to your particular repetitive actions (call, calls expected, bills to pay, discuss, data entry, expense reimbursement, read, to write, etc. See below for more details under ACT.) NOTE – you will have to purchase the plastic tabs, the hanging files and containers to put them in.
    • I believe that there are 2 reasons why people pile papers:
      1. Afraid they will never find it again; or
      2. Don’t want to act on it
    • To get in the habit of checking the tickler file system daily, I recommend that you schedule a daily “appointment” in your calendar that says “Check Tickler”. Do this at the same time everyday for a month and you will have formed a new habit!
    • You can stand the system up in a desktop file frame or place it in your desk drawer – wherever it’s easiest to check it on a daily basis.
    • No more “I’ll just set it here for now…” Now those piles of paper cluttering your desk or floor will have a new home.
    • Now you have a place for phone messages, invitations, tickets, bill receipts, claim stubs, and anything that requires action by you in the future!

    SCHEDULE
    Items to schedule in your dayplanner (paper planner or electronic planner).

    • Projects can be action files. You can schedule different steps that need to be taken as appointments on your calendar to complete a project.
    • Write all pertinent information in your dayplanner (Example – name of person, event, location, phone number, etc.)
    • File the paper in your tickler system for that particular day or toss it. Or for projects, you can create a unique project file.

    TOSS
    Items which do not enhance your life can be immediately tossed! (NOTE: “Toss” means “get it out of here.” One form of tossing is to give it to someone else who would find it useful.)

    Ask yourself these questions to determine whether or not to toss something:

    • By the time I might need this, will it be out-of-date?
    • Do I want/choose to keep this? (Notice that I did not ask if you “should” keep it.)
    • If I need it later, can I easily get it elsewhere?
    • Is it obsolete now?
    • Is it too late to do this?
    • Does anyone else care if I keep this? (Based on how important that person is to you, you may choose to keep something – such as an ugly family heirloom that does not fit your decor – because of its value to someone else.)
    • For bills already paid, am I keeping them just because, or is there any benefit to keeping them? Consider the following:
      • If you own your own business, keeping the bill for business expenses will be helpful if you get audited and need to prove legitimate expenses.
      • If these are personal bills that are not tax-deductible, identify if there is any benefit to keeping them.
      • You can deduct medical bills if they total a certain percentage of your income for the year. For most people, medical bills are not deductible because the percentage is too low.
      • Keeping the bill itself will not prove that you paid it. If you pay by check or electronically, you have a paper or electronic trail to prove that you’ve paid the bill.
      • If you are keeping bills to help you with your budget process, you may benefit from using a software program like Quickbooks to help track your expenses. Once you enter the data into Quickbooks, you may not find any benefit to keeping the bills themselves.

    About the Author

    Sherry Borsheim, owner of Simply Productive, has been helping people to work smarter, not harder for years. She specializes in resolving paper, time and information management issues. To learn more about eliminating the paper pile-up and in vastly improving your productivity, contact Simply Productive at 604-233-7076.

    You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.simplyproductive.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).

    Also check out Sherry’s Calm Your Choas special that 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 paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical stuff in your life.

    Published with permission.



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    Organizations face many tough choices in today’s business world. The struggle to keep up with new advances in technology and reduce carbon emissions is difficult. There is always pressure to cut costs and increase productivity. The positive news is that your document management system can be environmentally friendly whilst still being cost effective.

    Whether you believe that global warming is an issue for the planet or not, it’s everyone’s responsibility to do all they can to minimize the impact their business has on the environment. Typical offices waste a lot of paper and power needlessly. This can easily be rectified by making some smart business decisions.

    The First Step – Standardization

    The first change should be to implement an intelligent document management software system, like The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, that can eliminate the need for waste, save money, reduce power usage and increase productivity. If such a system is put in place, your current method of filing would change completely. Standardize the way that all files are labeled and that will avoid unnecessary duplication. Once individual documents are finished with, they can be added to the appropriate file.

    Reduce Paper Usage

    Because millions of documents are in different formats, they can be actioned without first converting them to paper. This immediately reduces the need for such vast quantities of paper to be used. A recent study calculated the additional costs associated with a single sheet of office paper, discovered that you have to multiply it by a factor of 30. This means that a $5 ream of paper would cost around $150. The average office worker uses around 10,000 sheets a year. One company calculated that if each of their workers saved one sheet of paper a week, they would save $700,000 per year.

    If people start becoming smarter about their paper usage, the savings would be incalculable just for the paper alone. This means such signs as “think before you print” and “recycle that waste paper” should start appearing all over the office.

    Documents can be edited electronically and saved on a CD or DVD for filing instead of printing because the files now have the ability to contain all formats. Paper won’t ever disappear completely, but a heavy reduction is vital.

    Save Money and Boost Productivity

    All staff will have access to the same filing system software and can instantly locate relevant files and documents at any time. This reduces filing and retrieval times and so decreases your overall costs while increasing productivity.

    To decreases your power bill and carbon footprint at the same time, all staff should get into the habit of turning off all printing equipment when not being used. Of course, this is even more important at the end of the work day.

    Once your document management system is in place and working smoothly, you won’t need as much room for file storage because everything will have been categorized in one of three ways; action, archive, or destroy. You won’t have desks overflowing with documents and files that haven’t been actioned or are just put in the “too hard” basket. And how to archive is simple with Paper Tiger. You would have a Location named ‘Archives’ in Paper Tiger, then simply conduct a Transfer Move of the file or files being moved to the Archive Location within your database. Paper Tiger will assign a file number in your Archives file to move the file to in the physical location. Files being destroyed or recycled can simply be Tossed in the Paper Tiger database, opening the item slot for another file to be inserted.

    Staff will become more productive and office morale will be higher because they are able to work on more productive tasks. Proven statistics say that 20% of the work produces 80% of the revenue and 80% of the work only produces 20% of the revenue. Clumsy filing systems are time and money eaters. Now you can improve the percentages. Because of this increased efficiency and the smarter use of paper and all office equipment, your power bills should decrease as well.

    The Impact on the Environment

    If you stop to consider the ramifications of utilizing a more efficient document management system on other associated industries, it makes no sense to stick to the old methods. The paper industry uses vast amounts of pulp, energy and water and pump out tons of greenhouse gases. If the need for paper decreases dramatically, thousands of trees can be saved, more water can be conserved and less energy will be needed. If the number of trees being cut down is reduced, the result will be cleaner air and a healthier environment.

    The Big Picture

    It’s also vital to think of the bigger picture in terms of the next generation. You may not live to see the long-term effects of these necessary changes, but your children will. Should they have to live on a sick planet because their parents and grandparents badly damaged the environment through carelessness?

    It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business owner or the CEO of the largest corporation. If you have filing to do, remember that your document management system can be environmentally friendly while being cost effective.


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