Getting organized and staying organized with paper can seem difficult for most people, and therefore many companies are opting to go to a paperless office. This type of filing system may keep things organized, but it can also add countless hours of document scanning in order to keep files up to date. So, although you have things more organized, you are still wasting a lot of time.
Paper Tiger Filing System for document management is different. It is not a paperless filing system. Instead it is a paper management system. It allows you to create and organize files in just a few moments without taking extra time scanning the document or backing up files to ensure that your information isn’t lost.
There is also no special equipment to buy with Paper Tiger Filing System. All you have to do is select the pricing program that fits your budget and your needs and you are ready to start. Setting up with the Paper Tiger Filing System can be done in as little as 60 seconds, and, just like that, you are off to a great start at having a more organized office without the expensive equipment and time spent.
Once you have set up your Paper Tiger Filing System account, it is time to start filing and organizing. It doesn’t matter how many files you have, Paper Tiger Filing System can help you to get organized. We even provide tips and helpful hints and online video training for free to help you get started. For instance, we recommend starting with the files that you use the most and then adding a little more each day. Before you know it, you will have a filing system that works and makes sense.
Paper Tiger Filing System – Simple and Easy To Use
First, you will create a digital file ‘Location’ within the software’s database relating to your physical file location. Then, you decide how many folders you want in this Location. You can add more later if you need to. Then, you create the physical files. This is done by printing tab labels from the software for this location and placing the tabs in your hanging folder plastic tabs. Once this is done, you input information relating to each document in the digital file location. You can give the document any name you want without any worry about finding it later. This is because the system will allow you to tag keywords that describe all documents that you put in your hanging file folders. For documents that you want to add to the same file, simply edit the Item and add additional keywords necessary for the new document(s).
This will work much like a Google search later when you need to find a file. Simply enter in the keyword that you are looking for and the Paper Tiger Filing System will show you all of the results that match. Now, place your document (or documents relating to the same subject) in the corresponding hanging folder. Just like that, your filing cabinet is organized without all the extra time, electronic storage space and hassle that scanning presents.
You can also organize other items with the Paper Tiger Filing System such as office supplies, CDs, DVDs, books, etc. Items are right where they should be and are easier to find. This makes the Paper Tiger Filing System much more than just an office management system; it is a life management system!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Often, people make the assumption that the Paper Tiger Filing System software for document management is only useful if you need help with office organization. If you are one of these people and assume that you would not benefit from using Paper Tiger Filing System, consider this.
The average person wants to live a more organized life. In fact, many people pay thousands of dollars to a professional organizer to come to their home and declutter their house and help them find a way to sort and store all of their things in a more organized and esthetic manner. A professional organizer can help you think through the processes of getting organized and maintaining organization so you can become more productive. In addition, Paper Tiger Filing System for document management can help you to get organized and stay organized. If you don’t have an organization system, you are likely to fall back into the same habits and still be as unproductive as before.
In addition, Paper Tiger Filing System software can organize much more than just paper. And it can benefit a multitude of people, whether in your home or office.
For paper files, you would keep all of your physical files, and index them by inputting an item name and relating keywords for each file in the software’s database, so you can conduct a google-like search and be able to find items whenever you need them, instead of having to sift through a stack of paper files or trying to remember that one or two-word title you input on the hanging folder tab. This indexing method enables a more flexible filing system, and you don’t have to worry about trying to remember where you’ve filed something. No more countless lost hours searching for something or having to recreate it because you can’t find it!
In addition, anything that you can put a number onto, you can index with Paper Tiger, which can help you to organize moving boxes, storage units or sheds, office supplies, collections, books and CDs. You can print labels from the software to label each item and you have a well organized indexing system for knowing exactly where each item is.
Following is a just a sampling of the different types of offices that can benefit from Paper Tiger, in addition to keeping your homes organized.
Parents/Schools:
Keeping track of children is a full time job in itself. Keeping track of important information, school records, doctor’s records, immunization records, as well as other items in addition to caring for children can be almost impossible. The Paper Tiger Filing System can help you to keep track of everything but the children.
Teachers and professors and other school officials can benefit as well to keep track of where all the paper files, books, tests, etc. that are in their care.
Government Agencies:
Government agencies have a tremendous amount of filing. Alphabetizing thousands of names can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating. Additionally, when you have new information to file in a particular person’s folder, you have to search through files that somehow got out of order.
Indexing in the Paper Tiger Filing System software can keep your files more organized and save you time. This can make time management and office organization easier and more efficient.
Financial Consultants, Certified Public Accountants, Insurance and Real Estate Agents:
Financial consultants, CPAs, Insurance and Real Estate Agents also have a large array of items to keep organized. Not only can you keep client folders organized, you can keep documents and other pertinent information organized as well. Indexing your items with the Paper Tiger Filing System software allows everyone on your staff to find files using a list of keywords connected to your files instead of the one or two word title that you would put on the hanging file folder tab. That way, if you or anyone in the office forgets or doesn’t know the name the file is under, it can still be found easily through the keywords.
ADD/ADHD
Keeping thoughts organized is hard enough when you struggle with this condition. At times, it can seem like your entire life is disorganized. The Paper Tiger Filing System can help you to organize everything from papers to CDs. Just imagine not having to spend countless hours searching for something. When you’re constantly trying to figure out how you’re going to consolidate and label everything, and in the meantime, lose track of what you have. As each day changes, so will what you might think is the perfect file name for a certain item, but then when you need to find it, your mind is thinking of a different name that you could have filed it under because you can’t remember exactly where it’s filed. In your mind, there are so many choices for names of items. Now with this filing system software, you can just settle on anything for a title or item name and input as many keywords as you want to your creative heart’s content. You can change or move things without reworking the whole system also.
Paper Tiger Filing System software for document management provides a solution to make it possible to accommodate your changing needs, and can help you to get organized and stay organized.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many times has this happened to you: You are running late for a meeting, and have to take time to find the files you need, only to end up being late for the meeting, and never did find those files? Things like this have happened to pretty much everyone who has ever been in business. It seems as though everyone has their own different way of paper filing, and most of the time, none of the methods used actually work all that well, and can even end up being quite complicated.
For the last ten years, many business owners have relied on the paper filing system offered by Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management. Now in its fourth generation, this is an easy-to-use filing system that allows you to keep all of your original paperwork, while it is also indexed, so you can find anything you need with a few keystrokes on your computer. It is an incredibly easy system to learn how to use, and also very easy to teach to members of your staff.
When it comes to time management, it can often seem like there is just way too much to do, and things can become quite overwhelming, especially when it comes to the mountain of paper files we often end up having to sift through just to find one little thing. Having the Paper Tiger Filing System Software can eliminate these problems, leaving you with more time to take care of many other little details involving your business, and your life.
Another option you have is hiring a new staff member just to take care of the paperwork that keeps on building up every single day, no matter how hard you try to get it all organized. This can be a really costly option and an unnecessary one. All you need is to have a great paper filing system like the Paper Tiger Filing System Software to take care remembering where your files are so that you can find them when you need them, and you can spend your time on more worthwhile things.
You may have also tried other methods of looking after your files, only to find that they did not work as well as you would have liked. One of course is the traditional method of alphabetizing everything. Unfortunately, we all start out with the best of intentions, but after a while, things do not get filed properly, and sometimes, not at all. Since the alphabetical system is limited to what fits on the file folder tab, you put off filing because you’re afraid you won’t remember what you filed things under and won’t be able to find them again so you would rather keep your paper files in stacks.
When you are trying to run a business, the last thing you need to worry about is dealing with paper filing. Let Paper Tiger take care of your files by indexing them, so you can find everything you need, any time, quickly and easily. You will be able to access everything you need, without having to spend hours fumbling through stacks of papers, and you will be wondering why you didn’t implement a paper management system like this ages ago. See how Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management works by watching the videos on our Why Paper Tiger page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether your business is a small one-person operation or a large company, you are bound to have all kinds of paperwork. Often, you have so much paperwork surrounding you that you don’t have a clue as to what is where, or which file is which. Even the smallest of businesses have this type of problem, and it can often be quite a task to come up with a filing system that actually works. No matter how hard we try, or how much we dream, it is hard to go paperless and we are never going to be able to get rid of all of the paper flow that just keeps coming. So why not find a way to keep it organized so that you can find anything that you want in just a few seconds?
When you use the Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you will be able to organize all of your paper files. Now this does not mean that you will be getting rid of your paperwork and just using your computer. Quite the contrary. Actually, with Paper Tiger Filing System Software, you will keep all of your paper files, so that you always have the original hard copy available, but index these records in the software database, so you can find anything you want at a moment’s notice. Some people just feel scanning is still not the solution. Often in attempts to go paperless, more copies are printed that have been stored electronically than ever would have needed to be printed had the one paper copy been kept. This can be used as your very own professional organizer and will really help when it comes to time management.
Did you know that a lot of business owners spend more than 150 hours each year just searching for lost files? When you use the Paper Tiger Filing System Software, you will be able to put these hours to much better use. So, you are probably wondering how Paper Tiger can help you, and what it is all about. Well, Paper Tiger is not a system that involves document scanning. Instead, Paper Tiger uses an indexing method. This means that you keep all of your physical paper files, and index them by inputting an item name and relating keywords for each file, so you can conduct a google-like search in the database and be able to find whenever you need them, instead of having to sift through a stack of paper files or trying to remember that one or two-word title you input on the hanging folder tab, which can really take up a lot of time that could be used in better ways. This indexing method enables a more flexible filing system, and you don’t have to worry about trying to remember where you’ve filed something.
Some of the advantages to using Paper Tiger Filing System Software include:
Indexing is the lowest priced form of document management. Having been in the market for more than 14 years, Paper Tiger has a proven track record of document management and helping people get organized and be more productive. Implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management today and you’ll be on your way to saving time and money.
Many people think that all that teachers do is teach our kids the things they need to know in order to be able to graduate and go on to college, or get jobs. They do not realize all of the little things that teachers do in order to be able to teach their classes. After all, lesson plans don’t just appear out of thin air, and tests don’t make themselves up. Teachers have to create their own lesson plans, create tests and exams, grade tests and other assignments and keep track of those grades, and so much more. Often, you will find quite a few filing cabinets in a typical classroom, and these are filled to capacity with all of the things that teachers have to deal with every single day. This is a really good reason why teachers should switch to a much easier form of paper management, such as that offered by Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management.
If you are a teacher, you know all too well how much paperwork accumulates on your desk in the course of a day, and at the end of a week, you may even be buried under all of the paper files that you know needs to be filed away, but how to file for easy retrieval is mind-boggling. You may think that a file management system such as indexing software for filing is something that is just for businesses, but it is something that can really make your job a whole lot easier and free up a lot of your time. You can eliminate a lot of the clutter from your classroom, and your mind, so you are free to do what you really want to do: teach.
Some of the things that you can use this system for include:
Paper Tiger Filing System Software is an excellent tool for teachers and professors who want to free up their time and space. Because this is an indexing system and not a scanning system, you will still be able to keep all of your original paper files. You can keep what you need, and toss what you don’t. This filing system software is designed to save you time and effort when you are ready to either file or retrieve your paper files. You simply indicate where that item is stored and assign it a series of relevant keywords. Then you never need worry about misplacing a file again. When you need to find something in a hurry, you won’t have stacks of paper files to go through or have to remember what name you put on the hanging file folder tab, because you can find it with just a few keystrokes on your computer.
The next time you are trying to find something in a pile of papers, perhaps a test that you want to hand out to your students the next day, and are ready to give up and make a new one because you have so much to go through that it is overwhelming, consider implementing a different sort of paper filing system that will save you a lot of time. If you’re filing the old-fashioned, alphabetic way without Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you’re working too hard!
Learn what Paper Tiger can do for you, and how it can make your life a whole lot easier.
Document Management – How Long Do I Have To Keep My Paper Files?
by Ramona Creel
At work, at home, no matter who you are or what you do — we are all bombarded with paper. Some days, as I help clients sort through their mail, I’m amazed that we have any trees left on this planet at all! Junk mail, bills, magazines, newspapers, memos, reports — it’s an endless source of stress. Things have gotten so bad that we’re developing a new fear in our society — “paperphobia,” the fear of having to deal with that stack that’s been sitting there for a week. But a good document management system is the key to overcoming your paper-induced worries!
Thinning The Herd
Remember the first rule of clutter — “the less you have, the easier it is to organize.” The paperless office is still a long way off — I can’t guarantee that you will ever be able to eliminate paper from your life completely, but you can certainly reduce the size of the piles. Let’s start by going through your old files and doing some cleaning out. I believe strongly that if you don’t have a good reason for keeping it, get rid of it — but a lot of folks are afraid to ever throw a document away because they might need it again “someday.” How do you define “someday?” I suggest that my clients ask themselves some basic questions about why they are keeping their paper:
That last question leads us to the subject of purging financial and legal records. This is a sensitive (and somewhat scary) issue, because there could be some harsh consequences if you throw something out too soon. I agree that it’s better to be safe than sorry, but fear is a poor organizing guide. If you simply take the time to educate yourself about how long you are legally required to retain each document, you’ll never go wrong. Effective document management is all about having the right information and acting on that knowledge.
Records Retention Guidelines
In recent years, an entirely new field of study called “records management” has arisen — dedicated to helping people understand how long they must keep certain documents. Based on the information gathered by this industry, I have compiled standard schedule for purging your files. But please understand that this is a complicated issue (especially in today’s litigious society), and each situation is unique. Many professions set their own legal guidelines for records retention, and you may have some unusual or extenuating circumstance in your life — so check with your accountant or attorney before pitching out any important legal, business, or financial paperwork.
You must keep the following documents forever (yes, forever!):
Businesses are held accountable to a much stricter set of rules than individuals. In addition, specific industries set their own legal standards, including but not limited to healthcare, insurance, law, etc. In addition to the items listed above, all companies should create permanent files for the following, but be sure to ask your professional association for any additional policies for record management and retention.
Hold onto the following paperwork for six years. The IRS may go back 6 years to audit your tax returns for errors or incorrectly claimed deductions, so it’s important to keep all tax-related documents.
Keep these records for three years:
You should retain these records according to the following guidelines:
Safely Disposing Of Paper
Just because you cleaned it out, does not mean that it goes in the trash! Did you realize that once you put something in a garbage can at the curb, it becomes public property? And reports of identity theft are increasing every day. When someone else gains access to your personal records (social security number, tax id, drivers license number, address, bank account information) and pretends to be you, the results can be disastrous. Using your identifying information, this person can take out loans, run up credit card bills, and run up a tremendous amount of debt — all in your name. And most times, you never know until you get the collection letter. It can take years to clear up the legal and financial problems this causes you, and it can temporarily ruin your credit. Proper document management is synonymous with safety.
So to protect yourself from this threat, be sure to dispose of your important records properly. Any piece of paper that contains account numbers, your social security number, or any other sensitive information should be shredded. If you only have a small amount of paper to destroy, consider visiting your local office supply store to pick up a personal shredder — they run as little at $20 or $30. If you generate a large quantity of “shredable” paper, or just don’t want to sit there feeding in one page at a time, think about using a mobile shredding service. These companies will come to your home or office and shred your documents on-site for a fee. Just be sure that you choose a reputable company that provides you with a certificate or letter guaranteeing that your paper has been shredded unrecognizable.
Welcome To The Digital Age
In order for your filing system to be truly effective, it should really have two components — a paper side combined with electronic document management software. Software such as Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management is designed to save you time and effort when you are ready to either file or retrieve your paper files. You simply indicate where that item is stored and assign it a series of relevant keywords. Then you never need worry about misplacing a file again. Simply search by the name of the document or one of the keywords and voila! If you’re filing the old-fashioned way without document management software, you’re working too hard!
About the Author
Ramona Creel is Professional Organizer, NAPO Golden Circle Member, and the original founder of OnlineOrganizing. A former Social Worker, she has always enjoyed helping people find the resources and solutions they need to improve their lives. Ramona now travels the country as a full-time RVer, sharing her story of simplicity with everyone she meets. She leads by example — having worked for more than 10 years as a Professional Organizer, and having radically downsized and simplified her own life as a full-time RVer. Ramona now considers herself a “Renaissance Woman” — bringing all of her passions together into one satisfying career. As a “Virtual Organizer”, she can create a customized organizing plan for your home or office. As a “Simplicity and Accountability Coach “, Ramona provides a proven program for making every area of your life a little bit easier — perfect for those who want to make the time and space to focus on their true priorities. As a Professional Photographer, Ramona captures powerful images of places and people as she travels. And as a freelance writer and blogger, she shares organizing techniques, travel tips, and social commentary with others. You can see all these sides of Ramona — read her articles, browse through her photographs, and even hire her to help get your life in order — at www.RamonaCreel.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, check out her Facebook profile, and subscribe to her blog feeds.
Read this article by Stephanie Calahan of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert for statistics regarding how much misfiled and lost paper files cost you. Stephanie also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software in her Office Miracle to be able to find your files when you need them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other day I was doing my file clean-out, (yes you really should go through and see what is still relevant!), and I came across some statistics that I thought you might be interested in. Implications could make or break your business!
Companies typically misfile 2 – 20 % of their records. (Source: ARMA International)
Large organizations lose a document every 12 seconds. On average 7.5 of the documents are lost forever! (source: ARMA International)
90% of all workplace docs are still on paper; 30% of the average workday is spent searching for that info! (source: Assoc for Info & Image Mgt)
The average office spends $20 on labor for filing each document & $120 searching for every misfiled document! (source: Coopers & Lybrand study in Inc Mag)
The average office loses 1 out of 20 office documents & spends $250 on document re-creation! (source: Coopers & Lybrand study in Inc Mag)
Wow! Do you have processes in your business to make sure that these statistics are not representing you too?
Also see this article “Did You Know Paper and Other Things in Your Office Hold Emotion?” by Stephanie that you should find helpful when deciding what to file or not.
About the Author:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have trouble keeping things organized, especially all of the paper files for your small business? Is this problem flowing over into your everyday life because you just can’t seem to get organized at all, and it is starting to affect your life and your business?
Well, maybe you should look into getting professional help. No, we are not talking about psychological help, but help getting all of your business paperwork organized so you can find anything you need whenever you need it, quickly and easily. This is a great way to declutter your office, and in a way, your life as well. Because, if your work life is cluttered, you will probably bring this clutter home with you (at least in your mind, because you are worried about finding things), so your life may end up becoming quite cluttered, also.
A lot of business owners rely on using the traditional method of alphabetical filing for all of their paper files. This is okay, to a degree, but it does require quite a bit of maintenance, and it is not a job that you can always find people to do willingly. After all, filing it is pretty boring. Also, people tend to think differently about files from one day to the next, so it is common to have to look in different places in your filing cabinet to find the right title in which you filed it previously. So, instead of drudging through files all the time, or making one of your employees suffer through the task, why not consider going to a different method of document management, such as indexing using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management. This software is easy to learn how to use, so you should have no problem learning everything you need to know in half an hour or less.
Another bonus to using the Paper Tiger is for archiving old files. For instance, if you do like to clean out your hanging file folders every so often and get rid of old things you do not need or send them to a storage facility for those you have to keep for a certain length of time, how to archive using this paper management system is simple, and you’ll be able to track where they are in the event you ever need them again. You can even set an Action Date to remind you when to toss them or take additional action on them.
You can also use this filing system software for managing things other than your paper files. If you have books, binders, CDs, DVDs, items in storage containers or a storage facility, or any kind of collectors items or inventory, they can also be cataloged using this filing system.
When you sign up to use Paper Tiger Online Filing System Software, you will be ready to start using the software in under a minute. If you ever have any questions, there are videos, online help, frequently asked questions and the Paper Tiger Knowledge Base, so you are never without resources for learning. There is also online chat available, so you can have your questions answered within minutes.
It is estimated that people waste 150 hours per year looking for lost items. Indexing your paper files and all your other physical items will save you a lot of time and money that can be used for other areas of your business. De-clutter your business and your life when you take advantage of all that Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management has to offer.
In every organization both large and small, there is a demand for optimum efficiency and a productive work-flow. The fact is, no matter how much business you conduct or how busy your personal life is, we still have to deal with actual pieces of paper. Luckily, Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management makes it almost fun to organize and track your documents.
Paper Tiger makes filing-as-you-go a breeze. Use Paper Tiger on your Ipad, Iphone, or your personal computer network. Today I’ll provide 3 excellent tips on how Paper Tiger can turn your office from a zoo to a state of the art file repository system.
One of the biggest headaches with file management is clutter control
Your goal is easy retrieval, and if you can’t find a file, you might as well not have that file at all. In Paper Tiger, the user has the option to assign reminders and action dates. Assigning toss out dates for replaceable files can become prudent to decluttering a disorganized office. If you never throw anything away, you’ll make the filing cabinet manufacturer very happy, and waste time trying to find anything. You simply don’t have to keep every scrap of paper forever. But keep in mind that some documents, for legal or financial reasons, must be kept a specified length of time. See our Retention Guidelines blog posts that you might find helpful.
Organize by Categories
Make files easier to find by creating a list of detailed categories in every database, and try to place every file you have within a specific category. For instance, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Avatar would all reside within the same category of “Science Fiction” within your “DVD” database, though they may be in entirely separate locations. Having a relational organization system will limit office redundancy by a ton. Whatever method you choose, make sure your system is obvious and consistent throughout your files to make retrieving paperwork as simple and thoughtless as possible.
Back up your files regularly
Whether you’re backing up files for an office move, or to reorganize your filing cabinets, it’s important to follow a regular back up regimen. Archiving business data is more than a matter of good housekeeping; it could be a matter of your business’s survival. There are two steps to archiving business information for successful backup. Identifying the critical data that needs to be archived, and abiding by a regular schedule. Backing up your actual files may seem like a daunting task for any secretary or file administrator, but this is another hurdle which the Paper Tiger is able to leap. With Paper Tiger, you can also print out a hard copy of your database so that you can find your files in the event your computer or the internet is down.
By Bonnie Joy Dewkett
The Joyful Organizer®
Paper is one of the biggest problems we have as a society. Here are ten quick tips to get you organized and keep you that way!
Along with these tips, ask yourself the following questions:
Bonnie Joy Dewkett, CPO® is an organizing expert, author, and motivational speaker. Her company, The Joyful Organizer®, creates and implements organizational systems for the home or office. These changes allow her Customers to create calm from chaos at work and at home. Bonnie has achieved the prestigious designation of Certified Professional Organizer, CPO®, from The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers. She is a member of The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and has published The Joyful Organizer’s Guide to a Joyful Move which is available on her website http://www.thejoyfulorganizer.com.
Phone: 203-731-4651
Email: Bonnie@thejoyfulorganizer.com
Twitter: @thejoyfulorg
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!
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
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:
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:
I have many more ideas for using Paper Tiger Online:
These ideas are just the start. I look forward to exploring further uses for Paper Tiger Online.
Jane Plass
@jplass
