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!
While setting up and running a small electrical contracting firm, based in a home office, I tried three, separate and distinctly different filing systems. The third system was “Paper Tiger – Professional version”. That was over 2 years ago and it has only gotten better.
When combined with Barbara Hemphill’s teaching on “FAT” (File, Act, Toss), and the six questions of “Wastebasketry”, which I now have framed on the wall for easy reference, I haven’t looked back. (See Paper Tiger Filing System Tutorials)
I am now able to sort, search and track over 1000 individual locations with confidence. Not to mention how it has helped clear my desk space and helped me focus.
After some experimentation, my locations have developed to suit three requirements:
Requirement One the physical thickness of items I need to file.
Anything from that proverbial single sheet of paper through to some quite thick and bulky brochures and technical specifications.
Requirement Two control over the sensitivity of a file’s contents.
Be that due to tax, financial or customer information. These files are simply more “mission critical” than the latest plumbing magazine or scribbled notes of meetings.
Requirement Three retaining conveniently short memorable names.
Short also means larger, clearer text printed on the physical hanging file “tab” or label.
It also uses up less space on screen for the location column, which means more space for keywords.
Thus the names and types of storage have become:
ACT & REF for my “Action” and “Reference” files.
CSO is my “Customer, Supplier, Organisation” cabinet. The sensitive files and mission critical files that are conveniently located close by and under lock and key.
All three sections use standard hanging files in metal filing cabinets.
MAG = Side open plastic magazine holders on book shelves. Great for bulky catalogues.
TAB = Leaver arch folders with 20 way dividers. TAB is short for “Tabs”. These are good to collect together product data sheets from different manufacturers, while retaining a traditional “book” format. 20 also means the folders number up easily; 20,40,60 etc.
STA = Think “Stack”. Also Leaver Arch folders, but each holding around 100 individual papers, as I like many others, like to cut out and save news articles and magazine pages for reference. These are placed in thin pre-punched plastic files with the corner clearly numbered.
ARC = Archives. Traditional box files stored in the loft for those historic records.
Finally, again thanks to Barbara’s idea,
INF = Information. Not a physical storage location, but a place that exists only inside the Paper Tiger database. A great place to “retrieve” those little notes, ideas and other miscellaneous items.
A word on filing cabinets. At the outset, I chose to invest in full size office grade cabinets, albeit second hand, and foolscap hanging files rather than the slightly smaller “A4” size that are available for home use. It was a case that these work well for the rigours of a business and are readily available and are unlikely to be a passing fad.
One key tip I have is that I found 50 hanging files per filing cabinet drawer is a great number for both drawer labeling and practical daily use. It is easy to count in “50′s per drawer.”
Finally, when explaining the system to others, I have my own slant on Barbara’s example of the car insurance certificate.
I ask people to imagine the image of a “common four wheel motorised transport device, sat on the driveway outside.” I then ask what they would file the “legal” paperwork under? Usually they reply with something basic like “car insurance” or “insurance certificate”. However I then say, “No… its not a car its a go-cart” and then explain, isn’t the Paper Tiger keyword approach better because we can add search words like:
The vehicle type:
“go-cart, quad-bike, car, van (important to our trade).
The vehicle make model
Ford, Courier
The document Type
insurance, certificate, policy, schedule
Or the common terms people use.
“Dad’s Taxi”
This last one comes more into its own when people are using the special “lingo” and abbreviations of their own industry, e.g. Medical, Education, Engineering etc.
With a cluster of strongly related words, it doesn’t matter how people search, they soon find it even when their thought processes of filing can be quite different. Which is significant in this household.
I now “file” with confidence because I can “retrieve” with confidence.
Paper Tiger – I’d be lost without it.
By Nigel Lovell
Lovell Electrical Services Ltd.
England
This article by Denise Landers, founder and CEO of Key Organization Systems Inc. and Paper Tiger Expert, will help encourage and empower you to do something about the piles on your desk and get organized! Denise also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management to help with your filing system and actually be able to find what you need, when you need it.
“Don’t touch my piles! I know where everything is.”
Do you have someone in your business who is accountable to you and who says that? If you do, you should be concerned. Chances are good this person is not nearly as productive as he or she could be because the piles have to keep shifting to locate information. However, there is another factor impacting business accountability. When the only person in a company who can find something needed is that person whose office it is buried in, there is no accountability within a department.
No one ever likes to foresee emergencies and extended absences. Even short, unplanned absences can be problems. While you probably know the general projects a colleague is working on, would you be able to easily fill in during two weeks of unplanned absences, knowing who they needed to call each day, and where they had left off on the current project? Would you be able to find important contracts and reports within seconds, not minutes?
If you are working with someone who looks disorganized to others, but who guards his or her piles of papers with the explanation that he or she knows where everything is, that person may simply have no knowledge of how to create an effective system for handling daily work flow. On another level, it can represent an effort to retain control and maintain job security because no one could take over amid the disorder.
Almost everyone today is working at full capacity in struggling to manage time effectively and get more done. Having to fill in for an employee who is absent without advance planning adds to the strain on colleagues as they strive to cover for that team member.
The next time you hear someone say that he is not disorganized, but that he can find anything amid the stacks in his office, consider the bottom line for your business’ accountability. That disorganization not only slows down an individual’s personal daily productivity, but can directly impact the company’s production efforts.
To achieve accountability, give your staff the training that will develop company-wide processes for handling work flow. While everyone has different duties, creating effective systems and then tailoring them for the individual job functions will allow you to cover for each other as well as increase personal effectiveness.
If you could use ideas on how to create effective systems for your office, our training CDs, The Productivity Series can guide you in setting up easy-to-implement systems for managing time, paper, and email.
Denise Landers @timetrainer
Key Organization Systems, Inc.
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!
Regardless of whether you’re a primary, secondary or college/university educator, being a teacher or professor is one of the most demanding and time-consuming jobs in the world. It’s not a job where you simply clock in and out at a set time and switch off. They have to be so much more than employees.
They have to prepare lesson plans, tests, theoretical and practical exams, teach classes and assess assignments. They can’t do it all during school hours and so they end up taking work home with them to complete in the evenings and over the weekends.
Most teachers have to deal with more than one class and some also teach different subjects. That’s a lot of students to look after. It also means they need to have a superior filing system that can adequately cope with the many variables that can apply to their students. Teachers can be more effective with an efficient filing system, such as Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.
Instead of using an archaic alphabetical document management system, it would benefit teachers greatly to utilize a more flexible filing software system. Such a program would enable each teacher to tailor their filing system to suit their specific workload. They would input item name and keywords relating to each file into the database of the filing software. Then when a file is needed, simply conduct a ‘google-like’ search in the database and be able to find any file within seconds.
They can use categories including: student names, subjects, exams, tests and any other types of categories that may be relevant. Such a system means they can cross-reference files when needed and keep all related documents within the same file.
This filing system will eradicate the endless piles of files that used to sit on teachers desks or get stuffed into briefcases or suitcases, just so they could keep files intact. They can just take home the important documents and files when needed. Then archived to the filing cabinet at an appropriate time. And how to archive or move files from one location to another is simple with Paper Tiger.
If teachers implement this style of filing, then it will save them hours of time in filing and retrieving of files or documents. It will greatly increase their efficiency and enable them to spend more quality time with their students, which is their primary function.
While teachers are actually running their classes, they have to mark attendance sheets, hand out reference material to students, teach and deal with endless administrative paperwork. Excursions or field trips mean forms to send home for signatures and money. All this information can be recorded, using the advanced document management software, and be immediately actioned if needed.
By implementing this type of filing system, each teacher is also making future work far easier to manage. Teachers can teach the same subjects year after year, but to different students. If they have implemented an extremely efficient method for their document management, they can start each new year with much of their planning and preparatory work already done.
This is particularly important and relevant when it comes to lesson plans and training/reference material. Because they can archive some files until the following year, they have only to go back into those archives to retrieve those files and this means they won’t have to do the same amount of hard work all over again.
If teachers can use methods that will free up their time outside of working hours, then their family life will be of a much higher quality and that will then reflect back onto their work. A healthy work-life balance is vital for the longevity of everyone.
However, teachers are entrusted with the education of the future adults of today’s society and so it’s more relevant for them to be as efficient as possible and be at their peak when dealing with today’s young minds.
Teachers or professors can definitely be more effective with Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System!
Our office moved from one location to the other and arrived in disarray from the move. I did a lot of research looking for something user friendly, with flexibility and really prove it’s claims.
Paper Tiger installation was easy enough. Once I put together the building blocks for the entire filing system, the rest was easy. Our office files include everything from maps, to financial records, business records, to personnel files and beyond. We have the system setup on multiple computers throughout the office and found that the system is easy enough for everyone to access the information.
We love Paper Tiger! It has made a daunting task a delight, seriously. I’m glad to have found your system, thank you!
Sally Tomar
Economic Development Corporation of Lea County
Hobbs, NM
There are thousands of actors and actresses looking for work at any one time. Some are registered with more than one agency and many don’t yet have an agent to represent them which means they must do all the work themselves. Why should talent agencies use smart document management software, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System?
All talent/casting agencies are inundated with applications from actors seeking representation. It’s impossible to keep track of every single one of them. Therefore a filing system is needed. However, they shouldn’t keep using archaic solely paper-based systems because they’re too time-consuming to manage and simply don’t help the agent in times of urgency.
When you get a call or an email, or hear about an audition, it’s crucial that you can easily locate any suitable people on your books and send them along if they’re available. If you use an older system of filing cabinets which are overflowing with photos and files about every actor you’ve ever met, it can become an impossible challenge to find the right people.
Quite often the casting calls are advertised with little or no warning and you really need to get your people jobs so they earn money and you do too. BUT you also get your name out there every time you send a candidate along and that is vital to the continuing success of your business.
If you use a smart document management system, you can store documents in various formats. If some actors have headshots or video recordings to help sell themselves, you simply add that to their file for future use. It saves a lot of hassle if everything is kept together, regardless of format.
You can label the files in any way you choose. This means that you can cross-reference people who fit into different categories and still locate their files easily and quickly when the need arises. For example, you may have a male actor who is 25 years old. He may also have experience as a stuntman, a juggler, a singer and both stage and screen experience.
If you cross reference his details with keywords representing all his experience, you can conduct a search, using your new document management software, and see that he’s suitable for the job you were just told about.
This is much more efficient than a purely paper-based filing system reliant on alphabetical labels where a lot of this information would simply be overlooked or invisible because you can’t see it instantly and you can’t remember every single talent that everyone on your books possesses.
If you believe that you don’t need to instigate a more efficient and user-friendly filing system for yourself, keep in mind that most other agencies will be using some sort of intelligent, time saving system themselves and so you’re putting yourself into a position where you won’t be able to compete with them simply because you haven’t modernized your approach to filing effectively.
As a talent agent, you need to know about ALL the skills that your people have. Many people believe that a talent agency only provides people for movies, TV shows and commercials. However, there are a LOT more working opportunities out there if you’re resourceful enough to have people with the prerequisite skills.
Such jobs include: singing telegrams, party performers, singers for birthdays and special occasions, clowns, pantomimes, stage actors, performing on cruise ships, magicians, children’s party entertainers, musicians, expos and promotional shows, photo shoots for advertising catalogues, modeling and so much more.
Because this is such an extensive list, it would be impossible to place one person’s file in 20 different categories. However, through the use of an intelligent filing system software, you only need one big file for each person, and simply add the extra categories when entering the details into your computer database.
This information is crucial as generally an agency has more than one person working there and so you can’t know everybody that comes through the door. However, a few clicks of your keyboard should be able to tell you if there are people on your books that meet the criteria currently being sought.
Why should talent agencies use smart document management software? The answer is very simple. If you’re not using such a system, you’re not only losing money for yourself and the people on your books, but you’re losing the competitive edge that your rivals will have because they have been smart enough to implement a very efficient document management system to reap the enormous benefits. Implement Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System today and regain that competitive edge.
Most people never have enough time to do everything that they need to do. Whether you’re a full-time worker, a stay at home mom, a university student or even some combination of these activities, life can be very hectic. Are you too busy to get yourself organized?
If you look back into history, even 100 years ago, just about everything had to be done manually. Computers didn’t exist. Televisions didn’t exist. Airplanes, cars, ships and communications were extremely different to what they are today.
Today we have technology in a vast range of forms. Computers can handle a wide variety of tasks that used to be done manually. The Internet has changed the world forever.
The one constant is time. Whether you’re the richest man in the world or the poorest pauper, you only have 24 hours in a day. You can’t change it. Even Bill Gates can’t buy an extra hour. However, you can decide what to do with those 24 hours.
If you break down an average person’s life, they spend eight hours sleeping, another eight hours at work and the last eight hours covers everything else that has to be done. This includes shopping, holidays, building relationships, spending time with your family, playing sports or enjoying hobbies, going to the movies or dinner, socializing and special events including weddings, parties and funerals.
Today’s Technology = More Efficiency
Today’s technology enables people to become a lot more efficient. You can get a lot more things done in the same amount of time. This means your time is free for extra tasks that appear on your “to do” list.
If you worked in a large office 20 years ago, the chances are that one of the most tedious tasks you would ever have would be filing. It was always a job that nobody wanted to do, but it still needed doing and consumed an enormous amount of time.
Technology has improved this aspect of people’s working lives. If you’re fortunate enough to be using a smart document management system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, then filing and retrieval processes will only take a fraction of the time it used to take when using an archaic system.
If this time and money savings was multiplied by every person in every office in every company in the whole world, that would represent an enormous saving in terms of hours and dollars.
Are You Too Busy To Get Yourself Organized?
Despite the fact that people are extremely busy, everyone should realize that it’s vital to be organized. These various forms of technology have been created to make life easier. It’s impossible to get more time, but technology can help you get things done more efficiently. This is the whole key to being organized.
It may be time consuming to set up a smart filing system in the beginning, but imagine how much money and time you can save once it’s done when you’ll be able to find anything in 5 seconds or less.
With Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, you would input the information relating to your physical files, (item name and relating keywords), into the filing system software. Then you would conduct a ‘google-like’ search in the database and be able to locate your file quickly without having to look in several different drawers to figure out what name you had previously filed it under.
The software is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system for paper office files. It works like a search engine for paper files to help you 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 does not involve scanning your documents. Rather, the 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.
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.
In 1998, we revolutionized the way the world files and manages paper by introducing Paper Tiger Desktop. The first product was based on a simple concept…enlist the computer to create an easy-to-use index of the paper in your life (or your organization) so that you can Find Anything in Your Office in 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
The first product allowed people to:
* Clear their desk.
* Stop trying to remember where they filed things.
* Easily share information with others in the office.
* Make it possible for the office manager to actually take a vacation knowing that everyone will use Paper Tiger to find what they need.
Paper Tiger customers could move beyond the piles everywhere or a broken, non-functional alphabetic method to using a computer to better manage their ever-increasing flow of paper. All of this without the cost, hassles (very time consuming), and risks associated with using a scanner to digitize their paper files.
Forget About Backups, Operating Systems, and Your IT Department!
So, now in 2010, as the world of technology has evolved, we are very happy to announce Paper Tiger Online! This product is amazing. Using Paper Tiger Online, you will be able to access your information from anywhere with an Internet connection. You will no longer have to worry about what computer you are using (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) or if you have backed up your data (we automatically do it for you!) You can even see your 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.) To add an additional member of your team to Paper Tiger Online is so easy, it just takes a minute and there are no networking/technical hassles!
If you are currently a Paper Tiger Desktop customer, your database can be imported to the new Paper Tiger Online. The entire process should take you about 10 minutes. If you have any issues, we will prepare your database for you to import!
The Paper Tiger Online application and your data are hosted at the industry-leading, IT hosting provider Rackspace. Rackspace is a publicly traded company that has over 80,000 cloud hosting clients such as Paper Tiger Online. We have taken every step possible to guarantee 100% application uptime and maximum security of your data.
Looking Ahead with Paper Tiger Online
The future of computing belongs to the Internet. We have grand plans for Paper Tiger Online. As people in business struggle to manage both their paper and digital worlds, there is a need for a 21st century filing system that is adept at both paper and digital, and this information needs to be available on any device. You can let your imagination run with what we are building! As a Paper Tiger Online customer, you will be able to take advantage of the new features, as they become available.
Best of all, the cost to use Paper Tiger Online is very modest and will fit almost any budget. There is a wide range of PLANS/PRICING available – there is even a limited FREE FOREVER account for the modest user that allows up to 100 Items (hanging file folders).
Special Pricing for Our Loyal Customers
As a current Paper Tiger customer, by ordering now and paying for a Paper Tiger Pro yearly plan, you will receive a 30% discount over the regular monthly price. The great news is that by subscribing to Paper Tiger Online during the launch period, you are locking in this price permanently. That’s right, for as long as you have your Paper Tiger Online account, your cost will remain at the discounted price that you paid when you signed up. If you are a current Paper Tiger desktop user, contact sales@thepapertiger.com and ask how to get the special price. This offer ends at midnight Tuesday, September 7, 2010.
Order with confidence, there is no contract and you can cancel whenever you wish. You can even export your data at any time for safekeeping or if you decide to cancel.
We hope you will join us by subscribing to Paper Tiger Online. We look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Sincerely,
The Paper Tiger Team
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.
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
ACT
SCHEDULE
Items to schedule in your dayplanner (paper planner or electronic planner).
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:
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.
by Stephanie Calahan of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert
We have heard it since the early 1970s – the Internet will make us paperless! Well, I don’t know about you, but my office is not close to being paper-free. One of the reasons for the plethora of paper is that it is just too darn easy to share information today.
Let me give you an example.
When I first started working in an office environment, the Internet and email was not really used to share information. If I had something that others needed to know, it got typed up and I had to walk to the copier and copy it on colored paper. (Different colors stood for different types of information.)
Before I made copies, I took time to think through who really needed the information. I would only make the copies that I really needed. Why? Because after I made the copies, I had to hand address onto inner-office envelopes.
Contrast that to today.
We get something in our in-boxes and decide to send it on. We hit forward and if we want, we could copy our entire address book! Ultimately that means that more information is given to more people at a faster pace.
So, how does that lead to more paper?
Most of us do not like to read information on the screen if it is of any length. We print it! Then the cycle continues over again and again.
Jonathan Spira of the Basex company has this commentary to share on the paperless office.
THE MYTH OF THE PAPERLESS OFFICE
Pundits have been proclaiming the imminent arrival of the paperless office since the 1970s. So far, they’ve been wrong. If anything, we print more today than we did back then.
Yet some still believe in this; those who engage in looking for the paperless office may be engaging in a Sisyphean task.
The New York Times ran a story on February 10 by Hannah Fairfield entitled “Pushing Paper Out the Door.” It speaks of paper-reducing technologies in homes and offices, citing families who scan their bills and opt for on-line statements. To Fairfield I say, “not so fast.”
Indeed Fairfield quotes Brewster Kahle, the founder of the Internet Archive: “Paper is no longer the master copy; the digital version is. Paper has been dealt a complete deathblow. When was the last time you saw a telephone book?”
To respond directly to Kahle, last week. My friend and fellow analyst Amy Wohl famously commented, around 1978, that she thought that the paperless office was “about as useful as the paperless toilet.”
But the article had a bigger problem. While it provided an excellent look on the move to digitization, it completely ignored the elephant in the room, namely a compatibility conundrum that has been with us since the first computer was turned on over 60 years ago.
Books, pamphlets, and broadsides printed hundreds of years ago are accessible without any special equipment. For that matter, the Rosetta Stone (dating from 196 B.C.E.), was also readable upon its discovery in 1799.
Contrast this with millions of files on 8″ or even 5 1/4″ floppy diskettes, various obsolete tape cartridges, and NASA’s earliest photographs of the earth – all mostly inaccessible with today’s technology.
One might presume that the technology revolution of the late twentieth century had increased our ability to preserve our history and cultural artifacts. In actuality, we have failed.
Moving all of our papers to digital form without a plan to ensure accessibility not only 5 years from now but 50 years and 100 years and beyond is not making information MORE accessible but risking that it will become LESS accessible.
Jonathan B. Spira is CEO and Chief Analyst at Basex.
What do you think? Can we go paperless? What have you done? Share your thoughts below by making a comment in the blog comment section.
Twitter.com/StephCalahan
Facebook.com/StephCalahan
PS: Don’t forget to keep your paper files in order with Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software, which Stephanie highly recommends and also includes in her in-person or remote/virtual Office Miracle.
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
Every business, company, organization and government body of any description has to deal with the serious issue of document management and how best to deal with such a complex issue. Frequently the main concern is only how to file the information. However, a user friendly filing system must allow easy retrieval of all documents or files at any given time.
Retrieval is the key reason why documents must be stored in the first place. Some material has to be kept for a certain period of time for legal reasons. Other files need to be accessed regularly so that more documents can be added or amended. On some files, you will simply take action and then shred or delete them.
A classic case is a hospital. If you were a patient in a particular hospital and only had to go there twice in a five year period, you would expect the doctor to easily access your records the second time and then add current information to that existing file. He wouldn’t create a duplicate file.
There’s no reason to have a filing system that doesn’t tell you where the relevant file has been stored whenever you need it. Society revolves around legal hard copy documents for everything from birth certificates to business licenses and legal contracts for major companies. Because computers are a major part of today’s lifestyle, it’s only logical to utilize options that can now be offered to help reduce the clutter that current paper filing systems create.
You may have an office with 200 staff that all carry out different duties. They still need access to the same document management system to retrieve vital information to carry out their specific work. Many staff members may even collaborate on some files if that’s what their duties dictate. Using specialized filing system software to record the location of all files within the company will enable faster retrieval and increased efficiency.
Documents can be added to files as time passes and, if you currently use an alphabetical system, it can become very confusing and cumbersome. This is because everyone thinks differently. One person might use a business name as the title, while another uses a person’s name, and therefore duplicate files can get created and as history of that “file” grows, so does the confusion.
To avoid such problems, it’s essential to have very user-friendly document management software. Establish set criteria for the naming of files and make that a standard right through the company. Then filing, retrieval, additions to and re-filing processes will become much more streamlined and save countless hours and thousands of dollars. The staff will be more productive and your business will achieve its goals a lot faster.
If your business doesn’t use an efficient document management system, documents can be created in a variety of different formats. Apart from hard copy paper-based documents, you’ll have faxes, audio, DVD, CD and PowerPoint files. There will also be emails that may be quite lengthy and have been viewed by numerous people. These may need to be added to specific files as well.
Using document management software, you can record the location of each item and the file in which it’s stored. If any of these various formats are needed again, simply access the file by checking your computer for the location. Then you have all the relevant information in one place.
Quite often there might be regular reviews of material contained in some of the files. Instead of trying to remember them or write them in a diary that only you can see, utilize the filing system software to set reminders so that anybody can access the information and action the necessary work. This means that even if the relevant person is away sick, the work can still be carried out.
When all the files are stored and labeled correctly as per the filing system guidelines you implement, you have the added benefits of knowing who and when files have been accessed and/or action taken. Compliance with all regulatory bodies is much easier when you have tighter control over your document management system.
In addition, using an efficient document management system will enable you to reduce the office clutter. The desks that used to be piled high with files waiting to be worked on will become a thing of the past. Staff simply retrieve the relevant information they need only when they need it. They’re not confronted with that depressing pile every single day.
No matter what decision you make, remember that a user friendly filing system must allow easy retrieval or it just becomes another time waster that your business shouldn’t have to deal with.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system that will totally revolutionize the relationship you have with your filing cabinet. The filing system works just like a search engine for your paper files!
You can start with as few, or as many, of your files as you like by simply creating your index into the software’s database and printing the accompanying labels. Then, as you add new files, simply add them to your database and you’re on your way to a more efficient and cost-effective document management solution.
This article by Denise Landers, founder and CEO of Key Organization Systems Inc. and a Paper Tiger Expert, will help you save time and money, simply by taking steps to get organized. Denise also recommends The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software to help keep track of all your paper files throughout the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you interested in cutting costs and saving money?
Saving money in both business and personal spheres is not only a wise discretionary move during this economic turmoil, but for many it is a necessity. These past months have caused us all to reevaluate our spending and seek ways to limit cash outflow.
There is an easy solution that will produce many benefits, not just financially but in many tangent areas – become more organized.
Improving organization helps with the bottom line in a multitude of ways:
1. Image.
a. 73% of managers and associates say they form impressions of co-workers by the way their desks are organized. Disorganized desks do not indicate you are ready for additional responsibilities. There is a lot of competition now, so do not handicap your chances of securing more business.
b. Nearly 70% of workers believe that colleagues with messy desks are less career driven than their counterparts. Can you afford to allow that perception in this climate of downsizing and forced sabbaticals?
2. Productivity
a. Office distractions eat up 2.1 hours per day for the average worker. How much more could you produce if you had 2 extra focused hours of work each day?
b. Once interrupted, it takes 25 minutes to get back into the flow of the original task. Although many think you will get more done by multitasking, you are actually less effective than when concentrating on one thing before switching to another.
3. Time
If distractions eat up an average of 2.1 hours per day, that adds up to over 12 weeks per year. If you were organized, not only would you produce more, but you have extra time to pursue your personal goals and meet family commitments.
4. Health
a. Distracted drivers who are multitasking cause 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes.
b. Stress builds up with disorganization. 80% of our medical expenditures are now stress-related.
5. Money
a. 2.1 hours of distractions per day translates to $28 billion a year in the U.S. Add to that the loss of money due to employee absenteeism, illness, and health claims.
b. Estimate how much time is being wasted by each employee within an organization, multiply that by number of employees, and do that for year after year that this continues to occur.
Bringing the cost of disorganization closer to home, here are common situations where eliminating disorganization can quickly put more dollars in your pocket:
• Late payments (misplaced bills leading to interest and penalties)
• Pending rebates (not collecting the necessary information)
• Duplicate purchases (unable to find what you already had)
• Unused gift cards (not with you while shopping)
• Overdraft fees (failing to reconcile)
• Multiple trips to store (shopping without a list)
• Repairs (neglecting maintenance)
• Tax Deductions (not tracking mileage and business expenses)
• Late fees (overdue items)
It is always worth the time to be better organized, but with the economic stresses we are facing now, it becomes more of a necessity. The short-term investment in time produces long-term dividends.
Denise Landers @timetrainer
Contact Key Organization Systems, Inc. for written permission to reproduce an article: http://www.keyorganization.com/contact-us.php
If you would like to jumpstart your organizing efforts and add to your time management skills, we can help!
Corporate Training: workshops and consulting to increase daily work flow and reduce stress
Individual Assistance: our onsite and virtual office organizing to bring about changes quickly
On Your Own: books and CDs to work at your own pace
