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Computerized Paper Management - Organize For Productivity, Profit and Peace-of-Mind? (Part4)

Written by: Alex Revai

Article Overview: In this article we review the advantages of using computer programs to “remember” the location of all our documents. We learn about the use of keywords and mention a few of the available, off-the shelf, paper management and filing software applications.

Computerized Paper Management - Organize For Productivity, Profit and Peace-of-Mind? (Part4)

Now we are really ready for filing. As mentioned, we want to use the power of our computer to assist in finding our documents. Not just to find them, but to find them in seconds! Remember: often there is an impatient client waiting for the answer on the other end of the phone line. Don't you just hate it? You search frantically for long minutes with no result. You tell the other party that you'll call them back as soon as you found it. Five seconds after you hung up, there it is! (Another of Murphy's laws?) Commercially available software applications provide the solutions for the effective filing and speedy retrieval of documents. Almost without exception, these programs rely on the use of keywords to locate an item. Traditional, alphabetic filing works reasonably well, when you rely mostly on customer or company names. Filing by named categories may also be helpful for certain types of documents. Most documents, however, defy easy categorization or labeling. Today, you may put them in a category (or under a certain letter), but will you remember where you put it, say, 6 months from now?

Keywords, on the other hand, allow you to think about a document in many different ways. Capturing several, meaningful keywords about the piece of paper you are about to file, will ensure quick and confident retrieval in the future. It is, therefore, recommended that during the pre-sorting phase of your papers you circle, highlight, or write down the keywords on the documents themselves.

There are software packages to suit every need and/or budget. There may even be shareware solutions. However, it's good to keep in mind that, in general, you get what you pay for. Here are some better known products: FileWise Instant Filing System, Find Every File, The Paper Tiger ^TM, File Folder Organizer^TM. Of the above, Paper Tiger may be the more established and most robust. It also supports synchronization with your favorite PDA (Palm or Pocket PC) device. You should review the available choices and make your decision according to your needs and budget. Again, please remember: You are investing, not spending, when you get organized!

Now, armed with a s/w tool and a filing system (Actions, Projects and References) you may begin the task of entering the keywords and placing the documents in their labeled (numbered) folders. Entering all those keywords, at this point, may frighten you. Please keep in mind: We have just proceeded to work through a huge pile of paper, accumulated over a long period of time. On a daily basis, you need only to contend with a relatively few number of documents. Provided, of course, that you will follow the regular maintenance of your filing effort. How to stay organized, with minimal daily effort, will be the topic of my next article.

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Article Tags: document management, effective filing, filing systems, find every file, paper management, paper tiger



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