For those busy professionals who constantly work on-the-go, we recommend a scanner app called JotNot. We love this app because users can easily convert their paper documents into a digital format by taking pictures of each page. It is a great and affordable option for a portable scanner.

Why we recommend it:

• It can batch scan multiple pages into a single document
• You can adjust the file size and resolution
• You can save your document almost anywhere, including Dropbox, Evernote, etc
• It only costs $0.99 in the iTunes store

What do you think of JotNot? Let us know in the comments below!

© Krzysiek_z_poczty | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

It may sound simple, but it’s important to think of everything as part of a workflow, including your paper piles. Take a look at your paperwork when you’re sitting at your desk. Do you have a designated place for papers once you complete the task associated with it, or are they placed at random around your space?

If you don’t create a workflow for your paper, it will hinder your productivity because there is no clear beginning, middle, or end. Too many people have all three stages in a single pile. Below is an example of a simple workflow to help you process your papers efficiently. You may want to designate a separate bin for each stage of the workflow.

Suggested workflow for your paperwork:

1. A place to arrive

2. A place to live when they’re in progress

3. A place to go when they exit the workflow or are complete

Being productive is about moving things along and not letting them get stagnant. A simple workflow can help you keep track of your paperwork and ensure everything is moving along.

Interested in additional help with your paperwork? Check out our file management consulting!

One of the final big tasks in organizing JoAnn’s messy desk was creating a functional filing system. JoAnn was not a huge fan of filing, especially financial documents. Over time, this created a backlog of documents that needed to be filed. This resulted in stacks of papers in drawers (or the floor) without any file folders to organize or contain her documents.

We helped JoAnn sort and purge the paper we found in her office, using some of our favorite Smead products to help us along the way. For her financial documents, we created a system that rotates every other year, so she won’t have to keep creating new labels and files each year. The way that this system rotates, it ensures that JoAnn knows exactly when it is time to archive financial documents.

We installed the filing systems and taught JoAnn how to use and maintain them. JoAnn is excited about her new filing system. She explained, “I was thrilled that after the first day, I could see my desk! It’s great that I can now walk in and be in my space. I don’t have to worry about finding space; it’s a sense of calm that it is so organized and I can instantly get to work.”

We chose to use Smead Viewables products for JoAnn’s filing system because:

• The software makes it simple to format and print labels
• The 3-dimensional tabs make it easy to see the categories you create
• The software allows you to color-code labels

Other Smead products that we used in JoAnn’s office:

• Viewables Color Labeling System
• TUFF Hanging Folder with Easy Slide Tab
• SuperTab Oversized Tab File Folders

Stay up-to-date with our blog for our big reveal of JoAnn’s completed new office transformation! You may not even recognize her new office!

Photo courtesy of Leo V. Santiago.

Special thanks to Smead for their filing system products.

The next step in transforming JoAnn’s overcrowded space into a functional office was scanning.  JoAnn has been saving paper copies of her past work, as well as other reference materials, in large binders in her office.  They were taking up valuable space and creating clutter, so we suggested that she scan the documents she no longer needed physical copies of.

While JoAnn had considered this option before, she never followed through because the task of scanning that many documents is fairly time consuming and overwhelming.  Thankfully, we were able to partner with Scan-Doc to help us tackle the project.  Scan-Doc was able to convert five entire bankers boxes worth of JoAnn’s binders into electronic files stored safely on a flash drive and organized into convenient sub folders.

Many of JoAnn’s reference materials are now paperless, stored in electronic files to save space.  She told us the scanning “was one of the most exciting parts of this whole experience.  I was over the moon to receive five bankers boxes worth of scanning; it cleared out so much space and now that they’re electronic, I can use them so much more efficiently.”  JoAnn can now reference what she needs from the comforts of her computer, rather than sifting through piles of paper.

Continue following our blog for the final steps we took in JoAnn’s office transformation, as well as the big reveal of her new functional office!

Photo courtesy of Leo V. Santiago.

Special thanks to Scan-Doc for their scanning services.

Are you a piler or a filer (and we’re not just talking about paper files)? Do you see piles of paper around your desk or rows of organized folders in your file cabinet?  Are there dozens of inconsistently-named documents on your computer or organized, easy to navigate folders and sub-folders?

To help you identify where you lie on the spectrum, here are common “symptoms” of both pilers and filers:

You might be a piler if…

• You are surrounded by piles of paper that you don’t want to make a decision about
• You have a year’s worth of filing that has piled up because it hasn’t been assigned to anyone (or it’s been assigned to the wrong person)
• Your computer desktop is cluttered because your electronic files don’t have a “home”
• You rely on search to locate your electronic files
• Keep in mind: Though relying on search may work for you, it is not an efficient practice when sharing and collaborating with team members.  They have to be able to retrieve files as quickly as you.

You might be a filer if…

• You consistently file paper documents and electronic files as they come to you
• Every paper and electronic file has a “home”
• Keep in mind: Just because you’re a filer, does not mean you’re necessarily an efficient filer.  You can waste time if you have too many folders, which ultimately slows you down.

Which are you—a piler or a filer?  Are you the same for both your paper files and your electronic documents?