A “paperless office” seems to be a common goal among small businesses, but many companies don’t know what is preventing them from going paperless. To help you identify these issues and create a more streamlined system, we have put together a list of habits that may be preventing your office from transitioning to a paperless system.  Once you identify the problem areas, you will be better equipped to develop a plan of attack to make your paperless goal a reality.

Here is a list of habits that may be preventing your office from going paperless:

Hoarding Documents

Many people are afraid to get rid of files or share files because they don’t trust the company’s file structure. They are worried they won’t be able to find documents quickly or concerned they will accidentally get deleted. Creating a clear and effective filing system will help encourage document hoarders to trust the system and share documents on a common network.

Version Confusion

Without a set of standard naming conventions, it can be difficult for a company to maintain version control of their files. This causes employees to waste time searching for updated versions of documents because they are not named in a way that clearly indicates when a file has been updated.

Filing Everything

When there is not a consistent file structure in place, some people end up filing for the sake of filing. They create too may sub folders that are difficult for others to navigate. This unnecessary clutter prevents an electronic filing system from working effectively.

Relying on Search

While search functionality can be an extremely useful tool for finding documents quickly, it poses a problem when files are being shared among team members because not everyone uses the same keywords to search. This can lead to version control issues and excessive digital clutter in the long run.

Piling Papers

When a company does not have a good system for processing paper documents and adding them to an electronic system, it’s easy for paper to pile up. When paper piles up, team members can not retrieve documents efficiently because they don’t know where to look.

Now that you have identified some of the specific tendencies that are preventing your office from going paperless, you can get started creating file naming conventions, file retention policies and folder structures.

Interested in going paperless? Check out our File Management Consulting to learn how we could help!

Though technology is moving business and productivity into a more digital world, we have not yet gone completely paperless.  Paper management is still a very important skill—and something that many busy professionals think they don’t have time for.  Find our what your paper hoarding score is to see if you could use some paper management help!

1. You’re sitting at your desk.  What do you currently see?

A. Lots of clear desk space, with the exception of a few commonly used items (like post-it notes or a stapler).
B. Your most commonly used items, your lunch, a coffee, and a couple stacks of current projects and folders.
C. You can’t see your desk…it’s covered in piles of paper (most of which are overlapping and jumbled together).

2. You just came back from a networking event with a stack of business cards.  What do you do with them?

A. Add them to your contact management system, sync your mobile devices with the new information, and recycle the cards.
B. You follow-up with a few contacts and then set the cards aside to process them later (who knows when that will be).
C. Toss them in an empty drawer or box…out of sight out of mind.

3. You just returned from a meeting.  What do you do with your notes?

A. Scan and save them in your electronic files. Then you add time to your calendar to process actionable items.
B. You complete your to-dos from the meeting, but you save the paper. You never know when you might need it.
C. Keep the papers on your desk and continue working. If it’s really important someone else will have the information.

4. Your boss asks you to find an old file with an important document in it.  How long does it take you to find it?

A. A couple minutes because you know exactly where it is.
B. About 15 minutes. There are 2-3 places it might be.
C. You can’t find it…

5. Your coworker emails you a list of tasks.  What do you do with the email?

A. Pull the tasks and add them to your to-do list, then archive the email in the appropriate folder.
B. Flag it as important but eventually other tasks pop up and take priority.
C. You leave it in your inbox and eventually it gets buried there. The deadline passes and you forgot about the tasks.

6. You just completed a big project.  What do you do with all of your files now?

A. Save the document in your file system for the appropriate amount of time, following proper Paper Retention Guidelines.
B. File all of the documents together in your file system until one day someone decides to purge them.
C. They’ll start as a pile on your desk, then they’ll eventually move to the floor, and once you run out of room you’ll throw them in a box.

Each A is worth 2 points, each B is worth 4 points, and each C is worth 6 points.  Tally your points to find your paper hoarding score:

12-16: Paper Filer

You are awesome at paper management!  You prefer to be as paperless as possible and are efficient at filing your documents when not in use.  You know where all of your files are located and how long you should keep them.  You pull tasks from documents and add them to your task management system to keep you focused and on track.  Keep up the good work by following us on Twitter and LinkedIn for more paper management tips.

18-26: Paper Holder

You are consistent with the average professional—you prefer to be organized and paperless, but you don’t have all the right workflows in place.  You might need to dedicate time each week to filing documents or you may need to create a paper retention policy for your company.  We recommend following our Twitter and LinkedIn for more tips to help you keep organized.  You can also sign up to get productivity tips and events sent directly to your inbox (like our upcoming Paper Management 101: Filing DO’s and DON’Ts webinar on May 23^rd).

28-36: Paper Piler

Looks like paper management is not your greatest strength.  We get it—there aren’t enough hours in the day to spend your time on filing and organizing documents.  But efficient paper management systems and habits will save you so much more time in the long run (not to mention stress)!  We recommend you sign up for our Paper Management 101: Filing DO’s and DON’Ts webinar on May 23^rd to learn how to create an organized file system.  You can also sign up to get productivity tips and events sent directly to your inbox so you can keep improving your paper management.

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?

The countdown is on: just ten days left in the year!  For many of us, that still includes about a week left in the office working.  Take advantage of this time to prepare yourself for the New Year.  Rather than leave your office and your work a huge mess, racing to complete deadlines and get to the holidays, use this time to get organized.  Here are 15 tasks you can do this last week of December to help you return next year ready to hit the ground running!

1. Go through the pile(s) of papers you’ve been meaning to sort.
2. Set up a system to help your business go more paperless—we offer paper management and filing systems services for business.
3. Deep clean your desk or workspace—here are some tips to organize your desk.
4. Empty your email inbox—here’s one of our webinars to help clear your inbox.
5. Set your “out of office” for the day and work on 2013 strategic planning without interruption.
6. Write and send thank you notes to networking contacts, clients or strategic partners.
7. Attend a webinar to add to your skill set—here is a list of our upcoming webinars.
8. Update your LinkedIn profile.  Write recommendations for people or endorse their skills.
9. Go back and read industry newsletters or blogs you’ve been meaning to catch up on.
10. Go through the pens at your desk and toss the ones that have dried up.
11. Pre-write content for your blog or newsletter so you don’t have to do it later.
12. If you use a paper calendar/planner, set aside time to purchase your 2013 calendar and get it organized.
13. Read a book you’ve been meaning to read—here are some of our book recommendations!
14. Identify 3 repeatable tasks you can delegate to someone else and write the necessary instructions.  That’s three items off your list in the New Year!
15. Write down your individual goals for 2013 and set an appointment with yourself each month to track your progress.

Good luck during this last week of the year, and may you have a relaxing break for the holidays!