What is the best time to scan paperwork? (resolved)
  • Vote Up0Vote Down MikePMikeP September 2011
    Posts: 3

    In my home office I work digitally as much as possible. I invested in a good sheetfed scanner and scan all paperwork into PaperPort (worth checking out if you aren't familiar with it) and work from there. This topic is not specific to PaperPort though, as the principle is the same for most electronic archiving solutions.

    What point in the TRO cycle - collect/triage/process - is best for doing the actual scanning? It typically takes me around 30 seconds per item, e.g. a bill or a 3 page letter: Oper letter (5s), drop into scanner & scan (5-15s), file away (10s). I could do this at either stage of the TRO process, my ideas are:

    Scan during Collection: Setup an [Inbox] folder in PaperPort as my collection point and scan everything into there instead of putting it in my in-tray. This is relatively fast as most dedicated scanners have a one-touch scan button and no software needs to be running to drop it into a folder. But at 30s it still seems to defeat the object of collecting as quick as possible. It also means an additional collection point, as I still need my in-tray for non-digitizable items.

    Scan during Triage: Collect everything into my in-tray and scan during triage. I like this option and currently use it. It fits within the 2 minutes per item time limit, and I scan from PaperPort directly into either [Deferred] or appropriate archive folder. If a task is needed I create it during the 10 seconds it takes to scan. If the paper version requires action (e.g. a form to fill in and mail back), it goes into my Deferred desk tray, else it gets archived there and then and I work from the electronic copy.

    Scan during Processing: Feasible, but it means I need to pick the same piece of paper up three times (collect, triage, processing). I'm allergic to that, and it doesn't feel like TRO :-)

    Some notes on filing: I don't use A-Z folders because PaperPort indexes everything using OCR and my archives are fully searchable. I roughly follow the TRO email guidelines for my electronic papers. I file the paper version by month, in the unlikely case I need it I can find it by scan date.

    Any opinions would be most welcome.

    Mike

  • 3 Answers sorted by
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Coach_NateCoach_Nate September 2011
    Posts: 101

    Mike,


    "Paperless" offices are all the rage right now. As a coach, and having helped people set up paperless offices, I can tell you that it actually takes more time to be paperless. The time cost is significant.

    Some people have a near-paperless office because they receive all documents and communication electronically. In which case, you might as well just file the stuff away.

    Some people actually get quite a bit of paper, but they are trying to convert paper documents into a "paperless" work environment. That sounds like your situation. 

    Good reasons for turning paper into electronic files include:
    1. You work with a distributed team, and you all need access to certain documents.
    2. You (or your team) need access to critical documents while travelling or visiting work sites, but you don't know which information you will need.
    3. Protect important information. (It's harder to burn, soak, steal, or lose electronic files.)
    Notice that "saving the environment" isn't on the list. We are concerned with what to do after paper arrives in your office. If someone else already printed it out, scanning it won't save the tree. 

    Also note that "having a clean office" is not on the list. With the TRO system, your office will stay clean on its own, paperless or not. In fact, scanning in documents without a very good task management system will create a nightmare for you as you lose critical information, cannot find tasks, etc. 

    If you don't have a great reason for going paperless, you might try a combination of a Deferred tray and the simple A to Z file system we suggest in the TRO training. The simple A to Z file allows you to file resource papers (IE: information you might need later) very quickly. Your scanner takes 30 seconds to scan, analyze, name, and file. Hanging folders take 5 seconds. The Deferred tray takes 2 seconds. Paper is faster.

    If you have a great reason for going paperless (or converting some of your files), treat the electronic documents as normal resource items. During triaging, there is a step for filing resource items. Files you'll need to complete a task should go in a "[Deferred]" folder. (The square brackets bring it to the top of your file tree.) Files you might want at a later date should be filed away.

    Many people ask how they should file electronic documents. Should they have a file for each person? Should they sort them by project, by type, by date? Should they throw them all in together?

    File your documents so you can search for them. Browsing through folders is tedious. Searching is fast. We want to save you time. Most e-document managers are searchable. Windows 7, Windows Vista, Mac OSX, Gmail, Yahoo! mail, Outlook 2007 and 2010, all these programs have great search features designed to help you find your documents quickly. 

    Naming your documents well helps you find them in a search. For example, instead of naming a spreadsheet "earnings" call it "Cindy's first draft of March 2011 earnings report." Pick a name that will tell you exactly what it is 12 months from now. If you will have many similar documents (such as earnings reports) pick names that will help you tell them apart without opening them.

    That is my advice on using and filing electronic documents. Hope it helps.

    ~nate

  • Vote Up0Vote Down MikePMikeP September 2011
    Posts: 3

    Hi Nate,

    Thanks for a comprehensive insight on the more general aspects of paperlessness, I did intend this as more of a discussion-type question. I currently scan during triage, so I'm glad that's in line with your recommendation.

    For what it's worth, I am definitely paperless, mostly for similiar reasons to what you suggested:

    1. I can access documents off site. My Deferred and Inbox folders are synched to the cloud so that I have access to them wherever I have internet access.
    2. More than half of my 'paperwork' is paperless anyway.
    3. Many people I deal with use (and even prefer) electronic documents. A letter from the tax office gets scanned, filed, and emailed over to my accountant as a pdf.
    4. Digitizing means I only have a single place to file things and it just makes sense to keep it all together in one system, especially when there are several related documents of mixed origin for the same task/project.

    I can fully relate to the theory that paperless can be more effort than it's worth. Even though I work in a related field, it's taken me years to perfect my own system to suit my needs and it was about the only part of my mostly dreadful pre-TRO organization skills that worked smoothly.

    Thanks again for the useful input,
    Mike

  • Vote Up0Vote Down Coach_NateCoach_Nate November 2011
    Posts: 101

    Then it sounds like paperless is a great option for you. I wish you all the best.


    ~nate

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