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Paper Management Systems Defined
Technique #11: Implement One or Several Paper Management Systems for Your Office, Depending on Your Needs, Including Daily Action Center™, Reference System, Operational or Archival
Beginning today, I want you to think differently about how you will organize, store, and retrieve paper and information. You most likely feel so overwhelmed by all of the paper and information surrounding you because you may not have taken the time to consider that you really need multiple systems, each with a specific purpose. While it may initially sound like a lot of work to create multiple systems, I guarantee that you will end up saving time and be able to quickly retrieve the information you need at the moment you need it. This is usually what people fear most: not being able to easily retrieve information exactly when they need it.
Why You Need to Use a Variety of Systems, Rather Than Just One
I have yet to work with a client who uses just one system to organize paper and information. Most offices with which I work use a combination of the systems defined in this chapter. Some factors that will help you determine which systems you need to create are frequency of use and the type of information to be stored.
Daily Action Center™
A daily action center is a place to store paperwork and other information that you access daily or even several times a day. This location must be easily accessible from your desk area—either in a desk filing drawer or a portable filing ...
