Colors and main categories for documents must be a match!
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer to add color to your office environment, organize and file your documents by color coding?
As many of us still work with both paper and electronic documents, filing hard copy documents to match our electronic documents is a must. With the increase of documents entering our business world, keeping up is important.
Color coded made easy. Color coded label and file folders have a unique way of helping you to determine where the document should be filed, and helps you avoid misfiles. How frustrating is it to spend more than a few minutes trying to find a document! Calls are waiting, the meeting will be delayed, and/or your sales call will suffer. It is urgent that the document is in your reach within a reasonable amount of time.
How do you set this up?
Review your business categories and adjust any missing categories as you go over your files. Order as many coloured folders as you have main categories. For sub categories, you can use the same color file folder and add the category code on the folder.
Another method is to use a different hue within a main category. For instance, documents filed under the category for administration, you could use a blue and within that category, a lighter color of blue. Therefore, the main categories would have a stronger effect overall.
If you have the time, you can write the code for each document, especially those of major importance. Each time you print a copy from an electronic file, create a new document, or receive a document on your desk such as a contract, you can enter the code immediately. The match for all codes should be the same as all codes for electronic documents. It will improve your office efficiency tremendously.
Not only it is an eye catcher for you, it is an aid that is valuable in saving you and your staff time, space and money. Hidden or lost files are costly and can only create havoc over time with the overflow of documents crowding and lurking in the filing cabinet.
There are many providers of this type of goods and service, and they can assist you in helping you decide on how to plan this well.
Francine Renaud,
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
E-mail messages as business documents.
Did you ever consider assessing what type of documents are housed in your office files? What are the typical documents found in most of our offices? First of all, we have paper and electronic documents, and other formats such as DVD's, video training material, and others.
Do we consider e-mail to be a part of our business documents? We certainly must.
E-mail has skyrocketed in growth in the past few years, and companies rely on e-mail as a prime method of communication. Information is crucial to their success in business. They are as important as any other document, which make up records we work with on a daily basis.
E-mail attachments have value to your business operations and are created, distributed, and shared instantly without much thought about the long term effects of keeping the attachments, or coordinating them with your assigned categories in your filing system for quick access and retrieval.
This is a time to look at your system and do a simple review and do the exercise with your staff on how to handle e-mail and their attachments. Look at how you have filed your paper and electronic documents,and evaluate each e-mail attachment as you receive it.
Review your files and ask yourself if they are they still needed. Does the company have a policy for the retention periods, how long to keep important or crucial documents? Who keeps what? When there is a mass mail out to employees, who keeps the original message, or in fact, any other message with replies in the same department? Who keeps the record if it has a legal, fiscal, or historical value?
Many employees may not realize that each e-mail message created on their desktop belongs to the company. It is important to be enlightened by what can be requested as e-discovery in case of litigation. What is the content of the message and what is it conveying? Our messages should be written as if they world was reading them.
A simple e-mail message about any business activity, instructions, or discussions may be of importance to decision making, educational purposes, projects, ownership, or requests for e-discovery.
Once you have established that e-mail attachments have a certain value to the company, determine how and what can be kept, for how long, or deleted from anyone's desktop since this is becoming a major problem with the growth of electronic messages accumulating in everyone's mailbox.
Information Technology departments, in certain cases, may request that you limit what you keep and may send a message out to all concerned that there is a deadline for keeping messages in the deleted area, or the number of e-mails permitted in a mailbox. Are there any instructions as to where to keep any documents of importance as the employee should not rely on the e-mail inbox as a storage place.
Francine Renaud,
Document Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/ Tel: 250-763-3988
Do we consider e-mail to be a part of our business documents? We certainly must.
E-mail has skyrocketed in growth in the past few years, and companies rely on e-mail as a prime method of communication. Information is crucial to their success in business. They are as important as any other document, which make up records we work with on a daily basis.
E-mail attachments have value to your business operations and are created, distributed, and shared instantly without much thought about the long term effects of keeping the attachments, or coordinating them with your assigned categories in your filing system for quick access and retrieval.
This is a time to look at your system and do a simple review and do the exercise with your staff on how to handle e-mail and their attachments. Look at how you have filed your paper and electronic documents,and evaluate each e-mail attachment as you receive it.
Review your files and ask yourself if they are they still needed. Does the company have a policy for the retention periods, how long to keep important or crucial documents? Who keeps what? When there is a mass mail out to employees, who keeps the original message, or in fact, any other message with replies in the same department? Who keeps the record if it has a legal, fiscal, or historical value?
Many employees may not realize that each e-mail message created on their desktop belongs to the company. It is important to be enlightened by what can be requested as e-discovery in case of litigation. What is the content of the message and what is it conveying? Our messages should be written as if they world was reading them.
A simple e-mail message about any business activity, instructions, or discussions may be of importance to decision making, educational purposes, projects, ownership, or requests for e-discovery.
Once you have established that e-mail attachments have a certain value to the company, determine how and what can be kept, for how long, or deleted from anyone's desktop since this is becoming a major problem with the growth of electronic messages accumulating in everyone's mailbox.
Information Technology departments, in certain cases, may request that you limit what you keep and may send a message out to all concerned that there is a deadline for keeping messages in the deleted area, or the number of e-mails permitted in a mailbox. Are there any instructions as to where to keep any documents of importance as the employee should not rely on the e-mail inbox as a storage place.
Francine Renaud,
Document Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/ Tel: 250-763-3988
Monday, April 25, 2011
Are your business activities and documents in sink with your time management skills?
Good intentions and habits are part of good management of business documents. Keeping in line with our timelines, working efficiently, reaching our goals, and problem solving are part of an effective plan.
For some, roadblocks may cause a postponement of the inevitable, actions required to stay on top of the situation. Procrastination is one area, which contributes to prolonging these roadblocks. Being sidetracked is another cause for concern. What does procrastination have in common with being sidetracked? Actually, they go hand in hand. If the task is not one you are content in doing, you will quickly be distracted with the other more interesting tasks.
If there is a task I dislike, or despise, it may get deferred or set aside for awhile. Eventually, I do get around to it. I have established a new rule to resolve this problem. I start with the boring tasks and get them done, in other words, get them over with. Don't we all have work that we just don’t want to deal with and wish we could have someone else to do the work for us? Is this only wishful thinking? Either way, these tasks need to be handled and done well, no matter.
What choices do we have? In fact, we have many.
Solutions to this problem can be about how we approach these tasks or handle them. I can set time limits to getting them done, book them into my calendar, and ensure that I follow through, without fail. Practice this often enough and you will not think about it as a drab chore, it will become a part of your work habits and part of the solution.
Unfortunately, that does not always work for everyone.
Another alternative can be to delegate these duties to an employee, or hire part time help. Both are acceptable solutions. Others may find the work interesting or they may be willing to help you out. Exchange tasks in the office, work this out and make it a "Win Win" situation. Find out how you can share your duties in the same department, and assist each other in areas which may be challenging or simply not of great interest to you. If you are the manager, inspire your team to take on their work with gusto, no matter the task, and offer a reward such as employee of the month or offer a gift card every once in awhile. If we consider that all facets of our jobs are important, our efforts will become valuable assets to the company.
Do we not tend to gravitate to what we like to do?
If you are disciplined, that does not mean you will not have a problem with procrastination. If over the years, you have allowed this habit to persist, it is time to make a change. Be in charge and don’t let it continue to interfere with the management of your business activities, no matter how small or less important these tasks are to you. Take charge of your goals from the bottom up.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
For some, roadblocks may cause a postponement of the inevitable, actions required to stay on top of the situation. Procrastination is one area, which contributes to prolonging these roadblocks. Being sidetracked is another cause for concern. What does procrastination have in common with being sidetracked? Actually, they go hand in hand. If the task is not one you are content in doing, you will quickly be distracted with the other more interesting tasks.
If there is a task I dislike, or despise, it may get deferred or set aside for awhile. Eventually, I do get around to it. I have established a new rule to resolve this problem. I start with the boring tasks and get them done, in other words, get them over with. Don't we all have work that we just don’t want to deal with and wish we could have someone else to do the work for us? Is this only wishful thinking? Either way, these tasks need to be handled and done well, no matter.
What choices do we have? In fact, we have many.
Solutions to this problem can be about how we approach these tasks or handle them. I can set time limits to getting them done, book them into my calendar, and ensure that I follow through, without fail. Practice this often enough and you will not think about it as a drab chore, it will become a part of your work habits and part of the solution.
Unfortunately, that does not always work for everyone.
Another alternative can be to delegate these duties to an employee, or hire part time help. Both are acceptable solutions. Others may find the work interesting or they may be willing to help you out. Exchange tasks in the office, work this out and make it a "Win Win" situation. Find out how you can share your duties in the same department, and assist each other in areas which may be challenging or simply not of great interest to you. If you are the manager, inspire your team to take on their work with gusto, no matter the task, and offer a reward such as employee of the month or offer a gift card every once in awhile. If we consider that all facets of our jobs are important, our efforts will become valuable assets to the company.
Do we not tend to gravitate to what we like to do?
If you are disciplined, that does not mean you will not have a problem with procrastination. If over the years, you have allowed this habit to persist, it is time to make a change. Be in charge and don’t let it continue to interfere with the management of your business activities, no matter how small or less important these tasks are to you. Take charge of your goals from the bottom up.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Five important tips for scheduling and organizing documents for meetings.
1. Agenda
Use your planner, paper or electronic, properly. Enter all appointments in your calendar and arrange appointments by geographic area. Select a day that you can dedicate to meeting clients or a time period on a specific day(s) of the week, which is suited to ensuring that your goals are in line with your timelines. Respect the time period allotted for the meeting as they need to keep their agenda on schedule as well.
2.Documents
Organize your clients or in-house department files according to the time period set for the meeting, and by client or co-worker. Many tools are available to file paper documents in order of appointments, such as an accordion folder. If you choose to put your papers in a briefcase, enter all documents under client name or category by business function, in a coloured folder.
For online documents, prepare a one page reference sheet, which will list the client's or colleague's names, document's names, directories / category for filing, type of documents in any format, and accompanying material in paper format. Not all documents are electronic as we still work with hard copies.
3. Notes for each meeting
This is a good time to do additional brainstorming and who knows, maybe something new will come to light, or other factors will come into play. Review and adjust notes.
Prepare an agenda and itemize all points for discussion in the order you wish to present this in Word. Print this out for your meeting. It is less distracting if you work with a paper copy in front of your client or colleagues than doing this online. Foresee any problems or roadblocks you may encounter, and offer a range of possible solutions. Allow space for comments from the client or questions you need to resolve at a later date. You don’t want to forget to talk about important matters even when they are minute in detail or comments, suggestions, or additional questions your client may have. Have you ever come back from a meeting and forgot to mention something important and have to make that extra phone call? If your schedule is very busy, it is easy to forget no matter how good the memory is.
Prior to meeting, reserve time to work or review documents needed for those meetings. Send a short e-mail message or pick-up the phone to confirm the appointment.
After the meeting, make a list of all items needed to complete the work resulting from the meeting. Enter the time allotted for work in your calendar.
4. Follow-up
Once your work is completed, call or email the client and review or add information to discuss and/or report about. Is it not a welcomed call when you know the service offered is considerate of your time, needs, and of your concerns. This short phone call or email will be valuable time spent for you and your client. This is a good time to make the arrangement for further meetings, if deemed necessary. It is important to allow the client to speak about any pending issues or problems, which were not resolved, or need more attention. Listen carefully, mirror what you hear, and suggest any new ideas, or tell them you will be working on it A.S.A. P. This is valuable feedback and information, and your clients will recognize that you are interested in providing excellent service.
5. Adjust
This is a good time to look at how you prepare yourself for meetings and appointments. Do you come in to the meeting feeling confident? Were you able to present or find all related documents for the meeting? Did you accomplish all that was needed to have a successful meeting? This will come through and your clients and colleagues will no doubt value the effort and time you put into your work and/or presentation.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Use your planner, paper or electronic, properly. Enter all appointments in your calendar and arrange appointments by geographic area. Select a day that you can dedicate to meeting clients or a time period on a specific day(s) of the week, which is suited to ensuring that your goals are in line with your timelines. Respect the time period allotted for the meeting as they need to keep their agenda on schedule as well.
2.Documents
Organize your clients or in-house department files according to the time period set for the meeting, and by client or co-worker. Many tools are available to file paper documents in order of appointments, such as an accordion folder. If you choose to put your papers in a briefcase, enter all documents under client name or category by business function, in a coloured folder.
For online documents, prepare a one page reference sheet, which will list the client's or colleague's names, document's names, directories / category for filing, type of documents in any format, and accompanying material in paper format. Not all documents are electronic as we still work with hard copies.
3. Notes for each meeting
This is a good time to do additional brainstorming and who knows, maybe something new will come to light, or other factors will come into play. Review and adjust notes.
Prepare an agenda and itemize all points for discussion in the order you wish to present this in Word. Print this out for your meeting. It is less distracting if you work with a paper copy in front of your client or colleagues than doing this online. Foresee any problems or roadblocks you may encounter, and offer a range of possible solutions. Allow space for comments from the client or questions you need to resolve at a later date. You don’t want to forget to talk about important matters even when they are minute in detail or comments, suggestions, or additional questions your client may have. Have you ever come back from a meeting and forgot to mention something important and have to make that extra phone call? If your schedule is very busy, it is easy to forget no matter how good the memory is.
Prior to meeting, reserve time to work or review documents needed for those meetings. Send a short e-mail message or pick-up the phone to confirm the appointment.
After the meeting, make a list of all items needed to complete the work resulting from the meeting. Enter the time allotted for work in your calendar.
4. Follow-up
Once your work is completed, call or email the client and review or add information to discuss and/or report about. Is it not a welcomed call when you know the service offered is considerate of your time, needs, and of your concerns. This short phone call or email will be valuable time spent for you and your client. This is a good time to make the arrangement for further meetings, if deemed necessary. It is important to allow the client to speak about any pending issues or problems, which were not resolved, or need more attention. Listen carefully, mirror what you hear, and suggest any new ideas, or tell them you will be working on it A.S.A. P. This is valuable feedback and information, and your clients will recognize that you are interested in providing excellent service.
5. Adjust
This is a good time to look at how you prepare yourself for meetings and appointments. Do you come in to the meeting feeling confident? Were you able to present or find all related documents for the meeting? Did you accomplish all that was needed to have a successful meeting? This will come through and your clients and colleagues will no doubt value the effort and time you put into your work and/or presentation.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Time Management: part 1 of 4
Time management: all those tasks and corresponding documents awaiting your attention.
Is this still a challenge for most of us? With all that stuff hitting us left and right in the office environment, we need to assess and reassess our processes. With our extended world today, it is even more imposing and it becomes a daily struggle to keep on top of all those electronic messages and workload.
"Time is of the essence" is a popular saying that says it all. In business, clients, time management, and efficiency are synonymous with success. If too much time is spent with processes, email management, and finding documents, you will need to assess and define your priorities, your goals, and what needs to be done at the end of each day.
Survey:
Create a spreadsheet and start a survey for the period of one week and log the time it took to find documents and all related material, make phones calls, attend weekly and monthly meetings, and work associated with preparation and post meeting work, all visits with clients, and in marketing.
Begin with listing each major category and log your tasks under each category.
Make a list of tasks for the week and prioritize. Include time for email responses, report writing, drafts and revisions, phone calls, meetings, accounting, and other activities for the week.
Online and manual agendas and calendars:
Use your paper based or electronic calendar. Write your time schedule for the week. Allow room for extra interruptions, and they do occur.
Minimal time period:
Start dealing with tasks that require little time. Get them out of the way. Don't procrastinate with tasks you don't like to do, do them with the same intensity as you would other tasks,and it will soon become a new habit. Tasks ,which do not demand a great deal of effort or thought, can be taken care of quickly and dealt with early in the day. The pile will diminish quickly.
Response to emails that can be handled easily and do not need a lot of your time and attention due to the nature of the message, can be put on the top of the list. The list of emails will shrink considerably since we do get a lot of transitory messages. Phone calls that require you attention can be dealt with immediately.
Maximum time:
Important new and ongoing projects, conference calls, out of town meetings, ongoing activities, which require more than one hour, must be well estimated.
Log the maximum time you think it would require to write a report that day, work with your colleagues on a revised document, attend a meeting, etc. Prioritize and follow simple good practices and the stress and piles will look much better by mid morning.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Is this still a challenge for most of us? With all that stuff hitting us left and right in the office environment, we need to assess and reassess our processes. With our extended world today, it is even more imposing and it becomes a daily struggle to keep on top of all those electronic messages and workload.
"Time is of the essence" is a popular saying that says it all. In business, clients, time management, and efficiency are synonymous with success. If too much time is spent with processes, email management, and finding documents, you will need to assess and define your priorities, your goals, and what needs to be done at the end of each day.
Survey:
Create a spreadsheet and start a survey for the period of one week and log the time it took to find documents and all related material, make phones calls, attend weekly and monthly meetings, and work associated with preparation and post meeting work, all visits with clients, and in marketing.
Begin with listing each major category and log your tasks under each category.
Make a list of tasks for the week and prioritize. Include time for email responses, report writing, drafts and revisions, phone calls, meetings, accounting, and other activities for the week.
Online and manual agendas and calendars:
Use your paper based or electronic calendar. Write your time schedule for the week. Allow room for extra interruptions, and they do occur.
Minimal time period:
Start dealing with tasks that require little time. Get them out of the way. Don't procrastinate with tasks you don't like to do, do them with the same intensity as you would other tasks,and it will soon become a new habit. Tasks ,which do not demand a great deal of effort or thought, can be taken care of quickly and dealt with early in the day. The pile will diminish quickly.
Response to emails that can be handled easily and do not need a lot of your time and attention due to the nature of the message, can be put on the top of the list. The list of emails will shrink considerably since we do get a lot of transitory messages. Phone calls that require you attention can be dealt with immediately.
Maximum time:
Important new and ongoing projects, conference calls, out of town meetings, ongoing activities, which require more than one hour, must be well estimated.
Log the maximum time you think it would require to write a report that day, work with your colleagues on a revised document, attend a meeting, etc. Prioritize and follow simple good practices and the stress and piles will look much better by mid morning.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Multi-tasking: are there too many tasks and documents to be handled in a day?
Does it really work to your advantage?
Dependent on your business, if you are a small firm, you are no doubt faced with working on varied tasks during the day or at the same time, and you must wear many hats. Document management is of upmost importance to your everyday activities such as decision making, workflow processes, and dealing with clients.
What is multi-tasking about anyways? One main consideration is how our brain functions while we are doing more than one task at one time, and how well we do both tasks.
The definition of multi-tasking according to Oxford's Canadian Dictionary of Current English is the execution of a number of tasks at once.
Is that truly possible? In some circumstances, it is, however, at other times, it does not apply. Assess the results to determine how well you have done both jobs. What is the concentration level spent on both tasks? Which task gets the most attention? It is possible to write an important report and talk on the phone at the same time? Is it possible to file paper documents and visualize your next vendor's event? Did a comment distract you and cause you to shift gears? If I am writing an important report for year end, can I also prepare for my next meeting on another matter?
The main concern is about how well we perform while multi-tasking. Am I giving you all of my attention while talking on the phone and writing an important report? Am I risking misfiling a document while planning my next event? Do I risk deleting a document for lack of proper attention to the task? Have you ever been distracted while doing this and you don’t remember what you did with the file, it actually evades you.
What is the ratio of your attention span for each task when multi-tasking? Is it between 80/20 or 60/40? If I am talking on the phone while trying to complete an important task, I find myself getting wrapped up more in the task at hand than in the conversation. Something or someone gets lost in the process.
As an example of multi-tasking in regards to texting and driving, neuroscience has determined that the brain can't pay attention to both tasks. Dr. Oz's television program talked about the impact of doing two things at one time while driving and the article on deadly driving and texting reveals the following information.
"The same part of the brain that you use when you send a text message is the same part of the brain that you need for driving. The prefunctal cortex portion of your brain is used for multi-tasking; if you overload this part of brain,like driving and texting, it has problems functioning correctly. Another part of your brain helps you with spacial orientation, and this portion of your brain is hard to keep intact when you are texting and driving."
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Dependent on your business, if you are a small firm, you are no doubt faced with working on varied tasks during the day or at the same time, and you must wear many hats. Document management is of upmost importance to your everyday activities such as decision making, workflow processes, and dealing with clients.
What is multi-tasking about anyways? One main consideration is how our brain functions while we are doing more than one task at one time, and how well we do both tasks.
The definition of multi-tasking according to Oxford's Canadian Dictionary of Current English is the execution of a number of tasks at once.
Is that truly possible? In some circumstances, it is, however, at other times, it does not apply. Assess the results to determine how well you have done both jobs. What is the concentration level spent on both tasks? Which task gets the most attention? It is possible to write an important report and talk on the phone at the same time? Is it possible to file paper documents and visualize your next vendor's event? Did a comment distract you and cause you to shift gears? If I am writing an important report for year end, can I also prepare for my next meeting on another matter?
The main concern is about how well we perform while multi-tasking. Am I giving you all of my attention while talking on the phone and writing an important report? Am I risking misfiling a document while planning my next event? Do I risk deleting a document for lack of proper attention to the task? Have you ever been distracted while doing this and you don’t remember what you did with the file, it actually evades you.
What is the ratio of your attention span for each task when multi-tasking? Is it between 80/20 or 60/40? If I am talking on the phone while trying to complete an important task, I find myself getting wrapped up more in the task at hand than in the conversation. Something or someone gets lost in the process.
As an example of multi-tasking in regards to texting and driving, neuroscience has determined that the brain can't pay attention to both tasks. Dr. Oz's television program talked about the impact of doing two things at one time while driving and the article on deadly driving and texting reveals the following information.
"The same part of the brain that you use when you send a text message is the same part of the brain that you need for driving. The prefunctal cortex portion of your brain is used for multi-tasking; if you overload this part of brain,like driving and texting, it has problems functioning correctly. Another part of your brain helps you with spacial orientation, and this portion of your brain is hard to keep intact when you are texting and driving."
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Five easy tips on how to keep track of documents in a day of the busy entrepreneur.
1. Classification System/filing system
Do you have a good filing system? Is it set up to assist you in working with daily business activities, for paper and /or electronic documents?
Organization of a filing system/ folders, either for paper or electronic documents, will no doubt relieve you of the constant burden of time and effort spent trying to find those documents.
Start the day with good workflow processes or simple habits, they will help you stay on track. Clear the way and simplify. Remove documents from the desk top, which are no longer needed for the business activities of that day, and file them immediately.
If the volume of paper documents is overwhelming, it may be time to convert to an automated system.
2. Email overflow
Working with distractions from incoming email can cause us to become overwhelmed with all that is on hand to do. First thing, read and decide what needs to be taken care of right away. Prioritize, answer important emails, store yesterday's emails with their attachments, and set aside time for work to be done associated with email or attachments. Flag it and review during the day. Delete unneeded. Close your email and start the day.
3. Projects
Prioritize and determine each phase of the project by steps and allocate time for work and/or discussions during the day, revise changes to the document, ensure that you have an audit trail and assess your progress.
Plan for tomorrow. Gather any documents from the desk top and file in a folder in your basket identified as important or select coloured folders, red for urgent, yellow for meeting etc. If working online, add to your electronic calendar as a task. Make notes on what is a priority for tomorrow and what needs to be done. Don’t rely on your memory.
4. Meetings
Start by planning the meeting at a time that works well for you according to your agenda and the tasks at hand for that day. Adjust your schedule, if necessary. Send an invitation and include time, place and agenda for same day meeting.
Allocate a time period for the last minute details or additional prep time early in the day. Close your email and concentrate. Review prior to meeting, make notes on any foreseen challenges and bring forth solutions.
Come prepared. Gather all related documents and place in a folder identified for that particular meeting. Open your email and find out if there are any changes, absences, or other important matter to be dealt with prior to the meeting. Be aware and prepared for any changes. Bring the agenda.
Pack the laptop if you need to refer to emails, their attachments, or other documents during the meeting. If you are leading the meeting or training others in the process, have a hard copy for each attendee or have them refer to the document online, if provided at the meeting. Have hard copies identified as a meeting copy and avoid confusion about any further revised editions for future meetings, if working with a draft copy. Stamp it and add today's date and ensure that a revision number is identified. If working with a final copy, which is the official record of that document, stamp COPY on the handout of that document or prefer to have it displayed online with proper permissions in place for the attendees.
5. Bringing forward at the end of the day
What needs to happen tomorrow? Take time out at the end of the day to go over any outstanding issues dealing with documents, email and their attachments, and projects.
Prepare a list of important tasks to do first thing in the morning. Simple reminders in your desk top calendar or your electronic calendar will help you plan for tomorrow. Don’t rely on your memory especially if you have a busy schedule. If the system is down, you can refer to important details written in your desk top calendar.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Do you have a good filing system? Is it set up to assist you in working with daily business activities, for paper and /or electronic documents?
Organization of a filing system/ folders, either for paper or electronic documents, will no doubt relieve you of the constant burden of time and effort spent trying to find those documents.
Start the day with good workflow processes or simple habits, they will help you stay on track. Clear the way and simplify. Remove documents from the desk top, which are no longer needed for the business activities of that day, and file them immediately.
If the volume of paper documents is overwhelming, it may be time to convert to an automated system.
2. Email overflow
Working with distractions from incoming email can cause us to become overwhelmed with all that is on hand to do. First thing, read and decide what needs to be taken care of right away. Prioritize, answer important emails, store yesterday's emails with their attachments, and set aside time for work to be done associated with email or attachments. Flag it and review during the day. Delete unneeded. Close your email and start the day.
3. Projects
Prioritize and determine each phase of the project by steps and allocate time for work and/or discussions during the day, revise changes to the document, ensure that you have an audit trail and assess your progress.
Plan for tomorrow. Gather any documents from the desk top and file in a folder in your basket identified as important or select coloured folders, red for urgent, yellow for meeting etc. If working online, add to your electronic calendar as a task. Make notes on what is a priority for tomorrow and what needs to be done. Don’t rely on your memory.
4. Meetings
Start by planning the meeting at a time that works well for you according to your agenda and the tasks at hand for that day. Adjust your schedule, if necessary. Send an invitation and include time, place and agenda for same day meeting.
Allocate a time period for the last minute details or additional prep time early in the day. Close your email and concentrate. Review prior to meeting, make notes on any foreseen challenges and bring forth solutions.
Come prepared. Gather all related documents and place in a folder identified for that particular meeting. Open your email and find out if there are any changes, absences, or other important matter to be dealt with prior to the meeting. Be aware and prepared for any changes. Bring the agenda.
Pack the laptop if you need to refer to emails, their attachments, or other documents during the meeting. If you are leading the meeting or training others in the process, have a hard copy for each attendee or have them refer to the document online, if provided at the meeting. Have hard copies identified as a meeting copy and avoid confusion about any further revised editions for future meetings, if working with a draft copy. Stamp it and add today's date and ensure that a revision number is identified. If working with a final copy, which is the official record of that document, stamp COPY on the handout of that document or prefer to have it displayed online with proper permissions in place for the attendees.
5. Bringing forward at the end of the day
What needs to happen tomorrow? Take time out at the end of the day to go over any outstanding issues dealing with documents, email and their attachments, and projects.
Prepare a list of important tasks to do first thing in the morning. Simple reminders in your desk top calendar or your electronic calendar will help you plan for tomorrow. Don’t rely on your memory especially if you have a busy schedule. If the system is down, you can refer to important details written in your desk top calendar.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Document tracking and its new destination as an active document
Revisions and more revisions, where did it end? Who has the final copy and who is the keeper of the final revised copy?
Are the revisions noted and did the final copy become the official record of that document and so noted? Are you aware of the last time someone in the company edited information pertaining to a document? Was the number of the latest revision duly added in sequence and noted? Is there a document trail of all of this?
For a document to be considered reliable and authentic, one of the many considerations to be aware of is that the document is created, managed by the company, and all changes made to the document as a collaborative effort are recorded and tracked.
In recording all revisions, once the final copy is approved and no more revisions are allowed, it becomes the official copy. Any further revisions would need to be approved by the custodian of the official copy, usually the person in the department who is assigned as the keeper of that official copy as an active document. The final copy can be shared with other colleagues while restrictions can be applied. For instance, all documents in finance are available to view by the department only.
Companies who work with an automated system for their document management will most likely have control over the process of identifying each revision and access privileges. This process is easily established along with the workflow processes and is set up from the very beginning in regards to the creation of a document in a department and/or small company. All changes are monitored and identified.
If you are working with paper based documents, assign a new revision number for each edited copy. If sending the revised copy by email to be edited by other colleagues, ensure that the policies are understood in regards to monitoring and numbering the newly revised copy. When the final copy is accepted, the responsibility of safeguarding the official copy will be handed over to a custodian. This can be the department head or other designated keeper and established early in the process of creating the document.
If additional copies are made of the official copy, it is best that employees identify it as a copy and share that information with the custodian. Employees can verify with company policies in regards to the management of copies and the housing of these copies.
Sound tedious? There is nothing worse than working with the wrong edited version or not knowing if the final copy is truly the approved official document. This will also hep you with the inventory and knowing how many copies are held in your company of each official document. If someone leaves, you will be able to identify these documents as copies.
Incorporate this in your procedures for employees to be aware of and to be put into practice. I realize that many of us make copies of documents, from the electronic copy or from another format and file it away. If you have a central repository for documents, everyone can view the documents online, if permissions are in place for all to view, or borrow the hard copy from a central filing system, with control to borrowing privileges for access and retrieval.
Why all the fuss you say? What are the advantages to tracking? You will recognize and store the final revised copy as the official copy and it will be identified as such, tracked, and stored with a custodian who would also have access privileges for you and your staff, if shared online. The document will be stored in a format that is acceptable and readable, with a visible audit trail, the keeper of the document or department identified, and access privileges in place to safeguard the original final copy. This will save you time and money for storage, especially if paper based, and protect the final copy from future changes, unless authorized. This will also save time in trying to assess which, where, and whom has the final copy, and when the last changes were made to the document. If asked to present this document for whatever reason that may be, you are ready.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Are the revisions noted and did the final copy become the official record of that document and so noted? Are you aware of the last time someone in the company edited information pertaining to a document? Was the number of the latest revision duly added in sequence and noted? Is there a document trail of all of this?
For a document to be considered reliable and authentic, one of the many considerations to be aware of is that the document is created, managed by the company, and all changes made to the document as a collaborative effort are recorded and tracked.
In recording all revisions, once the final copy is approved and no more revisions are allowed, it becomes the official copy. Any further revisions would need to be approved by the custodian of the official copy, usually the person in the department who is assigned as the keeper of that official copy as an active document. The final copy can be shared with other colleagues while restrictions can be applied. For instance, all documents in finance are available to view by the department only.
Companies who work with an automated system for their document management will most likely have control over the process of identifying each revision and access privileges. This process is easily established along with the workflow processes and is set up from the very beginning in regards to the creation of a document in a department and/or small company. All changes are monitored and identified.
If you are working with paper based documents, assign a new revision number for each edited copy. If sending the revised copy by email to be edited by other colleagues, ensure that the policies are understood in regards to monitoring and numbering the newly revised copy. When the final copy is accepted, the responsibility of safeguarding the official copy will be handed over to a custodian. This can be the department head or other designated keeper and established early in the process of creating the document.
If additional copies are made of the official copy, it is best that employees identify it as a copy and share that information with the custodian. Employees can verify with company policies in regards to the management of copies and the housing of these copies.
Sound tedious? There is nothing worse than working with the wrong edited version or not knowing if the final copy is truly the approved official document. This will also hep you with the inventory and knowing how many copies are held in your company of each official document. If someone leaves, you will be able to identify these documents as copies.
Incorporate this in your procedures for employees to be aware of and to be put into practice. I realize that many of us make copies of documents, from the electronic copy or from another format and file it away. If you have a central repository for documents, everyone can view the documents online, if permissions are in place for all to view, or borrow the hard copy from a central filing system, with control to borrowing privileges for access and retrieval.
Why all the fuss you say? What are the advantages to tracking? You will recognize and store the final revised copy as the official copy and it will be identified as such, tracked, and stored with a custodian who would also have access privileges for you and your staff, if shared online. The document will be stored in a format that is acceptable and readable, with a visible audit trail, the keeper of the document or department identified, and access privileges in place to safeguard the original final copy. This will save you time and money for storage, especially if paper based, and protect the final copy from future changes, unless authorized. This will also save time in trying to assess which, where, and whom has the final copy, and when the last changes were made to the document. If asked to present this document for whatever reason that may be, you are ready.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Monday, February 14, 2011
Five top reasons to organize your documents, paper based and/or electronic records.
1. Litigation risk:
Reduced litigation risk is of prime importance to specific industries, however,I think it is a concern to anyone operating a business. Evidence needed to reconstruct facts is a major reason for managing your business records.
There are guidelines in managing business documents companies can adopt to enhance their regular routines so that their documents can be found in a state that can be presented, if need be. Other concerns such as how long to keep or toss your documents is another facet of document management, which applies to good practices and goes hand in hand with litigation.
Not only will poorly managed documents reflect a relaxed approach to organizing important documents, it may cause a business to become vulnerable to serious legal issues.
2.Regulatory compliance:
Some industries are regulated and must comply with some form of recordkeeping obligations from the time the document is created to its disposal. Therefore, all records, which are maintained and accessible in case of audits, will be readily available.
3.Finding the right document:
Finding the right document for any business activity will bring forth improved efficiency. Working with clients and/ or colleagues on a project requires you to work with all related documents associated with each project efficiently, including revisions and their final copy.
Spending too much time finding any document, no matter the format, including email, will be costly overall. Statistics Canada has documented the findings of lost or misfiled documents. 7.5 % of documents are lost and 3% of the remaining documents are misfiled. The cost to reproduce a lost document is estimated at $250.00
A lost or misfiled document can have serious business consequences for ongoing activities. Being able to respond to queries from any source requesting information is a valid reason for following best practices for managing documents.
4.Increased productivity:
Working in an organized environment with workflow processes and best practices for document management will relieve stress, add security measures, and increase productivity.
For example, borrowing a document, paper based or electronic, can be set up similar to borrowing a book in a library. There is a need to know who has the document, where it is, who has access to the document and when is it due back. When working with electronic documents, the document can be blocked so that no one else can work on the document at the same time. Once the borrower has finished working with the document, revisions can be identified and access becomes available once again to those who have permission to access the document.
When you do not have a system in place, the checking in or out of documents is no longer controlled. How frustrating is it to be wasting time and energy finding those documents, be it paper based or electronic.
5.Cost savings:
Having a records management system is not only advisable, it will save you money in the long run. Lost or misfiled documents will be decreased and the cost for recovery of documents will be minimal. Storage costs will be reduced if working with practices as to how long to keep or toss documents.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Reduced litigation risk is of prime importance to specific industries, however,I think it is a concern to anyone operating a business. Evidence needed to reconstruct facts is a major reason for managing your business records.
There are guidelines in managing business documents companies can adopt to enhance their regular routines so that their documents can be found in a state that can be presented, if need be. Other concerns such as how long to keep or toss your documents is another facet of document management, which applies to good practices and goes hand in hand with litigation.
Not only will poorly managed documents reflect a relaxed approach to organizing important documents, it may cause a business to become vulnerable to serious legal issues.
2.Regulatory compliance:
Some industries are regulated and must comply with some form of recordkeeping obligations from the time the document is created to its disposal. Therefore, all records, which are maintained and accessible in case of audits, will be readily available.
3.Finding the right document:
Finding the right document for any business activity will bring forth improved efficiency. Working with clients and/ or colleagues on a project requires you to work with all related documents associated with each project efficiently, including revisions and their final copy.
Spending too much time finding any document, no matter the format, including email, will be costly overall. Statistics Canada has documented the findings of lost or misfiled documents. 7.5 % of documents are lost and 3% of the remaining documents are misfiled. The cost to reproduce a lost document is estimated at $250.00
A lost or misfiled document can have serious business consequences for ongoing activities. Being able to respond to queries from any source requesting information is a valid reason for following best practices for managing documents.
4.Increased productivity:
Working in an organized environment with workflow processes and best practices for document management will relieve stress, add security measures, and increase productivity.
For example, borrowing a document, paper based or electronic, can be set up similar to borrowing a book in a library. There is a need to know who has the document, where it is, who has access to the document and when is it due back. When working with electronic documents, the document can be blocked so that no one else can work on the document at the same time. Once the borrower has finished working with the document, revisions can be identified and access becomes available once again to those who have permission to access the document.
When you do not have a system in place, the checking in or out of documents is no longer controlled. How frustrating is it to be wasting time and energy finding those documents, be it paper based or electronic.
5.Cost savings:
Having a records management system is not only advisable, it will save you money in the long run. Lost or misfiled documents will be decreased and the cost for recovery of documents will be minimal. Storage costs will be reduced if working with practices as to how long to keep or toss documents.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Inventory and safety tips for vital documents for disaster recovery
Emergency document safety.
Begin the process with the assessment and identification of those vital documents, which need to be protected from disaster, in order to resume business with the least delay and distress.
Proceed with an inventory of these documents and identify the documents. For example, include in your report the type of business function they address, why they have been selected, and where they are located including the format. Take into consideration what assets are to be protected, be it legal, financial, your obligations to employees, customers, stockholders, and of importance to marketing and your business plan. Include all work in progress of importance, review and add to the list. Distribute your report to the individual who is assigned for the recovery process and secure it in protective storage.
For the inventory, you may set up a book on Excel and divide the documents into three different categories: crucial, important and useful or use a template for vital records inventory. You will save time, money and frustration in resuming business. It will simplify the whole process and allow for a smooth return to doing business. If you are automated, this will facilitate the process as they will be indentified as such with pertinent details.
Give a description to the documents such as the business function they belong to, why they are selected, add the value of importance, and include the protection method being used.
Protective storage can be either onsite or offsite. Onsite is less recommended and is riskier. Your best bet is to choose another method of storage. Offsite is best suited and is recommended for both paper and electronic files. Dispersal of information is available with many options to consider. You can have the data duplicated or replicated with an alternative site. You can select an offsite record center, which takes into consideration many facets of storage such as the media it is stored in, the conditions it needs to maintain to save the integrity of the material being stored, and who has access to the documents. Choose a center not too far away for ease of access and retrieval. Another popular outlet for storage is to send documents to a third party service such as electronic vaulting. Overall, do some research and inquire about the service, the type of storage you choose, and ensure that all security measures are in place for your company business documents.
What ever storage solution you choose to adopt for your documents, ensure that it is suitable for ease of access and protection. The sensitivity of material protected is also of concern to your business and employees.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Begin the process with the assessment and identification of those vital documents, which need to be protected from disaster, in order to resume business with the least delay and distress.
Proceed with an inventory of these documents and identify the documents. For example, include in your report the type of business function they address, why they have been selected, and where they are located including the format. Take into consideration what assets are to be protected, be it legal, financial, your obligations to employees, customers, stockholders, and of importance to marketing and your business plan. Include all work in progress of importance, review and add to the list. Distribute your report to the individual who is assigned for the recovery process and secure it in protective storage.
For the inventory, you may set up a book on Excel and divide the documents into three different categories: crucial, important and useful or use a template for vital records inventory. You will save time, money and frustration in resuming business. It will simplify the whole process and allow for a smooth return to doing business. If you are automated, this will facilitate the process as they will be indentified as such with pertinent details.
Give a description to the documents such as the business function they belong to, why they are selected, add the value of importance, and include the protection method being used.
Protective storage can be either onsite or offsite. Onsite is less recommended and is riskier. Your best bet is to choose another method of storage. Offsite is best suited and is recommended for both paper and electronic files. Dispersal of information is available with many options to consider. You can have the data duplicated or replicated with an alternative site. You can select an offsite record center, which takes into consideration many facets of storage such as the media it is stored in, the conditions it needs to maintain to save the integrity of the material being stored, and who has access to the documents. Choose a center not too far away for ease of access and retrieval. Another popular outlet for storage is to send documents to a third party service such as electronic vaulting. Overall, do some research and inquire about the service, the type of storage you choose, and ensure that all security measures are in place for your company business documents.
What ever storage solution you choose to adopt for your documents, ensure that it is suitable for ease of access and protection. The sensitivity of material protected is also of concern to your business and employees.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Monday, January 31, 2011
Earthquake document safety drill
Earthquake document safety drill.
Whether it is an earthquake, a fire, or flooding, are you ready in case of a disaster? Are your vital business documents protected?
There was an earthquake drill on January 26th at 10:00 am organized by BC Earthquake Alliance called ShakeOut BC. Even though earthquakes do not occur often in the North Okanagan, according to North Okanagan Emergency Management (NOEM), there is some significant risk.
Three basic steps were outlined: Drop, Cover, Hold. As we know, practice is important.
Do you have a vital records emergency plan in place for your business documents? For some companies, this may not cause any disruptions while it may be of serious consequences to others who are not prepared.
Are you vital records organized and protected? What are vital records? These are the business documents, which are vital to the recovery of your business in case of disaster. Not only is it costly and time consuming to find and recreate those documents, it is crucial to your organization to be able to do business. It is about the protection of your assets, human resources, and priorities associated with business functions. As for your clients, your reputation as a reliable company may also be at risk, and this may impede on how they do business with your firm.
Do you have a plan for disaster recovery? Are you waiting for a disaster to happen? Are these documents safeguarded in-house and/or protected elsewhere? Are they saved in an acceptable format? Microfilm is one option for storage.
Who is involved in the process? Assign someone to become responsible for this area of critical business in coordination with senior administration and/or the owner to lead the project. Align the plan with the company's mission and objectives and create a committee. If you are a sole proprietor, get some input from other colleagues in your field of business or ask for assistance from a professional service.
Start with a plan. First of all, determine what type of documents fit this category. Critical business functions, financial, human resource, and legal considerations are all vital to your organization.
Do the inventory and save your documents in the best format or consider other technologies available for storage of data. Be aware of new technology, the benefits and drawbacks, and select what is best for your business.
Other considerations include allocating a temporary location for staff to meet as soon as business resumes. Have an emergency telephone list and a call plan to advise staff. Decide who has the permission to access all vital documents in your plan and who is to show up as the first emergency responders. Enforce regular drills. Adjust, review and be ready.
For more information on earthquake preparedness for personal safety, visit www.shakeoutBC.ca.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Whether it is an earthquake, a fire, or flooding, are you ready in case of a disaster? Are your vital business documents protected?
There was an earthquake drill on January 26th at 10:00 am organized by BC Earthquake Alliance called ShakeOut BC. Even though earthquakes do not occur often in the North Okanagan, according to North Okanagan Emergency Management (NOEM), there is some significant risk.
Three basic steps were outlined: Drop, Cover, Hold. As we know, practice is important.
Do you have a vital records emergency plan in place for your business documents? For some companies, this may not cause any disruptions while it may be of serious consequences to others who are not prepared.
Are you vital records organized and protected? What are vital records? These are the business documents, which are vital to the recovery of your business in case of disaster. Not only is it costly and time consuming to find and recreate those documents, it is crucial to your organization to be able to do business. It is about the protection of your assets, human resources, and priorities associated with business functions. As for your clients, your reputation as a reliable company may also be at risk, and this may impede on how they do business with your firm.
Do you have a plan for disaster recovery? Are you waiting for a disaster to happen? Are these documents safeguarded in-house and/or protected elsewhere? Are they saved in an acceptable format? Microfilm is one option for storage.
Who is involved in the process? Assign someone to become responsible for this area of critical business in coordination with senior administration and/or the owner to lead the project. Align the plan with the company's mission and objectives and create a committee. If you are a sole proprietor, get some input from other colleagues in your field of business or ask for assistance from a professional service.
Start with a plan. First of all, determine what type of documents fit this category. Critical business functions, financial, human resource, and legal considerations are all vital to your organization.
Do the inventory and save your documents in the best format or consider other technologies available for storage of data. Be aware of new technology, the benefits and drawbacks, and select what is best for your business.
Other considerations include allocating a temporary location for staff to meet as soon as business resumes. Have an emergency telephone list and a call plan to advise staff. Decide who has the permission to access all vital documents in your plan and who is to show up as the first emergency responders. Enforce regular drills. Adjust, review and be ready.
For more information on earthquake preparedness for personal safety, visit www.shakeoutBC.ca.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Organizing your business receipts for taxes
Organizing your business receipts for tax time.
Whether you are preparing to do your own taxes or sending them off to a professional service, it is always a good practice to keep all of your receipts in order on a regular basis as this will save you time, money, and the agony of doing this at the last minute. Develop a method and follow it diligently, this will ease the burden at the end of the year or around tax time.
You have many options today to help you organize those receipts and time and effort will be the deciding factor as to what system you will adopt. You can set up a manual filing system, create an electronic document filing system and scan your documents, or outsource the task.
Small receipts are unavoidable such as cash register slips, store receipts, or credit card slips. They are not always clearly defined as to what was purchased and the dates can cause some concern over the month and day depending on the convention used such as 2011/07/08, is it July or August? Most retail stores in Canada work with day, month and year. Begin with writing the date on the receipt and the item you purchased. If you are folding the receipt, fold it with the printed side open to view especially when traveling, it takes very little to mistake it for just an old piece of paper. I always put all my travel receipts in an envelope and take care of writing down the information immediately until I scan them. You can also take a photo of the receipt and send it to your office in case of loss. However, the copy should be clear and easily read. Keep all your paper receipts. You may want to verify that all is entered in your system properly.
Basic System:
To organize a manual filing system for your receipts, you can do this by purchasing coloured hanging folders with each category written on each tab, which can help you with quick filing or you can also slip them in an accordion file by main categories under each tab. Add up your receipts monthly and attach the subtotal to the receipts by month.
EXCEL:
If using Excel, create the main categories and enter your receipts with all pertinent information, date, item, store or company, notes, category and sub total for every month or at the end of the year. You can simply file them in their appropriate folder by category with the monthly sub total. A bit more tedious and does require discipline.
Scanning and creating electronic folders:
If creating electronic folders, create the categories, scan the documents, rename the image and drop them into the correct folder. Keep the paper copies and calculate the monthly or quarterly total. Send the attachment to your email or mail your lists organized by category with total amounts for each category.
Categories:
Major categories to consider when developing your folders: assets, associations/memberships, auto/fuel catering , bank/checks, CD and books, conference and meetings, entertainment/restaurants, invoices paid, gifts, marketing material, office equipment, professional courses and training, professional services, purchase for resale, seminars and workshops, shipping and postage, travel expenses, utilities etc.
Outsourcing:
For the small business owner, time can be a factor and for others, it may simply be that they prefer to put everything in a box and leave it to someone else to work on it.
You can select a service and outsource the task. The documents are usually mailed to be scanned and returned to you within a short period of time. However, inquire as to what type of tracking system is in place, does the company provide a tracking file of your parcel or envelope or is it tracked by the postal service? If you are concerned with the loss of receipts and documents by sending them off in the mail to a service, find someone who may be able to do this for you in your own business community.
Portable scanners:
Today, there are wonderful choices for scanners with a software program included, which saves a lot of time with setting up categories. Find out if they allow you add and tailor the categories for filing. In most cases, the software program is compatible with various accounting software programs. Ask your accountant or bookkeeper for the accounting software program they consider to be the best.
You can also purchase a small scanner if you prefer and scan each receipt immediately at your office. If you have a small portable scanner, you can scan your receipts and send immediately to your office when traveling or after meetings outside your office.
Portable scanner:
Visit this Website for some of the tips and more information on selecting a portable scanner.
Source: http://www.squidoo.com/travel-scanner#
Francine Renaud Records Management Consultant http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Whether you are preparing to do your own taxes or sending them off to a professional service, it is always a good practice to keep all of your receipts in order on a regular basis as this will save you time, money, and the agony of doing this at the last minute. Develop a method and follow it diligently, this will ease the burden at the end of the year or around tax time.
You have many options today to help you organize those receipts and time and effort will be the deciding factor as to what system you will adopt. You can set up a manual filing system, create an electronic document filing system and scan your documents, or outsource the task.
Small receipts are unavoidable such as cash register slips, store receipts, or credit card slips. They are not always clearly defined as to what was purchased and the dates can cause some concern over the month and day depending on the convention used such as 2011/07/08, is it July or August? Most retail stores in Canada work with day, month and year. Begin with writing the date on the receipt and the item you purchased. If you are folding the receipt, fold it with the printed side open to view especially when traveling, it takes very little to mistake it for just an old piece of paper. I always put all my travel receipts in an envelope and take care of writing down the information immediately until I scan them. You can also take a photo of the receipt and send it to your office in case of loss. However, the copy should be clear and easily read. Keep all your paper receipts. You may want to verify that all is entered in your system properly.
Basic System:
To organize a manual filing system for your receipts, you can do this by purchasing coloured hanging folders with each category written on each tab, which can help you with quick filing or you can also slip them in an accordion file by main categories under each tab. Add up your receipts monthly and attach the subtotal to the receipts by month.
EXCEL:
If using Excel, create the main categories and enter your receipts with all pertinent information, date, item, store or company, notes, category and sub total for every month or at the end of the year. You can simply file them in their appropriate folder by category with the monthly sub total. A bit more tedious and does require discipline.
Scanning and creating electronic folders:
If creating electronic folders, create the categories, scan the documents, rename the image and drop them into the correct folder. Keep the paper copies and calculate the monthly or quarterly total. Send the attachment to your email or mail your lists organized by category with total amounts for each category.
Categories:
Major categories to consider when developing your folders: assets, associations/memberships, auto/fuel catering , bank/checks, CD and books, conference and meetings, entertainment/restaurants, invoices paid, gifts, marketing material, office equipment, professional courses and training, professional services, purchase for resale, seminars and workshops, shipping and postage, travel expenses, utilities etc.
Outsourcing:
For the small business owner, time can be a factor and for others, it may simply be that they prefer to put everything in a box and leave it to someone else to work on it.
You can select a service and outsource the task. The documents are usually mailed to be scanned and returned to you within a short period of time. However, inquire as to what type of tracking system is in place, does the company provide a tracking file of your parcel or envelope or is it tracked by the postal service? If you are concerned with the loss of receipts and documents by sending them off in the mail to a service, find someone who may be able to do this for you in your own business community.
Portable scanners:
Today, there are wonderful choices for scanners with a software program included, which saves a lot of time with setting up categories. Find out if they allow you add and tailor the categories for filing. In most cases, the software program is compatible with various accounting software programs. Ask your accountant or bookkeeper for the accounting software program they consider to be the best.
You can also purchase a small scanner if you prefer and scan each receipt immediately at your office. If you have a small portable scanner, you can scan your receipts and send immediately to your office when traveling or after meetings outside your office.
Portable scanner:
Visit this Website for some of the tips and more information on selecting a portable scanner.
Source: http://www.squidoo.com/travel-scanner#
Francine Renaud Records Management Consultant http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Monday, January 10, 2011
Selection of a document management software program
Check list for the selection of a document management software program
If you are thinking of converting to a paperless environment, it is important to assess various software programs for document management and your business needs.
A few tips on what software to select for your business documents. I would like to present to you 5 major points to keep in mind when purchasing a document software program.
First of all, access and retrieval are key components.
1. Searching
Searching is vital and quick access and retrieval to documents for a specific purpose in every day activities is crucial to saving time, money and increasing productivity.
Is it easy to find those important documents? Does it have an advanced search option? Can you search by fields such as client name and/or file number, type of document, keywords, notes or description of document, title of document, format such as PDF, paper, or microfilm, by geographic location, or other fields of interest to your industry? Are you able to search both file content or properties, or by metadata? Find out how you can search for your business documents.
The filing system may or may not be customized. If you have a program, which offers a customized filing system, it is advisable that it can be tailored to suit your industry needs. Can you add extra codes for filing? Which system is being used for filing? Will you be able to categorize your documents according to your day to day business activities, such as invoicing, purchasing, specific types of reports, drawings, legal documents and more?
2. Tracking of revisions
Tracking is also important. With each document, revisions are made over time and must be tracked. You need to know which revision is the latest and which document will be the final copy. Is there a document trail of your revisions?
3. Check-in and check out
How much time does an employee spend searching for a document, which has been borrowed? Similar to your local library, there can be a loans component for this purpose. Who has what, where the document is located at the time of borrowing, when is it due back or when was it returned.
A software program can also remove access to other employees once a document has been checked out by an employee for purposes of editing the document. No one will have access to the document until it is checked back in. This will ensure that not more than one person can edit a document at the same time.
4. Security
It is important to have a security level set up for access to documents. Some documents can be viewed by all employees and other documents should not be available for viewing. Some documents can be set up for reading only while others may be set up for editing only. In some cases, some groups of documents may only be available to the department such as HR employees.
5. Reporting
Do you have the choice to select a reporting system? Can documents be sorted by date or by type of document report? Can you generate reports from your search?
Automation:
Additional functions are available to software programs for document management. These check points are valuable to your selection and should not to be considered as a comprehensive list.
Francine Renaud Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988 Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Monday, December 6, 2010
Document management outsourcing
OUTSOURCING FOR DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
Outsourcing services have been in effect for some time, especially for business operations.
Companies choose to outsource specific tasks for many reasons. Sometimes, they are involved in new projects, which require additional expertise outside of their services or may be dealing with lack of support staff, need additional help for a short period of time, or are working with time constraints.
What ever the reason, outsourcing can bring your company many benefits to your busy schedule. If you are a small firm, outsourcing can bring you some relief in getting the project started and/or completed. The learning curve in acquiring new skills for a specific task may cause inconveniences and encumber business activities at that time. It is important to weight factors prior to deciding if outsourcing is right for your company. The financial commitment versus productivity can be the biggest factor. If efficiency and productivity are a concern, will you consider this option to be worthwhile?
In regards to document management, consultants can be hired to assess your business documents, the classification system required for access and retrieval of documents, analyze the workflow, the existing system for the management of documents, and provide you with a report with recommendations. A plan for the implementation of a management program can be tailored to suit your needs and launched according to the process for delivery of the program.
There is still a significant amount of paper in most offices and some companies choose to become paperless. This requires time and knowledge of working with a software program for scanning and indexing and understanding the implications of adding new documents to the program. Document preparation, inspection and quality checks of scanned documents and post document checks, rejects and the added time involved in starting over are time consuming for the average office to commit to. Indexing documents, which includes data entry, establishing the metadata structure for similar document types and description of documents, is part of the process, depending on the software program. If there is a budget to hire and outsource, the conversion process is less painful. While other companies may decide to work on their own and accomplish this venture over time and train staff, if that option is best for your needs, most vendors will provide training and support with the purchase of their document software program.
The inconvenience caused to the business and to staff can be resolved in working with documents, which are not referred to as often and starting with less important files. This process can be done in batches and depending on the volume, within a reasonable time frame. Also, some companies prefer to continue to work with paper and electronic documents and would require a system, which would handle both formats and create a relationship between these formats. This can be accomplished and many other options are available to them if they prefer to convert over time and work with a hybrid environment of both paper and electronic documents. As a consultant, I understand the need to discuss all of the options available to you in regards to document management.
What are some of the questions, not exclusively, you may want to ask the service provider in regards to an automated document management system? What is the turn around time? What is the process used to ensure quality control of documents being scanned? What are the indexing features and the class or category for identifying business documents being used? What other features are available for searching documents when using the software program? Access and retrieval of documents are key components to document management as well as access rights. Document management requires a good system and program to work effectively and efficiently.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988 Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
What is the life cycle of a document?
What is the life cycle of a document?
The life cycle begins once a document is created or received in an organization to its use or distribution and then to its final stage, storage or destruction. The life cycle of documents applies to both hard copy and electronic records. The term document is replaced with the term record in this article.
"A record is recorded information, regardless of medium or characteristics, made or received by an organization in pursuance of legal obligation or in the transaction of business."
We can arrange records in three categories: active, semi-active and inactive.
The reference activity scale will help you position the record in its right place throughout the cycle. Records are assets and have value to the business. Some records may have a short lived shelf life while other records may be retained for certain period of time or permanently. Ask yourself these questions. How often do you refer to it? What is the value of the record to your organization?
The value of the record will have an impact on what you will do with the record, keep or toss, and is determined by the administrative, operational, legal, fiscal, reference, scholarly, or historic/archival purpose. Once the value of the record is zero, it is of no further use to the company.
The active phase relates to the record being consulted frequently and supports the business activities on a regular basis.
The semi-active record, which is referred to on occasion, is removed from the active phase/ files and is considered to be part of the inactive phase. It still may be kept to fulfill regulatory obligations.
The inactive record is rarely referred to. Some records will be kept for a determined period of time while others will be kept permanently. The permanent record is kept for future reference, either for legal, historical or scholarly purposes, for the entire life of the company and sometimes beyond ownership.
The selection of a classification system will ensure ease of access and retrieval of your business records for the right purpose and at the right time.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988 Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
The life cycle begins once a document is created or received in an organization to its use or distribution and then to its final stage, storage or destruction. The life cycle of documents applies to both hard copy and electronic records. The term document is replaced with the term record in this article.
"A record is recorded information, regardless of medium or characteristics, made or received by an organization in pursuance of legal obligation or in the transaction of business."
We can arrange records in three categories: active, semi-active and inactive.
The reference activity scale will help you position the record in its right place throughout the cycle. Records are assets and have value to the business. Some records may have a short lived shelf life while other records may be retained for certain period of time or permanently. Ask yourself these questions. How often do you refer to it? What is the value of the record to your organization?
The value of the record will have an impact on what you will do with the record, keep or toss, and is determined by the administrative, operational, legal, fiscal, reference, scholarly, or historic/archival purpose. Once the value of the record is zero, it is of no further use to the company.
The active phase relates to the record being consulted frequently and supports the business activities on a regular basis.
The semi-active record, which is referred to on occasion, is removed from the active phase/ files and is considered to be part of the inactive phase. It still may be kept to fulfill regulatory obligations.
The inactive record is rarely referred to. Some records will be kept for a determined period of time while others will be kept permanently. The permanent record is kept for future reference, either for legal, historical or scholarly purposes, for the entire life of the company and sometimes beyond ownership.
The selection of a classification system will ensure ease of access and retrieval of your business records for the right purpose and at the right time.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988 Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Overview of Records Management
organizations.
Major objectives are:
•Recordkeeping compliance including legal, fiscal and administrative obligations
•Timely access and retrieval of records
•Reduction of storage costs due to retention periods and disposition of documents no longer needed
Records: recorded information in any format made or received by an organization for business activities, legal or administrative.
Our benefits and solutions:
•Automated systems reduce time associated with complex document retrieval
•Compliance with legal requirements for recordkeeping reduces risks
•Ease of quick access and retrieval of documents increases productivity
•Effective systems contribute to profitability and efficiency
•Expedition of tasks which rely on timely availability reduce labour costs
•Identification of vital records and protection of records ensure recovery due to disaster
•Retention schedules help ensure what to keep and how long to keep
•Storage space is minimized due to the disposition of documents and helps reduce costs
Francine Renaud Records
Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Why and how you should manage your documents
You are on the phone with a client and you are asked to find a document. How long does it take you to find that document and other documents related to that topic or document, either electronic or paper copy? Do you have several revisions of this copy? Have you kept a copy of the last revision? Did you keep all of the revisions? Is it necessary to keep all of the drafts? Should you keep only the final approved copy and designate it as the official record kept and secured with access privileges?
Where are the documents needed for you to address a question from any outside partners, a client, a colleague, administration or the government?
Did it take you more that 15 seconds? The more time it takes, the more frustrated the situation can become and the consequences can even be serious.
What message are you sending out! Disorganization and mismanagement of documents can send the wrong impression about your business and attention may be given to the lack of good business practices.
Businesses, small and large, are responsible for their business activities and must protect their documents.
If you are organized and your documents, in any format, are easy to retrieve, the benefits are many. You avoid embarrassment, you look good in front of your clients, and your work day is less stressful. Clients value your sense of good business practices and you infuse confidence in your business relations.
If any government body is requesting any document, especially for e-discovery in case of litigation, you can feel confident about the retrieval of all documents and avoid possible fines and penalties.
How do you resolve this dilemma? A classification system will assist you and ensure that you are following a prescribed form of access and retrieval of documents. The arrangement of your documents can be organized to suit your industry and needs for access and retrieval. The retention schedules will be the blueprint to all of your documents and will be incorporated into the classification system.
There are studies in existence, which prove that companies still own paper documents. Some documents are considered legal in paper format only. Some businesses keep only paper documents while others prefer to scan or create documents electronically. If you have electronic records, you may even print off copies from those files. A manual system or a combination of a manual and automated system is available and can tie both the paper and electronic documents to a particular business topic or function. Therefore, all documents can be found with ease.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Did it take you more that 15 seconds? The more time it takes, the more frustrated the situation can become and the consequences can even be serious.
What message are you sending out! Disorganization and mismanagement of documents can send the wrong impression about your business and attention may be given to the lack of good business practices.
Businesses, small and large, are responsible for their business activities and must protect their documents.
If you are organized and your documents, in any format, are easy to retrieve, the benefits are many. You avoid embarrassment, you look good in front of your clients, and your work day is less stressful. Clients value your sense of good business practices and you infuse confidence in your business relations.
If any government body is requesting any document, especially for e-discovery in case of litigation, you can feel confident about the retrieval of all documents and avoid possible fines and penalties.
How do you resolve this dilemma? A classification system will assist you and ensure that you are following a prescribed form of access and retrieval of documents. The arrangement of your documents can be organized to suit your industry and needs for access and retrieval. The retention schedules will be the blueprint to all of your documents and will be incorporated into the classification system.
There are studies in existence, which prove that companies still own paper documents. Some documents are considered legal in paper format only. Some businesses keep only paper documents while others prefer to scan or create documents electronically. If you have electronic records, you may even print off copies from those files. A manual system or a combination of a manual and automated system is available and can tie both the paper and electronic documents to a particular business topic or function. Therefore, all documents can be found with ease.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Start up of a new business documents
As you begin to embark in the start up of a new business, your documents are a valuable asset to your company. Not only do they document your business transactions and activities, they contain vital records which are crucial to the recovery of your business in case of any disaster. Other documents may have a legal, fiscal or historical value and must be kept for certain periods of time. Companies must be responsible for access to their documents and must be compliant with legal recordkeeping requirements , no matter the size of the company.
It is important to consider organizing your documents as quickly as possible if you are to access the records effectively, in a readable format and in a timely manner.
Paper records continue to thrive in most offices. Even though many companies work with electronic records, paper documents are a result of documents which originate in hard copy for various reasons or are printed from electronic records.
When starting up, many of us do not realize how quickly we accumulate records. A record is recorded information in any format. This can become a serious problem even within a year of the start up of your business.
Tracking and easy access to your documents will depend on the system you implement. It is important to identify the documents according to your business functions, select a classification system suited to your industry for filing purposes, either for paper based and/or electronic records, and store your documents, onsite or offsite. More to come on storage in the near future.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
It is important to consider organizing your documents as quickly as possible if you are to access the records effectively, in a readable format and in a timely manner.
Paper records continue to thrive in most offices. Even though many companies work with electronic records, paper documents are a result of documents which originate in hard copy for various reasons or are printed from electronic records.
When starting up, many of us do not realize how quickly we accumulate records. A record is recorded information in any format. This can become a serious problem even within a year of the start up of your business.
Tracking and easy access to your documents will depend on the system you implement. It is important to identify the documents according to your business functions, select a classification system suited to your industry for filing purposes, either for paper based and/or electronic records, and store your documents, onsite or offsite. More to come on storage in the near future.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Business Management Solutions in Kelowna
Business Management Solutions
Computerized Business Document Management Systems
At Time Out to Organize we have found that any business, small or medium size, can benefit from an automated system.
Various levels of automation software programs exist and can be applied to meet a partial or full records management program.
Paper based documents continue to be a part of the workplace environment as well as electronic records. For the more complex and difficult retrieval of records, automation is recommended.
A consultation on various tools for automation and the level of implementation needed for your records management program is available upon request.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Computerized Business Document Management Systems
At Time Out to Organize we have found that any business, small or medium size, can benefit from an automated system.
Various levels of automation software programs exist and can be applied to meet a partial or full records management program.
Paper based documents continue to be a part of the workplace environment as well as electronic records. For the more complex and difficult retrieval of records, automation is recommended.
A consultation on various tools for automation and the level of implementation needed for your records management program is available upon request.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
Retention and Disposition Schedules in Kelowna
Records retention schedules will provide you with the blueprint to your documents.
We will provide you with a timetable of how long to keep or when to dispose of your business documents.
This will ensure that legal, fiscal, historical and administrative recordkeeping requirements are met.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
We will provide you with a timetable of how long to keep or when to dispose of your business documents.
This will ensure that legal, fiscal, historical and administrative recordkeeping requirements are met.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
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