| Many of us have heard about it, the fact
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| | space when kept within moderation.
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| that you are reading this article shows
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| | However, over time, this quickly turns
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| that you are interested in it. "Is it
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| | into excess requiring massive amounts of
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| realistic to have a "paperless office"?
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| | storage space. To accommodate this need,
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| What are the benefits of a "paperless
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| | we tend to pack it into file cabinets,
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| office"? Besides, as you read this you
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| | desk drawers and other crevices we find
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| are more than likely surrounded by paper.
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| | that will get it out of our way until it
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| Paper has blossomed into an integrated
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| | is needed again. Since paper does not
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| part of our everyday business and
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| | have the ability to automatically delete
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| personal life, and has become woven into
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| | itself theses piles grow quickly.
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| our mental framework. So is it really
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| | Remember when you had just one file
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| possible to achieve a "paperless office
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| | cabinet? Has that one cabinet now morphed
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| and why should you? Please join me in
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| | into a dedicated file room and offsite
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| examining these questions in a 3 part
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| | storage facilities? What about your own
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| series "So You're Considering a Paperless
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| | personal workspace. Has your working
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| Office." In part 1 we talk about what
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| | area transformed into the paper monster?
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| you should consider when thinking about a
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| | While paper's physical properties makes
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| paperless office. Part 2 examines if it
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| | it easy to lose, misplace, destroy or
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| is realistic to have a paperless office
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| | piled up, it also requires person to
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| and the true expectations you should
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| | person interactions to transfer. Have
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| have. Part 3 discusses finding the right
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| | you ever needed a file from a co-worker
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| paperless office system for your
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| | who was out of the office that day? What
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| organization.
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| | do you do? Like many, you probably
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| SO WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PAPER?
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| | raided their cubicle or office hoping to
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| You can touch it, write on it, and
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| | locate the necessary files. Or have you
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| easily pass it along to others. For the
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| | ever worked outside of the office or
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| most part it is relatively inexpensive
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| | moving between multiple office locations
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| and very abundant. We all use it, from
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| | and realized that you forgot an important
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| business interactions to grocery list,
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| | file? Sure you can have the information
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| without a doubt paper has become an
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| | faxed to you but is that really an
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| integrated part of our everyday life.
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| | optimal solution? In most cases, the
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| Paper appeals to our sense of touch, we
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| | answer is no.
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| can grasp it ("put our finger on it") and
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| | I remember several years back while
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| proclaim we "have it in black and white."
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| | working as a manager for a healthcare
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| It requires very little training to use
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| | management company that had an entire
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| and is extremely easy to manipulate. So
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| | room dedicated to file cabinets in
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| why stop a good thing?
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| | addition to several of the hallways. My
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| Actually, the same qualities that make
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| | daily duties involved sharing
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| paper so favorable causes major
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| | confidential files with several people
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| disadvantages. For example:
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| | throughout the organization and locating
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| - Paper can be Easily Lost or Destroyed
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| | information scattered throughout the mass
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| - Over Time Paper Requires Massive
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| | of file cabinets. While the job was very
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| Storage Space
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| | rewarding and challenging, few days would
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| - Although Paper is Easy to Physically
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| | pass by that were not hampered by the
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| Move Around, It Requires Person to Person
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| | inability to find files that were either
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| Interactions
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| | misfiled, sitting on someone else's desk
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| - Paper is Exceptionally Easy to Copy
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| | or just flat out lost. Although we had
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| PAPER DISADVANTAGES EXAMINED
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| | instituted the use of a sign in and out
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| The very trait that makes paper appeal
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| | sheet when taking files, this was rarely
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| to our sense of touch is the same trait
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| | used. As a result, we lost valuable time
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| that makes it a liability. Just think
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| | on a daily basis.
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| about that last time you've misplaced or
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| | THE REAL BENEFITS OF A PAPERLESS OFFICE
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| lost an important document and the time
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| | While it is relatively easy to calculate
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| spent frantically trying to find it (not
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| | savings from going paperless by looking
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| to mentioning others who have assisted
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| | at your current offsite storage cost,
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| you). Was it thrown out? Accidentally
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| | employee time spent transferring and
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| shredded? Placed back in the wrong spot?
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| | locating files, and rediscovering office
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| The ease at which we use paper makes it
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| | space previously used for storage, the
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| very susceptible to the fast moving
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| | real benefits of moving away from a paper
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| environment we work in. The physical
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| | based operation far outpaces these
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| properties of paper, its thin,
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| | calculated cost. To truly understand
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| lightweight and flexible nature are
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| | these benefits and what they mean to you
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| highly desirable traits, yet these make
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| | and your organization, ask yourself:
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| it very easy to lose, misplace or
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| | ? How important is our data? What if we
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| destroy. Once a paper document has been
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| | lost it all tomorrow, could we maintain
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| destroyed you can never get that document
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| | our operations?
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| back. Of course you can re-create it or
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| | ? Is our data worth protecting from
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| use back up paper copies. But is having
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| | unauthorized usage? Should all employees
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| duplicated copies a good thing? Sure it
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| | have access to all information within our
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| provides you with a backup "in case", but
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| | organization? Is it important to have
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| there are several associated hazards with
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| | the ability to know who as "accessed" our
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| having that. A major problem with this
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| | data?
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| involves documents that contain
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| | ? Are we able to quickly access and find
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| confidential information such as client
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| | information? Is it necessary to have
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| or employee records. In these cases a
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| | remote access to our data?
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| strict accountability of all copies is
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| | ? Can we benefit from never losing a
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| needed, and maybe required by state or
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| | document to an accidental deletion?
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| federal law; therefore each individual
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| | All these questions point to one main
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| having a copy must adhere to the same
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| | question:
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| standards for securing this information.
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| | Is it Important to Have the Ability to
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| Getting people to adhere to these
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| | PROTECT, LOCATE and ACCESS your Data at
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| security measures may prove difficult if
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| | All Times?
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| not impossible at times. A serious
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| | If your answer is yes, then the
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| violation could be something as innocent
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| | paperless office is something you might
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| as leaving an open file on a desk or
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| | want to strongly consider. But is it
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| leaving it unattended in a conference
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| | realistic to have a paperless office? In
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| room. Even the highest levels of our
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| | part 2 of this series we examine the
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| government experiences problems
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| | hurdles to having a paperless office and
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| controlling the release of confidential
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| | the true expectations that should be
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| information. Remember, all it takes is
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| | established.
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| one careless or disgruntled employee to
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| | In part 3 we will discuss "Finding the
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| open the door to disaster.
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| | Right Paperless Office System for Our
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| For the majority of us, the paper we use
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| | Needs"
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| is very thin and occupies very little
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|
