Going Paperless

[EngineerDave]

I have always had trouble with paper. I lose papers, I improperly file them, etc.

I am thinking of going "paperless". While I won't completely eliminate paper, I want to limit it's use.

The core of the plan is to frequently purge paper, scan useful documents, limit how much I print out, etc.

I want an electronic copy of everything, but right now I have a rather slow scanner.

The key issues with a paperless regime now are

1) Scanner. I need a multipage one for color documents. I'm guessing this won't be cheap. One in which you can feed the papers in. Our copy machine does this, but not in color

2) I will have to have a good backup and archive system if my computer crashes. This is already important

3) I will have to remind people to email me documents rather than give me paper copies.

4) I will still work with paper, but once it's no longer of use, it's off to the recycling bin.

Any suggestions?
Am I crazy?

This clean desk feeling is really nice though. I even took down all the papers I had hanging up. People thought i quit the first day I did it.

 

[HgTX]

I probably go through more paper now that we're more "paperless", because instead of having the paper file copy, I print things out when I need them, and then into the recycle bin they go. (Though at least I'm printing out a few pages of a plan set rather than all 1000 pages; really large printouts do get saved for the length of the project.)

I like electronic filing because it's much more searchable. For example, nonconformance letters would typically be filed by project or by company, but with an electronic database of letters I can search by type of nonconformance.

If someone else has set up a folder system you can't control, nothing stops you from creating your own folder system with links to the documents.

Also, using email attachments (even to yourself) as an informal backup system works in a pinch. Often that stuff lives on a server someplace so that even if your laptop is stolen, the email is still around.

The problem with some "paperless" documents is that they're just scans of paper, with no searchable text. That's where it's good to have useful file names; again, you may not have any control over that but you can create a link to the file and name that link whatever you want.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[MotorVib]

Paperless works good for most word, e-mail, PDF, and excel.

But files the I need like contracts ans spec I like to keep a paper copy. (For adding notes and highlighting sections of.)

Drwings are the only are the only thing that I can't do. It is to hard to check drawings any other way then with a printed copy.

I would like to see a was to do it but our file system likes to drop things like differnt views.

Chris

"In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics." Homer Simpson

 

[Drumchaser]

I have been hooked on a thumb drive for awhile now. They really are a useful tool in my world. (versus dragging around pages)

 

[rcooper]

Back when I was a student, we had to pay 5p for every print out we did. It focused the mind on not making "Check prints" of reports and drawings, but making sure everything was right first time, or as near to that as possible. I learnt it is possible to do all your reading, editing, checking and writing without printing things out. It is also slower than having paper copies easily to hand.

So, it is possible to go completely paperless, it's just hard and slow.

 

[KENAT]

rcooper we also had to pay 5p.

Then we discovered the old dot matrix printer in one of the labs didn't have a card reader so was free. So that printed many a check print.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[excognito]

We're just about to move to a new building, part of the goal of which is to be paperless.

Naturally, the first thing we will be given is a large printed folder as part of the introduction ...