Being a technical person, sometimes I tend to jump into implementing a solution to a problem right away. If it is a very small project that approach can work, but I have learned[1] that it can be smart to take a step back and plan out what you are going to do before starting. Crazy talk, I know.
I came across this post by Bill Good: 12 Steps To Near-Paperless Bliss: Part I and in it he makes the case that you should outline both the process for what you are going to do, and the goals for what you want the end result to look like.
In six weeks, those 40 cabinets will be gone, their paper files converted to easily accessible PDF files. Why six weeks? We’re moving and I’m not going to pay thousands of dollars a year to store all that … ‘er … stuff.And we will do it with two $500 scanners!
I am not sure if Bill made his October 21 due date[2], but I really like how he outlined and described both the process and the goals. Well worth it if you are going to be starting a paperless project of a decent size.
He also has a helpful resource page, and I am not just saying that because he had nice things to say about the The Unofficial ScanSnap Setup Guide, though that never hurts.
Have you outlined the goals of your paperless project?
(Photo by oddsock)