The trouble with paper is you can’t get organized

Are you the type of person who double-checks the mailbox slot? Checks and rechecks an address (physical or electronic) before sending? Prints fax confirmation pages? … Well, I am! You may call me a worry-wart, but the more important the communication is, the greater the likelihood I’ll wake up at 2am in a cold sweat. So why is it, whenever there’s a life altering communication like mortgage papers, license registration, or releasing a lien, it’s still paper?

Within a business context, you may be the most organized business person in the world with regular client communications, just-in-time operations, and timely billing and collections. What about the person you’re communicating with? How can you ensure that he or she received the required information at the right time (and can find it again)? As well, how do you know if the information was disseminated to other parties as needed on a timely basis? Quite, simply who received what, when is a relative unknown. This is the trouble with paper! It is by very definition an open loop that conspires against getting and staying organized. Of course, there are some interrupt driven processes to help address the paper gap like requiring signatures, but who cares if the receptionist got your letter or package if that becomes its final destination?

The business world has taken a few tentative steps away from paper, but there’s a long way to go. Faxes have long been considered legal documents, but they’re still the only electronic type communication that is! Even with the convenience of faxing compared to “snail mail”, there are still lots of annoying little details to address like, “Did the right person receive it?”, “Was it timely?”, “Was the information shared appropriately?”

Today’s technologies can help you bridge the paper gap efficiently and effectively. Continuing with the fax example, cloud computing services like MyFax bring faxing to your email, smart phone, home, and literally anywhere that’s connected to the web; requires no hardware and software; provides end-to-end electronic tracking, and gives you an electronic record to file away. Paper with an electronic trail in one workflow. Simple, convenient, effective, and best of all organized!

During the month of May, MyFax joins QuickBooks in the Intuit App Center in a special promotion to Get Organized. Promoting the need to improve document management and reduce paper in the office, QuickBooks customers can try MyFax risk free by visiting http://bit.ly/MyFaxGetOrganized. As an added bonus, each use of this service in May includes an automatic submission to win a Kindle. For complete terms and conditions, visit http://bit.ly/IntuitKindle.