Personal Productivity Secrets by Maura Nevel Thomas

Author:Maura Nevel Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

One development that was supposed to bring us closer to a paperless environment was the Electronic Signatures in Global & International Commerce Act (ESGICA), which states that electronic signatures are legal and enforceable. However, this law was passed more than a decade ago, in 2000, and signatures on paper documents are still the more common format. If it were easy to electronically sign soft copies of documents, this would significantly cut down on the need to print out documents, moving society closer to being paperless. However, two current barriers to electronic signature adoption, and to moving to a paperless life in general, are cost and technology challenges.

Cost

A significant obstacle to going paperless is cost: Technology that can replace paper is abundant, but consumer-level options just aren’t always affordable for the average consumer. Optical character recognition (OCR), which is the conversion of scanned documents into actual text that can be edited, holds promise, but most OCR devices that perform well are still prohibitively expensive for wide adoption. In addition, certain industries and the government have been slow to adopt OCR, leaving millions of people with no viable alternative to a paper copy.

Technology Challenges

In addition to the cost, there can be a steep learning curve as one adopts the new technology, and using electronic signatures requires some investment in education and administration. This has further hindered its adoption. The latest version of the Mac operating system, OS X Lion, makes it easier to insert signatures into PDF files using the computer’s built-in camera, but Apple still has such a small market share that it remains to be seen whether this will help move electronic signatures into the mainstream. If you don’t have a Mac and are interested in signing documents electronically, a quick Google search for “electronic signatures,” “electronically sign documents,” or “digital signatures” returns many free options.

Storage

Electronic storage options pose another barrier. Many industries still insist on faxing or mailing physical pieces of paper, and scanning documents for digital storage is still time-consuming and tedious. Document scanning and electronic storage as an industry is growing, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the hype and jargon. As with electronic signature technology, scanning options change frequently, so I hesitate to recommend any specific tools, but the most basic setup is a scanner connected to ample electronic storage space, such as an external hard drive.

Dealing with Business Cards

Electronic business card exchange is another area that, despite apparent popularity, has not yet eliminated the use of paper business cards and the clutter they often create. (Be honest: You have at least one stack of other people’s cards on your desk, don’t you?) Several technology solutions are available for exchanging contact information, including apps and services, although they all still have some drawbacks.

One major disadvantage is that most of these services automatically put the contact into your personal address book, which results in clutter and inefficiency. A question I suggest you ask yourself when receiving a business card is, “Did I make a connection with

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