“Help!”

• I often lose documents on my computer.
• I don’t know how to set up an electronic filing system.
• I can’t find information on our network that someone else created.

These are common cries when I visit companies and assess their current productivity levels. For the most part, electronic filing systems have never been set up with a master plan. They evolve as the work develops until suddenly the lack of order becomes a serious hindrance to daily productivity.

The computer’s innate search functions can help to some degree but usually not enough to ward off frustration.Fortunately this is an easier situation to deal with than the stacks and boxes of papers that require filing.

Several companies have rushed to the rescue over the past few years with proprietary programs. One of those programs was called LookOut. It worked so well that Microsoft bought it out because it was far superior to their operating system’s Search function.

In addition to being an instant improvement for your electronic document hunt, the program is free. You can download it at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx