Herding Cats: Managing with Electronic Documents

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Herding Cats Managing with Electronic Documents

• How a better organized computer and email in-box
  can help you save time, money and paper

Presented by Dena Gazin, PaperCuts Coordinator,
Seattle Public Utilities
November 6, 2006
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Cat Herding

• cat herding Doing something difficult or
  impossible
• cat-herding (verb) Persuading a group of
  independently minded people to go in the same
  direction (alt) a difficult, frequently failing
  enterprise in leadership. - Merriam-Webster
• as difficult as herding cats

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Agenda

• Overview of Electronic Documents
• Windows Explorer and File Hierarchy
• Naming Folders and Files
• GroupWise
• Setting up Folders
• Archiving
• Tricks for saving attachments
• Microsoft Office Printing Tricks
• Questions and review

Reminder Please sign-in
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About the Instructor

• Dena Gazin
• 8 years experience managing and organizing
  electronic information (E.g., computers,
  websites, databases)
• Masters degree in Library and Information Science
  (MLIS)
• 3 years working with the City of Seattle
• Department of Neighborhoods
• Office of Sustainability Environment
• Seattle Public Utilities

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Expectations

• What would you like to learn about?
• What do you print on a regular basis? Is there
  anything you wish you could do differently?
• What bothers you the most about saving/accessing
  files electronically?

Note This class provides only an overview on
electronic file management
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Lifecycle of Paper in the workplace
From the US Dept of Energy http//eetd.lbl.gov/pa
per/ideas/html/wpapersuse.htm/
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Your friend, the computer
From http//www.princeton.edu/aiteachs/nttr/file
s/
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_at_! computers
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Electronic Documents

• Easier to find
• Easier to send
• Readily portable
• Easier to store
• Saves trees and water
• USE LESS PAPER
• Hard to find
• Hard to read
• Can print poorly

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Windows Explorer Your computers electronic
filing cabinet
Windows Explorer isnt just that place where
your files are stored, you can also

• Create folders
• Copy files
• Move files
• Rename files
• Open files
• Delete files
• Find/Search files
• Display file information
• File type, size, date created, date modified,
  etc.

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Opening Windows Explorer

• Right click on the Start Menu in the lower left
  of your computers toolbar
• Select Explore
• The next screen you see is Windows Explorer

Keyboard shortcut To quickly open Windows
Explorer from any application, simply hold down
the windows key (next to the Ctrl key) and press
E
Shortcut WINKEY E
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Windows Explorer File Views

• Details
• List
• Thumbnails

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Windows Explorer Adding Columns

• V/Instruction (detail view)
• Place cursor on grey bar and right click
• Select new column header
• Enter

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City of Seattle Managing With Electronic
Documents
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Directory and Folder Structure

• Question on tools
• Location
• Think paper filing cabinet
• Logical and organized
• Lower level folders used to sub-divide the one
  above
• Little to no duplication
• Name
• Organized alphabetically (default)
• Easily understood/ deciphered by others (and
  yourself if viewed later)
• Length should be no more than two words short
  is good!
• Use of Capitalization

• Question on tools
• Location
• Think paper filing cabinet
• Logical and organized
• Lower level folders used to sub-divide the one
  above
• Little to no duplication

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File Hierarchy Exercise
Long names
Important? Subjective, not descriptive
Capitalization hyphen use
New Orleans isnt in the NW
Buried folder. Private under Public
unnecessary
Long name, parentheses, incorrect location (not
in Seattle)
Ballard should come first, hyphens, all caps
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Naming Folders

• Not So Good

• Better
• No folder needed move any files in this folder
  to other more aptly named ones

Bottom-line Use words and terms that make sense
for you and your group
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File Hierarchy Before After
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Naming Files - General

• Choose a name that is easily recognizable
• Include date created or modified
• A word on spacing
• Start general and add on specific details
• Use consistent modifiers and capitalization
• Underscore
• Period
• Hyphen

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Windows Explorer - Exercise

• How do I rename a file or folder?
• Highlight folder or file you wish to rename
• Right click
• Create new name
• How do I move a file into a different folder?
• Make sure Windows Explorer shows two panes
  (folders button is pushed in)
• Click on folder or file you would like moved (I
  prefer to select file/folder from right pane and
  drag to left, but not necessary)
• Holding down the left mouse button, drag to new
  folder
• Release mouse key and drop file into new
  location
• How do I create a shortcut?
• In Right pane Right click on file or folder
• Select Create Shortcut Shortcut appears under
  original
• Drag to new location

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File Management - Saving

• Denas trick!
• Cue Windows Explorer
• Create shortcut to the shared folder you use most
  frequently and place on desktop
• When you need to save/find a file (especially
  useful from GroupWise), click on Desktop first,
  and now your shortcut

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Windows Explorer - Searching

• From Desktop
• Right click on the Start Menu in the lower left
  of your computers toolbar
• Select Search
• The next screen you see is Windows Explorer
  Search Screen

• In Windows Explorer
• Click on Search Button
• CTRL F

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Windows Explorer Searching II

• Select search category
• Select criteria
• Date
• Document Name
• Advanced Options
• Date
• Document name
• Word of phrase in document
• Directory
• What Size is it?

• Wildcards
• The asterisk () acts as a wildcard when
  searching for files or folders
• sticker (returns all files with sticker
  anywhere in the title)
• sticker (this says show all files that start
  with the word sticker).
• papercalc (this returns everything with
  paper or calc anywhere in title

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Windows Explorer - Recap

• Save files right the first time so you can find
  them the next time
• Saves time!
• Confidence in your file management means less
  dependence on paper crutches
• Decreases the likelihood of multiple copies in
  multiple directories under multiple titles
• Improved folder and file naming means both you
  and your co-workers can easily find documents
• Strategic use of shortcuts
• Anything you put in Windows Explorer is
  searchable!

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Emails and Printing

• 11,000 approximate number of City of Seattle
  employees (regular, part-time and temp)
• If everyone prints just one email a day
• 11,000 sheets x 5 55,000 sheets a week
• 55,000 x 52 weeks 2,860,000 sheets a year
• Thats 5720 reams. This is nearly 90 of SPLs
  annual paper usage (goal) of 6518 reams.
• Bottom-line If everyone can print one less page
  per day, the City will save nearly 3 million
  sheets thats more than 1.5 Space Needles! (953
  ft. to be exact)

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GroupWise - General

• Overview on folders and archiving only
• http//inweb/personnel/training/schedule.asp
• http//inweb/personnel/training/materials.asp

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GroupWise - Layout
Graphic thankfully used with permission (GW 6.5
training manual)
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GroupWise Cabinet Introduction

• Used to sort and store messages
• Looks similar to Windows Explorer
• Does not automatically save will self-delete in
  45 days like all email
• Use naming conventions

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GroupWise Creating Folders

• Right-Click on the Cabinet
• Select New Folder
• Youll now see the Create Personal Folder Dialog
  Box (below)

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GroupWise Creating Folders II

• Enter the Name of the Folder in the next Window
  click Next
• Note on using the Up / Down buttons

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GroupWise Creating Folders III

• Click Finish ignore everything else.

• The New Folder appears under the Cabinet.

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Cabinet Adding Messages

• Highlight message you wish to move/save
• Drag and drop email message into folder

• Set up folders just like you did with Windows
  Explorer
• Now instead of searching through hundreds of
  emails by subject or author, you can quickly
  access via an email folder
• Can archive either individual emails or an entire
  folder (next slide)

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GroupWise - Archive

• Archive protects items from being Accidentally
  Deleted. Depending on your job requirements, you
  may need to use the Archive feature to Save
  E-Mail Messages to Keep Records of Substantive
  City Business.

• Why Archive?
• Tidies up your Inbox and folders decreases
  amount of email
• Removes emails you arent using/accessing on a
  regular basis
• Might one day be the only way to save emails
  longer than 45 days

• What to Archive
• Old correspondence
• Closed or obsolete projects
• Emails related to completed past events

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GroupWise How To Archive

• Locate email (or folder) you wish to Archive and
  highlight
• Right click on message (or folder) and select
  Move To Archive
• Message (or folder) disappears and is sent to
  your Archive
• Helpful Hint
• I send myself calendar reminders at the start
  of each year, reminding me to archive at the
  start of each month.
• You can archive either from the main GroupWise
  mailbox (right pane) or from a folder (on left).

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GroupWise Opening Your Archive

• To open your archive
• Method 1
• Click on Online above your mailbox Name and
  select Archive
• Method 2
• Click on File and select Open Archive

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GroupWise Navigating the Archive

• You can always tell if youre in the Archive as
  it will say
• (Archive) Novell GroupWise Mailbox
• To un-archive any message
• Highlight message and right click
• Click on the checked Move to Archive
• This unchecks the box and moves the
• message back to your Inbox
• This email still falls under the 45-day rule!
  If you dont archive again by the end of the day
  you will lose the message!

• To return to mailbox, uncheck Open Archive

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GroupWise Saving attachments

• Go to GW and open the email you're interested in
  saving (the one with the attachment)
• Open Windows Explorer (shortcut WINKEY E).
  Navigate to the server/folder you wish to save
  the attachment into and reduce the screen so it
  only takes up half a page
• Now return to the open email message. I like
  using ALT TAB to toggle back and forth, but you
  can also use the navigational toolbar at the
  bottom of your computer screen
• You'll now have two different half screens
  showing. Simply drag and drop the attachment into
  the proper directory or folder.
• Attachment now saved!

You can always cut and paste text from an email
and save into Word or Notepad
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GroupWise What Not to Keep

• Rule of thumb If someone else has it, you dont
  necessarily need it
• Not all email needs to be saved
• What can be deleted
• General City or Dept. all notices
• Notices from IT
• Requests for general information
• Personal emails
• Remember Delete after you read!

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GroupWise Fine Print

• City Employees Should Retain Electronic Records
  That Contain Substantive City Policy - This is
  equally true for both paper and electronic
  records, regardless of the format (e.g. Word,
  e-mail, Excel.)
• Most Records are Subject to Public Disclosure -
  Like most paper records, most electronic
  documents generated for a City purpose, are
  subject to the State open records act (RCW
  42.17.250). A useful rule of thumb is that
  electronic records, including e-mail messages,
  should be composed with the same care given a
  comparable paper memorandum.
• Scope of Requirement - For all routine/non-policy
  notes, messages, or transmittal letters
  short-term retention in the employees mailbox is
  sufficient. All policy correspondence and reports
  (either messages or attached files) should be
  archived on individual hard drives or on the City
  Light server.

• Retention of Electronic Records from -
  http//sclweb/dpp/misc/EMailuse.htm

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GroupWise - Recap

• Introduction of GroupWise Cabinet
• How to create and organize emails by project or
  topics
• Organized similar to Windows Explorer
• Email shelf life 45 days
• Introduction to GroupWise Archive
• Emails are saved longer than 45 days
• Same file folder structure as In-box
• Un-archive to reply or forward, but re-archive to
  save again
• Alternative way to save attachments
• Overview of what to keep and not to keep
• Confidence in finding old emails less
  likelihood you print for fear youll never find
  again

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Printing Tips Word

• Always preview before printing
• File ? Print Preview
• Shrink to fit
• File ? Page Set up
• Adjust margins
• Change orientation
• Modify header footer height
• Header Footer
• Adding file path at bottom of work documents for
  easier finding
• Only print the pages you need!

Double Click here
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Printing Tips Excel

• Always preview before printing
• Whenever possible print double sided (duplex)
• File ? Page Set up
• Orientation
• Can adjust size/scale
• Margins
• Header/Footer
• Sheet
• File ? Print Preview
• Print Preview Toolbar
• Print Setup
• Page Break Preview
• Only print the pages you need!

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Printing Tips - PowerPoint

• Print double-sided
• File ? Print
• Print What
• Slides print one slide per page
• Handouts allow you to select number of slides
  printed
• Outline View prints without images
• Color/grayscale
• Changes default from color
• File ? Print Preview
• Print What
• Click on Print What and select style (Slides,
  Handouts or Notes)
• Color/grayscale
• File ? Print Preview ? Options
• A word on file size and images

• Print double-sided
• File ? Print
• Print What
• Slides print one slide per page
• Handouts allow you to select number of slides
  printed
• Outline View prints without images
• Color/grayscale
• Changes default from color

• Print double-sided
• File ? Print
• Print What
• Slides print one slide per page
• Handouts allow you to select number of slides
  printed
• Outline View prints without images
• Color/grayscale
• Changes default from color
• File ? Print Preview
• Print What
• Click on Print What and select style (Slides,
  Handouts or Notes)
• Color/grayscale
• File ? Print Preview ? Options
• A word on file size and images

• Print double-sided

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Printing Tips - Internet

• Always ask yourself Do I really need to print
  this? Why not save instead? Or just take a snap
  shot of the section you want?
• Be mindful of disclaimer footers (they tend to
  spill over into additional pages)
• When given the option, use the Print or Print
  friendly button to adjust layout to remove
  sidebars
• Use Print Preview
• Use Page Set up (adjust margins, headers and
  footers)
• Use HyperSnap to save/print only a portion of
  the page (next slide)

• Always ask yourself Do I really need to print
  this? Why not save instead? Or just take a snap
  shot of the section you want?

• Always ask yourself Do I really need to print
  this? Why not save instead? Or just take a snap
  shot of the section you want?
• Be mindful of disclaimer footers (they tend to
  spill over into additional pages)

• When given the option, use the Print or Print
  friendly button to adjust layout to remove
  sidebars

• Use Print Preview!

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Printing Tips Using HyperSnap

• HyperSnap is screen capture program available to
  all City employees
• Hypersnap usually is located in a network
  application area
• Ask you IT dept if you cannot locate
• To use HyperSnap
• Open HyperSnap program
• The following screen will appear
• Click on Capture Region button (Shortcut CTRL
  SHIFT R)
• Your cursor turns into a crosshairs tool.
  Holding down the right mouse button, you can drag
  the cross around to highlight the image you need
• Release the right mouse button once you have
  selected the area you would like, and then click
  on right mouse button a second time.
• Image is now captured and appears in HyperSnap as
  a .jpg

Print, Save or email as you see fit!
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Printing Best Practices

• Ask yourself if you really need it. Can you just
  keep/make an electronic copy?
• Ask colleagues to email or post on website
• Hold Green Meetings (email agendas ahead of
  time, use white board instead of flip charts,
  laptop to record meeting notes, etc.)
• Email shared drive address as alternative to
  sending document (J\CustServ\WS393\Public\PaperCu
  ts\name.doc)
• Adjust margins and fonts to reduce the number of
  pages in your documents
• Proofread and preview documents before you send
  to printer or save
• Print on both sides (duplex)
• Be mindful when printing photos! Print multiple
  photos per page whenever possible (paper
  resources)

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Cat Herding

• Just like it is possible to herd cats, it is
  also possible to manage electronic information!

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Thank you!

• Questions?
• Web survey to follow (evaluation)
• Useful Websites
• http//www.seattle.gov/papercuts/
• http//inweb/clerk/RecordsManagement/
• http//inweb/technology/employee_services/elearnin
  g.htm
• http//inweb/personnel/training/materials.asp
• http//sclweb/training/ City Light
• http//dpdwinw113/dpdweb/HR/Home/index.htm DPD
• http//spuweb/HRTraining/default.htm SPU

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