Guides / Document filing
Document filing
Naming, sorting and finding files and scanned paperwork. Typical: about 2 hours a person a week. AI could take roughly 50% (illustrative).
5 steps
- 1
Agree on one simple folder layout and file name pattern.
- 2
Scan paper straight into one inbox folder.
- 3
Use an automation or AI tool to suggest a name and folder.
- 4
A person checks the inbox folder weekly.
- 5
Set how long you keep each type of document and tidy up yearly.
🧰 Tools that can do this
SharePoint or OneDrive, Google Drive, your scanner's scan to folder.
🆓 Do it free
Paperless-ngx. See free tools and StackSwitcher for switching guides.
🔒 Keep it safe
Do not paste personal, staff or client details into public AI tools. A person checks the output before it counts.
🆓 Option 1: Do it free
Open source tools you can run yourself, no licence fees. You will need someone handy to set them up and keep them updated.
- Paperless-ngx: scan, read and file documents.
📦 Option 2: Get the click by click pack
Plain guides and prompts in a ZIP. Pay once, no subscription. It is a set of guides, not software. The packs cover the 18 most common boring office jobs. This one does not have its own section in the pack yet.
Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Menus change, so check the tool's own help pages.