Need help going paperless. What do you use?

Question

Trying to get more organized with a paperless systems. We currently have an efax that goes to our email address so we can fax ourselves documents, open the email, then save the document as a PDF in its proper location in our Dropbox.

The main problem with this system is the fax machine part is awful. Looking for a desktop scanner or something to eliminate the need for the fax machine.

Thank you,

Jeremiah

Wayne Brooks · Answer

The OP is trying to get paper documents created by others into his computer, not documents he creates.  Just a combo printer/scanner.

Jeff Bridges · Answer

I use fujitsu scansnap desktop scanner, which is excellent for scanning large documents, leases, contracts etc at the home office. For receipts and one page documents, I use the free smartphone app "Genius Scan" to snap a picture of a document and it will convert to PDF (and auto adjust the image for easy reading) and allow you to save them on your phone or email docs to yourself. You can do your scanning anywhere. The best scanner is the one you carry with you. Yes it can do multiple page PDFs, but you can save those for your desktop scanner.

I use dropbox to organize my properties into folders/ document sub-folders for easy retrieval at whatever computer or mobile device I am using.

Jeremiah H. · Answer

Something like this is what I envisioned people potentially using

http://www.amazon.com/NeatDesk-Desktop-Macintosh--Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00ECDUYDO/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1456337693&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=desktop+scanner&psc=1

Ryan A. · Answer

Got it, thanks for the clarification @Wayne Brooks

Jeff B. · Answer

I use Trustfax.com.  As I travel, I need a means to receive wherever I am (email is easy, but fax was a problem).

Client can fax to my number, it goes to the trustfax server and encrypted for privacy, then emailed to me where it arrives as a PDF (clean and readable)

Outgoing, I create a PDF (doc & xls work but can change the formatting, whereas PDF is fixed), login, setup the coversheet details, attach my doc(s) and FAX it.  I get back an email confirmation of receipt or failure.

Jeremiah H. · Answer

@Ryan A.

That's exactly what I said we already do. Trying to eliminate the need for the fax machine, potentially replacing it with a scanner of some sorts. The fax machine often messes up mid fax and always messes up when loading documents with 5 or more pages.

Ryan A. · Answer

Isn't the efax already paperless? What exactly are you faxing yourself? Couldn't you go efax -> email -> pdf -> dropbox?

Need help going paperless. What do you use?

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