Hi Alan, welcome to the forum. Everyone seems to have their own system that works best for them. I use a laptop and phone. The phone takes great pictures, which I download to the laptop (or email), and allows me to view the guidelines if I need a refresher before starting a shop. I use the laptop to read the guidelines and submit the report because I want a large screen and a "real" keyboard for that. I save all my shop-related files on the laptop. I have a folder labeled "Shops" and under that a folder for each MSC, and if necessary, under that I have a folder for each of the MSC's clients. I save a copy of my completed report in the folder, too. For the physical paper, I keep a storage basket by the front door and drop my receipts, business cards, and other POV in there. Sometimes I'll print out the guidelines. If I do, then I keep them in a folder because I might do multiple shops for the same client, so I can refer back to it. I use Excel to track all the shops and payments. I use the spreadsheet that another forum member made available. [
www.mysteryshopforum.com]
I've thought about switching to a tablet rather than using the phone/laptop combination, but I think it would be more of a nuisance than a help. I've used the online versions of Excel and so many features that I use are missing (mostly keyboard shortcuts) that it really slowed me down, plus it was frustrating.
Others have weighed in on this topic in other threads. If you search for "organize" you will see the other discussions.
Good luck, If you get the tablet, be sure to come back and let us know how it's working out for you.