Management

The Ultimate Guide to Going Paperless in Your Business

fferferDeciding to go paperless is more than ideal in this digital age, or else, entrepreneurs will be left behind. It involves the process of transferring all data into a digital format. It may not be the right choice for every business, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be tested for some certain departments in the company. There will be times when your company needs affordable brochure prints that are professionally designed. You can be rest assured that you will always get the best online.

Let’s take a look at some of the top benefits of going paperless.

  1. A considerable amount of time for saving, printing, filing, sending and searching for documents will be saved.
  2. It gives room for flexibility and accessibility. Once the documents are in digital format, it can be accessed at anytime and anywhere in the world.
  3. Extra space is conserved. Choosing to go paperless won’t take much of your office space. In fact, it will free more space, thereby ensuring that there is less clutter.
  4. Due to the fact that all data will be encrypted and protected, documents are secured from natural disaster, theft or loss.
  5. Opting for a paperless office is a proof that you are contributing your own quota towards an eco-friendly environment. Going paperless is a sure way to generate less waste in the office. More so, the stress and cost incurred by waste disposal is eliminated.
  6. It’s a common belief that using paper documents is cheap, but all the associated costs of purchasing storage facilities, printers, file cabinets, photocopiers and scanner makes it expensive.
  7. As a matter of fact, there is always instant means of communication in a paperless office. Clients and employees won’t have to wait for hours or days before messages are delivered.

These are just few of the many benefits. Making the move to a paperless office can be really scary. Here are some tips that will serve as guidelines as soon as you’ve made your final decision.

Enlighten your employees

Most of your employees may resist change at first. Therefore, it is important to let them know beforehand and make them understand why the move is necessary. Give them concrete evidence on how it will make them to be more efficient and the ways customers will benefit.

Hire extra hands

For starters, transforming into a paperless office can be really frustrating. Some responsibilities may be shelved and this can have adverse effects. An intern can assist with converting the existing paper documents while employees focus on paperless options for the new files.

Train staffs

Prompt training of all affected staffs is necessary so that they will be able to handle and process documents electronically. You can organize workshops and invite experts over. Staffs to be trained can be from certain departments or heads of all departments.

Consider the various document management system

There are so many document management system options to choose from. It is advisable to test the company’s software features by requesting for demonstrations. These document management systems often provide technical solution that will give support for cloud based computing. In addition, documents can be backed up and shared with cloud-based applications such as Drop box, Evernote, and Google Docs. After backing up all data, offline storage devices like external hard drives and USB memory sticks can also be used.

Optimize Google Apps for your brand

An effective way of reducing the use of paper documents in an office is using Google’s suite of apps. Google Mail can come in handy for communication with clients and staffs, while files can be shared via Google Drive. Google Docs, on the other hand, is a valuable tool for better collaboration on projects.

Start going paperless

All new materials must be saved in digital format, while converting the previous ones may be put on hold. Employees can be encouraged to capture and convert content of paper files into electronic forms using their smartphones. It is now possible to sign documents digitally with electronic signatures software. Look for innovative ways to ditch paper files and enjoy the benefits of a paperless office to the fullest.

The trends of technology are ever changing. It is better to be up to date with the latest technological innovations and upgrade software regularly. Truth be told, adopting to a paperless office may take several months or years. In view of this, all paper documents can be transferredto an offline storage unit. Don’t be in a hurry to get rid of them until you are sure that everything is in digital form and cross checked for any error.

If you have any questions, please ask below!