There is no denying that documents are an essential part of any business, big or small. But unfortunately, some companies still kick it “old school” by being paper-based. But there is good news for those who are thinking about going paperless.
Ultimately, it affects time, space, and waste for the better.
Tick-tock.
Anyone who works in a paper-based business knows how much time is dedicated to filing, organizing, and searching for documents. By going paperless, employees will be able to do those tasks faster while increasing productivity. In addition, with more workplaces accommodating and keeping remote work options, digital documents will be easily accessible and sharable, leaving more time for critical tasks.
Got space?
Unlike digital documents that can live in the cloud, paper accounts for many of your space’s square footage – filing cabinets or shelves, recycling bins, shredders, printers, and photocopiers. Now include the cost of maintaining these pieces of equipment and the eventual storage costs, and you have an outdated way of doing business that can impede your company’s growth. Instead, consider an on-site server that will take up significantly less space with much more storage.
Waste not, want not.
No matter the type of business you are in, documents with sensitive information need to be shredded. Whether done in the office or with an outside vendor, the disposal of all that paper adds up. Moreover, going paperless produces less waste than a paper-based business (all that gross greenhouse gas and deforestation). So, not only does going paperless decrease disposal costs, but it also makes your workplace environmentally friendly.
The solution: Document Management Systems.
A business’ documents are a valuable asset and must be stored securely while still being accessible. Incorporating a document management system will allow you to track, store, and retrieve electronic documents and images in place of printing/scanning and filing a physical piece of paper.
However, migrating to a paperless system can burden your staff in the beginning. Instead, try using an external vendor who can scan your existing documents. Then, your team can stay focused on their tasks while your business moves into the digital age.
How it works: At First Stop Services uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which allows scanned documents to be searchable by name, date of service, contract, or invoice number. Using OCR makes searching for your files easy because you can search by multiple values. Overall, using a system like OCR will make your workflow more efficient.
