Can Your Business Really Go Paperless?
Going paperless is a popular decision, but how would it really benefit your business?. We’re giving you compelling business reasons to reduce your paper consumption — plus tips on how to painlessly achieve paperless status, which refers to the process of moving all documentation, files, and records into a digital format.
- How much paper passes through your office every day?
- Do you invoice and pay bills by post?
- Are you in the habit of printing important documents and manually filing them?
- Do you run a business where form filling is necessary for your employee or customer
- Do you share documents via papers for verification or signatures?
- Do you print reports or presentations and edit with a pen?
If you answered yes to two or more of those questions, you’re probably in the same category as the average American who uses more than 700 pounds of paper every year.
It is possible for every business to go paperless. In order to determine whether this strategy is a good fit, weigh the following advantages of transitioning to a paperless office.
Why Go Paperless?
One of the biggest reasons to go paperless is to reduce waste. All over the globe, businesses and individuals are taking steps to go green, and there’s no denying that going paperless is a huge step in becoming more environmentally friendly. After all, the paper is made from trees, so using less paper means saving more trees. Additionally, the process used to turn trees into paper leaves an enormous carbon footprint.
Did you know there are some compelling business reasons too? Here are six.
1. SAVE TIME
Having everything in a digital format usually means the information is easier to find, as long as it is properly transferred. Going paperless also provides employees with more time for other tasks, possible even increasing productivity.
2. REDUCE CLUTTER AND SAVE SPACE
Imagine an office without the requisite steel filing cabinet or stuffed cardboard filing boxes jammed into a corner or a closet. And how about those piles of paper on your desk? Do a de-paper makeover and reclaim space with something beautiful, like a plant, or useful, like an espresso maker.
3. REDUCE COST
This is perhaps one of the biggest advantages to going paperless. Hundreds and thousands of dollars are spent annually on paper products. Also to be taken into account is also the sizable cost of storing and archiving paper in folders, cabinets, boxes, safes, and even storage units.
4. CONVENIENCE
When information is digitized, employees, managers, and business leaders can access necessary materials without having to actually be in the office, or even in the same state as the business location. Rather than calling the office and asking their assistant or colleague to look up information from a specific file, the individual can retrieve the documentation on their own.
5. SECURITY
Digital files are actually more secure than some may think. A good security system will include encrypted files and other measures to ensure the safety of the material. Unlike paper data which can get lost, faded, or burned, digital data is much more secure.
6. PROVIDE BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE
Forget about pawing through paper files when a client calls with a question or dealing with the panic that comes with a misplaced hard copy. When your operations are digital, you have instant access to everything. Accounting, project management, and other software keep track of all communications and resources so it’s downright difficult to lose anything.
Challenges of going paperless
While there are numerous benefits to achieving a paperless business, there are definitely some challenges as well. One of the most significant tests is the actual process of converting important documents from paper to digital. In addition to the time it takes, there is also the need for implementation and following the appropriate security measures to keep files safe and confidential.
It is a noticeable change for a company to begin transferring to a paperless format; in other words, a certain amount of employee training will be necessary. Not only must workers be trained on how to move, store, and access the data, they will also need to learn safety protocols to keep the information from easily being hacked into.
The transition will require a shift in business protocol, and there will likely be some confusion, or at least a learning curve, as documents continue to enter the office, and staff learns to adapt to new procedures.
How To Go Paperless
Technology has made it easier for individuals and businesses to “go paperless”. It’s likely the above advantages would benefit any business. Who wouldn’t love to save time, money, and space, while simultaneously enhancing security and becoming more sustainable?
Identifying the value of becoming a paperless office isn’t usually the sticking point. The challenge comes when you have to determine how to go paperless. The key is to take a strategic approach. The following tips will help you get started.
CONVERT PAPER FILES TO DIGITAL
If you’ve been in business for more than a few years, you’ve probably built up a cache of paper files from your pre-digital days. Set aside a day or two to carefully go through them. Scan or take a photo of the ones you want to keep so you have a digital record. Then, shred sensitive documents and keep old PowerPoint docs and reports to be used as scrap paper for notes, lists, and doodling.
GIVE EMPLOYEES THE “WHY”
In order to keep employees on track and engaged, you need to help them understand the logic behind this transition. Simply informing them you’ve decided to go paperless is unlikely to be sufficient.
Provide your team with the “why” behind the move. This will bring everyone up to speed and increase your chances of long-term success.
USE CLOUD-BASED APPS
From accounting to project management to payments, there’s nothing more convenient than cloud-based software. Your data is safe, secure and easy to access. Useful small business apps include:
- FreshBooks for accounting
- Google Docs to collaborate on documents
- Dropbox to share files
- Jira for simple project management
- Evernote to take digital notes
- Trexa for electronic forms and digital approval process
SIGN DOCUMENTS DIGITALLY
The home printer may go the way of the Dodo just like the fax machine now that most countries have laws that make electronically-signed contracts as legally valid as those signed with pen and paper. There are lots of easy ways to create a signature on your computer, including in Microsoft Word, or use services like Trexa
Going paperless isn’t something that happens overnight. If you really want to reduce your dependence on paper and pursue digital alternatives, then you have to be willing to strategize and plan.
If you feel ready for those advantages, get the free trial of Trexa eForms and start your digital journey
