Each year, companies spend over $120 billion on printed forms, most of which are outdated in three months or less. These outdated forms can be a huge problem since a lot of money and resources are wasted, not to mention the office space they use up!
Many companies are going paperless to be more environmentally friendly and are switching to entirely virtual storage and tracking. Reducing paper usage also makes it easier to find what you’re looking for and get rid of or update old information.
Are you interested in moving your company over to paperless but aren’t sure where to start? This article will give you some tips for starting your paperless journey!
Create a Digital Filing System
Before you start moving files, you’ll need to set up an online document management system. A good design is easily navigated by you and your employees, allowing you to find your files without issue. You’ll need plenty of space, enough for what you already have and room for expansion, and a reliable connection to the servers.
Getting this cloud space can be tricky, but services are available that will take care of the complicated setup and management, leaving you to use the program as you please. You pay for the service and use it at your leisure, with professionals taking care of the maintenance. These services also offer a backup option, so you won’t lose everything just in case something goes wrong.
Clean Out And Digitize
Once you have your digital organization systems in place, you’ll need to start digitizing the paper files you already have. You can do this by scanning your files or recreating them online before filing them in your online document management system.
While you work on digitizing what you have, clean out any unnecessary or outdated documents. Don’t forget to tell your employees that you’re switching to an online format for your files and train them in the new methods.
If you need help managing your new filing software, working with an IT service provider can help make your transition smooth. The professionals know how to keep your files organized and your system working and can answer any questions you or your employees have.
Why Should I Be Going Paperless?
So why should your business go paperless? Reducing paper usage is more environmentally friendly, meaning you’ll be helping reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down to run businesses. You’ll also save money this way, spending less on printers and paper.
Going paperless will also increase your productivity and efficiency. If you’re removing paper files, you’ll no longer need to sort through endless amounts of files to find what you need or update a file. Instead, you’ll be able to do a simple search in your database to locate what you need.
Updating files also becomes easier without paper, as you don’t have to find and remove the paper before replacing them. Instead, you can edit the document yourself virtually, meaning you’ll have an almost instantaneous update.
How To Start
Going paperless doesn’t have to be overly complicated and is an excellent benefit for a company of any size. The benefits far outweigh any inconvenience of the transition. If you reduce your paper usage, you’ll find that your company runs more smoothly, and your efficiency will shoot through the roof after a while.
If you’re ready to start your paperless journey, contact us to discuss services and get rid of those old documents!