Implement a paperless office strategy: steps and benefits

Did you know that paperless offices, where the use of paper is eliminated or significantly reduced, tend to have higher productivity, better organization, and greater security? In addition to this, these offices also benefit from lower costs and help reduce the carbon footprint.

If you are interested in going paperless and are ready to take the first steps on this journey, keep reading. We’ll present you with the keys to a paperless office strategy and the benefits of adopting a paperless office.

Developing your paperless strategy

The process of reducing the use of paper and becoming paperless does not happen overnight. Before taking the first steps, you need to plan a strategy to begin this transition and make it as smooth as possible.

An electronic document management system will significantly help you during the process of going paperless by scanning and digitizing your documents and assisting in electronic document management.

Each company’s needs are different, but in general, there are a few key steps to consider:

Scan paper documentation

The advantages of document scanning are endless. Forget the clutter of documents that take up a lot of space and take a long time to find. Document scanning helps your company comply with regulations, increases productivity, and reduces costs.

Use the cloud for document storage

Keeping files in the cloud allows you to avoid printing hard copies, and it also provides the opportunity to access files from anywhere. Storing documents and files in the cloud enables your business to make automated backups, share files quickly and easily, protect sensitive information, and access files anywhere, anytime.

Benefit from online banking

If you request paperless statements from banks and other financial institutions, you will be helping the environment, and at the same time, enhancing your user experience. An online banking option will be faster, simpler, and safer.

Implement digital signatures in your business

Digital signatures are gradually replacing traditional signatures due to ease of use, security, and verification by banks, governments, and other regulatory authorities.

Electronic signature software allows employees, patients, and customers to sign forms without the need for a hard copy, so you won’t have to print paperwork or have unnecessary copies stored. In addition to this, another advantage of digital signatures is that they are easier to track for compliance or audit reasons.

Train your team

Every change process requires adaptation. Make sure that your colleagues or your employees gradually learn to navigate the digital and cloud environment.

Motivate your colleagues, patients, or employees

To achieve progressive paper reduction, encourage others to use new technologies, limit the use of paper in the office to what is strictly necessary, and above all, generate awareness among them so that they understand and support this change.

The benefits of a paperless office

Going paperless is more beneficial than it may seem at first glance. Here’s what can happen when a company starts going paperless:

Lower costs

One of the most important business advantages of going paperless at work is saving money. By digitizing your business, you can save on costs of equipment for printing and storing your documents. Also, the costs of paper, ink, toner, and printer maintenance can be very high. If you go paperless or reduce paper to a minimum with a single centralized all-in-one printer, you will save money in the long run.

Reduce clutter

The use and storage of paper lead to a cluttered, inefficient office. Managing documents digitally is simpler, more practical, and in addition to that, it will help you to make your office more uncluttered, spacious, and tidy.

Access information quickly and efficiently

Digital documents can be stored, accessed, retrieved, and searched much faster than paper documents. In addition, access can be made from different devices and from anywhere in the world. These are some of the advantages of using a document management system.

Better collaboration and faster communication

Working digitally makes it easier and faster to share information with colleagues, employees, patients, consultants, accountants, etc. Digital work is a game-changer that helps increase productivity. On the other hand, sending communications via mail takes several hours or days to arrive. If you replace mail communications with emails, they will arrive in just a few seconds. This will make a big change in your business’s overall pace and efficiency.

Decrease your environmental impact

As mentioned above, going paperless means that your company will eliminate a major part of its environmental footprint.

Easier disaster recovery

If documents are in the cloud or stored digitally, they are much easier to recover than paper. In addition, having backup copies on different devices will ensure that all your information remains safe in the event of a natural disaster, fire, flood, or any other disaster.

Conclusion

Paper documents have been an essential part of running a business for decades. But times are changing. Every day, more and more companies are starting to reduce paper use, and some of them have moved on to be 100% paperless. This shift from paper to digital also brings many advantages that motivate leaving paper behind.

Today, there are many tools, systems, and solutions that make having a paperless office easy, effective, and productive. Learn more about how Docudavit can help you on your journey towards a paperless future.