Steps to Acquiring a Paperless Office

Future-ready offices are going paperless by shifting to electronic document management systems. Going paperless could be in your best interest so your business can save money in the long run. Here are steps to achieving that in a successful way:

• Get started – Lack of mandates or initiatives is among the reasons why some offices haven’t gone paperless, yet. They may be willing, but nobody is trying to start or provide essential solutions. That said, you may need to step up and get started with an initiative yourself. Make a proposal, set goals, encourage your team, and lead by example.
  
  
• State the benefits – Getting everyone to support your initiative can be easier if you let them know and understand the benefits of having a paperless office. Show them how it can simplify their job and boost their productivity while reducing office clutter. Demonstrate how it can boost the quality of customer service, too, since electronic correspondence is easier to handle and store.
  
  
  You will also want to address concerns regarding compliance, particularly in finance and legal departments. Tell them that going paperless can help them become more compliant, since electronic document management solutions have security measures and other essential features to keep vital information safe and protected.
  
  
• Start organizing your paper files and documents – Create a unified system to organize all papers (i.e. by name or by client year, etc.) and make sure everyone follows it. Divide the work among departments, so each is responsible for their respective files. Consider shredding documents that are too old and already deemed useless or have expired. Set a deadline and follow up with all departments.
  
  
• Get the right service or software – As your team prepares the documents for scanning or file entry, start looking up a digital document management system that can support your paperless efforts in the long run. Make sure it is scalable, secure, and automated.