In this day and age, we’re continually bombarded with digital solutions to increase productivity and efficiency. For many different companies and industries, going paperless has been a pivotal point in their success and organization, plus saving millions of dollars in the long-run.
However, despite the significant benefits of going paperless, it’s estimated that a whopping 82% of companies are still spending billions on paper. Refusing to go entirely paperless, the continued reliance on paper could increase the chance of losing important documents, and hinder general organization of the entire company.
Benefits of going paperless
Saves time – Having constant reams and piles of paper to go through on a daily basis is extremely time-consuming and inefficient when, if all documents were online, they could be accessed from a simple click of a button. The time that this could save is likely to free-up employees to do other tasks, which will in-turn increase the overall efficiency of the company/organization.
Conserves space – For larger companies, it’s likely they will have tens of thousands of paper sheets needing a place to be stored. Boxes upon boxes of paper documents could add up, potentially resulting in overcrowding of office space. But, by going paperless, larger companies would be able to free-up large rooms previously dedicated to paper storage, meaning more open-plan spaces and a much more pleasant working environment.
Environmentally friendly – It’s estimated that over 4 billion trees are chopped down every single year, just for paper. Often, because most people are unaware of this shocking statistic, they take the paper they use on a daily basis for granted, and don’t realize the detrimental impact mass-production of paper has on our environment. However, if more companies went paperless, entire forests could be saved in addition to the significant time and space-saving benefits digital documentation has.
Higher security – Almost every single legitimate company will have certain documents and information that needs to be confidential. Keeping such sensitive information stored solely on paper has significant security issues as, if these sheets of paper got into the wrong hands, almost anyone could have access to them. But, by storing confidential documents digitally, encryption offers layers of security only accessible to those who know exactly how to gain access, and offers a much higher degree of safety and security.
Top tips for going paperless
No matter what the type of company or industry, it’s likely that the above benefits will be hugely advantageous to any business. However, switching from paper to digital documentation is easier said than done, and certainly isn’t something companies can start doing overnight.
The key to successfully going paperless is to have a clear, organized strategy planned out before you begin. Everything from your company accounts to employee’s details will be stored electronically, so you need to have a fully-functional plan in place before starting. To ensure you’re on the right track, visit dataserv.com to see how they can make this challenge seem less daunting.
Here are a few tips for inspiration if you’re considering going paperless:
Telling your employees as soon as possible – Regardless of whether you have a small team or a team of hundreds, keeping your employees up-to-date with when and why you’re going paperless is essential to make sure they’re on board and happy to support this change. This will increase the chance of a smoother transition to storing everything digitally, and is likely to improve chances of your overall plan working if you have a solid team behind you.
Establish the best way to dispose of all your paper – going paperless does exactly what the name would suggest, meaning all your potential thousands of sheets are going to be pointless once you’ve made the transition. Various strategies exist for this task, but one of the most efficient involves scanning each document, organizing them into appropriate categories, and then moving all your paper into a safe storage unit for a period of time. This means that, should you identify any errors, you can easily rectify them as your paper is still intact and securely stored away. Once you’re sure all mistakes have been fixed and all information has been recorded, all you have left to do is shred your paper and dispose of it – job done!
It’s clear to see that going paperless comes with a variety of efficient benefits. So, if you’re currently part of the 82% of companies still spending billions on paper, hopefully the above information and tips has shown you that, as long as you have a proper strategy in place, ditching the paper is guaranteed to benefit your company in more ways than one.
Daniel Willis has needed to adapt his business to keep up with growing trends and the latest technology, his day-to-day business operations certainly look a lot different today than they did 12 years ago! He writes about this need to change in order to keep ahead, and writes useful articles to help other business owners adapt and thrive.
