Paper documents have been the way to organize important information in an office or business setting for decades, but that doesn’t mean that paper documentation is the best way to store files. Many offices and employees worldwide are now transitioning from physical paper documents to electronic document management solutions in the hope of building a paperless office.

This article will discuss the benefits of going paperless and shed light on the simple steps involved in making your company or business entirely paper-free. 

The Benefits of Going Paperless 

A document management solution is about a lot more than less office space dedicated to file cabinets. The actual benefits of going paperless lie in improved workflows and flexibility of a document management system.

1. Multiple File Formats

The best thing about document management systems is that all files are stored electronically. This improves employee productivity exponentially. An electronic document management system gives employees the ability to store and access multiple formats for a single document. 

Via document scanning, employees can convert these files quickly to any design. They can also gain instant access to a file stored in multiple formats. Different versions of one document can be stored on the company servers and accessed instantly in any form whenever the employees need them. 

2. Easy Document Sharing and Sending

Sending and sharing files has gotten much more manageable with document management solutions such as Smooth Solutions. Employees had to scan paper documents and save them on a hard drive before sharing them in the past. In some cases, they had to make several copies and spend a lot of money to ship hard copies securely in the mail. 

With Smooth Solutions, your employees can send all documents directly via email or share them over the company server. They can also store them in enterprise document management systems so clients and coworkers can access them easily. 

3. Personalized Workflows

A document scanning and storage solution also helps supervisors and managers personalize workflows for their subordinates and employees. 

For all files scanned and uploaded on the management system, file administrators can configure settings and notify their employees to act on a specific document (print it, send it to a client, convert it into another format, etc.). This saves a lot of time as employees and managers don’t have to interact physically.

4. Data and Information – Secured!

One of the most significant benefits of document scanning and storage systems is that they secure sensitive information. Most companies handle a lot of sensitive information daily, and with hard copies, it is pretty challenging to keep this information out of the wrong hands.

You can secure all electronic files on a document management and storage system via software programs. These programs restrict access to folders and specific files and only allow employees with authorization to access them. In addition, security programs also prevent hackers from gaining access to documents by tracing who accesses what files. 

Know more about large format scanning services here.

5. Less Expensive

Storing hard copies of documents can be very costly, especially for businesses in prime locations. You’ll need a spacious area with hundreds of cabinets to store essential files. Printing them will also cost you a lot of money as you’ll have to pay for paper, printer, ink, postage, and equipment maintenance. 

You can eliminate all document printing and storage costs by adopting digital document scanning solutions. Digital solutions reduce or eliminate the need for paper copies, saving you a lot of money in the long run. Since all your files are secured online, you might also be able to shift into a smaller building with a lower rent to save even more money! 

4 Simple Steps to Go Paperless

1. Lead the Way

As a manager, you need to set goals for each department to encourage everyone to transition to an electronic document management and storage system. You can also set up a reward initiative program to encourage employees to participate in going paperless. An essential aspect of going paperless is that you lead by example. 

For example, if you have cabinets full of documents in your office, scan them and upload them onto an electronic storage system. When you set goals for yourself and take ownership of meeting these goals, your employees will get motivated to do the same.

2. Get Everyone on Board

No matter how strong an example you set, your company will not be able to make the transition to paperless until you have all your employees on board. Make sure they are aware of the time, money, and energy that they will be saving with the new system. Introduce them to Smooth Solutions and discuss its benefits (like easy access wherever there is phone service) to get them on board. 

3. Organize Paper Documents and Files

To tackle the enormous piles of paper documents, you need to divide the work and utilize teams appropriately. Develop a unified organization system and divide the work between departments. Follow up with each department regularly to ensure they are on the right track. Set goals for when each department should have its files organized and ready to be entered into a document management and storage system. 

4. Get Smooth Solutions!

Avail the services of Smooth Solutions. Get as many demonstrations and conduct as many trials as you can to see how the software works. You might also want your employees to test the software before purchasing it to ensure it is usable and easy to learn. After selecting your software program, you also need to conduct employee training to know how to use it.