MOVING TO A
PAPERLESS OFFICE
Introducing the Paperless Office
The paperless office is the first step toward digital transformation in your organization. It refers to the deliberate removal of paper from processes, with the goal of improving efficiency.
Digitization is at the core of the paperless office.
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What does it mean to go Paperless?
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Information that started as paper is transformed into electronic form. Documents are scanned, indexed, and stored securely in a central repository for easy retrieval.
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Processes that were manual are now automated. For example, the right document management system will integrate with other applications for streamlined workflows across business functions.
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You can access documents, any time, anywhere, and from any device. This is critical if you have multiple offices or employees that need access to documents remotely.
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GOING PAPERLESS WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
It is a process that takes time and effort but switching to digital information management systems is a necessity if you’re going to compete in the modern business world.
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Step 1. Take the Lead. Executing steps for going paperless means your company needs you to take initiative, step up, and lead the way to becoming a more efficient office. The important thing to note here is that you lead by example. If you have your own filing cabinet of documents, take responsibility for transitioning those to an electronic system. Set goals for yourself, and take ownership for meeting those goals. If your employees see you leading the way, they are more likely to follow.
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Step 2. Get Everyone on Board. No matter how strong the paperless example you set, your company won’t make the transition unless you have your employees on board.
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Step 3. Take stock of your current Paper-based processes. The first step is to identify the paper documents you currently have and how long you need to keep them and for how long. Classifying your documents in this way helps you distinguish important information from what’s essentially junk.
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Step 4. Map out the processes that accompany each type of paper. In addition to identifying the different types of paper documents you have, it’s important to understand the kinds of processes that go along with them.
Step 5. Optimize business processes for a digital environment.When moving to a paperless office, look for opportunities to streamline the business processes you used for paper documents, eliminating steps that aren’t necessary in a digital workflow. This is where many companies miss out on the benefits of a paperless office They’re comfortable with how they do things today, and don’t have the vision to see what they could be like tomorrow.
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Step 6. Tell clients and share electronically. Once your current documents are switched to electronic copies, tell your clients about all of the benefits they’ll experience from the switch. You’ll also want to introduce them to electronic sharing as well. If your clients share and sign documents electronically with, your company will save even more time and money.
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Step 7. Enjoy the benefits. Once you have made the transition you will quickly see benefits in savings in time and cost, as well as increased document security. Your employees, customers and business as a whole will benefit from making the switch.
GOING PAPERLESS HAS MANY BENEFITS
Reduced operational costs
Digitizing internal paper-based systems reduces printing and other operational costs:
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Storage
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Copying and printing.
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Business process costs.
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Security and data recovery costs.
Regained time for productivity
Easy access and the ability to share documents rapidly, speeds up processes and contributes to time gains in crucial processes such as invoicing, employee onboarding, and collections. For example, you can speed up automate invoice processing by automatically linking related documents like purchase orders, bills of lading, contracts and more.
Better security and compliance
Digital systems let you work in a safer and more secure environment: You’re better protected from security breaches due to document and communication encryption and can control who has access to specific files
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE
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Now that you understand the paper problem and the benefits of going paperless, it’s time to show you how to launch a paperless process in 90 days.