Going paperless is about more than just saving trees for many companies. It’s about taking advantage of digital documents and the cost savings and other benefits that comes along with using a paperless system.
But while many businesses understand the benefits of giving up the reams paper files and multiple file folders, the task of going paperless is not always as easy as it seems… unless you have some guidance.
Electronic document management is just one of the many IT services that Technology Visionaries offers to New Jersey companies to help them reduce costs and increase efficiency. Going paperless can seem like a daunting task at first, but the benefits and cost savings quickly dispel any doubts.
Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits you’ll get after going paperless. Then we’ll take a look at what holds businesses back from giving up those paper files and how the transition can be made easier.
What are the Benefits of Going Paperless?
Business owners usually list buying less paper and needing less storage space as paperless office benefits. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Professionals can spend about 50% of their time searching for information. (Business.com)
How much longer does it take you to find a 2-year old file in a filing cabinet than it does to search by a keyword?
It can take an average of 18 minutes to locate that file in a filing cabinet, where a keyword search can take just seconds. That’s a lot of time and productivity cost savings from a more efficient document storage system.
Going paperless may have more benefits than you think. Here are the top advantages:
- Free up office space taken by filing cabinets
- Eliminate wasted time looking for files
- Improve customer service by locating information faster
- Share files across computers and devices
- Keep files more securely by using access controls
- Save money on paper, folders, ink, printers, storage cabinets
- Create backup copies of files automatically
- Being environmentally friendly is good for the planet and your image
What’s Holding You Back from Going Paperless?
With all those great benefits, what makes going paperless difficult for many organizations? The biggest reason is that change isn’t always easy.
What to Do with Older Files
Going paperless is sometimes put on the back burner because companies don’t know what to do with all the paper files they already have. Converting them all to digital seems like huge task that they just don’t have time for.
The Technology Visionaries Team has over 20 years of combined experience and can easily turn your paper files into digital ones and incorporate them into a cloud-based file storage system, removing this barrier and saving you tons of time.
How Can We Find the Right Platform?
There are many different document storage platforms out there, sometimes the choice can by dizzying. How do you know which one is going to have the right search and admin capabilities, be completely secure, be affordable, and fit you like a glove?
When you work with us, you gain the benefit of our knowledge from years of helping small and medium sized businesses with their IT management and document storage. We know the apps to stay away from as well as those that give you the most value for your money.
Worries About Security
Another thing that holds companies back from going paperless is that they’re worried about security. When files are locked away in a cabinet, they know exactly who has the key. They aren’t sure how to control access with digital files.
Digital documents can actually have better security than those locked in a cabinet. They’re protected by multiple layers of encryption and you can control who has access to any particular folder or individual file. Instead of having a physical key, they have a digital one (via permissions access) and you can also easily revoke access at any time (no changing the lock needed!).
It’s a Big Change (or Is It?)
Some business owners worry that going paperless is such a big change that it might be difficult for their employees to adopt and that files might not stay as organized.
With the prevalence of email, scanners, PDFs, and online forms, many of a company’s files are already in digital form. Contracts that used to be mailed are now scanned and emailed, for example.
So, going paperless may not be as much of a change as many think. Organization is easily done by laying down a structure and training employees on where and how to save and access company files.
Going Paperless Made Easy by Technology Visionaries
Document management solutions from Technology Visionaries can make going paperless easy and productive. We’ll help you increase the efficiency of business processes, improve employee productivity, and save money on supplies and storage costs.
We make going paperless:
- Efficient (find what you need, when you need it)
- Accessible (access files from any device, any location)
- Customizable (you have total control over file access and security)
- Easy to Use (share & collaborate with staff, customers, vendors)
- Money-Saving (lower overhead while saving time)
Need Help with Paperless Document Management?
Have you been wanting to go paperless but weren’t sure where to start? Are you trying to be a paperless office, but need some guidance? Technology Visionaries can help!
Contact us online or give us a call at 732-587-5960 today.