Going paperless in the past has been more of a financially motivated goal for businesses to aim towards. However, today’s businesses tend to focus on going paperless for both environmental and productivity-related reasons. Still, the paperless office isn’t something that’s actually quite as widespread as people may think it is.
With technology as it currently stands, there is little point in continuing to use paper documents. This includes printers, and everything else in between. But, many businesses still haven’t adopted a paperless formula and this is likely to cause unnecessary problems the longer it’s left undealt with.
Luckily, there are some sure-fire ways to go paperless and we’ve highlighted the best tips for you to consider. If you’d like to find out more about our paperless office solutions and tips, read on now. Or, simply head over to our Leadership page for more leadership-inspired blogs and articles.
What are the main benefits of a paperless office?
There are a wide range of benefits for businesses if they’re looking to go paperless. Firstly, and most importantly, productivity is likely to increase. This is thanks to information being quickly readable and writable on a digital platform. This also ties in with security as digital files are easier to open up and restrict access to.
In addition to this, a paperless office will see vastly reduced costs and have a positive impact on the environment. This can do wonders for a business’ public image and garner respect from employees for doing the right thing, environmentally.
What should you think about if you’re looking to go paperless?
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Start with your internal documents
You’re going to want to conduct a robust examination of how your internal documents are shared and stored. If you’re yet to go paperless, you’ll probably find that essential and non-essential documents are being printed on a regular basis in order to file and share them.
Thankfully, there are a whole host of different solutions for putting your paperless plan into action. Google Docs, for example, allows simultaneous collaboration between your employees and routinely saves any updates to prevent data loss. Additionally, you can quickly share updates via email which is going to help you drastically cut down on paper wastage.
There are many other options out there for document creation and storage. With Microsoft Office 365 and Basecamp being notable providers. But, as every provider offers something a little different, it’s best to do your research first to find the perfect fit for your business.
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Opt in for paperless invoices, statements, and bills
As you begin to move your payments online, you should see a huge reduction in the amount you’ll pay on postal services, envelopes, paper, and employee time. However, you’ll also find that making payments online is far more convenient and easier to keep track of.
When you have a chance, make sure to contact your bank and companies you work with to request that they only send you digital invoices, statements, and bills. This will help to propagate the idea of going paperless both in and out of your workplace.
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Monitor monthly printing habits
It’s easy to get your employees to sign up to the idea of going paperless, but it’s another thing entirely when it comes to breaking bad printing habits. You’re going to have to be tough at the start, so make sure you create a reliable system that can keep track of how much each individual employee is printing.
Depending on what you learn, you can think about creating incentives for using less paper and offer training for employees who aren’t up-to-date with storing documents online.
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Rethink your business processes
Even though your employees all play a vital role in paper reduction, if you want a paperless office, you’re going to have to re-examine your business processes. Look at everything, from whether you need to continue to sign physical documents, moving all your internal documents online, as well as removing or reducing the number of fax and printing machines.
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Invest in your paperless technology infrastructure
Making sure your business has the right technology for a digital transformation is vital if you’re looking to reduce your dependence on paper. Take the time to find the right kind of technology to invest in, such as online fax services, digitisation software, and duplex printing technology.
Are you still interested in learning more about the paperless office solutions available to your business? To find out more and go paperless today, get in touch with a member of our team now. Alternatively, you can find more of our blogs by heading over to our Leadership page.
