With the invention of the computer they told us we’d all be living in a paperless world in no time. Yet fifty years later and we’re still receiving mail, receipts and paper invoices. Ok, faxes thankfully seem a thing of the past, but if we’re aiming for a paperless future, why are documents still clogging up the work desk? Maybe it’s because we’re late adopters, maybe it’s the permanence of paper. But, if we’re being honest with ourselves the pros of getting rid of paper outweigh the cons.
The first step to managing these paper documents, is to be rid of them! To make everything digital. We know what you’re thinking. Considering the large pile of paper documents lying around the office, digitising your documents may seem like an arduous task. So let’s look at it from a different perspective. Let’s talk about what effect paper documents are having on your business right now.
The problem with paper.
Now, some of these may seem obvious. But we all need a little push in the right direction sometimes. Paper is problematic. Sure it has it’s uses for note taking or reminders, but in general we need to minimise our reliance on paper for the following reasons:
It slows you down in a fast-paced world.
In many ways. Firstly, when you use paper documents, you have to physically deliver them to the recipient. This is totally unnecessary in today’s world. And sometimes, because of the effort involved, a document may sit in a pile on the corner of your desk for day without going anywhere.
And that’s without even talking about what goes on once the recipient has received the document. Then there’s a process involved, filing etc. It just takes up way too much time for the time-poor individual.
It gets lost.
Well, to be fair, paper doesn’t lose itself. We lose the paper, right? The point is, it gets lost. Yes we may locate it weeks later under the car seat covered in crayon markings (sorry, dad joke), but by then it could be too late and an opportunity could pass you by. Digital files, for the most part, don’t get lost.
And conversely, it’s hard to find.
If if you don’t lose the paper in question, and file it away, then later down the track when you need to dig out the file and use it, it’s not so easy to find. Particularly when you need that one paragraph clarifying your client’s request.
So what’s the solution?
It’s time to talk about a digital management system.
Compiling all your documents into a management system online is simply the best solution available. The digitisation process will improve the efficiency of your work and upgrade the materials you use on a day-to-day basis.
A Document Management System will use software to gather, manage and store documents in the one archive online. With digital documents any changes and updates made will be automatically added to the system, keeping your documents organised. This will make storage retrieval, security and archiving easy in your workplace.
What are the benefits of a Document Management System?
Shift to automatic.
Documents sent to your business, by mail or email, will run through the document management system and be automatically added to your central business system, without the need for manual distribution to your employees. Now that’s efficient.
Enjoy the miracle of creating time.
A click of the button and you can find the exact document in a matter of seconds, no matter where you are. The time saved can be used to focus on more pressing matters and increase the productivity of your workers. Sound good?
You’ll increase communication and collaboration within your business.
With all company information accessible in the one location, your employees are immediately conscious of any news and updates within the company. This creates a more unified workforce and that can only be a good thing for your bottom line.
It saves you.
Speaking of bottom lines, removing paper from the business will save you money on paper and printing resources. And not only are you saving money, but by giving paper the boot, you’re saving the planet too.
So the question you need to ask yourself is simple: will managing your documents digitally improve the way you do business? Today, most proactive businesses out there store their documents digitally. The pros significantly outweigh the cons. Taking the extra time to digitise your work initially, will simply work to your favour later down the track. While it might seem like a big task, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to start with a simple Document Management System.
Want to know how to start? Feel free to reach out to us to learn more.
