9 Tips for Creating a Paperless Office

In this fast paced technology controlled era, computers have replaced manual labor in almost every industry all around the globe. Whether it is health and wellness, the financial market or even the beauty niche, modern technology is dominating these sectors without doubt. Similarly, every other office we visit has taken a step forward, and equipped most of their capital with modern machinery and computers, promoting 21st Century as the digital era.
A brick and mortar firm needs to make sure that they have updated their techniques, not only to make their work easier, but to compete with a clutter of competition they might have. One of the most effective ways to kick-start your journey towards development is to avoid jotting everything down and documenting all your work with the old-fashioned pen and paper method. Creating a paperless office might not seem like a difficult task, but if not carried out properly, it can turn into a devastating challenge – especially when you’re dealing with bookkeeping. Here are some of the most common, yet effective tips you can use in order to transform your workspace into a paperless office.

1. Track Printing Procedures

First things first – make sure that you document all the annual consumption of your paperwork, for example, printers, copiers, shipment documentation and everything else your office employees have been using paper. After you have completed calculating the total use of paper, you need to figure out the total costs you spend on paper, and set goals to reduce this amount or the use of paper to a certain range. Moreover, track the usage of paper and email the statistics to each and every employee in your firm. This allows people to remember that their workspace is on a mission to make the office paperless.

2. Design a Paperless Team

Once you have completed making an annual report on the usage of paper, make sure that everyone is one the same page; and has a positive attitude towards creating a paperless office. You need to make sure that you proceed in your fiscal endeavors, after every single employee is supporting your viewpoint. Moreover, if there is an odd one out, make sure to help your employee understand how going paperless can benefit your business overall!

3. Discourage Printing Procedures

Apart from calculating your paper use, and considering the support of your team, you need to make sure that you spread a culture which opposes printing procedures. One of the best ways to do this is to create a cross-department team, which is specifically told to handle paper use in the office, and manage it according to the needs and requirement of the plan you first made!

4. Scan Paper Invoices

As a business-owner, you would have a number of different vendors working for you from the outside. Consequently, you will have tones of letters, notices and a lot more documentation you have received from each and every one of your vendors. Make sure you let your vendors and all other third-parties know that you will not appreciate receiving any sort of legal document in hardcopy. Instead, suggest them to send you scanned invoices, emails and electronic messages in order to make your office paperless. The remaining paper receipts can be easily scanned with a tool like Scan2Invoice.

5. Use Index and Search Tools

One of the most common arguments a firm might have when they are going paperless is that written documentation is easy to locate. The best way to cater this challenge is to make use of Indexed Search Tools, which search each and every word by processing it bit by bit in the computer, and providing you with the information you need in a blink of any eye.

6. Sign up for Paperless Statements

Another major step you need to take towards making your office a paperless place is statements written on papers. These statements can range from a mobile bill to the bank statements you receive from your bank. Make sure you notify these people that only a paperless bank statement or legal documentation will be entertained by the management of your firm.

7. No Fax in your Paperless Office

Fax is one of the leading reasons of abundance of paper in the office. You need to make sure that you entirely disregard any form of fax receipts from the business process, and replace them with fillable PDF forms, which can be sent through an email or even via a website browser. You can use an online free tool called PDFescape or a paid tool such as Acrobat XI or Nitro Pro 9, in order to add more sophistication to the process.

8. Scan Your Business Cards

You business cards need to be engaging, as they help in creating a good impression the first time a potential client hears about you. However, instead of using the old-school 4×5 business card in your office, why not turn towards digital scanned business cards, which can be emailed to anyone you want to interact or get in touch with.

9. Use Cloud Applications

Business, especially those running at a small-scale can benefit from the cloud technology more than they can ever expect. Cloud storage tools allow you to store all your important documentation over an internet platform, which can be accessed anytime to derive what you need. Using tools such as Evernote and  Dropbox are an excellent choice – if you’re looking to create a paperless office! For cloud accounting Quickbooks Online and Xero will make your life much easier.

The Bottom Line

Going paperless is one of the most important steps you need to take, if you’re looking to compete with workspaces going digital at a dramatic rate. You need to make sure that you have abandoned those orthodox methods for bookkeeping and tracking the progress of your business – and moved towards the idea of using technology to do this.
Making use of modern methods of computing not only increases your productivity, but also opens new doors of innovation for you and your work-family. Methods like extracting accounting data and using scanned invoices can help you prove your mettle in the marketplace; hence, make sure to go through the above mentioned ways, in order to create a paperless office.