7 Reasons Why Your Office Should Go Paperless
July 5, 2018
For decades, businesses have searched for ways to ditch paper by digitizing their files and office processes. The problem is that it just isn’t easy for businesses to relinquish paper filing. Paper documents are light, thin, opaque, porous and flexible — characteristics that make them easy to handle and store. At the same time, those same characteristics make paper fragile, tedious to copy and difficult to transmit over multiple locations.
Learn how you can transform your business into a paperless office today.
Fortunately, advances in technology have paved the way for offices to easily digitize their files and become truly paperless. What’s more, low-code and no-code platforms have allowed businesses to have database applications that are secure, scalable, easy to maintain and instantly accessible from any location around the globe.
Here are 7 reasons why your office should go paperless:
1. Save money and space with a paperless office
Four years ago, independent analyst firm Gartner estimated that filing, storing, and retrieving paper for American businesses cost between $25 billion and $35 billion. This amount is more than enough to end deforestation in the Amazon forests within 10 years!
Adopting a cloud-based system allows businesses to reduce the cost of paper, printing and copying equipment, fax machines, inks and other office supplies. Imagine all the office space you could free up when you remove those bulky filing cabinets and boxes of archived folders! You’ll be able to reallocate all that space for more revenue-generating business processes.
Sign up for a free online database if you want to try building database apps without dipping into your budget. Scale up your subscription as you grow, so you only pay for what your organization needs.
2. Streamline processes and document management
Remember that time when you had to wait for your colleague to go over a report that’s been sitting on his desk before being able to review its contents yourself? Or all that time you spent in over countless filing cabinets looking for copies of an important transaction?
A proper and organized online digital document management system eliminates the time wasted waiting for everyone else to view one document because you’ll all be able to access the file at the same time. Searching for archived files will also take no more than a few clicks.
3. Faster and more efficient client communication
Forbes reported that digital transformation has enabled businesses to become more customer-centric. Digital transformation goes beyond digitizing processes and has moved towards the realm of planning priorities and strategies. Technological innovations over the last few decades have enabled customers to become more empowered and assertive, offering huge opportunities for companies to connect and develop lasting relationships with their clients.
Investing in a customer relationship management application instantly changes the company-client dynamic. Identifying the needs and wants of customers become easier with email, chat and social media. Integrating customer insights into business strategies also becomes less complicated.
4. Enable a mobile workforce
No more cumbersome fax machines and unreliable document couriers. All you need are mobile devices and photo-scanning apps that allow you to effortlessly back up reports while offsite and send them to your colleagues back at the office.
A paperless office gives you the power to work on urgent tasks while in transit or work remotely while taking care of your child. Your business functions will never be disrupted and your employees will thank you.
5. Disaster-proof your documents
Unpredictable events such as fires and hurricanes have the potential to wipe out important documents in an instant. Saving and maintaining electronic files in a secure and reliable online database allows for multiple backup points. Pre-scheduled automatic backups eliminate time wasted on manual backups using physical storage devices.
6. Stronger data security
Gone are the days of locking filing cabinets and shredding paper. It’s now safer and more convenient to protect confidential customer information using data encryption and other cloud security measures depending on your needs.
7. Care for the environment
Lastly, going paperless is more than just reducing paper. It means less electronic waste and less energy consumption. At the end of the day, a paperless office is an eco-friendly office.
Wondering how you can transform your business into a paperless one? Schedule a demo with us today!