Digital Office: Folders pile up, essential documents get lost in piles of paper, and your monitor is adorned with countless post-its: the paperless office stands for more order, structure and efficiency. And at the same time, it protects our natural resources. In this article, we will show you how to overcome the barriers in your company and how to make the transition.
Wouldn’t a paperless office finally be appropriate and simply necessary? Instead of digging through files, use the search function of a document management system (DMS) and quickly find the document you are looking for?
This sounds like a pious wish that goes unheeded for many company employees. Unfortunately, many written and unwritten rules – including a half-hearted implementation – prevent the internal switch to the paperless office.
If the workflow is not optimally adapted to the internal requirements, frustration prevails instead of productivity. If the software goes on strike, some employees fall into old behavior patterns and create small archives of sticky notes instead of driving the digital company forward.
Digital Office: The Benefits Of A Paperless Office
You Need Less Space And Lower Your Fixed Costs
The calculation is straightforward: Less space for paper leads to savings in office space. And this can be measured very precisely in numbers. So you save on fixed costs month after month with a paperless office.
You Increase Your Ability To Concentrate And Work More Productively
If stacks of paper surround your desk, you will be constantly reminded of unfinished projects. Thanks to a paperless office, you can continuously reduce this stress level and concentrate better on your current work.
This is directly related to another advantage: Since you can find the documents you want faster thanks to a document management system, you need significantly less time.
Your Team Improves Their Workflows
Your colleague is not at his desk or on vacation, but do you still need essential documents from him? Documents can be released to team members so that the hectic search for contracts or dossiers is no longer necessary.
You Handle Resources Responsibly
Paper consumes a lot of energy during production. By doing without paper, you conserve essential resources and show responsibility and environmental awareness with your company.
This Is How The Transition To The Paperless Office Succeeds
Even if the arguments for a paperless office in companies are apparent to almost everyone, implementation is often complex. It is essential to proceed strategically.
Identify Your Challenges And Desires
With a clever implementation plan and a system that meets the needs of your employees, you can noticeably minimise the effort.
Ask yourself and your team the following questions in advance:
- Why do we specifically want to implement a paperless office?
- What problems are we currently struggling with (lack of space, disorder, lack of mobile use of documents)?
- Can we work more effectively and automate our work processes?
- Where does the majority of our previous paper volume come from? Can this be digitised?
In the beginning, carry out an inventory and communicate with your employees where documents are drawn up and edited. Based on these results, a structure can be identified to help you find the right document management system (DMS) for you.
Check And Choose The Right Document Management System
Now it’s about the suitable technical basis: Besides the already mentioned DMS, you can also use enterprise content management systems (ECM) or cloud solutions.
Although there are some alternative and accessible solutions, these systems do not have a sufficiently good search function. On the other hand, a team can only manage and plan inadequately with these tools.
Thanks to Optical Character Recognition (OCR), high-performance document management systems can recognize texts in digitised documents and add keywords. If you are unsure which system meets your requirements, you should seek advice. The company Sentinel is a provider of professional IT consulting in Hamburg and supports you comprehensively.
Use The Cloud For Modern Workplace Models
Once the solution for your company has been determined, the next question is how and where the documents should be stored.
One choice could be a private cloud in which the data can be called up at any time. The alternative is managed cloud hosting, where the required cloud resources are rented according to your needs. You should also consider access for employees who work from homes, such as regular backups and digital archives. You get all of this with a managed cloud solution: You combine permanent and competent service with professional cloud hosting.
Adjust The Workflow In The Team
Once the technical infrastructure is in place, the last and most crucial moment has come. Because in the implementation, you should first specify which documents you need in printed form and where you can save paper in the company.
The essential requirement is a powerful scanner that digitises the respective documents very reliably and quickly. Of course, there is a statutory retention period for many important documents. Many solutions create audit-proof document archives that cannot be changed. You can even get rid of the original receipts under certain circumstances.
Conclusion: The Paperless And Digital Office Can Be Implemented
Technically, the paperless office is easy to implement. Suppose you and your company plan powerful software with the right tools and powerful scanners at the beginning. In that case, you save money, working time and your team’s nerves: advantages that your company and your customers will feel.
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