ManSys has been a paperless business for six years – and we have saved money on paper, printing and paper management. Going paperless has proved beneficial for us, and the same will be true for others who do the same. The US is still said to spend $8 billion on business paper a year. Over here in the UK, it is reported that some UK businesses don’t know exactly how much paper costs them although accounts reviews show that most company budgets still have a material provision for printing and stationary. Moving from print to digital is becoming easier, with a range of tools available to assist with this transition. Here we’ll offer some tips for going paperless that offer both financial and environmental benefits.
- Use paperless storage
More businesses are moving towards the use of paperless storage, either with on-premise digital solutions or in The Cloud. For many The Cloud is preferred because it allows a business to keep its documents safe and secure, without having to put back-up procedures and resources in place. Another benefit that is easy to forget is the impact going paperless has on your office space. Picture those big cabinets taking up all that office space … and imagine the space used more usefully. In terms of practicality, paperless storage has the strong advantage of being accessible from anywhere to all permitted users. It certainly makes working from home or while travelling much easier. We offer cloud-based software systems to ensure businesses who operate internationally can manage their data while on to go without compromising on security.
- Create a folder system
Organise all your documents by creating folders. Structure your documents in a way that suits you and the way your business operates. Whether it is by Year or grouped by Relevance such as specific clients or departments, getting organised is a strong advantage of going paperless. All relevant information
- Communicate electronically
Online communication via email is already a part of everyday business. Most businesses also use online calendars and booking facilities and share project plans and documentation digitally. Making payslips digitally and securely available is another simple efficiency step to take.
- Scan incoming physical documents
A business can’t always mandate the ways in which data and documents are received, but scanning and digitally filing incoming physical documents doesn’t need to take any longer than manually filing the paper received.
- Use team working utilities
Team whiteboards are a great way to efficiently share information between team members. Over recent years the commercially available tools have become quite affordable – or free – and now integrate with other office packages and third party applications.
Going paperless is a lot easier in our increasingly digitised world. Your business could save energy, money and improve productivity too. Why not make the first step?