Bootstrap Business Blogger Outreach Agency Frugal Entrepreneur

The Benefits Of A Paperless Office

benefits paperless office

If the past year has taught businesses anything, it’s that they need to be prepared for anything. The COVID-19 pandemic led many companies to have to close for a period of time, and when possible employees were required to work remotely. 

While most businesses have reopened, the situation is still ongoing and every day brings uncertainty. 

That means businesses need to be agile, ready for employees to work from anywhere, and flexible in their approach. 

A big part of meeting those objectives is a paperless office. 

When you have a paperless office, you can digitize documents and automate processes like your accounts payable workflows

With the use of technology and cloud-based platforms, your employees can access what they need no matter where they are, but this isn’t the only benefit of a paperless office. 

Below, we delve more into what you should know about a paperless office in general and what the benefits are. 

What Is A Paperless Office? 

A paperless office as you might guess from the name, either completely eliminates or greatly minimizes the use of physical paper and documents. Instead, documents are primarily digital. Moving toward a paperless office is part of a digital transformation for many businesses. When you convert your hard copy documents into electronic files, the process is known as digitization. 

The concept of altogether paperless offices is foundational in the modern workplace. 

There are a lot of basic things business leaders can do to move toward being paperless. For example, they can use digital storage systems with online backup and cloud computing. This actually improves security and reduces downtime if anything happens. 

Employers can utilize digital scanners, and employees should be able to file any original documents within the software used to create documents. 

When you’re just starting with a paperless office, you want to make sure that your staff has all the necessary training and tools, and don’t assume they’re going to understand how to use new technology. Make it easy for them. 

So what are the benefits of going paperless

Improved Security 

Security is a top concern for most businesses right now, and the issues with cybersecurity and document management have been amplified because of the increase in remote work. 

When you have primarily physical documents, there is the risk that they could be stolen, destroyed, or filed incorrectly. 

With a paperless approach, there’s a generally higher level of security not only for the sensitive information of your business itself but also for your customer’s sensitive information. 

Most of the technology and tools that you integrate into your paperless office management have bank- level security features, encryption and other multi-layered safeguards. 

If your employees are still working in a paper-based office, then everyone has access to everything, and there’s no trail of who’s accessed what like there is in a digital environment. 

If you were to experience something like a flood, fire, or natural disaster and you’re relying on cloud- based technology, your important information is also protected. 

Access From Anywhere 

Access is a huge issue right now for businesses that haven’t already gone through a digital transformation. 

During the pandemic, your employees might have faced access issues because they suddenly had to shift to remote work. 

Now, businesses are more prepared for these unexpected situations, and one of the significant benefits of a paperless office is that you can allow for easier access in case employees have to go remote again. 

With a paperless system, there’s a secure way for your employees to access anything they need from anywhere and at any time. They can also access it from any device. 

Reduce The Environmental Impact Of Your Business 

Being more eco-friendly isn’t just good for the environment—it’s also good for business. Customers want to work with brands that represent their values, and employees also feel better when they’re working somewhere that they feel takes on a sense of social responsibility and purpose. 

When you have a paperless office, you’re reducing the overall environmental impact of your business

The average employee uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper annually, so think about how much you can positively affect the environment by dedicating your business to go paperless. 

It’s not just the paper that’s an issue in a traditional paper-based office, either. For example, the ink you’re using can have dangerous chemicals and when you dispose of these items, it can pollute soil and water. 

More Efficiency 

There are quite a few reasons a paperless office can improve the overall efficiency of your employees. 

First, when you have a paperless system, your employees don’t have to dig through files or stacks of paper to find what they need. They should be able to quickly search using whatever cloud-based filing or platforms you’re using. 

Employees can pull up needed information in a matter of seconds. 

Your office will be less cluttered, which is beneficial because a clean space generally makes for more productivity. 

Additionally, if you’re using automated solutions, like an automated AP platform, then you’re taking busy work off the plate of your employees. You’re lowering the potential for human errors to occur, and more time can be spent on strategic thinking. 

Reduced Costs 

When you have a paperless office, you can save money on everything from paper to ink. You’re also not having to pay for physical storage, and you may be able to downsize your office space and pay less in rent. 

Compliance 

Finally, as a business, you are liable for the information that you maintain on your clients. There are varying regulations, depending on your industry, to make sure that you’re protecting client information from a possible breach. 

You are required to save data with integrity and the highest of standards. 

When you have a paper-based system, it’s not only difficult to be compliant, but it’s hard to prove you’re compliant. 

When you use cloud-based technology and go paperless at work, you have an audit trail so that if you do face this situation, it’s easy to see what you do with each piece of data and who has access.