Should You Consider Going Paperless?

What Does Going Paperless Mean?

When a business goes paperless, it doesn?t mean that there aren?t any papers to be filed. The way that business works, paper files will always be a part of the process. What going paperless means is that files that were once stored at the organization are digitized and can be searched and found in databases. These databases can be stored locally, in a co-located data center, or in the cloud, but regardless of where you decide to set your file sharing and storage infrastructure up, the main benefits are the same.

These benefits include:

• Anytime, anywhere access to files
• Easy file retrieval with search function
• Improves data security
• Significantly cuts printing, storage, filing, and retrieval costs
• Reduces space needed for files
• Potential for increased organizational productivity and efficiency

What Does Going Paperless Look Like?

If going paperless was easy to accomplish, everyone would do it. There are several different systems that are involved with going paperless. First of all, one of the core changes is the amount of document management you will do digitally. This isn?t just the storage of documents digitally, but also the scanning and entering of metadata to allow your staff to quickly retrieve documents when they are needed. Not only does this significantly cut down on your organizational reliance on printing, but it also strategically improves data retrieval times. Moreover, the environmental impact of your business is turned around almost immediately as there is less waste, a smaller carbon footprint, and an overall efficiency that is beneficial all the way through your business. 

Devices Used in a Paperless Office

The paperless office relies on some hardware. The first thing is that all paper documents have to be scanned into the system and filed with metadata so that users can quickly access them. This requires a scanner, which is a relatively inexpensive device if you choose to go that route, but it is also a feature on a lot of printer/copier machines that businesses use. 

After that, you will need the storage to file all of your digital documents, which you can choose to host yourself or utilize cloud-based storage. A database management system (DBMS) is software that will allow you to sufficiently manage your data and search it. After that, you just need digital devices to access the information. This can be done on a smartphone, tablet, or PC and with the right setup can improve the mobility of your business exponentially.  

We Can Help You Go Paperless

If your business is tired of all the clutter and would like to look into going paperless, or at the very least reducing the amount of paper your business relies on, give the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services a call today at (603) 889-0800.