Going paperless in the office is way easier than you think! There’s a good chance your business could support full digital communications. The only thing likely holding its back is tradition and comfort. Breaking away from hard copy carries many wonderful benefits. The following guide shares the steps of going paperless. Plus, it offers a couple of helpful suggestions for making the digital transformation.
Simple, Effective Steps for Going Paperless in the Office
There are dozens of methods and strategies for going paperless. Each carries its pros and cons, but the general idea and goal remain the same.
The following offers a simple set of steps for going paperless so you’re less likely to put it off.
Step 1: Identify Opportunities
Start by figuring out what areas benefit from going paperless. These are the “low hanging fruit” that have the biggest “wins” for the transformation.
Areas of business could include:
- Payroll
- Advertising
- Human Resources
- Customer Service
- Logistics
The list of business operations goes on and on but you get the point. Talk with the team in each area to learn which may be easiest to roll out first. Then make a note about the other areas based on priority and impact.
Step 2: Gather Resources
There are plenty of apps readily available for your paperless transition:
- DocuSign for signing and verifying documents
- A paystub generator for payroll and billing
- Accounting services like Quickbooks
- Evernote for note-taking and sharing
- Full office suites like Google Docs
Look for the old system in use + “app” and you’ve found a paperless solution. Or, bring on a consultant to help identify and set up the systems.
Step 3: Get Trained
There are two areas of going paperless the team will get trained:
- Digitizing documents
- Using paperless tools
Digitizing documents involves using a scanning app or hardware. The team would scan and organize the hard copy into digital formats. If they’ve used a scanner before then training is quick. The real training is with organizing digital files.
The second training area is how the team uses paperless tools.
- Check and follow the documentation
- Use online resources and tutorials
- Hire a training professional
Most paperless systems mock traditional ones. The transformation is a lot about adapting versus overcoming a difficult learning curve.
Step 4: Soft Launch
A soft launch mitigates hiccups with the paperless rollout.
Select one area of business to go paperless while others stay traditional. This lets you figure out any setbacks in your systems. Then, you can update policies and fix issues before scaling to other areas.
Step 5: Hard Launch
Now’s the time to fully embrace going paperless.
- Make an announcement that your business is paperless
- Rollout paperless systems to its areas of operation
- Launch educational resources and support for clients
Stay on top of everything when making the transformation. The soft launch should have cared for a few of the major issues but you’re bound to find more at scale.
Did clients and employees adapt to the chance? If so, then congrats!
You’re now a paperless office and business.
Embrace the Digital Transformation
Now more than ever could your business benefit from going paperless in the office.
Embracing a digital transformation means your operations are no longer hindered by slow, outdated hard copy. As seen in this post, it’s quite easy to make that change!
How else can you improve business operations? Check more of the blog! There are tons of helpful business guides to bring your business into the 21st century.
