While manual paperwork is still a common practice today, many companies and professionals are now going paperless.
To go paperless means maintaining a central online repository of files, automating processes to streamline workflows across different functions, and accessing documents remotely.
Adopting a paperless approach to your processes as a professional is an effective way to reduce costs and free up time for higher value-added activities since manually dealing with paperwork can be expensive and time-consuming.
There are ways you can reduce your paper touchpoints, including document imaging and electronic signature solutions. However, you need to ensure that as you eliminate or reduce paper touchpoints or completely embrace going paperless, you do not disrupt your current processes.
Here are ways to ease your transition to paperless processes:
Inform the people you work with
If your company does not already use paperless processes, let your teammates and colleagues know about your initiative. Let them know the benefits and significance of what you are doing. While your efforts alone may not immediately create an impact, if your company respects your decision and notices the advantages of going paperless, they may eventually follow suit. If you are a self-employed professional, let your clients and partners know that your transactions with them would be paperless.
Addressing compliance concerns is a way to influence and encourage people to go paperless. Discuss privacy and security measures, highlighting the mitigation of risks and explaining the potential hazards of manual paperwork. Let them know that digital systems let users work in a more secure environment, away from potential security breaches.
Review your processes
You can digitize many parts of your workflows, particularly those that involve paper. From accounting, expense tracking, time and attendance management, you must review and pinpoint the exact processes that involve printing documents.
In a business, it is easy to determine the company functions that involve manual paperwork. Hence, you need to do a step-by-step analysis to determine whether or not you need to digitize a specific process. You need to identify precisely the processes where digitization opportunities are possible. You can review and assess one business process at a time to avoid abrupt changes, as teams still need to get used to the adjustments that going paperless brings.
Organize your paper documents
One of the reasons people resist going paperless is that they have too many physical documents to deal with. They would rather store these documents in bulky filing cabinets than trouble themselves digitizing each one. Digital documents do not only get rid of clutter in your office, it also organizes your files for faster retrieval and efficiency.
Based on your workstyle, particularly the way you manage paperwork, you can begin scanning the most recent physical documents or the oldest documents you keep — the choice is entirely yours. If you work in an office, a unified organization system sorted by departments, years, clients, and projects is advantageous. Ask departments to manage and be responsible for their files. Set a goal when each department should complete digitizing their documents. Take note that scanning files may pose privacy risks; therefore, only entrust files to trusted people. We do not want protected information to fall into the wrong hands.
Find the right digital tools
Digital tools are convenient for going paperless, as they allow users to create, access, and save files via the cloud instead of relying on physical documents.
From the most cost-effective yet comprehensive document management software to an electronic signature solutions provider, you have to find the right tools to ease your transition to paperless processes. There are many digital tools to choose from. To be able to find the most suitable tools for your requirements, it is best to do your research and compare all the best options before deciding.
Before looking for the digital tools to use, you can create a list of your requirements. For instance, for cloud storage, determine and set the storage capacity you need and the number of collaborators. For legal transactions, determine the e-signature features you may need, including online PDF document editing, document-sharing features, and security verification functions.
After selecting the right digital tools, you need to master them by constantly utilizing them. In an office environment, training activities may be necessary. It is important that several employees in a department can handle and access the tools.
Transition gradually
Transitioning from manual paperwork to paperless processes should be slow and accurate. Take your time as you implement new procedures. In your office, give your employees time to adjust. They may need to use paperless procedures in tandem with old systems during the adjustment period. Do not expect that you can abruptly change processes quickly, as everyone needs time to adapt. Shift away from paper in several phases to help them adjust.
Whether you are doing the transition alone or with your teammates, you need to organize every phase, determining the goals to successfully integrate digital solutions into your processes, and set realistic expectations and deadlines. In an office setting, take note that expectations and deadlines will depend on the number of users, the size of the organization, the number of documents to convert to digital copies, and the digital tools everyone will use.
Accommodate questions that can help you transition and establish processes, including the following:
- How to start a documentation process?
- How to store documents in online storage?
- How to retrieve documents?
There are other questions that people may ask regarding processes. To address every question, you can map out the processes involved in all the digital tools you will be using. Design solutions that work and are easy to follow and implement.
As you transition, you will form new habits. Track your progress and monitor the changes that have been taking place. You may also need to measure the impact of implementing digital workflows to confirm its advantages.
As you embrace paperless processes, you may still find yourself grabbing a pen and a piece of paper — do not worry, it is natural instinct. Therefore, you need to train yourself to use digital tools whenever possible.