Today, with the political and societal push towards going green and becoming environment friendly, there is an increased demand for the paperless office. One simple way to achieve a paperless office is through document scanning and conversion of business documents. While it is possible to in-house the scanning and conversion process, the better and more economical option is to outsource this requirement to professional document scanning companies.
Along with digitization, reducing the use of paper is also essential. It is an initiative to convert all paper intensive processes into automated workflow.
Benefits of Digitizing Your Paper Documents
Electronic conversion of business documents offers a wide range of benefits to the firm:
- The digital documents can be stored in servers and it reduces the need for physical storage space in the office
- Digital files can be located easily using file search
- They are easily accessible and multiple users can access the required files simultaneously
- Electronic files can be easily edited and shared through emails or as posts on website etc
- Compared to paper documents, digital files are more secure.
When planning to go paperless, there are some factors you need to take into account. You must have a clear idea about what paper documents can be converted, how incoming paper can be converted, and how the data management will be handled.
3 Easy Steps towards a Paperless Office
- Minimize outgoing paper: Instead of printing out documents, all important documents can be saved as PDF files or in any other desired format. This enable easy copying or sharing without taking any printout.
- Minimize incoming paper: To reduce incoming of paper documents, request your clients, partners and vendors to utilize electronic invoices, payment receipts and even electronic payment method. Business can also opt for automated utility bills, bank statements etc.
- Use of OCR: Business cards, brochures and other handouts that are received while travelling can be captured using iPhone or other smartphones. OCR can then be accurately performed on the mobile device.
PDF Files Are a Great Option
Portable Document Format (PDF) files are particularly useful for many companies in the business world. It helps in storing customer records in a consistent format and also enables quick sending of files. Various programs are available that helps to manage organize, categorize and arrange PDF files systematically.
Paperless offices benefit from considerable cost savings, business process improvements and increased document security. It is not easy to automate all your paper-intensive processes and go paperless. Companies planning to digitize their business records can approach a reliable and experienced document scanning company that offers quality service within short turnaround time. They use highly advanced scanners that has more powerful software with a selection of image manipulation features and support for many languages. They offer customized service according to the client’s requirements at affordable rates.
