5 Good Reasons to Consider Document Management in 2018
Technology is increasingly helping us transform the way we do business for decades now. There was a time, not too long ago, when communication with clients or vendors relied on time consuming phone conversations. Even internal communication was a challenge and often translated to a lot of wasted productive hours. Email saved businesses a lot of time and costs and helped information to flow dramatically faster and more efficiently. Now with smartphones we also have the freedom to be in the loop all the time and location becomes irrelevant.
That is why all businesses today have invested in servers and cloud solutions so their email, website and digital files are easily accessible and stored securely without disruptions. But what about paper documents ? Are you still using file cabinets for storage and time consuming processes to retrieve them ? When everything else is moving at a much faster pace, paperwork is still the weakest link for a lot of companies.
Most businesses are almost there by scanning a few documents into a windows share and receiving some invoices by email . But a document management system, that is a good fit for your company, can really be the missing piece of the puzzle.It will make everything come together and feel as the next step forward, just like when you started using email.
Time Saved
First off, going paperless saves time. Instead of printing documents, filing them, and then having to search for them manually at a later date, your document retrieval process becomes as simple as searching on Google. This can eliminate a lot of wasted man-hours and allow your employees to use their time more for other tasks.
Better Access
When files are digitally stored in the cloud, your organization instantly becomes more flexible. How flexible? Consider the following example:
Let\’s say your business is located in New York City and you\’re meeting with a top client in Los Angeles. On Friday afternoon, you\’re discussing a project with the client and need to refer to a specific file that\’s back at the office.
You call the office and suddenly remember that it\’s 7 p.m. on the East Coast. You\’re out of luck! You\’ll have to wait until Monday morning to get the file, or ask one of your employees to head in on Saturday morning to help you out. Very inconvenient on both fronts.
Now, if your office was paperless, all you\’d have to do is log into your cloud account, search for the file, and show the client. The convenience of being a paperless operation can save a lot of trouble with regard to logistics and geography.
Saved Space
One sheet of paper may not take up a ton of space, but tens of thousands of pages certainly do. Over the years, businesses can accrue boxes and boxes of files. These files have to go somewhere; they ultimately end up overcrowding office space (which isn\’t cheap). By going paperless, a firm can free up closets, boardrooms, and even entire offices.
Digital files, on the other hand, take no physical space on your premises at all. They\’re stored remotely and accessible from anywhere, which means you no longer have to waste overhead on physical file storage.
Stronger Security
Storing documents in the cloud is safer than keeping sensitive files in an office. Digital documents are encrypted and protected by numerous layers of security, and access can be restricted to only a few individuals.
Furthermore, digital files don\’t run the risk of getting lost due to theft or fire, which are occasional occurrences for businesses. If there\’s a fire or flood, recovery from a backup is much easier with digital storage than with paper.
Easier Growth
Moving from an old office to a new one is much easier if you don\’t have to carry several filing cabinets with you. With all your documents in a single location, if you need to make a decision to consolidate branches or add a new location there will be no disruption in your business.