Three Document Types Companies Should Digitize to Become Completely Paperless

Over the past decade – maybe even longer – there’s been talk that American society is on the cusp of enabling a paperless workspace for individuals working in many different industries. However, more recently, many critics have claimed that achieving holistic electronic workflow won’t ever become a reality.

But why not? The fact is that the technology has evolved so much that it’s achievable by almost any vertical. The machines, from scanners to shredders, even to computers themselves, are affordable and easy to use, so there should be no excuse for not implementing it.

However, those who pan the possibility of a paperless office note that employees themselves are always going to want to touch some of their documents. That might not be true though – chances are very good that they don’t want to waste countless hours thumbing through ugly, bulky filing cabinets or stand aimlessly around whirring machines waiting for printers to spit out a file.

So, what are the individual documents critics claim workers will need to physically handle? In other words, what’s preventing the paperless office?

Emails

This concept is questionable to begin with. In an interview with TechRadar Pro, Oki Printing Solutions Manager Andrew Hall suggested that emails are just one of many files workers want to actually touch, making a paperless company very unlikely.

To almost anyone who communicates via email for work, this is borderline preposterous. The beauty of email is that it doesn’t need to be made tangible at all – the messages can be forwarded to the right party, the digital platform provides a record of communications, and it’s simply hard to lose messages. These advantages showcase exactly why a business should invest in document management software.

Crucial papers

Contracts, invoices, sensitive documents – aren’t these materials that should be left in filing cabinets so nearly anyone can have access to them? If company leaders answer “no” to this question, they’ve just realized one of the biggest reasons why they should go paperless.

As Forbes noted, digitized documents have much higher security capabilities. Not only does this platform make it easy to ensure the files would be saved in the event of a disaster, but administrators could keep them safe from attack by requiring multi-factor authentication and leveraging encryption.

Memos

Rather than relying on sticky notes or scraps of paper, new technologies make it easier and more efficient for workers to leave themselves reminders. An added bonus, it’s also a more environmentally conscious move. From “notepad” like programs on desktops to memo apps on smartphones or tablets, employees can tap into new opportunities, rather than harping on a paper-full office.