How to Convince Your Company to Go Paperless

If you work for a company, unless you’re in a high position, chances are good that you don’t have a lot of say in the goings-on that occur around you. This is fine for many people—it also means that you don’t have to deal with the headache of managing those below you, while still having to answer to higher ups.

That being said, what if you have a fantastic idea; do you speak up or keep it to yourself? Many times, company leaders will not only appreciate suggestions, but they’ll remember innovative thinking and being a team player when it comes time for raises and promotions.

So what’s one thing employees should suggest that could benefit everyone in any company, no matter the size or industry?

If they haven’t already, business owners should seriously consider embracing electronic workflow and going paperless in the office. Not only will the firm’s bottom line see a marked difference, but workers and even corporate partners will be able to see real advantages.

If an employee brings electronic workflow to the table, they should have an argument ready to back up this idea. This is relatively easy—there are countless reasons as to why a company needs to start leveraging document management software as soon as possible.

Here are some of the most cited reasons offices choose digitization:

Processing time can be slashed

Think about when the business sends out an invoice to a manufacturer or other corporate partner. After the document’s been drawn up, the company sends it by snail mail or courier. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Then, the second party has to review and sign the form, then make a copy for internal records. After that, it’s sent back, again, taking hours or days depending on the circumstances.

If there’s an error in the text, the whole process has to start all over again.

That’s not the case with a paperless system, which is one of the main reasons Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County Planning Commission recently decided to go digital. The Montgomery News reported that Executive Director Jody Holten said that the process of sending letters to municipalities takes a long time because it takes a while to draft the text, format it and then send the document.

“It’s a lot of time entering data and going back and forth with the files,” Holten explained.

In a digitized office, both parties would have access to the document online, making the process automatic.

Share files faster

Along the same lines, workers will find it easier to share documents with others in the company. This can mean a major boost in productivity, especially if a number of employees work from home. They won’t have to take files to their houses, meaning those in the office will have to go without access.

People can be given authorization and contribute their knowledge to the same document at once.

Save a lot of money

This might be the linchpin in any argument: It’s basically a sure thing that the company will save money over time.

Sure, the business will have to buy the right software and scanners and dedicate man hours to the task, but think of everything managers will never have to buy again or can at least purchase on a much smaller scale.

They won’t have to shell out cash for paper reams, printers, spare parts, staples, folders, paper clips and other accessories that are critical in a paper-full office.

This might also be a good time to bring up the cost of rent for office space. If the company goes digital, the paper files will be imported online, meaning that there will be no use for clunky file cabinets. This could be an opportunity to downsize and save some money.