There are so many reasons why an office might wish to go paperless. Reducing clutter, lowering your environmental impact, embracing the digital era, simplifying your filing; it’s a smart way to move forward.
But how and where do you start?
Here are the first five things you can do to begin your transition to a paperless office, using new technology to revolutionize the way you conduct your business.
1. Make Use of QR codes
We’ve all been there – you send a document via email and find that within minutes, someone has managed to start editing it, and you are forced to start trawling through the edits history to change it back to what you originally created. This issue can be avoided by sending documents via PDFs. And the easiest way to do this? The PDF QR code. When you upload your document to the code, it becomes entirely secure, and can be sent as an attachment. You can personalize the QR code, making it visually sleek and on-brand.
This is particularly useful for en-masse communications where a single file needs to be seen by everyone. Gone are the days of the office memo; now everyone can open the QR code and sit with the document on their own device, and even screenshot and save it for future reference.
2. Convert Paper Documents to Digital Files
There is bound to be a changeover period in which you adjust to the new paperless way of doing things, and within that time, you will want to sift through your files and save any you think will be needed in the future, or else any worth keeping for posterity. But if you’re moving to be entirely paperless, you don’t want a filing cabinet in the corner which will inevitably gather dust and get ignored as time goes by. The solution? Microsoft Lens.
All you need to do is download it to a device with a camera app, and you can begin taking photos of your documents. It takes moments to convert them to the format of your choosing. These files can be easily saved as PDFs, and adapt readily to the Microsoft Office suite, meaning your files can become Word documents or Powerpoints depending on what you are looking for. They can also be directly uploaded to OneDrive or OneNote, depending on what your office preference is.
3. Invest in Good Cloud Storage
If you are looking to keep an efficient, clutter-free office, you want that to extend to your digital workspace. Picking the right cloud storage is a big decision; there are many options, and you will want to go for one that is optimal for your business.
You’ll need to consider:
● Your operating system
● The types of files you want to keep
● The volume of storage required
● The number of users accessing files
● Your budget
There are many solutions from which to choose for this. Dropbox is one well known app that offers fantastic integration of both a range of device types and systems. They offer a range of plans to suit any business size, from Plus for individual storage up to Business Plus with enhanced security features. If you are already using the Google suite, you may find that Google’s Cloud Storage is a worthy investment for your team, as it will allow you to work seamlessly.
Another great choice is Box; all of their plans offer unlimited storage and include their AI content generation to help speed up your office workflow. Of course you have selected the best program for your purposes, you will want to invest time in creating a sensible system for filing, making use of folder functions and giving permissions to everyone who might need them.
4. Use eSignatures
One of the main reasons people tend to resist going paperless? ‘How do you sign documents without a pen and paper?’ Fortunately, with touchscreen technology everywhere, it is easy to make your mark with a swipe of your finger.
There are a range of contract-based solutions which allow you to track any contract you are sending out and collect any potential payments, meaning the drawn out process of manual billing can become yet another thing of the past!
5. Investigate Stylus Technology
There will be many industries who will pause over the idea of going paperless on account of handwritten notes still being so crucial – from visual designers to the minds behind scientific and mathematical processes, many people still think best with a pen in their hand.
The modern solution? A tablet with a stylus.
The most famous solution is the iPad Pro which is undoubtedly both stylish and powerful. But if you are on a tighter budget, there are plenty of other options out there. For example, you could investigate the Samsung range.
Conclusion
The office of the future makes use of new technology to optimize workflows and physical space. There are plenty of tools available for the modern company which are both efficient and secure. Once your hardware is ready, all you need is a few strategic software downloads and you can start adapting your office!