3 guidelines for achieving success with paperless initiatives

Efforts to go paperless have been growing in success over the last year or two for many enterprises, with more firms embracing the appropriate technologies and conversion services to eliminate paperwork and boost data management efficiency. The effect this is having on industries is noticeable, with more focus on growth, innovation and efficiency, balanced by improved cost and resource management. However, many companies are still struggling to optimize processes and completely eliminate paperwork from their operations.

According to IT Pro Portal, there are rules for going paperless that unsuccessful firms aren't abiding by. These rules can be self-imposed or decided by the resources and technology a company uses, but improving operations to effectively meet these guidelines is critical for optimizing information management and paperless initiatives. An outline to these guidelines is suggested by the news source, giving businesses a foundation to set their own rules and foster success with deployment of document conversion services and related paper free efforts.

Why go paperless?
The first guideline is simple – companies need to ask themselves why they want to eliminate paperwork, and set a focus for these efforts. Cutting paper from every aspect of operations all at once, or going "cold turkey," can lead to mistakes, increased struggle and overall disparity in the systems that firms are seeking to improve. The suggestion is to implement one solution at a time, such as eliminating paper-based communications from the office, and striving for success in each area individually. Implementing document scanning service in such a way can enhance success significantly.

Select the right strategy
Developing a strategy, timeline and goal structure before making any investment into paper conversion services and the like will also boost overall success. The first step in any business investment is to have a strategy, but when it comes to going paperless, companies need to really make sure all their ducks are in a row before deploying, as any mistake can critically injure one area of operations or another, increase compliance risk or create any number of other problems. Setting up clear goals and investing in the right assistance will streamline these efforts and increase success rates.

Enforce the rules
No new initiatives like this can work completely without full cooperation from employees either. Firms have to implement the appropriate training and enforce the elimination of paper by removing printers and other resources that could continue the habit. This will help employees adapt efficiently, and ensure that they comply with the guidelines put in place to promote success.