More businesses move ahead with paperless initiatives

More businesses are utilizing document imaging technologies for cost savings and improved efficiency.

According to Financial Advisor, while converting an office to a paperless management system may seem overwhelming, the transition provides a range of benefits including cost savings, easier file access and sharing and better backup of important information. First, the source explained that businesses must have a plan in place for specific objectives the paperless strategy should fulfill, as well as a timeline with a goal for completion. This ensures that the imaging process does not interfere with business processes or staff performance. The source also recommended researching conversion services that are fully compatible with existing technologies and software for optimal functionality. 

An electronic legal system
A variety of industries are adopting these initiatives. The Sun Sentinel reported that a law firm headquartered in Coral Gables with offices in six other Florida cities has gone completely paperless. Robert Rodriguez, an associate at the firm, told  the news source that there are no boxes of files in his office, no physical mailboxes and no hand carts for lugging documentation. After the state of Florida imposed a mandate that all court documents be electronically filed by October 1 of this year, more and more firms will be looking to implement a digital system. This mandate will ensure that decades of documentation will be replaced with electronic databases that make files available for download off the local court’s website. 

The transition has provided the law firm with significant savings. Rodriguez estimated that since 2006, the firm saved approximately $630,000, which is more than five times the cost of the equipment to go paperless. He reported that the Miami office sized down from 10,000 square feet to 5,000 as a result of less storage requirements for physical documents. Additionally, an electronic system does not demand staff  to file documentation, which led to additional savings. 

Howard Foreman, Broward clerk of courts, told the Sun Sentinel that he felt Rodriguez’s law firm represents the wave of the future, and has a long-term goal for following these conversion efforts. He explained that while there is still no time frame for completion of the project, once completed, years’ worth of civil and criminal case files currently stored in a warehouse will all be converted to an electronic format.

Document scanning not only reduces office expenditures, but also relieves employees of administrative tasks for a more productive work environment.

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