Top 3 benefits of paperless

Going paperless may seem like an unnecessary direction for some businesses until they realize exactly how much they spend each year on paper and related supplies, and how much paper they actually use. According to Business 2 Community, the average office worker in the United States uses a sheet of paper every 12 minutes, which adds up to a significant amount, and even then, 45 percent of files in an office are duplicates.

Implementing a document management system and going paperless can have many more benefits that some organizations think, but one has to approach the endeavor in order to truly see those advantages.

Eliminate hidden costs

Going paperless can get rid of paperwork, printers, filing cabinets and more, as well as many hidden costs associated with paperwork. Losing or misfiling a document can cost a company up to $120 per file, according to the news source, and the physical handling (printing, faxing, mailing, and time spent distributing it) of files costs twenty times that of the actual paper it is printed on. Cutting out paper can save a business thousands in mailing fees and productivity alone.

Eliminate misuse of paper

Paper is, much to the dismay of many, a finite resource, but at the same time many businesses do not work with it efficiently. According to Business 2 Community, 90 percent of all business information is kept on a hard copy, yet 30 percent of printed forms become obsolete before actually being used. Additionally, employees utilize office printers for personal use, or simply waste paper. While per capita paper use in the U.S. is six times higher than the world average, efficient information management can help to drastically reduce that statistic.

Improve productivity overall

Going paperless is simply more efficient for a business. The cost of operations is reduced and employees will be able to access information faster and get their work done sooner. The technical, psychological and political benefits that can be achieved by implementing conversion services and eliminating paper files will help a business improve its employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, public image and more.

Adopting a paperless solution isn't a process that should be taken lightly, but it is a step that every business should at least consider. The advantages it offers are simply too great to be ignored.

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