Like most businesses, you create tens of thousands of documents each year. Although they are necessary, these documents will quickly pile up. With limited office space and the inability to destroy these documents, managing them all can be a struggle. When such a large pile of physical documents gets stacked up in your office, it can feel as though you're drowning in paperwork.

If your office is being overwhelmed by physical records, you can do something about it. Let's take a look at what steps you can take if you are struggling with physical records management.

It's clear that you are going to need an electronic document management system to effectively manage all of your digital documents. Even when they are computer files, managing a high volume of documents isn't easy. Not all document management systems, however, are the same. You must use discretion when choosing one for your company. To help you choose the right document management system, we're going to take a look at seven features that yours simply must deliver.

Going paperless will save your company thousands of dollars, reduce your effect on the environment, and increase your overall efficiency. Like anything else, however, a paperless office won't be perfect. There are a few challenges of a paperless office that you will face. Fortunately, all of them can be avoided if you know what to do.

One of the biggest challenges that businesses will face in the near future is protecting data from theft. With a myriad of data thieves constantly developing sophisticated new ways to steal digital data, it has become apparent that organizations cannot protect valuable data on their own. To support you in the fight against data theft, governments have been establishing compliance laws designed to make it harder for a data thief to steal anything.

As the number of files your business creates starts to add up, the need for document management software becomes apparent. There are many document management software options out there. There are many capabilities that fall into the document management category. This means that each piece of software will have a unique set of capabilities and features. As such, it isn't immediately clear which one is right for you to use. Fortunately, you can make choosing the best document management solution for your organization's needs easy. You just have to know what you need. To this end, we are going to list the most important document management features that every business should have, and explain why you need them.

Going paperless is just the first step. After you have switched to a digital office, the next step is to make the most out of this technology by using the proper tools. One such tool is metadata.