Digitizing documents and “going digital” has been happening for a while now (like 2 decades), but many companies are doing a half-job of it. Paper still exists in the office, and a lot of it is in the form of junk mail—that you don’t even want. 

Paper creates obstacles. And, since you aren’t a fan of paper obstacles, you signed on to digitize your workflows. Check! But that was years ago. (And if you haven’t digitized your workflow, find out how much that will cost). Fast forward a few years and, as a savvy systems administrator, you recognize that there are still paper bottlenecks happening. And you aim to stop them, by golly! 

Your company made the switch to digital and you haven’t looked back. Things are more productive than ever, you’re saving money hand over fist in your new smaller space (because all those archived documents converted into invisible files that don’t require a 3000 square foot facility), and your data security is lock-tight—oh yeah!

Heather Hoarder is one of the most infamous members of your Information Chaos Team. Every file is "hers" and they are too valuable to share with anyone else in the office.

When you look at your Information Chaos Team Forgetful Fredrick may seem like a guy with good intentions but when it comes to managing your information he's a financial black-hole on your office. He checks out files, never brings them back and when confronted about it can’t remember doing it or swears he brought them back.

One of the overwhelming responses to digital documentation is one of pure gratitude. The longer it has been since a company implemented their digital document strategy, the harder it is for employees and management to imagine going back to the days of hard copies. You may hear the occasional story of a transition gone wrong. Even these stories usually have a happy ending when the problems are resolved.

While there have been numerous debates on different areas of technology, one of the few areas where there is universal agreement is the need for a digital document storage solution. The biggest problem with the transition is how difficult and costly it can be when it is not done right. Of course, you have to be careful when you implement your digital document storage solution, it isn’t something that you should rush.

Going paperless will save your organization a great deal of time, money and space. Creating a paperless office, however, isn't as simple as copying your paperwork to a digital format. In addition to having a document management system to handle it all, you need to understand what types of digital documents you should be using. Although every company's needs will differ, you should keep the following factors in mind when determining what types of digital documents your office needs:

Document management systems are outstanding resources for improving your data security, saving money and enhancing productivity. Because of this, you have probably already decided to invest in a document management system for your company. However, implementing your new document management system isn't as easy as setting it up and telling your employees that it's ready to use. If everyone isn't on board with the adoption of a document management system, then your company's productivity could be reduced. You need to be proactive about getting your employees to adopt this new technology. Here are our tips on how to do so:

Document management is an important facet of any organization, regardless of size or industry. From an operational perspective, efficient document organization processes help improve productivity, improve customer service, and ensure that employees are equipped with the information they need to do their jobs effectively. From a legal perspective, it helps your organization remain compliant to record retention laws.