Is paperless operations your New Year’s resolution?

Going paperless has been a popular New Year's resolution for many companies over the last decade, but much like how only one out of ever 10 people succeeds in their resolution to lose 10 pounds, few businesses actually meet their goals. If you've decided that your firm's New Year's resolution is to eliminate paper and go fully digital, you need to make sure you're investing in the right tools to get the job done.

"For a business owner," industry expert René Lacerte told Forbes, "a transaction is the tip of the iceberg. Below is all the process, such as contracts, the history of invoices and so on. This is where much of the paper comes from."

Explore the archives
Paperless initiatives require several steps – eliminating incoming paper, cutting outgoing paper, converting archived records and improving communications tools. For many businesses looking to go this route, the first two are the easiest to accomplish while paper conversion is the biggest stumbling block. Investing in high-quality document conversion services can save businesses time and money when attempting to migrate older records to a new document management system.

Ease of management
Of course, companies also need to expedite the organization of their digital records as well, in order to ensure compliance and workflow optimization. Investing in high-quality document management software can help meet these needs and supplement processes with support for automation as well. Improving the management of data serves to streamline paperless efforts as a whole while enhancing employee productivity on an individual level.

Alternative formats
Sometimes going from paper to digital isn't the only step in the path to improved electronic operations. Enterprises with microfilm and other forms of enterprise content may need secondary support in order to migrate to new formats and achieve a fully digital frontier. Microfilm conversions can be integrated into other efforts with ease with the right service, and help firms adapt to the digital age more completely.

Ultimately, the improvement of operations through paperless initiatives can pay off significantly, both immediately and over time. Embracing these efforts now will save firms time and money, while helping them take advantage of these new resources quickly in order to start the improvements sooner. With the right approach, going paperless can finally be achieved in 2014, and businesses can start moving forward and finally select a new New Year's resolution in 12 months time.

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