Getting rid of paper-intensive work processes may seem like a mission impossible at the time being but there are simple things you can do to move on to digital document management workflows.
But before getting there, you’re probably considering the pros and cons of going through such a complete replacement. The following guide will paint an extensive picture and provide a couple of strategies you can rely on to minimize the dependence on paper as much as possible.
Reasons Why You Need Digital Document Management Workflows
If you’re used to the typical paper reliance, you may be overseeing some of the flaws of this old-school method.
Regardless of the fact that modern, effective digital technologies are becoming readily available, the paper consumption is at an all-time high right now. In the last 20 years, the usage of paper has increased 126 percent – from 92 million to 208 million tons.
Not only is such excessive reliance on paper bad for the environment, it’s also costing businesses lots of money that can easily be invested in innovation.
Ditching paper-based workflows can result in an array of additional advantages on top of the financial savings.
For a start, digital document management workflows contribute to a productivity boost. Document-related challenges account for about 21 percent of productivity losses in a regular enterprise. When paper-based documents are misfiled, mismanaged or lost, employees will have to spend a lot of time on accessing the information they require. Making the digital switch immediately facilitates the retrieval of relevant documentation.
Employees will also get to work with simple, efficient and user-friendly systems. Since getting the job done becomes easier, employee satisfaction also grows. Finally, a digital transformation can contribute to an overall better performance organization-wide. Most digital solutions bring on a high return on investment by optimizing processes, improving customer service and bringing on a revenue surge.
Paper-Intense Processes You Need to Start Reforming Today
So, where do you get started with the creation of digital document management workflows?
There are certain processes and operational specifics that are very much paper-intense and inefficient. These are the ones you should target first.
Employee onboarding is one such essential process most organizations go through. When it’s not modernized, onboarding can be tremendously cumbersome, chaotic and paper-intense. Onboarding involves filing forms, signing contracts, direct deposit slips and an array of other documents. The good news is that all of these can be digitized and automated to reduce the burden on the HR team and the entire organization.
Compliance and safety procedures organization-wide can also be paper-intense. There will be manuals, guidebooks, coversheets and many others. A couple of other paper-intense processes that you may want to get started with include audit preparation, customer service, inventory management and purchase-to-orders.
Making Your First Steps Towards Digital Document Management Workflows
We’ve already mentioned the first step here – you have to assess processes within the organization, identify weaknesses and pinpoint the areas that contribute to the highest levels of waste and inefficiency.
Equipped with this information, you can move on to the actual implementation of the strategy.
Many existing processes can be entirely mirrored in a digital form so that they’re not entirely new or alien.
Proper digitization itself involves a couple of steps. A reliable document scanning solution is usually the first part of the process. With the right partner, it can be completed in several days to several weeks, depending on the size and the complexity of the archive.
The right online document storage and document management solution will make the transformation complete.
With the selection of the right system, you can start creating your own digital document management workflows that are customized and in line with the needs of the organization. Many such solutions do have typical workflows incorporated in the operation of the platform. Cloud-based products, however, allow for a ton of flexibility and additional tailoring that you can master quickly.
It’s important to understand that getting rid of all wasteful paper-based processes at the same time is going to be a mission impossible. Still, eliminating one outdated model at a time can foster a culture of innovation that will fuel further changes in the future.
The possibilities that high quality document management and collaboration solutions offer are limitless. So do take your time to explore the market and acquaint yourself with at least a few of those. Having a good idea about the functionalities and the price to quality ratio will make it much easier for you to pinpoint the system that will lead to much better, faster and easier work across all departments.
If you’re not confident how to get started, seek some assistance from a digitization partner. Companies like Scan N More can guide you through the various processes, help you identify current weaknesses and the best ways in which these can be extricated from corporate proceedings.