One of the first decisions we made for OpenSpark was to be a virtually paperless office.  We made this decision for several reasons:

  1. Part of our mission is to use technology to achieve business results.  We practice what we preach.
  2. Clutter clouds our minds and stifles our creativity.
  3. We didn’t want to accumulate boxes of stuff we’d have to go through again some day.
  4. We preferred to spend the money we would have spent on ink, toner and paper on ideas to build our business instead.
  5. We don’t like paper cuts – especially when they come from a file folder!
  6. We didn’t want the trees that would have made our paper to be cut down.
  7. We are more productive when whatever information we need is just a couple of mouse clicks away instead of in a filing cabinet somewhere.

There are many reasons companies choose to be paperless, and the decision should not be made lightly.  It takes time and adjustment, so you must be committed to the concept.  It may also involve re-engineering your business and/or processes and this doesn’t happen without careful planning and time.  Being paperless certainly is easiest when you start and build a company that way, but there is no reason established companies who rely on paper files today can’t begin the process of becoming paperless or almost paperless.  The key benefits are the same in either case:

  • Increased productivity
  • Lower office supply costs
  • Less storage space required

If you do a search for “paperless office,” you’ll get a long list of results that focus on the hardware and software you need.  Forget about the hardware and software for a minute.  That is certainly a consideration you’ll have to get to, but that’s not at all where you start.  If you really want this to work, you have to start with your business processes.

Planning

What can be filed electronically:

Whether an emerging or an established company, you must take the time to document your business procedures to determine where paper can easily be eliminated. 

  • If you are storing paper invoices from vendors, can they be received electronically or scanned instead?
  • If you are storing copies of customer invoices, can they be saved as PDF files?
  • Can your bank statements be received electronically?
  • Do old marketing materials need to be saved in paper form, or can they be scanned and archived?
  • If emails are being printed and saved, ask why.
  • If you or employees take manual notes during meetings, is it reasonable and productive to start using your laptop to take notes instead?
  • If you receive paper faxes, can you switch to an electronic fax service instead?

During the planning phase, it is essential to involve the people who regularly use and store paper in your office.  They will need to change the way in which they work and you will need their support and ideas to create a realistic plan.

How and where will it be filed:

Deciding to go paperless requires a strong technology infrastructure.  Three critical considerations are:

  1. How will the files be organized and who has access to what?  To be successful, there must be documented standards (preferably an electronic version only) that cover the essentials like where files will be stored, how they should be named, who has access to the files, and who is responsible for maintaining the files.
  2. How will files be backed-up?  Computer drives can and do crash.  If all files are stored on one drive with no back-up copy, your business will likely come to a screeching halt.   Make sure you have at least one back-up copy of every file.  Additional layers of back-up are preferred but at least one layer is essential.
  3. How often are files archived?  Most companies with paper files have an archive schedule.  This practice shouldn’t change just because files are electronic.

When will you start:

Is your goal to be paperless moving forward, therefore keeping all of your existing paper files and destroying them according to a set timeline over a period of years?  Or, are you going to scan all old files to be stored electronically and destroy the paper files now?  There are pros and cons to each, and there is no one-size fits all approach.  You must consider your business goals, costs, and available time to make the right decision for you.

 

Going paperless does not happen overnight and cannot be successful on a whim.  It requires careful consideration, planning, and analysis of your business. If you have made the decision, look for more information about key components to include in your plan within the next week.

[Image courtesy of johnnyberg]