Small businesses spend between $922 to $1,106 per employee a year on office supplies including paper, pens, and ink. Meanwhile, companies that are utilizing digital tools can cut back to $17 per employee each month.
Are you going paperless at work to save money and reduce your impact on the environment? It’s easier than it sounds! With this guide, you’ll have everything you need for going paperless at your office.
With these tips, you can cut costs, save the earth, and get organized—one page at a time. Discover your own paperless office with these easy tips!
1. Managers, Take the Lead
The first step you need to take when going paperless at work is to talk to your upper management. Your team needs someone to lead the way and provide the tools they need.
First, establish goals for each department and the company as a whole. Do you want to go completely paperless by a specific date? Let everyone at the company know.
Then, have your managers encourage their team members to make the transition.
You can even establish a reward initiative for teams that meet their goals. Leading by example can get the entire team eager to learn how to go paperless at work.
2. Start Scanning
Once everyone is on board, it’s time to get organized. Establish a system for everyone to follow. Then, divide the work up between your departments.
Each department should have all of their documents scanned and organized in your document management software by their due date.
Every office around the world uses approximately 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year. In order to stay on track, check-in with your team regularly. Make sure they’re accomplishing their goals.
If not, how can you help them move more efficiently?
3. Get the Right Software in Place
In order to successfully transition to a paperless office, you’ll need to have the right digital document management system in place.
Do your research ahead of time. Determine which features you want versus which features you need. For example, you likely need:
- Space for an unlimited number of documents
- The ability to share documents electronically
- Online access
- Unlimited users for the platform
- The ability to create multiple folders
What about the additional features you’ll need? For example, you might want to get a pay stub template in place as soon as possible. Make sure to prioritize the features that will benefit your business the most.
4. Start Filing
Once your team is trained, have them start filing everything into the new program.
In the meantime, make sure to let your clients know you’ve become a paperless office. Let them know what version fo electronic sharing (email versus links) you’re using, too. You can even offer your clients helpful tips to encourage them to go paperless!
Cut It Out: 5 Easy Tips for Going Paperless at Work
Ready to cut out all the expensive, wasteful paper in your office? With these tips for going paperless at work, you can cut out the clutter and start saving!
Looking for more tips? Check out the Best Practice section of the blog today!