It’s easy for business owners and leaders of other organizations to get excited about improving productivity. Systems that help make your day more efficient and profitable are always welcome in the corporate world, as well as government positions. The process of going paperless truly has everyone’s best interests in mind. Once agencies understand those benefits, there’s often very little resistance to making the change. The goal is to have less stress and a more focused and productive team.
The first part of going paperless is to streamline your process of managing client forms with electronic storage. Utilizing technology in this way is a great way to simplify the workload for administrative and customer service roles. That way, all of your reports and other documents can be organized and accessed anywhere you have an internet connection. The paperless office is all about having a better workday, every day.
Saving time and money are top priorities for any workplace. Review these key benefits for the paperless office process to see if making the transition is right for you and your team:
Electronic records give organizations more flexibility and protection with sensitive information. It’s always important to keep records for your database and customer service reports. But if those documents are all hard-copies, you put your organization at risk. Going paperless with certain reports means backup copies will be available whenever you need them, “in the cloud.” Even if your computers crash or your building has another type of emergency situation, your files are always safe.
Working with a company that can help store your reports and records also means that you get encryption for your documents. Instead of having documents available for just anyone to read by taking a peak in the filing cabinet, you can set your electronic records up to be password-protected. Having restricted access gives your files added security, and digital storage means you’ll always have a record of your previous work.
Removing paper files from your site also opens up more space for your employees. If you don’t need to add printed documents to your filing cabinet, you could think about creating extra room for another desk or workstation. Better yet, your office might be able to incorporate additional seating or new décor to improve your floorplan.
Because digital files don’t need to take up any physical space on your site, you might even be able to create an entire new room or department for your organization—without having to relocate for more square footage. You can redesign your office so there’s more space to move around, without limiting options based on how many filing cabinets, paper storage, and printers you need. It’s so much easier to have a cleaner and more organized environment if everything can be accomplished from your desktop computer.
If you can stop paying for reams of paper, toner for the copier, and expensive color ink for your printer, the savings really add up. In that sense, cutting down on your carbon footprint isn’t just good for the environment—it’s great for your bottom-line. You’ll even save on the electric bills of having to keep those machines plugged in all day.
Saving on office supplies can eventually free up funds for other, more meaningful investments. Employee appreciation goes a long way for any work environment. Purchasing new office chairs, breakroom snacks, or an upgraded coffee machine are all great ways to help boost morale and increase productivity. Plus, you’ll probably find that your team cares more about these kinds of perks than they ever did about managing paper. And when your paperless process is organized correctly, you’ll still come out on top with savings.
Certain paperless setups also provide organizations with a better, faster level of customer service. It can be a lot smoother to send copies of forms and other client records when you don’t have to physically sift through piles of papers. Clicking a button is often quicker, and certain software solutions can even send out automated reminders to customers.
As an added bonus, your team can save time on customer service requests when your paperless system includes an online portal. Then, customers can access the forms and files they need to review on their own time. If your clients can review their documents online, they may not need to speak with one of your customer service reps or admins. That can really free up your work schedule, as well as theirs. Teams that are able to direct customers to online records will have more time available for other administrative duties, or customer service needs that require more hands-on attention.
Not every organization will be able to go completely paperless, but making a few adjustments to your daily operations can help make your team more productive and focused. Consulting with an organized IT company or paperless solutions expert can help you assess the pros and cons of your situation.
FormLink Solutions provides a streamlined system for fire and life safety inspections companies, as well as cross-connection control coordinators. By storing all of your compliance and inspection reports electronically, your team can free up time to focus on other responsibilities. We even provide an online portal for your clients to review their reports online, saving them time! This helps organizations complete projects more efficiently, so you spend less time filing forms and sending out letters—and more time on the work that makes your company money.
For more information on our Fire Inspection Software and how to start a paperless environment in your office, check out our article on Good Inspection Software. There are plenty of reasons to get your business to utilize technology. It’s just a matter of finding the right fit for your team. With FormLink, you get a solution that’s both easy-to-use and secure for all of your documents.
