6 Tips for a Paperless Office
An office that is looking to "go green" or simply reduce waste can benefit from attempting to eliminate the need for paper. Though going paperless will take dedication by management and employees, you can put into place a few simple policies to ensure your office avoids paper waste each day.
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Scanning Files
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The traditional office will make a copy of a document and store it away in a filing cabinet. An office trying to go paperless will rely on digital copying rather than traditional photocopying. Purchase scanners for your office that employees can use to scan documents into a computer and store these documents on a network server so that everyone in the office can access them.
Backing Up Data
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Unlike the traditional filing system, a computer filing system runs the risk of being lost or corrupted. This is why it is very important for business owners to back up their files on their network using an external hard drive, server or even loading their files to an online cloud storage service.
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Organizing Data
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A traditional filing system is numbered or put into alphabetical order so that other employees can quickly access files that they are seeking out. When items are stored through digital filing systems, it is important to use a detailed catalog system so that employees can still quickly access documents just as if they were standing in front of a filing cabinet. A catalog system can be created by one individual in the office or multiple individuals. An example of an organized system would be files stored under topics such as Human Resources, Clients, Potential Clients, Estimates and Accounting or Taxes. Under each of those topics can be subtopics that fit within each category. It is usually best to only have one individual create new folders so that whatever catalog system is created is kept up throughout the office.
Internet Fax and Email Fax
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Most offices use a fax machine in some way. Rather than still continuing to use your fax machine, an online fax program or email fax program can eliminate paper waste while still sending and receiving important fax documents. Some email and Internet fax providers will allow their customers to add more than one fax line so that different departments can still receive their own faxes. Some companies that offer Internet fax services are eFax.com, jConnect or RapidFax.
Online Contracts
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Offices that deal with contracts or paperwork that needs to be signed by their customers will still have paper waste. Rather than using traditional methods of printing and signing documents, online programs allow users to scan or create Word documents for contracts and then email them to their customers. Customers can then electronically sign these documents using their initials, fully typed name, date of birth, Social Security number or another form of identification. Some programs that offer online contract services are EchoSign, eSign and DocuSign.
Be Patient and Supportive
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A paperless office can't be created overnight. Even if your office has taken the steps to eliminate paper waste, it requires every employee to follow suit. In the meantime, while your office is transitioning to paperless techniques, have your employees practice recycling paper products and reduce their own paper waste in the office. Training employees on how to properly scan and store documents will also ensure that your office stays paperless and efficient.
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References
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