Going Paperless
There are many reasons why you might want your office or organization to go paperless. You might simply be overwhelmed by the amount of paper you’re keeping on desks, filing cabinets and drawers and want to get a handle on it. You might want to be able to save money or you’re trying to be better organized. You might be looking for a more environmentally conscious office. Whatever the reason, you’re also going to need to do some organizing to create a paperless environment. At Storage Quarters, we offer many services that assist our customers in getting rid of paper. So we want to give you some tips about going paperless.
Some First Steps
The first thing you should understand when planning to go paperless is that you don’t necessarily have to eliminate all paper. Very often it means that paper products are significantly reduced. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a notepad to jot down phone messages.
Going paperless in a law office involves dealing with a lot of documents. The American Bar Association has put out suggestions about how to do do it. Organization of documents is important. You need to ask how your filing system works. Do you organize alphabetically or by date? Or do you organize by category of case or business?
Then you need to get a handle on all of your electronic files. How do you organize them? How are they named? Do you have a system for organizing electronic files? If not, it’s a good idea to create one.
The Process and Benefits of Going Paperless
Once you’ve organized your documents, you have to decide what you actually want to be scanned. For example, if certain documents are from a client that is no longer with you, or you have a completed case or transaction, do you scan it? It’s important to note that there may be laws like the tax code that requires you to keep documents. Is there a certain date that you want to be the starting point for your files? Should you still keep your existing paper records once you’ve scanned them?
After you’ve scanned, you will start to reap the benefits of going paperless. According to the blog Workflow, it will increase the security of your documents. They won’t get lost or stolen and there are ways to protect them online such as using techniques such as password protection and data encryption.
Going paperless can be a benefit if you have a business that’s heavily regulated. Being able to clearly present documents in an organized fashion can make an examination or audit go smoother. There are cost-saving benefits to going paperless as well. You won’t have to pay as much for paper, toner, and ink. You also will cut down on the labor costs associated with filing or retrieving documents. And you’ll also find you have more space available in your workplace.
Storage Quarters Can Help You Go Paperless
If you’re ready to go paperless, Storage Quarters can help. We offer scanning and imaging services to store your documents electronically. We can pick up your boxes and files and securely transfer them to our facility to scan. We also offer records management and document shredding services. To learn more, contact us today.