| Improving business operation can have immense | | | | is nearly impossible with a paper based system, |
| effects on the bottom line by cutting down on | | | | but not so with an all digital system. Contracts, |
| operational costs as well as streamlining existing | | | | Orders, incoming faxes and mail, could be backed |
| tasks. Cutting down costs does not necessarily | | | | up in just a few minutes, depending on the |
| mean letting people go On the contrary, improving | | | | volume. Another positive aspect of the Paperless |
| how your business operates could actually free up | | | | Office is the security of files, there is no way you |
| good workers to deploy in other sections. Today | | | | can protect a piece of paper with a password; |
| I will talk about one way to make things easier | | | | unless of course you lock it in a vault. |
| around the office in the long run: creating a | | | | There are several ways that you can move |
| Paperless Office. | | | | towards the almost complete paperless office; |
| Maybe you have heard the term Paperless Office | | | | however, this is a venture that needs a lot of |
| before. The idea of an all-digital work environment | | | | planning, commitment and in the early stages, |
| dates back to the mid 1970's. Back then, they | | | | time. Don't worry though, once you got used to it |
| claimed things like The landscape of the usual | | | | you will be able to feel the benefits. Establishing a |
| office would be changed in such a way you | | | | file naming algorithm and a directory structure are |
| wouldn't be able to recognize anymore. Finding a | | | | essential if you choose to undertake such a |
| receipt would be just a few clicks away. No more | | | | project yourself. Scanning all incoming paper |
| searching through binders. "Is that an unrealistic | | | | documents, running text recognition software |
| dream?" you may be asking yourself today. | | | | over the scanned documents, and filing them in |
| Without lying to ourselves, at this time it may | | | | the correct directory are a good start. Ensure |
| simply be impossible to move all information in a | | | | that all these documents are also available to the |
| digital format; removing all paper. There are simply | | | | right people. This will require some form of file |
| too many elements, outside sources which are | | | | sharing structure. It could be in form of an |
| not that far. Don't kid yourself though, one day | | | | intranet or even just a file server on your LAN. |
| this will happen. Many paper-based tasks can easily | | | | ScanSoft offers such a software package; |
| be transferred to an all digital format already. | | | | PaperPort. PaperPort makes it possible to quickly |
| Finding the needed information in an office | | | | scan single or multi page documents that can be |
| environment where all information is stored | | | | saved as PDF. It also has an indexing system and |
| electronically would be so much more efficient | | | | other very useful functions. If you have |
| than current paper based systems. Large | | | | programming resources and a good project |
| corporations have saved millions of dollars; | | | | management team the development of your own |
| Microsoft for example saved in the first year | | | | indexing system would be another solution. |
| alone well over 40 million dollars, by moving from | | | | No matter how you twist or turn it, everything is |
| paper to digital processes. There are banks that | | | | moving to a digital world. You don't want to be |
| destroy all paper documents after scanning them | | | | left behind. Online banking, chatting, instant |
| and storing them in digital format. | | | | messaging, intranets, online shopping, e-mail, sms |
| The Paperless Office is so much more then just | | | | and so much more; even though you may not |
| cutting down paper, it is about the ability to move | | | | have noticed, these things are all part of the |
| information as quickly as possible. The ability to | | | | paperless "office". |
| easily backup documents, find things easier, track | | | | The benefits of a Paperless Office are obvious. |
| tasks as they move along, have a digital history, | | | | Can you transfer all documents to others with |
| and much more. | | | | ease? Could you dissolve your physical office and |
| The topic of backups is an important one, and | | | | have everybody work from home? Once the |
| tends to get overlooked easily. Surprisingly | | | | Paperless Office becomes more and more |
| enough, many organizations do not take the topic | | | | common, offices as we know them today may |
| of "Backups" seriously enough. A complete backup | | | | completely disappear. |