Over the past few decades many people have been shouting about the imminent arrival of the paperless office. But even the explosion of new Internet technologies which allow users to share, read and edit documents, we are still clinging to the notion that businesses need paper to function. No matter which way you spin it, paperwork is a pain, and its very existence brings about all sorts of problems. Luckily, there are some ways to ditch the paper in your business and keep it out of your way for good.
Filing
I’ve got to be honest, I think I only know 1 person who genuinely enjoys filing. This breed of person is very rare, and also tends to take enjoyment from deep-cleaning bathrooms. For the rest of us, filing is one of those tasks we dread, and really wished didn’t exist at all. The good news is in modern times, it’s becoming less necessary to have physical filing cabinets in offices anymore. Even for business who deal with a lot of contracts (which of course need to be signed and kept), these things can now be kept and even created in digital format easily. This doesn’t just mean that you get a corner of your office back, but you lose all of that time wasted looking for files, putting things in the right places and doing the annual data cleanse. Now all of those things can be done with a few mouse clicks at the computer which is much better, isn’t it?
Errors
People make mistakes. We might like to think we are perfect, but the reality is everyone is going to make a mistake or two in their working lives. Invoices can get lost on deliveries, important post can be put into the ‘bin’ pile instead of the ‘client’ pile, and reports can be accidentally deleted from the system. Missing paper, data entry errors or inaccessible data can cause a whole host of problems, especially when the end of year tax returns roll around. Sadly most of these mistakes come from human error during the processing or handling of paperwork, and the results can range from a minor inconvenience to large abilities in cases of disputed bills or inspections. Removing the human element from your data processing means that errors will disappear. What’s more you can programme your automation software to your specific company guidelines and policies, so you know that all of your paperwork is completely compliant. This is especially useful for accounting and compliance departments who need to adhere to a complex set of rules regarding paperwork.
Data Protection
Having a suitable and robust data protection policy in place is critical for any business. A single data breach resulting in the theft of confidential customer data could cost your business dearly in terms of money, security and reputation, not to mention the possibility of criminal charges if the theft was aided by someone inside. Paperwork is still one of the bigger causes of data breach in business, despite what the all of the recent reports of cybercrime news would have you believe. So in order to comply with the Data Protection Act and make sure your business stays safe, you should be regularly shredding used documentation and disposing of it safely.
Of course – what are you supposed to do with all of the paperwork that is already in your business when you switch to these fancy new digital systems? At first, you will simply have doubled up your paperwork, so you will need to employ the services of a shredding company (like us) to destroy all of it for you, securely. This is a very simple process that simply requires you to click here, and if you want you can even watch the documents be shredded! Moving forward, businesses will always produce paper in some form, whether that’s invoices coming in or board meeting notes. Our monthly shredding plans mean you never have to worry about getting rid of paperwork again – just wait for us to arrive for a monthly pick up. To find out more about our shredding services and how we can cure your paperwork pains, get in touch with us today.
