Nearly every business owner we talk to tells us they would like to stay on trend with digitization. The idea of being able to save time, money, and frustration – all while doing their part to protect the environment – is extremely appealing.
However, if you’re like most of us, putting digitization into action is something which quite often put off until “later.”
In most cases, the reason for this is because document scanning and other digitization tasks seem completely overwhelming.
Thankfully, there are steps we can all take to remove some of the pressure and make the job much easier.
Steps to Take to Make the Digitization Transition Easier in Atlanta
Here are just a few steps you can take to enter the digital age and reduce your paper use.
1. A Smarter Way to Share Documents and Take Notes
In the past, whenever we wanted to share an important document, we had to find the file, make a copy of the document, and mail the copy. This took up valuable time, as well as money spent on paper, ink, and postage.
These days, we have Google Docs. This is such an amazing way to share information. If someone creates a document and needs feedback, they can create a Google Doc and send you the link. When you open it, you can edit it and provide feedback notes, then send the edited document back.
And would you believe you don’t have to purchase notebooks and pens anymore? Note taking apps are commonly found on tablets and smartphones, and Evernote makes it easy to take notes and organize them on your desktop computer.
2. Paperless Statements
Paperless statements and the ability to make payments electronically have been around for awhile now, but not everyone utilizes them. This is a shame because it saves paper and makes record keeping even easier. Additionally, you have the opportunity to avoid paying late fees by setting up automatic payments.
3. Scanning and Emailing Documents
If you have a secure server, there’s no reason you need to be sending documents via snail mail. Sharing a document with a colleague or another business or specialist has never been easier.
Simply scan the document, create a PDF file, and attach the PDF to an email.
You don’t even need to purchase a scanner to get the job done. Nowadays, there are plenty of free or low-cost scanning apps which work with the camera on your phone or tablet.
4. Embrace PDFs
As we just discussed, PDFs are a great way to share a document another person needs to read. But did you know developers have enhanced the PDF experience? Now, you can edit PDFs in your Mail app. You can even use a touchpad to sign a letter or legal document in PDF format.
The tools which can help you do this include the MAC OS Yosemite and the Docusign app.
5. Recognize When You Need Help
All of these steps are great for making the transition to digitization. But what if you want a truly paperless office, one which is organized and uncluttered?
If this is what you want, then you need to start scanning all of your current paper files.
Did that sentence just send you into a near-panic attack? If so, don’t despair – there’s help available in the form of document scanning services.
A company like Document Pros can take all of your documents and scan them for you. This service is confidential and will save you and your employees a lot of time.
Document Scanning – Take It One Step at A Time
A common problem among business owners is we tend to be perfectionists – and we want everything done yesterday. The problem with this mindset is, ultimately, it doesn’t serve us very well. Instead, it just stresses us out and makes us resist the transition we’re trying to put into operation.
If you’re interested in digitization and scanning – don’t try to do it all at once. In fact, don’t even try to do it on your own. Invest in document scanning services.
Yes, this is an investment, but it’s definitely worth the money because, in the long run, you’ll end up saving both time and money. And let’s face it – you’ll probably save a lot of frustration, too.
Remember – when it comes to implementing changes at work, take it one step at a time, and invest in some help wherever it’s possible.