More and more businesses are feeling the benefits of going paperless. It saves space, time and costs, reduces your carbon footprint, and can improve your business operations in many ways. Read on to see how your company could gain from a paperless office environment.
More physical space
Paper documents, files, folders and cabinets, along with the printers, photocopiers and packets of copier paper, all take up lots of office space! When you go paperless you will free up space for other purposes, such as more workstations, meeting space or perhaps a breakout area. You’ll also find desks are less cluttered without all the paper and filing trays. A clearer workspace will support concentration and help create a more professional appearance.
Reduced costs
Going paperless enables you to cut stationary, paper and printing costs. It also reduces the staff time required to monitor, order and organise these resources, so this time can be allocated to other more business critical tasks.
Reduced carbon footprint
The manufacturing of paper contributes significantly to deforestation and man-made climate change. Although using recycled paper can help lessen this environmental impact most paper still ends up in landfills, so cutting paper usage is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Today’s workforce increasingly aspires to work for ethical companies, so being able to demonstrate you care about the environment could aid your staff recruitment too.
Time saving
When your office is paperless, there’s no longer a need to spend hours searching through filing cabinets, folders or drawers for documents. You can access everything you need from your computer. If you need to share a document with a colleague or client in another location, you can simply send the file or a link at a click of a button, rather than scanning, faxing or – dare we say it – posting a paper version!
Improved communication
Employees, clients and customers expect instant communication nowadays and not delivering this could reflect badly on the reputation of your company and reduce your success. When all your company’s documents are online, this greatly improves transparency as you can simply choose who has access to what information without it being based on physical location. With appropriate document management systems in place, multiple people can work on the same documents improving teamwork and collaboration.
Make the most of technology
One well-known BusinessWeek article published in 1975 predicted that paper use in the office would have all but disappeared by 1990. This didn’t turn out to be the case, but technological advancements introduced since the turn of the millennium have made it so much easier to reduce our dependence on paper. The documents sitting in your filing cabinets can easily be digitised and stored online with cloud storage, so they can be accessed from any device. Digital systems are also much more secure, and you can use encryption to ensure your files never fall into the wrong hands.
Preparing for change
If you are considering opting for a paperless office, you may need advice and support to make the changes successfully. You may need to invest in suitable technology and change the way you save and share files, create new task management systems and choose a reputable cloud storage option. You will also want to think about reorganising your office to make the most of the additional space you’ve gained. We can help you with all of this.
Why Flow Office?
At Flow Office, we have an excellent track record when it comes to helping people revamp their offices and make them more efficient. We have worked with companies and organisations from a host of sectors and can use our vast experience and expertise to help you make suitable changes that will future-proof your business and help you prosper in an increasingly competitive world. We know that no two businesses are ever the same, which is why we take a close look at your specific needs and talk to you in depth about your requirements, so we can come up with the best possible solution.
Getting in touch
To find out more about going paperless and the office design solutions offered by Flow Office, get in touch today by sending a message to sales@flowoffice.co.uk or by calling 01922 453 488.