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We have all heard this before, go paperless or going green will eliminate the need for paper. We’ll that is nice in theory but is it actually possible?
Well it depends on what you mean. Going to a paperless Accounts Payable system is possible. Having all your documents stored in digital form is possible. However the wholesale elimination of paper from the workplace I would argue is not in our future, not for a long, long time anyway.
The idea of a paperless workplace should be better framed as, going to a paperless business workflow process and paperless storage. And this makes total sense from an efficiency standpoint. Why would you want to process accounts payable or accounts receivable through a paper based process? Your vendors and your accounting department would love to move into a more efficient process that gets them paid sooner and gets bills paid faster. Plus there is the added and sometimes the unrecognized cost associated with not being in a paperless processing process. This is usually defined as the cost of time wasted.
So let us talk about the “paperless office” for what it really is, making your office more efficient. Leveraging technology to streamline the process, the process is still the same, but now what took a week to process, now takes an hour with technology. Think of all the time saved. What would you be able to get accomplished with 4 extra days?
Here are some things that you can do to get more efficient.
1. Work with your vendors to have them send invoices electronically.
2. Have your existing hardcopy files converted into a digital format.
3. Adopt a DMS (document management system) to stay organized.
4. Work with a trusted partner to implement the DMS system and train your staff on how to use it.
These are just a few simple ways to make your office more efficient. If you would like to learn more ways to make your office more efficient please reach out to us at MEDI, we’ve been working with businesses all across the Mid-Atlantic for 30 years now improving process and making work easier for everybody.
