Why Businesses Should go Paperless and the Technologies That Can Help Them

| August 16, 2013

Bob Braden plots the future of the paperless o...

To stay relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace, organizations today need to take advantage of the most up to date technology and implement an effective enterprise content management strategy. For many firms, this can be achieved by going paperless.

Why go paperless?
Eliminating paper in the workplace can improve numerous business operations. According to Leaf, opting for electronic systems in lieu of paper can help organizations to drastically cut spending. Paper, ink and toner are all expensive, which means that choosing a digital document management system allows firms to reduce operating costs and boost their bottom line. Organizations that utilize digital document storage also don’t need to have a physical storage space for those files, which means businesses can save money by moving to a smaller office.

In addition, paperless solutions offer greater security to the enterprises that have chosen to implement them. With traditional paper storage, companies run the risk of loss or damage to potentially sensitive or personal data. Hurricanes, floods, fires and other natural disasters can decimate files, ruining years’ worth of work. Digital document storage is much safer than using paper files, allowing businesses to get back on their feet quickly after an unexpected disaster.

Perhaps most importantly, organizations that go paperless will find that they can streamline organizational processes in everything from customer service to productivity to collaboration. A client who calls with a complaint or question doesn’t want to wait for a representative to sift through files to find the information they need, and digitally stored documents give professionals immediate access to that data. Employees will no longer find themselves looking through cabinets or boxes full of files because they will be able to quickly search an electronic database for the necessary information. Better service leads to happier clients who are more likely to continue using the company’s service and pay their bills on time.

Using the right technology to get there
The first step for firms that have decided to improve organization and streamline content management is to invest in a document conversion service. Conversion systems can scan everything: paper documents, microfilm, microfiche, aperture cards and even large format documents such as drawings and aerial maps. With accurate, rapid and efficient conversion programs, there is no limit to what the business can move into a digital format.

From there, enterprises should utilize an archiving platform like the Nexsan Assureon storage system. This technology provides secure, long-term storage of files while ensuring regulatory and corporate compliance.

Nexsan fingerprints files each time they’re saved, which means that information will be accurate and history and contents can’t be altered in the future. The storage solution keeps two copies of all documents, along with their fingerprints, on separate RAID disk sets. The files are continually verified with their fingerprint and repaired by their copies while the RAID disk ensures data protection and integrity. It’s also a flexible program that can reside either on-site, in the cloud or both.

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