How to be a Paperless Company with Cloud Accounting

Did you know that an average office worker can use about 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year? If you multiply that by the number of employees your company has, you'll see that it contributes quite a lot to your sinking funds. If you’re looking for cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives, consider going “paperless.” A paperless company stores and transfers documents and information electronically. By doing so, you can lessen costs, save time and improve productivity.  

However, shifting into a completely new system for files storage, documentation and the like will take thorough preparation. To make sure that you are optimizing the process as best as you can, use the opportunity for the shift to a paperless company to get a rundown of all your company's files! 

Read: Accounting Facts: Small Business Cloud Accounting Importance  

How to create a paperless office

If you are interested in going paperless, here’s a few tips on how to create a paperless office: 
 

Organize your Existing Files 

Before going paperless, your office would have stored documents in tons of filing cabinets.  So, the first thing you would want to do is to organize these existing documents to sort out which files need to be scanned for backup. Decide which documents would still need to have a hard copy filed and those that don’t.   

Decide How to Back your Files Up 

Traditionally, files would be backed up by making a photocopy of a document, placing it in a properly labeled folder and storing it in a filing cabinet. These days, many businesses develop electronic filing systems that can mimic old paper systems by using Microsoft Word or other customized programs. To back these files up, they would save them in second hard drives, removable drives or in internet and off-site locations.  

When going paperless, decide which system you would want to use for regular and consistent backing up of your documents.  

Prep the Team and Set a Deadline 

When making this decision, let your employees know about it as well.  More often than not, your employees would be affected with this change as they would have to get used to the machines, so it would best to let them in. Also, set a deadline on when you expect to fully implement this change so you could easily follow an organized timeline. 

Research on the Machines 

Lessoning costs is one of the advantages of going paperless and you would want to keep it that way; to do so, make sure that the equipment you would be purchasing is trustworthy and can be delivered without having to undergo too many repairs. It would be best to research and canvass on the machines first before you start purchasing anything. 

Be patient  

Keep in mind that going paperless is not an overnight process. It would involve step by step progression. 

Converting into a paperless company does not necessarily mean that all paper would be eliminated since there are some employees who are more capable with paper in hand such as in copywriting or reading documents. Make sure that everyone understands that it is okay to use paper occasionally when it means higher-quality work. 

Read Next: Cloud Accounting 101: How Does Cloud Accounting Work?  
 

Looking for a trusted cloud accounting partner? 

Utilizing cloud accounting software for your company's data and books is a sure way to drive your business’ growth and success. To help you with this, we have a wide expertise in handling the numbers of companies across various industries and broad experience using cloud accounting software that fits your company's needs. Contact us today and we will help you find the right cloud accounting software for you! 
 

Download our Outsourcing: How to Make it Work guide today and see how we can help you transition to a paperless office. 

This post was first published on 5 August 2014 and edited 12 May 2023. Edited by: Aly Tagamolila