Going paperless is not an all-or-nothing process. This time- and money-saving choice is one that is usually completed in steps, and we at SWK Technologies meet with companies at all different stages of their paperless journey. Some have started sending and receiving documents via email instead of mail, which saves quite a bit, but they still end up printing them out and taking the time to file them. Others have started using a network file share system to eliminate the need to print and file, but they still struggle with being able to find and add documents quickly based on the standardized naming convention.
Maybe you haven’t even been able to scratch the surface of paperless office functioning yet. Fear not–you can start small and grow into a full enterprise-wide document management solution such as Sage ERP Document Management at your own pace, and we’re here to help. Sage ERP Document Management works with Sage 100 ERP, Sage 300 ERP, Sage 500 ERP and Sage ERP X3.
1. Electronic Storage
A good place to start is in getting your employees used to storing all of your documents electronically rather than as paper in filing cabinets. The costs savings that go along with eliminating the need to buy paper, ink, toner, and filing supplies will amount to a lot. You could even just start the process in the paper-heavy Accounting department and get everyone there used to finding the documents they need right from their desktops. When you are ready, you can roll the electronic file process out to the Human Resources, Legal, and Sales departments, too.
2. Workflow
Once you have a good handle on how to access your documents electronically, you can begin taking on the task of electronic workflows. If you structure your workflows and add automation, you’ll see immediate time and money savings, and your employees will improve their productivity. An easy change to make: Give managers the ability to view and approve documents remotely on a mobile device. If you create that option, you will then have continual visibility into a document’s status throughout its work process, and you’ll even have the ability to set alerts if anything does not get processed on time.
3. Document Delivery
After you’ve set up structured workflows and automation, you should make an effort to send and receive documents from customers and vendors only in electronic form. This will save time and will also eliminate mailing fees. When you set this up right, you can send a batch of invoices by simply hitting print–each document will be attached to an email and sent automatically.
4. Document Creation
When you have reached the expert level of a paperless workplace, you can make sure all of your documents are electronic from the very beginning. Any form that gets filled out in Excel, then printed and passed around could be done on an electronic form instead that will use validated fields, sourced and run from your ERP. For example, your employees can electronically fill out an expense report form and attach scanned copies of receipts, and then they can route that form through a workflow for validation. To finish off the process, they simply import their data to a screen in your accounting system.
There are so many possibilities for improved efficiency when it comes to going paperless. You have the opportunity to take on those solutions at your own pace and we will be here to help you every step of the way. If you are ready to get started, Contact SWK Now!