Paper has been used for centuries and is a fundamental part of our lives, from newspapers, to receipts to legal documents to books; therefore, understandably we are attached to this tactile means of holding information. However much we may feel a sense of nostalgia for paper, research from Fellowes in 2017 found that it is a cause of massive inefficiencies in the work place with one million hours per week spent looking for misplaced documents in UK offices.
Technology has moved on over the centuries and we now have capabilities to go paper free, at least in our work environment and there are some great benefits to going paperless too.
Unlimited Storage
Probably the most obvious initial benefit, is the reduction of the amount of space required to store paper documents. Instead of having to house hundreds if not thousands of bulky space-eating documents and files, they can simply be stored on one server. This in turn allows your organisation to either make better use of the additional space OR reduce overheads by renting less office space!
GDPR, Data Security and Audit Compliance
In the age of modern technology, data protection is a critical issue for consumers and therefore companies that serve them. Protecting information contained on paper copies can be problematic, whereas scanned documents can be encrypted, password protected, and securely stored. Access levels can be assigned to specific users and all file activity can be tracked. This in turn also has a positive impact on fulfilling legal and regulatory obligations as digital files can be indexed and produced quickly to meet the demands of even the strictest auditor.
Secure Information Preservation
Paper documents can perish over time, or at least degrade to the point where after a number of years of being handled, are no longer legible in critical areas. Provided you have adequate back-up facilities, electronic files solve this issue and ensure preservation of key information.
Go Green
Consumers are now even choosing companies and suppliers based in how ethically they behave and what steps they take in order to minimise their carbon footprint and any negative impacts it is having on the environment as a whole. By scanning documents and storing them electronically, a company’s paper consumption can be vastly reduced.
Improved Time Management
Keeping electronic copies of documents makes them much easier to share with team members, particularly when it comes to staff in different locations. This is itself has an impact on streamlining of workflows and therefore improved productivity.
Business Continuity Planning
Paper documents are particularly vulnerable when a disaster strikes such as fires, other natural disasters or even theft. Once scanned and stored electronically, these files are much more recoverable and therefore damage, at least in this area, can be minimised.
But where to start?
Integrated Mailing Solutions (IMS), which is the business services division of the Isle of Man Post Office, can help with the process of going paperless. Our dedicated team of experts will meet with you to assess your requirements and come up with a solution which meets your needs. This can include box collection, scanning, secure document storage on the Isle of Man, archiving, efficient record retrieval and return delivery of your documents. We can even take your post direct from the mail stream each morning and scan copies direct to your office, minimising the amount of paper crossing the threshold. You will also have a dedicated account manager who can deal with any questions or queries throughout the whole process.
For more information about IMS can help support your business visit iompost.com/ims, call (0)1624 698444 or email sales@iompost.com.
Contact Us
(Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm)
Isle of Man Stamps & Coins, PO Box IOM, Isle of Man Post Office, Douglas, ISLE OF MAN, IM99 1PB
