What are the business benefits of going paperless with document digitisation?

Transitioning to a paper-free office – or at least to an office where paper use is kept to a minimum – should be what the business world strives for, but not just for the environmental benefits. Document digitisation is a simple solution that actively reduces the paperwork burden while contributing to a greener and more economical future for businesses.

By now, we’re all familiar with the convincing environmental case for reducing how much paper we use, and how often, by digitising documents instead.

To lay out the environment situation in the clearest terms: the pulp and paper industry is responsible for up to 15% of total wood consumption, contributing to deforestation and habitat loss. Cutting back on paper means felling fewer trees, which help soak up harmful CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.

Producing paper is largely an unsustainable practice, polluting the air and water supplies and generating around a quarter of landfill waste. Worryingly, despite the environmental evidence stacking up, consumption of pulp and paper is expected to double in the 50 years to 2060.

What is document digitisation?

Document digitisation (or digitization, for our American readers) is the conversion of physical paperwork into virtual formats using scanning software. Many home and office printers have an inbuilt scanning function but can be time-consuming to use, since each piece of paper needs to be fed into the machine manually (and then turned too, if it’s double-sided).

Bulk scanning services are a time-saving alternative: specialist machinery has been developed to scan paperwork securely and in seconds. Scanned documents can then be archived via a digital document management system and accessed digitally without the need to sift through piles of paper or dusty filing cabinets.

Document digitisation is ideal for businesses as diverse as law firms, supermarkets and medical service providers, reducing firms’ paperwork burden and carbon footprint while giving companies a simple and secure solution to going paperless.

What are the advantages of a paperless office?

Going paperless by scanning and digitising documents can revolutionise how businesses work. There are a wide range of benefits to going paperless and moving over to digital documents – here are our picks of the top five:

1. Better organisation – Finding information digitally is made easy by tagging documents with key identifiers so they’re searchable. Accessing physical documents can take time; digital documents can be accessed in minutes and from anywhere with an internet connection.
2. Easier collaboration – Document digitisation means any number of employees can access specific documents at the same time and collaborate as necessary, even if they’re working from home or elsewhere away from the office.
3. Improved security – Digital archives are next-level secure compared with physical alternatives. Digital information is typically encrypted and protected with access controls, which provide extra layers of security for confidential documents.
4. Extra space – Choosing to digitise documents rather than store them in the office frees up space that can be put to better use. Alternatively, it’s the perfect solution for companies planning to downsize or move to a fully remote working model.
5. Bottom line boosting – Moving to a paperless office reduces or even removes the costs associated with printing, copying and storing physical documents. It also frees up the time staff would normally spend on these activities so they can turn their attention to more valuable tasks.

Make the move to a paperless office with Paper Escape

Making the move to a paperless office makes sense. Both businesses and the environment benefit when paper use is reduced – and we’re here to help.