December 7th 
Comments 
Mark Shead
It’s not just large healthcare organizations, government agencies or university systems that can benefit from electronic conversion of film and paper documents. Electronic and web based document management for small businesses can be just as effective at improving efficiencies and reducing costs.
Mark W. Shead, a business management consultant and blogger, is proof of this. In 2007, he set out to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce the amount of paper used by his small business.
We sat down with Shead to hear some of the small business document management best practices he’s learned along the way.
What are some of the benefits of reducing the amount of paper documents in your office and implementing an electronic document management system?
As a small business owner, a paperless office makes it easy to keep all my files with me on my laptop so I can quickly look information up regardless of where I’m physically located. A good search feature makes it easy to locate information—even if it isn’t filed where you’d expect it. The biggest cost savings come in terms of time. I can find what I need when I need it regardless of whether I’m sitting at my desk, in my office or waiting in an airport.
What advice would you give to a small business that is overwhelmed at the idea of digitally converting documents?
Think about your processes first. Simply putting your documents into the computer doesn’t help you unless it makes your processes easier. Go paperless where it makes sense. Look for ways to eliminate the creation of paper in the first place.
In terms of records management, what benefits do you see in digital archiving for small businesses?
You can keep stuff forever and quickly locate it. Many businesses have boxes of paper stored in the basement or at an off-site location. I know one business in town that rents space from the local morgue to store paper. This data is pretty much useless unless there is a really big financial reason to dig back through it—like a lawsuit.
What does it take to have an efficient, effective rollout of a strategy to go digital?
Good planning of your processes. If you are going paperless just to get rid of paper, it isn’t going to give you much benefit, even if you can somehow pull it off. Your processes have to be designed to lower the amount of paper you produce while increasing the amount of automation. Don’t forget there are some things that will still be better on paper. Don’t try to force everything into a paperless model. Keep paper where it makes sense.
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- Paperless Offices – Top 4 Reasons Small Businesses Should Switch
- Electronic Document Management System at The National Archives
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