August 17th 
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The adoption of new technologies, new innovations or new ways of doing business can be challenging. When the widespread adoption of those is slowed even further by myths, rumors and poorly founded ideas that challenge can often seem insurmountable. Such is the case with the paperless office, which is currently being held back much more by process issues than any technological capabilities.
Unfortunately for the paperless office, there are 10 myths that have permeated the issue and put a fear into the minds of people who could be reaping the benefits of adopting it. Here are the first 5 of the Top10 Myths of The Paperless Office:
- Technology Isn’t Ready – Not only is the technology here, as digital document imaging and document scanning are widely available and simple to use, but it’s also cost-effective. The technology is here that can scan your existing documents, and also eliminate the need of creating new paper.
- Going Paperless is “All or Nothing” – Would it be better if everyone everywhere went paperless? Maybe. Does it have to be that way? No. You don’t have to go completely paper-free, but by switching in some areas you can reap the benefits from using less paper. From saving money to saving space, even little switches make big differences. In the event your business can’t make the total switch, find out which areas can; if your company was able to make one area, say payroll, paperless you will be saving time and money while still keeping your company’s most important documents in paper form.
- Paperless is Less Secure – This could not be any less true. With traditional paper documents being sent, it gets handled by dozens of people before finally sitting in an unsecure mailbox. With digital document imaging, encryption, passwords and stringent security can be implemented to guarantee its security. Try doing that with a traditional letter.
- Scanners are the Most Important Part of Going Paperless – Scanners are important if your company wants to have paperless storage. However, in a completely paperless transition you will you’re will also need digital signature and encryption tools.
- Going Paperless is Always Good for the Environment – Yes, it is but this myth comes with an addendum: Going paperless only truly helps the environment if you produce less paper waste. If you are just scanning and then throwing away your incoming paper, your company is doing it wrong. To truly help save the environment and use less paper your company must reduce the overall amount of paper you are consuming.
These 5 myths are usually the most prevalent surrounding the paperless office transition. Learning the truths behind these myths is a key way to start learning how you can adopt new technologies and reduce your paper consumption drastically.
Check back for part 2, for the next 5 myths surrounding the paperless office coming soon.
To learn more about how your small business can become a paperless office with the use of the proper digital document imaging, feel free to check more of the services offered by microMEDIA.
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Related Posts
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