Do you have paper documents littering your office space? If so, what’s holding you back from transferring your files from cabinets to a computer? I’m under the impression that computer-related issues and the thought of figuring out complicated technology hinders several business owners from using document scanning software.
Are these four fears preventing you from transitioning to a paperless office?
- Fear of losing important paper documents
- Fear of spending too much time scanning bulk files
- Fear of complicated technology
- Fear of computer-related security issues
In business, it’s essential to keep up (or move ahead) of the market, and having your documents readily available on your computer will undoubtedly help you to improve your communication with clients, allow your employees to spend time on other projects rather than sifting through paper document all day, and protect your files from theft, fires, and other uncontrollable disasters.
However, the idea of change in addition to the fears listed above may stop some of you from understanding how the right document scanner can easily improve your overall workflow, something which I will evaluate throughout this article.
Fear of losing important paper documents
The thought of shredding important documents may not sit well with some business owners; transferring hard copies to electronic files may evoke a slew of “what-if” questions, such as:
- What if someone hacks my computer?
- What if I can’t locate the file because it’s in image format?
- What if my computer breaks down and I lose all of my documents?
Let me resolve your worries by answering these three questions.
- Most document management systems have security systems and back-up plans. I will elaborate on this topic shortly.
- A good system allows you to transfer your files from images to word documents, so you can easily look up keywords and locate the specific file within seconds.
- Thankfully, you can back-up your system, so you won’t have to worry about losing everything if your computer happens to break down! If your system uses the cloud, you can easily access your files if something were to happen to your computer. You may also want to look into other back-up programs like NAS and Microsoft Azure.
Still not convinced? Offices that rely on paper documents rather than scanned documents risk losing their files via theft and natural disasters. Plus, you can easily misplace files.
Fear of spending too much time scanning bulk files
You may be thinking, “why would I bother to scan massive documents when I already have a hard copy available? That’s just a waste of time!” An outdated scanner may prevent you from efficiently transferring documents from paper format to a computer, but the right system will ease the process.
Plus, some instances may require a lot of steps and mouse clicks, but the right scanner will also help you to avoid that problem. For example, FileCentre offers scanners that come equipped with a bulk scanning tool.
The automatic document separation feature enables you to load a heap of documents and save the files in only a couple of mouse clicks. Scanning your files is meant to make your life easier, not harder.
Fear of complicated technology
Complicated technology can make your life difficult, that’s for sure. However, simple, easy-to-use systems can vastly improve the overall efficiency of your workplace, accessibility to files, and much more.
Some systems may require you to set up your scanner, scan your files one by one, press several buttons, perform several mouse clicks, and then name and organize all of your documents once you finish scanning each file. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The right software includes a scanning profiles feature. This unique feature allows you to set up scanning preference and profiles. Therefore, when you scan a document, you can click on the already-set-up profile, and the scanner will do all of the work for you.
There’s no need to fear complicated technology, especially when the right software will make your life as a business owner a lot easier.
Fear of computer-related security issues
Are you scared of hackers? Or your computer breaking down? I’ve already discussed back-up plans for these issues, but you’ll be happy to know that you can choose from an array of security measures to protect your files.
Allow me to ease your mind with these cyber-related hacks and tips:
- Create a lengthy, 12-character password—one that includes numbers, symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Consider ethical hacking—where a trained white-hat hacker can hack your system as if they are a real hacker. They use their knowledge to let you know where you need to boost your security measures.
However, you can also choose who you want and don’t want to access certain files. For example, if you want your employee who deals with invoices to access files, you can grant them the ability to view the document. This system helps to prevent you from dealing with theft—you never know who will break into your office and steal important information.
Computer-related security measures can help to prevent theft and hacking completely—especially if you invest in a white-hat hacker. Don’t let the fear of lack of security stop you from scanning your files. Most systems come with foolproof measures!
A quick glimpse of the benefits of scanning your documents
Still refusing to transition to a paperless office? Let’s see if these benefits convince you otherwise:
1. Scanning your documents will save you from unfortunate, uncalculated natural disasters such as flooding or fire. Here Forbes will give you more information about protecting important files from natural disasters.
2. The right scanner will make the entire process super easy and manageable.
3. You’ll free up a lot of office space! It’s time to load the files you hardly look at to your computer rather than wasting valuable space in your workplace.
4. Why pay an employee to sift through piles of folders when you can grant them access to easily look up your already-organized electronic files? You can use your employees for services that can help to propel your business forward instead.
5. You’ll have both a back-up plan and heightened security measures with a document management system.
Let me ask you this one more time: why waste valuable office space with paper when you can scan your documents to a computer? You can always keep hard copies of some of your important files!
