Clunky file cabinets and multiple copies of the same document are artifacts of old business models and practices. Today, the most successful enterprises are built on accessible and effective digital file management systems. That’s because going paperless means efficient file management, fast file retrieval, and streamlined communication.
Too often, many corporate processes are caught in the bottleneck of ageing file systems, disorganized filing methods, and increased time required for updates and sharing. Staff are overburdened in addition to their regular workload, and partners or clients have trouble reconciling their records.
File digitization, on the other hand, eliminates these procedural bottlenecks and streamlines communication. This renewed focus on productivity makes possible zero-waste storage, fast document retrieval, and seamless collaboration.
Are you thinking of making the switch from paper documents to robust, secure, and accessible file digitization systems?
At startMYplan, we’re experts at file digitization so that businesses can be more effective with their data. Here’s every reason why going paperless translates to increased present — and long-term — productivity:
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Seamless collaboration
Hard-copy documents require duplicates to be stored in internal file systems and be given to various stakeholders. This also means every update generates a new set of documents, making organized filing and fast retrieval in time-sensitive situations nearly impossible.
With digitized files, all stakeholders can access, share, and modify the same document from a common management platform, with designated user permissions to protect against security vulnerabilities and losses.
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Cost and space efficiency
Migrating to a file digitization platform appears to be a hefty upfront investment, but it pays for itself much faster than you think. Depending on your business’s size and nature, you may spend anywhere between a few thousand to hundreds of thousands on printing costs and physical storage maintenance each year.
In contrast, file digitization converts these assets — and reduces them greatly — into a high-capacity, searchable, and reliable database. It eliminates the need for valuable real estate and additional rent or storage expenses for cabinet after cabinet of hard copy files.
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Accessible storage
File digitization platforms are designed with user experience in mind. Digitized files can be stored in cloud-based management software. They are tagged with unique file names indexed according to useful taxonomies, such as type, year, operational unit, modified versions, and other essential classifications. This eliminates valuable time spent combing through hard copy documents and earlier versions. Digitized files are also encoded with optical character recognition to aid indexing and ensure fast retrieval for sharing, updates, and collaboration.
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Information security
A leading feature of file digitization is enhanced information security. Proprietary business information is a valuable — and often, vulnerable — commodity that requires protection against theft and degradation.
File digitization helps protect these by converting hard copy documents into digital files that can only be accessed by users with appropriate permissions. Each user modification can be logged into the metadata, which is useful in forensic investigations in case of a security breach or other disaster. By designating user permissions to certain groups, businesses can guarantee information security and confidentiality, without hampering collaboration.
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File preservation
File digitization also protects against the degradation of hard copy information. Paper, as a material, is highly degradable, especially with lots of handling. By scanning documents and storing these into digital file systems, you can protect your business against loss of data. You can also ensure that valuable records, market insights, and other essential information are preserved for future retrieval and use.
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Disaster recovery
Reliable file management is crucial to analyzing historical trends, predicting market behaviour, and recording important transactions. By using hard copy documents without digital back-ups, businesses could suffer from massive data loss in the event of a disaster.
File digitization protects you against this risk and secures crucial information for future use. Eliminate the risk of data loss due to fire, flood, and human error through document imaging and cloud storage. File management software providers also offer off-site and cloud-based back-up services to guarantee retrieval in case of system failure on your end.
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Green business
With the mounting pressure on businesses to shift to ethical practices, the first step is to evaluate paper consumption and energy use. File digitization reduces paper use and printing costs, allowing you to save thousands of dollars in storage, maintenance, and even energy consumption.
Reduce your company’s carbon footprint by switching to cloud-based document imaging and file management to eliminate paper use and unnecessary printing — and score points with eco-friendly investors and customers interested in green business initiatives.
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Digital transformation
File digitization makes your business future-proof. Hard copy storage is costly to maintain and even more expensive to recover and reconstruct in case of disaster. With document imaging and digital file management, you can transform record-keeping, collaboration, and communication into a robust, scalable, and accessible system.
The key to file digitization is early adoption across teams. With document imaging and digital file storage and retrieval, teams can collaborate on streamlined workflows and contribute to cost-saving standardization. Stay ahead of your competitors — migrate to file digitization strategies to improve file storage, retrieval, and communication with partners and customers.
For more information on how file digitization can benefit your business, call startMYplan at 1-888-831-6716, or contact us here.