Reasons Companies Should Digitize Their Documents

We live in a digital world. So, if your business is still reliant on physical recordkeeping, explore these reasons companies should digitize their documents to see why it could be right for you.

Faster and More Efficient Filing

With paper documents, requesting and pulling records can take hours, days, or even weeks. Every time a request for a paper document is put in for large companies, the request must be sent to the records room.

Physical record pulling is a slow process, and when multiple document requests are coming in each day, tasks can pile up, leading to delays. Or, employees might rush requests to keep on schedule, leading to careless mistakes and misplaced records.

For smaller companies where no one employee is dedicated to file management, document pulling becomes even more time-consuming as employees must take time out of their daily tasks to search through countless files.

When documents are digitized, they can get pulled in seconds. They can be found by simply using a search bar. Employees can even get pre-approved access to records, saving time by making the approval process only necessary for special circumstances. All of this will lead to a faster and more efficient filing system.

An Increase in Employee Productivity

When employees don't have to wait for documents to get pulled, it cuts out all the waiting time, and project turnaround time will ultimately increase.

With digitized documents, employees will work faster as they can pull multiple files at a moment's notice. They also will be able to better share the documents with each other. Files can be viewed and edited simultaneously on multiple devices, which will increase collaboration. Also, you will be able to email sensitive documents rather than faxing them or having to use a courier service.

Even more, by reducing the time it takes to complete a project, your company will be able to take on more projects, hopefully bringing in more money faster.

Management Cost Reduction

Every paper document represents the cost of the paper, ink, printer use, and the ongoing labor costs of record keeping. Companies can cut down on the number of material supplies required to run an office with digital copies. Also, businesses can save on the cost of a record keeper, as they won't need to pull files. That means a long-term decrease in operating expenses, which means a better bottom line.

An Increase in Customer Experience

A customer's experience is always at the top of their minds when dealing with services. With sites like Yelp and Google where customers can rate and review, consumers are more informed than ever, carrying high expectations. They want the best as soon as they can have it. Businesses must meet those expectations by constantly pushing to increase their customer experience. You do this by providing fast service with zero sacrifice to performance.

If you are reliant on a physical recordkeeping system, there can be extended delays in filling client requests, or at the worst, you cannot fill the request because the paper document was lost. Then, the copy must be given to the client in person. However, with digitized manuscripts, you will expedite the process of helping clients. They can also be assisted remotely with email so that you can even help the clients that can't make it to your physical locations. That will open you up to a broader clientele across a larger service area.

Improved Security

A single piece of paper within a room full of thousands can be a hard thing to secure. If a document goes missing, it can take an audit of the entire system to find it or verify that it is gone. Someone can steal a sensitive file, and no one would know for months. Once files are checked out, they become impossible to track, so companies can't manage who has access to it. All in all, physical documents are inefficient at best and insecure at worst.

Once documents are digitized, they can be stored on a secure server or with a cloud service provider where the company can manage the file at all times. Businesses can control who sees a document and keep a detailed record of who views it. So, should anything go missing or if sensitive information leaks, you can track the source of the problem.

Insurance From Document Damage or Loss

Natural disasters, a building fire, or even long-term mold and water damage can destroy company files. If the paper is decaying due to water damage, you still have time to convert it to digital before being destroyed. In the case of natural disasters, though, it is much harder to save documents retroactively. Tornados, floods, and fires all happen swiftly, and if you don't have digital versions of your documents, they could be lost forever—years of your company's hard work gone in a blink of an eye.

You don't need a natural disaster for disaster to strike. Every time paper documents move around the office, their chances of them being misplaced increase. If someone accidentally misplaces a file, it could be lost forever. Digital files are all backed up on servers, so the mistakes of a single employee typically won’t cost your company data.

If you lose sensitive documents, that could put you at risk of not complying with government regulations and audits. However, if they are digitized, not only will you be able to manage documents more effortlessly, but you will have the insurance that your business won't suffer from an inability to comply with audits.

The Environment

Switching to paperless means that your company is doing its part to help the future of this planet. Every ream of paper you don't use means fewer trees that get cut down and less fossil fuels that get burned in the process of running your office. As companies become more environmentally conscious, your customers and employees will expect a matched effort from your business.

You'll Get Left Behind

If any of these reasons listed aren't enough to convince you of the benefits of digitizing your documents, know that your competitors most likely are. Many businesses today are already moving towards creating increasingly paperless businesses. If your competitors can offer clients a digitized service that you can't, then it's time to catch up. Digitizing your documents will better prepare your company for the future.

With these reasons why companies should digitize their documents, it's easy to see why there has been an increasing push towards digitization in the business world. If you want to bring your company into the modern era, look to DiJiFi, the most trusted paper digitization service around. We can help you with anything, from a single document to a full record.