Author : Jim Kemp

Going green may begin at home-but there’s no doubt that it continues at work Recycling bins, bringing your own mug instead of using paper cups, turning off lights, closing doors and lowering blinds are some ways that employees make an effort

But what about how you store and organize information? Isn’t it time to trade outdated processes and overstuffed filing cabinets for something more sustainable?

Paper Pitfalls

The average office worker in the US uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year-or two pounds of paper a day (Source: EPA )

Where does it all go? Placed in files, shuffled between employees, sent to shipping, tossed in the trash Offices rent storage space, or require bigger offices for all their paper documents And not only do they take up space, all that paper is a risk for security and fire damage

Not to mention incredibly inefficient

A (compact fluorescent) light bulb over your head

Have you thought about electronic document management?

An electronic document management system is just that: online and paperless It’s a business software application designed to digitally store documents into a repository

Documents can include everything from invoices to emails to contracts to health records-anything you need As the documents are stored in the system, they are associated with index information referred to as metadata attributes With metadata, users can quickly query documents using a web browser or other client application and retrieve the documents electronically on the computer screen

These systems offer an office numerous capabilities, including storing, indexing and retrieving documents Additional functionality may involve electronic routing of documents for approval, email archiving, records retention management, document scanning, optical character recognition (OCR), online collaboration with vendors and suppliers, security, disaster recovery, and reporting

It’s a paperless office solution that reduces your carbon footprint and increases efficiency

Green, Clean, and Fast

Because when you need a document, you need it quickly Paperless information can be searched and retrieved much faster, without leaving your desk Filing and retrieval is reduced from minutes to seconds-a huge productivity gain

Plus, it’s easier to share information Not just because files are online, but also to collaborate: A paperless system supports collaboration tools like check-in/check-out, document version control, email archiving, and remote access

Not to mention secure: Digital documents are more easily backed-up, and can be made available quickly in the event of a disaster

How can this help me?

Just think about all the times you’ve tried to get something accomplished off-line Processing an invoice for payment? Keeping all necessary records in an archive? And when multiple employees work on a single document, how can you be sure it’s the most current version?

Here are just a few examples where electronic document management can help you go lean and green:

-Electronic Approvals: Electronically route documents for review and approval, apply digital signatures, and create electronic markups Reviewing documents online reduces demand for paper and ink

-Digital Archiving: Electronically archive paper documents in PDF or Tiff formats Digitally archiving your documents reduces the need for paper storage facilities, limits exposure to fire/flood damage, and promotes recycling efforts

-Collaboration: Share documents online with co-workers, vendors, and suppliers By providing electronic access to documents, companies reduce delays, cut costs, and lower the environmental impacts of shipping paper documents

Processing an invoice is another great example

An invoice arrives It needs to be routed up the approval chain for payment In a paper world, this process is slow, invoices get misplaced, data is manually entered, people forget to approve, and so on Yet for many companies, a paper-based process is still the norm

In the digital era, paper-based processes such as invoice approval can be easily automated This way, an invoice would arrive and be digitized, capturing data that is automatically incorporated into accounting systems Notifications with electronic copies of the invoices go out to approvers, and simple workflow steps ensure that the necessary approvals are obtained, and accounting receives notification of approval and pays the bill

The big benefit is time Time is money

In addition to financial costs, the environmental impacts cannot be ignored The production process to produce paper stock requires harvesting trees, consumes significant energy leading to increased greenhouse gases, and involves chemicals that we weren’t allowed to touch in chemistry class

All this goes to show how electronic document management can help employees work faster, smarter, and greener

Jim Kemp, ECM and Document Locator Professional. Document Locator is an enterprise-class document management system designed to enhance efficiency, reduce risk and improve collaboration. Get Document Management information.

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