We’re living in the advanced age where smartphones and tablets put the world at our fingertips. Whatever information we need is available with a single touch. Gadgets not only help you keep your business running, but also let you contribute to a greener tomorrow by reducing the use of paper.
When you’re in the education sector or handle sensitive data, your responsibilities increase a little more. Going paperless takes courage and you need assurance that your professional data is securely stored but accessible when needed. In education, there are risks with using improperly secured or inaccessible data – which is why you need to be sure you’re using the right solution.
Wondering how can you bring business into the 21st century and go paperless? We bring to you 5 productivity tips for a paperless office:
1. Use electronic invoices & reports
Say ‘NO’ to hard-copy documents and welcome paperless bills, invoices and reports – and try to make payments online where possible. With electronic reporting, your business documents can be re-created and updated at any time, making paper copies obsolete with the help of a scanner. There’s no need to search through paper invoices if you have a system where running costs and disbursements are always up-to-date.
2. Convert paper documents to digital
When planning to go paperless, remember that a good scanning system is a must-have. By converting paper documents into electronic copies, you can keep your important papers secure and filed away for private or public access on your business network. Depending on the importance of the original documents, you can destroy the original or reassign/distribute the electronic version to your colleagues.
3. Switch to an e-reception
Most businesses need a front-desk assistant to deal with visitors and take care of personal requests. How about installing an automated visitor system? These advanced machines are designed with the requirements of modern institutes in mind, enabling automation of visitor sign-in, tracking and reporting. VisiPoint is aimed at reducing the need for paper, helping you contribute to a greener earth, while eliminating recurring costs associated with paper visitor books.
4. Install up-to-date security equipment
Hiring in-house security professionals can be a costly affair and also increases paper usage, as the information of visitors is typically kept in the security register book. Using an advanced security system like CCTV or a visitor check-in system can help automate the entire visitor management and security vetting process, creating a safer environment for staff, visitors and stakeholders.
5. Keep digital time records
When on a mission to go paperless, you can’t afford to miss a single record of billable time – be it staff, contractors or someone else coming to site. Using Time Management technology will not only prevent errors when information is rekeyed, but it also helps reduce the use of paper. If there’s no room in the budget for a Time Management System, you can achieve similar results using a visitor check-in system – designed to keep a perfect record of your team’s attendance without any paper waste needed.
You do need a little willingness to make the switch to a paperless office, but by managing the changeover step-by-step and by choosing the right systems to implement, you’ll soon be reaping the rewards of going paperless. Streamlined processes and less filing systems are just two of the benefits, as well as the cost-saving on paper, ink and other resources.
If you’re looking to go paperless in your office, a visitor management system is a fantastic investment. Get in touch with VisiPoint today for a free consultation.