The longevity of a company is the aim for any ambitious company boss, and this means having to move with the times. Not only will this allow for keeping up with the competition, but will also ensure that their customers get the best possible service.
As part of the process of remaining relevant in the market, it is prudent to take advantage of advances in technology. This will not only ensure that you are working efficiently, it will ensure that you are ready to develop your business further.
In order to achieve this and remain up to date, a good business will make use of file organizing software. You can avoid the inefficiency of a paper filing system and securely maintain the documents required as part of your business on a digital basis.
Though this may be a big change that seems like it will require an extensive level of work, this doesn’t need to be the case. By following a few easy steps as part of an action plan for the transfer, you will not only find the process easy, you will also enjoy a modernized filing system.
Select the Best
After making the decision to transfer your paper filing system to an electronic one, the next step will be to decide which electronic filing system to use.
In order to decide on the document management software that is right for your business, it is a good idea to consider the processes that occur in your business. This will help you to understand how you will make use of the software in practical terms, and recognize what you will need from it.
There are also other factors to consider within this step, such as how much it will cost, how easy to is to use, how secure it is, and whether it has any limitations, to name just a few.
If available, take advantage of a demonstration, training program, or trial period so that you can try before you buy and will understand what to expect from the use of the system. Any person within the business who will require access to the documents within the electronic filing system must be involved at this stage.
Once you have made a comparison and taken on board the opinion of all the relevant interested parties, select the document management software that is best for you.
Get the Right Start
In order to ensure that your records are complete when they become electronic, it is essential to start from the best place. This will mean ensuring that all your paper files are up to date before proceeding to the next step.
Start by checking the paper files to ensure they are intact and that nothing is missing; update them to replace or find any document that is missing.
Take note of the quantity of files that need to be transferred, which will help you to determine how long the transfer process is likely to take.
During this step, it is also necessary to determine what date you intend to start the transfer, and diarize it to make everyone aware and to avoid it being pushed back or delayed. The Forbes here discussed some tips for you on how to avoid pushing back.
In order to limit the time during which access to the filed documents will not be available, it is important to carefully determine the best time to complete the actual transfer. If possible, it is best to schedule it outside of work hours. If this is not possible, avoid periods that you know will be particularly busy.
Keep Everyone Informed
Once you know which system you will be transferring your paper filing system to, you will be ready to get going. However, to do so would be a little premature as there are further preparations that need to take place.
Though the intention to go paperless would have probably already been confirmed to the company employees, this is unlikely to have included any concrete plans. Therefore, this is the time that this should be done.
Though the process of transferring a paper filing system to a paperless one should not take a significant amount of time, it is still necessary to inform those that will be affected. Not only must they be updated about what will be happening, but also how long it is likely to take, that paper documents may not be available during the transfer period, and that they will be advised when the process is complete.
Make sure everyone who needs to be involved in the actual process in aware and that they will be available on the relevant date.
Archive the Old
Even though many documents should be retained for a long period, it doesn’t mean that they need to be accessed on a regular basis. This may lead you to assume that these documents do not need to be uploaded to an electronic filing system, however, you would be mistaken.
It is best to upload all files, regardless of their age, as this will ensure that they are secure and can be easily found if and when required. These can still be archived electronically so you’ll know where they are. This will also mean that you do not have to retain the paper files, which will free up space.
Transfer
Time to go! Once you have completed all your preparations, you will be ready to start the transfer, which should be completed in one go, if possible. Keep track of what is being done during scanning by using an order system, such as by working in date or alphabetical order.
Follow the instructional steps of the software in order to complete the process correctly, rather than assuming you know what to do.
If the software provider has a helpdesk for assistance during the transfer process, keep these contact details to hand in case you encounter any issues.
Test
Once the transfer of a paper filing system to an electronic filing system has been complete, it needs to be tested before it is rolled-out for access by all interested parties. Simply accessing the documents from different departments and from different dates in the way that you normally would is sufficient to determine whether the system works well.
Use the search function to find some documents that could be considered obscure, and send some documents by email to ensure that they can be viewed properly by the recipient.
Going from a paper filing system to an electronic filing system does not need to be a stressful experience when you choose the right option. Once complete, your business will benefit from being able to quickly and easily access digital documents, making the paper filing system a thing of the past.
