The surging sales of fountain pens, renewed interest in handwriting, and nostalgic feelings for receiving handwritten letters are clear indications of how emotionally connected people are to paper and the act of writing. Paper is an effortless medium; you don’t need a specific device to read with it, nor does it require updates to the latest software, or an internet connection. While there are many benefits to paper, one should not take nostalgic feelings too far. Sure, paper is easy to use, but relying solely on paper prevents process improvements. This is where digital transformation will deliver a disruptive advantage.
For sites to compete in today’s digital economy, while also developing future-proof processes, they must effectively leverage and manage data. Eliminating or reducing reliance on paper-based processes is a good start. A digital-first organization enables each team member to quickly search, retrieve, and assemble documents. This ability may seem obvious and simple but it dramatically increases employee productivity. Rapidly locating and digesting information can enhance your site’s efficiency and overall professional image. Allowing stakeholders to remotely access the documents they require to conduct oversight increases your organization’s value, and in the post COVID era, it will be a necessity, not a ‘nice to have’. Spending time sifting through piles of paper slows down response in an age when most answers are only a few keystrokes away. Imagine speaking with a monitor, shuffling through papers to find something for them, versus a few clicks of a mouse.
But that is only a small part of the digital advantage. Consider these opportunities to enhance your bottom line:
• Improve collaboration: With online document availability, remote monitors can review documents in real-time. Collect signatures in minutes instead of days. The whole regulatory process becomes automated, freeing the attention of employees and management alike to think about new, productive opportunities.
• Decrease document turnaround time: Creating a paper document has multiple failure points: lack of accuracy, speed of delivery and composition, and lack of security. Re-imagining the production process in the digital age can open a new world of efficiency.
• Reduce costs: Physical storage costs are another essential reason to go paperless. The storage space can either be eliminated or repurposed for more productive uses.
• Reduce carbon footprint: Going paperless reduces your firm’s consumption of valuable resources and helps to make the planet more livable.
Simple efficiency is the new standard of leading-edge organizations that are highly competitive today and positioned to stay competitive in the future. Going paperless is an integral part of a digital transformation enabling sites to achieve higher levels of efficiency, thereby leaving you and your employees more time to create a handwritten note to loved ones.
