Are Companies Going Paperless with the Rise of Digital?

Companies around the world are swiftly transitioning from a traditional paper document system to one that is purely online. With countless documents, records, and files that need managing in businesses today, technology has provided us with an efficient way of streamlining our processes so we can maximize efficiency. Companies are moving away from paper in favor of digital because the information is more accessible, easier to back up and protect, and it’s the environmentally friendly thing to do. Read on to learn why companies are going paperless.

 

Accessible Information

Have you ever needed a certain piece of information but were unsure where to find it? You know it’s in one of your office documents and now have to dig through a filing cabinet to find it. Or maybe your coworker has it and now you have to wait for them to give it to you. It is so easy for physical files to go missing. Duplicate files can lead to confusion and questions about which file is the most recent and up-to-date.

These are frustrating experiences that are often time-consuming and interrupt employees’ productivity. But when your company information is digital, all your files will be in one place and your employees will have access to information with the click of their finger or a quick search. It also means that employees will have access even when they are traveling or working from home.

 

Backups in Case of Disaster

Physical documents can easily get damaged or lost during natural disasters such as floods and fires. While it is possible to have physical backup copies, they can be expensive to make and store since you’ll likely want to have these in a different location than the original copies. Keeping your files available on the cloud is an inexpensive and efficient way to keep them safe and secure.

 

Data Security

Physical documents can easily get misplaced, which means it can be difficult to control who has access to certain information. Digital-based systems have security that can determine who has access to which file and help track who sees it. These security methods help companies comply with data protection laws such as the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

 

Environmentally Friendly

The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper per year, not including notebooks, envelopes, and other office supplies. 45% of that ends up in the trash. When companies go paperless they are reducing the amount of waste their company is contributing to the environment. Consumers love it when they see businesses make an effort to be more environmentally conscious with their actions.

 

How Do You Go Paperless

The first step when thinking about transitioning to paperless is to identify how you use paper. This involves asking questions such as: who prints what and how often, and how is paper being distributed and stored. Next, you’ll want to choose the right digital system for your company and start slowly making the transition. It’s unrealistic to assume that you can go paperless all at once, so find a reasonable timeframe and make the transition slowly.

After you have made the transition, you’ll want to shred all your paper documents. Leaving documents around the office will take up space and put your company’s confidential information at risk. We recommend scheduling a one-time cleanout with Proshred® DFW. Our state-of-the-art mobile shredding trucks will come to you and make cleaning out your paper documents easy, economical, and efficient. Our quality shredders will ensure that everything has been properly destroyed and we will even take the shredded documents to a local recycling facility afterward.

Hard Drive Destruction Services

Just as businesses have to evolve with new technology, Proshred® evolves with you. Protecting your company data is an important responsibility no matter what form it takes. Whether it is paper or a hard drive, the only way to properly protect your company data is to destroy it. Simply erasing hard drives does not remove the data on them and can still be accessed by individuals skilled in data retrieval.

When you are updating your system or are getting rid of old hardware that has died, contact Proshred® DFW to help you properly destroy your hard drive. Our mobile hard drive shredding services will conveniently come to you so that your hard drive can remain in your custody the entire time. Our hard drive shredding trucks ensure that you can witness the destruction of your hard drives. You will also receive a certificate of destruction showing the date and time your hard drive was destroyed.