Offices that operate a paperless office can draw on a number of benefits including increased employee productivity and a greener work environment due to the reduced use of paper. There are many ways that offices can convert to paperless operations. However, to transition seamlessly there are a few tips that can help make the experience smooth and seamless.

Start Small

Attempting to implement paperless operations in one big project can be detrimental to business. This can be avoided by starting small and working up in conversion size. Consider transitioning one office or department at a time, and ensuring that all employees are comfortable with the new operations before asking another area within the business to embrace the digital era.

Offer Employee Training

Switching to digital operations is easier when addressing issues with how a new system works straight away. Investing in time before converting an office to digital operations gives employees the chance to ask questions, develop their understanding and get to grips with plans before they are rolled out through a business. Such time investment can save time, money and make the transition easier as companies can be sure that all employees are singing off the same hymn sheet.

Spread the Word

Ensure that all members of a business are aware of the upcoming change and educate them on what going paperless means for their day-to-day activities. Slowly begin to discourage devices that use reams of paper such as printers, fax machines or photocopiers. Reducing paper usage means that staff will simplify day-to-day tasks.

Be sure to spread the message to the outside world too. This is a great way to generate publicity and is a unique selling point for any business. Paperless activities help make businesses eco-friendly. This can save money and boost brand reputation as well as bring in new earth-conscious customers.

Choose a Long Term Provider

Many companies offer paperless office services however, it is important to choose a company that will help make the transition easier not just at the beginning but for months and years to come. Some reputable companies offer as much or as little support as needed, giving customers the chance to draw on company experience and utilise the paperless experience in the best possible way.

Specialist document transition experts such as Pearl Scan Solutions can assist companies embracing the digital revolution at every step. With over a decade industry experience, Pearl Scan Solutions are experts in paperless operations and give companies everything they need to make the transition as seamless, effortless and beneficial as possible. That includes free search and retrieval software and a lifetime of support.

To find out how we can help your business why not give us a call and speak to one of our document specialists today!

Networking 101: Why It’s Important to Keep Hold of Old Business Cards

With so much of our personal and business lives turning digital these days, it can be easy to disregard business cards as a thing of the past. But we think you’d be wrong – the business card is such an integral part of networking that it’s not going to be replaced anytime soon. However, likely what you will do after receiving a business card will be digital, for example storing an email address or phone number. But it’s the act of conversation and sharing business cards which is effective and cannot be replaced.

Be Memorable

A business card gives you the opportunity to be remembered when networking. If we were to simply swap information digitally, there is no personality to the digital storage and you could be easily forgotten. However, a memorable and creative business card can be all the difference. Not to mention the likelihood that if it’s kept in a wallet or pocket then it’s a reminder of your conversation when the person comes across it.

Collect an Army of Contacts

It’s not just about giving out your business card – keeping your own collection can be very useful, too. Whether they could be potential B2B clients or you think you could work together in some way or form a partnership, having a mass of contacts to hand is helpful in a multitude of situations. However, it’s not so helpful if you have to search through a huge file or box full of business cards to find the particular contact you are looking for.

Scanning Business Cards

So what should you do to make locating people and their contact details easier? It would take hours to manually input all the data into your mobile phone, laptop or email address book. That’s a lot of time wasted, especially if you haven’t established a proper relationship with half of these contacts just yet. The easy way to do it is with business card scanning.

It’s so fast and easy to capture the data on any kind of business card, and store it in the format of your choice. Whether that’s an Excel spreadsheet, Outlook address book or into a Salesforce database, it can all be done automatically thanks to Pearl Scan’s innovative scanning technology.

Of course, you can always choose to keep the physical business cards too. They have a personal touch, and may help you to put faces to names or remember certain personality traits or business credentials of each contact. But for ease of use, it’s definitely more efficient to have data stored digitally as well.

Schools are all about education, however this can be disrupted when things go wrong; whether with homework, worksheets or inner-school communication. Better school processes means a reduction in stress, improvement in grades and an overall greater productivity rate from staff and students alike. How could your school benefit from process streamlining? ...

Implement Technology

This can be expensive, especially for schools who are yet to embrace the technological age. However, this doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t mean that every child should be working off a tablet device straightaway. Technology allows the streamlining process to become easier, especially with the array of apps and software available for instantaneous download.

Consider Cloud Storage

Something as simple as a cloud storage solution can help develop the way things run in class and in a school as whole. With storage software such as Halogen, lost files can no longer be an excuse for holding up the teaching day. All files can be uploaded no matter the format and downloaded from cloud storage off any device, so teachers don’t have to worry about leaving a lesson plan at home.

Digitise Library Collections

While nothing beats the smell of a good book, many schools within the UK are battling against the rising number of school students. Library collections can be digitised so the space can be better utilized to make room for more classrooms. Files can still be accessed within seconds and weigh a lot less than carrying three or four books at once which is perfect for any little bookworm.

Transitioning a collection over to a digital format also allows schools to distribute more copies of a text to more students. No longer would students have to wait for a copy of a book to return. If a book becomes overdue then files can automatically remove themselves from a device. No more late fees and no more angry librarians tracking children down.

Do Away With Pigeon Holes

Sometimes the school environment can get so busy that teachers don’t get the chance to check their pigeon holes every day. This means that memos, letters and work can build up over a couple of days. Implementing streamlining solutions such as a digital mailroom enables messages to be directed to who they are intended for, without the need to sit around waiting to be read. Cutting out the middle system and improving in-school delivery systems will increase productivity, improve communication and decrease the chances of a message becoming lost in the post.

Wonder if your school can benefit from an operational streamline. Visit our website http://www.pearl-scan.co.uk or phone us on 0845 225 5923 for a no obligation, friendly conversation.

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