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A green office is something many businesses aspire to reach in order to boost their green credentials and lower their carbon footprint, but how can you go about saving the environment from the comfort of your desk?

Climate change and global emissions have been a hot topic for years now and most of us take steps to ensure we are caring for the environment during our daily lives. This also stretches to our offices and places of work but there's still more we can do to achieve a lower carbon footprint.

Here are some quick tips for how you can turn your office green (without the need for Dulux colour charts).

Monitor Your Carbon Footprint

In order to reduce the carbon footprint of your office, you must first know what it is. That's just common sense. By monitoring your carbon footprint throughout, you can see which little changes have the biggest impact. There are loads of websites dedicated to helping you calculate the carbon footprint of your office so check them out. (We found this carbon footprint calculator from a quick internet search but feel free to find you own).

"It's like Blackpool Illuminations in here!"

Many of us have heard this phrase (or one similar) growing up. We'd leave lights on around the house to be met by a folded armed adult cursing our inability to flick switches as we leave rooms. Unfortunately, this bad habit can creep into your working life and end up wasting energy when you don't even realise. Don't worry though, making a small conscious effort to turn off unnecessary lights and other electronics can soon become something you do solely out of habit with great positive effects.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The other three Rs we learnt in school, this is a motto that has experienced a pretty big push in the last decade or so. With the introduction of recycling bins specific for each material and pressure on manufacturers to produce products with less unnecessary packaging, it has become much simpler to reduce the amount of waste we produce. In offices, the focus should be on what can be reduced, reused and recycled with a minor effect on the overall workings of the company.

Are you sure you need to print that?

People have many different printing habits, as we have mentioned in previous articles, but sometimes all it takes is that quick question to reduce the amount of paper your office produces. By checking whether the printing you plan to do is really necessary, you may find that it will be more environmentally friendly and even more efficient to step away from the printer.

Document Scanning...

A lot of companies store important files and documents in boxes, folders and filing cabinets cluttering up offices and providing a silent stumbling block for their green credentials. Getting that backlog of documents scanned and converted to an easier to use digital format can be just the boost your office needs! Once you have fully digitised documents, the original paper copies can be shredded and recycled (remember, we're still looking to save the environment as much as possible so always try to recycle that paper where possible).

...and Electronic Document Management

Implementing your digital documents into an electronic document management system will bring further environmental benefits in the long run (not to mention a wide range of other benefits which we go into in more depth in our other articles). Indexed and OCR processed documents are fully text searchable meaning you can have a simple document retrieval system with minimal disruption. Being able to access, edit and share your documents completely electronically will also eliminate the need to print, photocopy and waste paper. And, since a large portion of office waste comes from paper, you can go a long way to producing a greener office.

What if the whole office isn't on board?

Everyone has different opinions about climate change and environmental issues and that's ok. It just means that you may need to make an extra effort to make sure all of your staff and colleagues are working towards the same goal. Offering incentives to the person in the office who does the most to reduce the office carbon footprint can be a great way to get people interested and can boost office morale which will also improve efficiency.

How Can Pearl Scan Help Create Your Greener Office?

Here at Pearl Scan we offer a fully bespoke document scanning service as well as document management solutions and consultancy. We are fully dedicated to helping companies reap the rewards of going digital with their document management system. Document scanning and digital document management can reduce costs, save space, increase efficiency and boost your green credentials.

We cater for a range of organisations across many sectors including legal, HR, education and healthcare. Whether you are looking to complete a bulk scanning project or a continuous store and scan project, if you would like some more information about how we can help you get in touch to speak to a member of our friendly and experienced team. For a free, no obligation quote for your document scanning project complete our online form by following the relevant links below.

Request a Quote   |   Contact Us    |    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Scan-do People^tm


For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900

So you're thinking of digitising? That's a great decision and one that could bring huge benefits for you and your company. Taking your document management into the digital world can be a big step so we've compiled a short list of 'Do's and Don'ts' to make the transition for you and your company a little bit easier.

Do outsource your document scanning project.

The first thing to remember when you want to go digital is when to seek help with your document scanning solutions. If you only deal with a small amount of documents on a daily basis, I think it's safe to say you can manage digitising them with a flat-bed office scanner. However, if your company deals with a large number of documents on a regular basis or has a lot of documents in storage in offices or off-site facilities, hiring document scanning services might just be the best thing you can do. Remember to do your research in order to hire the right document scanning company.

Do shred your paper documents.

Once you've made the decision to store your documents in digital format, you will no longer have a need for the paper copies. They will just be taking up space and using costs that you could otherwise save so make sure you dispose of them. The documents must be shredded to ensure the security of the information they contain but before you start dreading the prospect of having to shred thousands of documents in your standard office shredder, here at Pearl Scan, we offer secure shredding services as part of our document scanning service.

Do have your documents OCR processed.

OCR processing makes your documents fully text searchable meaning you can search for your files using simple keyword searches. These searches can range from titles and names to dates and reference numbers. This offers a huge benefit of better efficiency and productivity in the office because rather than rummaging through filing cabinets to find the document you need, you can have it at the click of a button ready to read, edit and share.

Don't adopt a complicated system.

An ideal digital document management system should be easy enough for anyone to use from an older person to a young child. There is a large range of options and software out there so it is vital to do your research before committing to one particular system. Sometimes companies assume that they will need to hire new staff or spend a lot of time retraining the current staff to be able to use the new system but this is simply not the case.

Don't leave your documents at risk.

When your documents are stored in paper form, you are leaving them open to the risks of loss, theft and damage. With an electronic document management system, you can have your digital documents encrypted and password protected so only the people required will be able to view them. Once they are stored digitally, your files will be protected from rips and spillage damage.

Don't scan small amounts to save money.

While you may think that the best thing for your budget is to scan your documents in small amounts throughout the year but with most document scanning services, including Pearl Scan, actually offer discounted scanning for large bulk scanning projects. So, before you choose to continue storing some of your documents for fear of busting the budget, get a quote first.

So there you have it, a few do's and don'ts to help make your digital transition just a little bit smoother. If you would like some more information about going digital or if you would like to find out about the document scanning services and document management solutions we have to offer here at Pearl Scan, feel free to browse our website and blog or get in touch today. For a free, no obligation, quote for your digitising project complete our online form by following the relevant links below.

Bag yourself a paperless office in 3 simple steps

The paperless office divides the business world. Some say it will never work while others are doing everything they can to achieve it. One thing is for sure, the benefits are endless.

• Reduced costs (from printing, storage etc)
• More space without documents filling offices
• Improved efficiency
• Easier access to files

Those are just a few. But how can you make your office go paperless? Is there a magic wand you can wave and the office will suddenly be paper-free? Sadly no, but we can offer you three changes you can make to set you well on the way to a paperless, or at least 'paper light' office.

Step 1- Scan your documents

The main thing standing in the way of your office and the paperless horizon is the volume of paper documents you currently hold in your office. You may have numerous filing cabinets full of them or just a few folders but either way, they have to go. So the first step you must take is to find a way to store those documents digitally. Get your documents scanned and placed onto a digital document management system. Having digital documents will also make them easier to access which we will talk about later.

Step 2- Shred the hard copies

Once you have digital copies of your documents stored and backed up, you will have no need for the hard copies so they can be securely shredded and disposed of. This will free up potentially huge amounts of space in the office to be used in more productive ways. However, the paperless motion must be upheld to be successful which brings me to the final step.

Step 3- Invest in tablets

For easier access to your documents, you should invest in tablets or mobile devices. This would mean that even when away from your desk, you can access the documents and information you need without having to print them off beforehand. By banishing the need for printing you will have no paper documents replacing the ones you have already got rid of. So, the office will remain paper free and save your company a great deal of time, money and space while opening up the possibilities for redesigning the paperless office.

Whether you are taking the first steps to a paperless office or you are well on your way, we wish you all the best. For help along the way look no further than Pearl Scan. We offer a fully bespoke document scanning service including the shredding and secure disposal of your documents at the end of the process, should you require it. For more information on the services we offer, feel free to browse our website or get in touch today for a free, no obligation, quote.

Request a Quote   |   Contact Us    |    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Scan-do People^tm


For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900

Scan on Demand is a great service which offers something you won't find with a full document scanning service or with a document storage facility, a maximum level of flexibility.

What is Scan on Demand?

Scan on Demand itself is pretty self explanatory; we store your files for you and, when you need one of them, you simply request or 'demand' it. The document will then be delivered not to your postbox but to your email inbox. This is because Scan on Demand is a service that sends your files over to you in a digital format such as PDF within a couple of days. The benefit of this is that you can then share, duplicate and edit the documents without the hassle of dealing with mountains of paper. This is considerably more flexible than a service taking a week to send you a physical document through the post and can be potentially cheaper too.

What happens to the documents after they go through Scan on Demand?

After you have received your digital file, you can decide what you wish to do with the hardcopy document. It can be disposed of and recycled or it can be put back into storage, exactly where it was before, the choice is yours. Most people decide that once they have the digital file and they're happy with it so the physical document itself is no longer required and is disposed of. Scan on Demand gives the opportunity for an even easier transition into becoming more 'paper-light' or even paperless with less reliance on thousands of pages of paper.

The brilliance of Scan on Demand

It's definitely worth considering if you would have your documents sitting in storage anyway. Unlike standard document scanning services, with Scan-on-Demand the files can be slowly digitised thus making the digital transition that little bit easier.

If you wish to find out more about our Scan on Demand services, visit our main website, or contact us to speak to a member of our friendly and experienced team.

Request a Quote   |   Contact Us    |    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Scan-do People^tm


For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900

A big office move can be daunting at the best of times but if you have tons of documents to move over too (avoiding the risk of damage or loss), it can be a nightmare. But stop! Before you start to stress even more, Pearl Scan has a solution.

Document Scanning Can Reduce The Load

Rather than going to the trouble of securely packaging all of your documents and transporting them to your new premises to be unpacked and sorted again, you could just have your documents scanned.

It seems so simple when it's put like that but often companies don't realise how helpful document scanning can be for ensuring a smooth office move.

How Can Document Scanning Help?

By having your documents scanned, you can eliminate the need to transport all of those files to your new location. Instead, all you will need to take is the hard drive or storage medium your new digital documents are stored on.

The process is simple;

• Firstly, we will collect your documents using our secure nationwide collection service. We can collect documents from Manchester, Birmingham, London and across the UK.
• Once the documents are at our scanning bureau, they are prepared for scanning. Fasteners, including staples and paperclips, are removed to ensure a smooth scanning process.
• The documents are then scanned in our state of the art scanners under expert supervision.
• Once we have all of the scanned images, they are indexed and OCR processed to make them easily searchable.
• Your digital documents are then converted to your required format and placed onto CD, DVD, USB or onto our online cloud platform, Pearl Cloud.
• Your digital documents will then be delivered to you and, once you are happy with them, the originals can be shredded, returned to you or stored for a further period.

It's that simple! No stress. No worries. Just simple, effective solutions.

How Can Going Digital Help Beyond The Office Move

Not only can scanning your documents and adopting a digital document management system aid a stress free office move, it can also provide long term benefits for you and your company.

1. You can benefit from increased efficiency within the office as a result of the easier retrieval of documents.
2. With increased efficiency comes increased profits due to more work being done in a shorted space of time.
3. Since you have reduced or even completely abolished the need to store physical documents, you will free up a great deal of office space which can be used more effectively.

Here at Pearl Scan, we offer effective yet affordable document scanning solutions to all sorts of companies and organisations looking to reap the benefits of digitally managing documents. If you would like some more information on the document scanning services we offer, feel free to browse our website, other blog articles or get in touch today for a free, no obligation quote for your scanning project.

Request a Quote   |   Contact Us    |    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Scan-do People^tm


For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900