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How much is your company spending on document storage? My bet is, too much. In this increasingly digital age, it just makes sense to go digital with your files and documents to lower costs and increase efficiency.

In the past we've spoken about the advantages companies can gain from document scanning but here we would like to reinforce what all these benefits can mean for the future of your company.

Benefits of Document Scanning and Digital Document Management

Let's remind ourselves of the benefits document scanning and electronic document management can bring;

• Cost savings
• Time savings
• Space savings
• Improved efficiency
• Improved document security
• Increased accessibility
• Improved overall organisation
• Decreased reliance on paper
• Increased office morale
• Future-proof your business
• Increase your green credentials
• Show better health and safety awareness
• Increase workflow efficiency
• Reduces stress

I could go on forever and, admittedly, we usually do but how does this relate to your company? As you can see, there are no negative effects on your business when document scanning and digital document management are executed professionally. The main effect on your business will be potentially higher profits brought about as a result of lower outgoing costs and improved efficiency. This can only be a good thing when companies and organisations are struggling to stay afloat due to higher costs in other areas. Every company is different so it would be futile to try and guess which benefits you would reap and to what extent.

So, here's the challenge. Take a look at the list of benefits above. Then make a list of the areas in which your company could improve. It is at this point I can almost guarantee there will be a number of areas that match on both lists. This is when you know it's time to stop being an adequate, or even failing, business and start being a SMART business.

What is a SMART business?

By hiring scanning services and adopting an electronic management system you can begin the path to becoming a SMART business.

A SMART business Scans, Manages, Accesses, Reaps and Tells.

Scan
The first step is getting your documents scanned and fully indexed.

Manage
Then you need to manage your new digital documents efficiently by adopting a digital document management system.

Access
You will then be able to access your digital documents whenever and wherever you need to.

Reap
With this new-found accessibility you can then reap the benefits mentioned above.

Tell
While you're reaping these benefits, why not tell your clients all about it, especially since some can mean a better experience for your clients as well as the company as whole.

How Can Pearl Scan Help

Here at Pearl Scan, we offer bespoke document scanning services including invoice scanning, legal scanning, HR document management and bulk document scanning. They provide all of the benefits mentioned in the article and have been used by a number of satisfied clients.

If you're are interested in taking steps to become a SMART business or if you would like some more information on the document scanning services and document management solutions we offer here at Pearl Scan, get in touch today. We can also provide you with a free, no obligation quote for your project if you complete our online form.

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.

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For more information feel free to give us a call: 
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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.