People are creatures of habit. Especially, if these habits have been building for years or even decades. This fact is often the most used excuse to prevent an office from changing the paper-based workflow they’ve been comfortable with for years. However, paperless workflow and electronic documents are becoming more and more popular over the years due to considerable savings and speed of use. Companies are finding they must convert to a more productive form of paperless workflow to stay competitive.
In this new electronic age, changing workflow should not be viewed as a negative process. Instead, it should be viewed as progression into a more productive, competitive office. Initial learning curves and problems are going to occur but the end goal is well worth it. New user-friendly software’s and 3rd party companies can help the transition to a paperless workflow. Computers and the Internet have become pillars in our society and some employees would be amazed to how easy they are to incorporate into a paperless workflow.
The name paperless workflow can also be misleading. Not every single piece of paper needs to be eliminated in your office. It’s all about making your office more productive and efficient. If some processes still require the use of paper then keep them. Every office has its own unique workflow and this is also true with each office’s paperless workflow. Your office might be in a comfortable paper-based workflow, but habits are meant to be broken. The sooner paperless based concepts are adapted the less time it will take to become an office of the future.