Go green with paperless document management software.

Make the switch to paperless document management software to reduce your office expenses and carbon footprint.

Considering the benefits of going paperless? Try this exercise: Count all your filing cabinets, printers, and paper shredders. Next, tally all the hours you spend managing physical documents each month. Finally, estimate how much you’ve spent on paper and printing supplies in the last year.

Now think about the space, time, and money you’re using for your current document management processes — they can add up quickly. They can also keep your office from being as environmentally friendly, or “green,” as you’d like.

The good news is that paperless document management software can get you on the right track.

What does paperless document management software do?

Paperless document management software helps with the document handling process by digitizing all documents within the businesses. It makes the creation, storage, access, and management of digital documents easier and minimizes reliance on physical paperwork. This technology also helps with document organization, retrieval, and sharing, which results in better efficiency, cost reduction, and environmental sustainability.

Do we need paperless document management software?

No, businesses don’t strictly need paperless document management software. However, by implementing this kind of software, they can significantly improve their bottom line, save time, and conserve energy, all of which are extremely helpful — even for a small shop.

Choosing paperless office document management software.

When deciding which office document management software to use for your business, think about your wants and needs. Use these tips to find the right software.

1. Analyze your present.

Start by imagining your average day and ask yourself questions like these:

• How often do I open my filing cabinet(s)?
• Why does my team print physical copies?
• What type of documents do I print most often?

Then, analyze how you use documents to uncover ways to improve workflows. Here are some examples:

• If your assistant prints work orders for you to sign, consider e-signatures instead.
• If your staff manages hundreds of patient files, paperless document management software could lighten your document load.
• If you lock lots of physical files in cabinets, paperless storage may be a more secure option.

2. Picture your future.

Next, it’s time to consider your future growth plans. This step can help you predict what your paperless document management software will need to handle in a few years. Planning can also help prevent expensive software switching as your document management needs scale.

Now, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the different document management software tiers?
• How much storage do I currently need, and how much will this storage need to scale in the future?
• Do I need document management software for document workflow automation?
• Do I need additional tools like an AI PDF summarizer for dense, digitized PDFs?

3. Understand paperless document management options.

When learning about your different options, consider the following key features when selecting paperless document management software:

• Document digitization. Convert physical documents into digital format for easy storage and access.
• Cloud storage and accessibility. View your documents with easy access from anywhere on different devices.
• Search and retrieval functionality. Use advanced search options for quick document retrieval.
• Collaboration and sharing tools. Simplify collaboration with your team on shared documents using real-time editing, feedback, and version control.
• Security and compliance. Protect digital documents from unauthorized access using implemented security measures.

Make managing paperless documents easy.

Explore everything you can do with Adobe Acrobat for business to manage all your important document processes.