There’s no denying that today’s modern businesses have taken advantage of digital technology. Yet despite that fact, companies of all sizes still have to deal with a plethora of paperwork.

Does that sound like a familiar problem to you? If so, you’re likely here today reading this article because you want to achieve a paperless office. But, you’re not entirely sure of the best way to reach that goal. Take a look at these handy hints and tips to inspire you:

Ask your suppliers to issue electronic paperwork

One of the downsides to running a business is you have to pay some bills each month. Your suppliers will undoubtedly issue you invoices each time you purchase their goods and services. But, what makes things worse is when they send you paper invoices.

You can cut down on such printed paperwork by just asking your suppliers to only issue electronic invoices. Typically, they will arrive via email in a PDF format and are easier (and quicker) to deal with by your accounting team.

Unify your communications systems

Take a step back in time to the days before digital technology in the workplace became prevalent. People had to write down notes for you if you had called but were out of the office. Faxes got printed out on paper. And voicemail systems weren’t very flexible to use.

Thankfully digital technology makes it easy to create a seamless communications system within your office. Unified communications by Gamma, for example, enable you to converge various communications methods into a single, more manageable platform.

You could, in theory, route your office number to your laptop so you could work from home or abroad. That way, you can receive calls and voicemails digitally. And if you still use faxes in your business, they could get routed to a computer too.

Use a mobile app to capture business cards

Business cards are undoubtedly a brilliant way to keep a brand in the minds of potential customers. The only downside to them, of course, is being made from paper they take up space in your wallet and in your office.

The next time someone gives you a business card, ask instead if you can capture the details on it using a mobile app. One of the most used business card scanning apps available is ABBYY. It’s available for both Apple and Android smartphone users.

Collaborate with your team over the Internet

It’s 2020, and there’s no reason why you can’t work with your colleagues using a digital platform. Gone are the days where you had to print out reports and documents several times to share with your team members.

Some of the most popular online collaboration tools include Dropbox and Google Suite. Using them, you’ll discover that collaboration is now easier and more productive than the old-fashioned methods you’ve used in the past.

Final thoughts

Achieving the paperless office has never been easier. With a raft of productivity tools and technologies at your disposal, you could probably even ditch your office printer! Isn’t it about time you started going paperless?

After all, increased productivity is a positive side-effect of doing so. And let’s face it: you’ll be making everyone’s lives in the office easier – including yours.

• DISCLOSURE – This post has been written by an outside source.