There has been talk of the “paperless” office since 1978.  But the reality was until March 2020, most businesses were reluctant to change the ‘If it Ain’t Broke’ style of document workflow and storage of their mission-critical documents.  “We’ve always done it this way, why do we need to change!?”

Few organizations were ready for the challenges that a Pandemic would throw at them when it comes to their document workflow and storage.  To be transparent, we at Texas Document Solutions were not as prepared as we would have liked.  But we had to change, and fast!

Change is Hard

Change is hard, but not changing in a constantly changing world will leave many businesses behind.  Many of us know of companies and organizations that did not survive the abrupt changes and those that did have some of the foundations in place to pivot into a forced Digital Transformation.  Taking what was once a manual process, with manual forms, and documents and completely digitizing those workflows.  And like most habits or routines, after about 30 days of forcing ourselves to do things differently, those processes become second nature. 

Long Term Benefits

So, what are the perks of going digital?  For starters, information accessibility is at the top of the list.  You now have the ability to access your critical information with just a few clicks, or touches on a smart device.  It’s accessible anywhere and anytime, whenever you need it.  I remember almost 10 years ago  I had a bad experience with a laptop where the Hard Drive failed, and I lost everything.  I was determined to never let that happen again.  I signed up for OneDrive and made a conscious effort to start storing all my files in the cloud.  Now I can access my information no matter the device I have in front of me.  Catastrophic events are usually the catalyst to change. 

Another benefit would be better data security and backup.  How many times have we printed something critical or confidential and left it on a device for someone else to walk off with?  Going digital can prevent that in the sense you might not ever need to print those documents.  Or with secure printing workflows, those documents, when printed, will only print when you are physically in front of the device to retrieve them. 

A few more benefits are cost savings within the organization and becoming more planet friendly.  Printing expenses and printing waste have long been part of our business.  Once you implement a digital work environment, you print less, which is great for the bottom line and eliminates costs associated with paper, shredding services, and of course, the opportunity to “right size” your printing devices. 

Let’s Get Started Together

There is no cookie-cutter approach to helping organizations move into the digital workspace.  That is why we offer a consultative approach to learning your business, and processes and aligning your needs, your goals, and budget within our partner portfolio.  We can help with the front end (Capture), workflows, storage, and of course the printing of those documents when needed.  For additional information on making the Digital Transformation, please reach out to Texas Document Solutions for a free evaluation and potentially a step forward. Texas Document Solutions – You’re in Charge!  

By: Travis Fagg

Travis has over 20 years of experience in the Office Technology and Document Solutions space.  Before 2003, he worked in Procurement and Logistics Management for 12 years in Waco.  He has been certified as a solutions consultant by Microsoft, Canon, HP, Sharp, and other software partners. He is the Branch Manager for Texas Document Solution in Waco.