Telesys Voice and Data Blog

There’s no denying that digital records have quite a few advantages over paper documentation. Benefits of ‘going paperless’ include simplified search capabilities, more efficient storage, heightened security and automated backup capabilities. There are plenty of sources around the Internet that discuss making the switch to paperless documentation, but to keep your business documents safe, it is better to know what you’re getting into.

The file cabinet. It may be a staple of the office, but boy can they be a pain in the neck. Every file needs to be printed and collated only to be filed in a dingy file cabinet with the off chance that it will ever be needed again. For businesses that have a lot of paper filed away, a document management system can go a long way toward modernizing your organization, and providing a access-controlled database where you can find any file in seconds.

For decades, companies have been looking for an efficient way to manage their documents. For the longest time, the best way was to fill one side of an office with filing cabinets and file the documents away. With most of the workplace now being run by computers, and with hard costs at an all-time low, companies have begun to file all their new files on computer network. 

How many documents does your organization accumulate just by simply staying in business? There’s no doubt that you’re sick of the traditional filing cabinet, which is both hard to move around and a pain to organize. Thankfully, modern technology solutions have afforded businesses just like yours with the ability to host and manage documents in a digital, cloud-based environment.

Cloud-based document management solutions provide your business with a ton of great benefits and opportunities to improve the way your business stores and manages files. Here are some of the most notable strengths and weaknesses of this approach.

Easier to Organize and Access
Storing files in a document management system is much like storing files into folders on your workstation or in-house network. It’s much easier than color-coding with tabbed folders. Just imagine being able to store each of your related files in a cloud-based folder system and always knowing where specific files are located, depending on the type of file you’re looking for. You can save time and energy by making your files easier to find. Furthermore, you can access documents and other important files on any connected devices, allowing for more flexible for your workers.

Easier to Navigate
You’re familiar with how a search bar works in both your web browser or online search engines like Google, but what if we told you that you could add this ease of searching to your file storage? Imagine being able to enter in your search credentials for your physical documents, and you have a great reason to implement a document management system in the cloud. All you need to do is plug in your searches and find the files that you’ve been looking for, and it couldn’t be any easier.

Easier to Preserve
If you were to suffer from a fire in your office, would your paper documents survive the disaster? Our guess is “no,” which leads us to the next big question: how can you properly back up your physical file storage? There isn’t a way to do this without wasting a considerable amount of time and money on making copies of each record your business stores. If they are digital files in a document storage system, you can simply implement a data backup and disaster recovery solution to properly preserve documents in the event of the worst.

The Risk: Data Security
The concept of storing data online or in a network-connected cloud system comes with the added likelihood of a data security risk. What if a hacker infiltrated your company’s network? They would be able to indiscriminately steal your company’s documents or access information that’s not for their eyes in the first place. Therefore, you need to consider security issues a top priority for your organization should you implement a document management system. Furthermore, you need to ensure that your data is properly backed up so that even unexpected incidents don’t sink your productivity.

Is your business ready to get rid of physical file storage and instead focus on a digital documentation system? Telesys Voice and Data can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (800) 588-4430.

Many businesses are searching for ways to go green. Most of the ones that do are trying to cut out their reliance on paper and printing. This is strategic thinking, of course, since the cost of printer toner has skyrocketed over the years. Today the most affordable printer ink on the market still comes in at an astounding $13 per ounce; or, slightly more than Dom Perignon. This is why businesses that are looking to cut costs, as well as embrace environmentally-friendly initiatives, are going paperless.