Is your business still using outdated business processes that were put in place years ago? A surprising number of businesses are still using them. Here are three common vestiges from bygone business eras — and easy suggestions for bringing them into the modern world.
1. You still keep records in filing cabinets
Keeping physical records is costly and takes up valuable office real estate. The consequences of bad information management and include: spending excessive amounts of time wasted sorting through messy filing cabinets, using valuable office space to store paperwork, paying premium prices for document storage, losing files, eroding communication between coworkers erodes, and increasing security risks.
Successfully digitizing and managing information addresses each of these issues and many more. Why not join the 21st century? Having documents converted to digital formats is relatively painless these days, and once it’s done, you can access them anytime and anywhere — improving productivity by light years.
2. You spend hours filling out paperwork
Nobody enjoys the drudgery of filling out forms, paying bills and processing invoices manually — yet, many workers do just that.
Automating your workflows can make a big difference, especially for functions like accounts payable, where you scan invoices, press a button and you’re done. An automated system puts information into correct fields for processing, so you don’t waste valuable time doing it yourself. After that, the invoices are sent to the finance department for approval if necessary, then they’re on their way to the service provider. Taking human hands off documents not only saves time, it reduces the possibility of errors along the way. It saves you money, too. Adopting paper-free processes results in better audit records, faster response times, improved productivity and better monitoring of process status and workflows.