In business, it seems that paperless is the new word on the street. The majority of businesses are now offering their customers the choice to go paperless. Banks and the like are even charging for paper statements these days. And, it’s all to help the environment, cut costs, and generally speed up work processes.

If you’re a stickler for tradition, though, the idea of taking everything digital might not appeal to you. You like the way you do things after all, and no one else can change that. There are plenty of alternative ways you can do your bit for the environment anyway. You could simply switch off those lights more often or use renewable energy sources.

Still, paperless offices have brought a few left-field issues to the table which you might want to consider. Many business owners who do make the change are finding that paper was weighing down their business. To make sure you don’t keep falling foul to old mistakes, we’re going to look at how you can clean up the problems you didn’t realize paper was causing in your office.

Confidentiality Breaches

In an age where we’re all aware of the risk security breaches pose, paper can cause real issues. If a team member leaves a confidential file on their desk, you have no way to check who sees it. It’s worth noting that this isn’t an issue which goes away when you file on a computer instead. IT security has risks of its own. Still, computer files at least allow you an added barrier of protection. That’s not to say, of course, that there’s no hope for paper-filled offices. You simply need to be clear about need for confidentiality. You should also develop a secure filing system which only certain people have access to.

Wasted Time

Paper has also shown itself as a bit of a time waster of late. If  team members aren’t waiting around for that broken printer to work, they’re shuffling through endless files to find the one they want. It’s difficult to contend with the ease of computer systems here, but it’s not impossible. You can stop your printer from overloading by putting printer queues in place. You could even go all out by inserting a slip clutch like those you’ll find it you browse Dynatect Manufacturing. This can stop overload from ever slowing your team down. It’s also worth developing reliable and easy filing organization. You should also make it clear to your team that every file needs to be put back in the right place after use.

Added Expense

One of the main arguments for going paperless is the money it can save you. But, that doesn’t mean you’re sure to be out of pocket if you’re using paper. Your main focus here should be on sourcing the cheapest stationery by considering various wholesalers. By also coming down hard on paper waste, you may find that you can slash that budget without having to shake up your whole system.