Signs Your Office Is Ready To Go Paperless
Is my paper-based system keeping my business from growing?
Will my staff and agents accept a paperless system?
How will I take my company from paper-based to paperless? It feels daunting.
There can be a lot of questions around the decision to make the switch to a paperless office. The signs that your office is ready to go paperless are piling up faster than the stack of documents on your desk.
Not sure where to start? No worries! We have compiled a list of the top signs your office is ready to go paperless.
#1 Your filing system is overflowing
Storing hard copies of every transaction, contract, interaction, email, contact, and memo can take up a lot of storage space. Clunky folders full of paperwork are easy to mishandle, and clutter up all the desk space! Paper files are hard to locate within manual filing systems. If the filing cabinets and storage boxes are multiplying around the office, it may be time to think about paperless solutions.
Tip: You can utilize an online transaction management solution to store and manage every file and document digitally to de-clutter your work environment. Clean work spaces are known to boost morale and productivity.
#2 Your archiving is leading to lost documents (and lost productivity)
It’s very easy for paper-based documents to be misfiled, misplaced, or lost in a paper void. Your employees may be spending too much time combing through the archives for documents. That hurts their productivity, which in turn hurts your business.
Tip: Digital files can be filtered, sorted, and searched for by using simple keywords allowing for quick, reliable retrieval.
Kerri Beeson, Operations Manager at The Realty Group & Pipeline Customer says:
“Each office was sending me data to prepare paperwork for Pay At Closing Table. Now I just go to the transaction and everything is there – figures, closing attorney contacts, etc. It takes only minutes with no hoops to jump through. Two of my offices went paperless in June 2015 and the final office came to the paperless side in December 2015. No more calling branch offices and scanning reports each month for the main office. All will be available at my fingertips!”
#3 You are concerned about the security of your documents
Losing files isn’t the only way your documents’ security can be compromised. Whether important docs are left in the printer tray, sitting on an employee’s desk, or in a file cabinet that too many people have access, all that information is at risk of being exposed. Threats to document security can also come from uncontrollable disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and fires that can damage paper documents.
Tip: With monthly backups, archival plans, and industry-leading security standards, Paperless Pipeline stores transaction data in Amazon.com’s highly reliable data-centers making it safer and more secure than traditional offline storage and most online applications.
#4 You’re tied to your office desk.
You and your staff only have access to documents and information while in the office. And a lot of your work hours are spent manually sifting through files and folders.
Tip: With a paperless system, you can work from anywhere – on the go, with clients, at home, at your local coffee shop, or even your favorite vacation spot.
#5 File storage and paper costs are at an all-time high.
Filing cabinets, storage facilities, printer ink, office paper, pens, staples and paper clips – all of these costs continue to climb up every year. Paper costs from $9 to $65 for 500 sheets. Black printer ink costs from $20 to $40 per cartridge, and color ink cartridges cost in the $25 to $50 range. Most paper record storage is charged per cubic foot and when you add in fees for the initial move, fuel, administrative fees, and retrieval – the costs can add up really quickly often reaching over $15,000 annually.
Tip: Moving to transaction management software could save you thousands of dollars. The average Paperless Pipeline customer saves more than 50% on their copy bill as a result of putting their files online.
Janet Braden, Principal Broker at RE/MAX Associates & Pipeline Customer says:
“We love the paperless part! It’s nice having everything in one place that staff and agents can see. I like being able to review documents without have a paper file to look at. I’ve not yet had to access while I’m away from the office but in April will be out. I expect that to be a tremendous help to me.”
#6 Clients aren’t using fax machines anymore
Like VHS tapes and floppy discs, the days of the fax machine are coming to an end. Fax machines were designed to be cheap and semi-efficient – but they are basically an electronic message sender that is normally force fed to a very specific printer at a remote location which is subject to outages, paper jams, plus software and human error. Many offices are already ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new forms of technology designed to streamline workflow and increase productivity.
Tip: Using email and maildrop addresses and electronic records (all backed up securely within Paperless Pipeline) provides more reliability than resorting to hard copies. Your team will save time and money by not having to manually fill out and distribute documents and you will have an exact time-stamped record of every document you send out or receive.
Do any of these signs look familiar? If so, you’re not alone.
Real estate brokers all over the world are switching to a paperless solution every day. If you’re not already convinced that going paperless can save your business time, money, and paper waste read success stories of other brokers here to see how a paperless transaction management system is improving the lives of agents and brokers every day.