Who remembers the office rolodex? How about the CD? That’s exactly how you should feel about the file cabinet, just nostalgia of the days when you had to manually sort through mountains of papers to find the document you want. File cabinets are relics of a day long gone and have been largely replaced with cloud based systems. Don’t waste more time hurting your office efficiency and working through workflow inefficiencies- foster it by learning how a change in your document management system can affect your whole office ecosystem.
The Start of Workflow Efficiency
Every business owner wants to increase workflow efficiency but many can’t seem to find the best approach. There are many fields to examine when it comes to looking for ways to improve efficiency, and starting simple and easy is the best approach. Instead of examining and researching every new technological wonder, think first about the outdated equipment in your office. A fantastic example is that old dinosaur that might still be lurking around somewhere in your office, better known as the file cabinet. While once the lifeline of the office and an essential staple for all organizational needs, it has since become a central hub of inefficiency compared to the modern business technology that has come to replace it. In order to fully understand the effects of having a file cabinet in your office space, consider some of the risks that are associated with continuously using a physical medium to store all of your important documents.
The Risks of File Cabinets
Firstly, it’s time-consuming to locate a file. Digging through records and having to go through piles and piles of folders and papers will not only be a headache for you and your team but also cost your business an unnecessary expenditure of time and money. Any misfilings, out of order files, and misplaced folders can wreak havoc on a fragile organization system that will create discord in your office environment.
Along the same thought, physical papers in file cabinets are easy to access without permission and can compromise the security of your office and business. Physical locks are weak and unreliable. Robbery and sabotage are commonplace with file cabinets and will often be one of the first places people look in order to steal valuable and sensitive information.
Looking to the Future
Proper document management means less frustration and optimizing business processes to be more efficient. One of the most beneficial parts of a cloud-based storage system is its ability for easy searching. Rather than having to waste time sifting through a never-ending file cabinet filled with papers and folders, one quick search can locate the exact document you need. Easy and secure sharing means that employees can view documents together and transfer them securely for peace of mind. Theft can be mitigated and physical dangers are no longer present on a cloud-based medium because it’s both literally and figuratively “up in the air”, safely away from any hazards that may ordinarily threaten your file cabinet.
By investing in a cloud service, your business can reduce the size of its IT department and the amount of necessary in-house server maintenance and repair, while saving on utilities and costs related to physical storage. 88% of cloud users experienced cost savings, and 56% of cloud users reported an increase in profits. Furthermore, improved corporate flexibility and easier file sharing means increased productivity for your employees and your business.
These benefits do much more than just bring peace of mind. They increase workflow efficiency and promote a cohesive environment in your office that will allow you and your employees to focus on the task at hand without having to deviate time and energy out of your days looking, searching, organizing, and safeguarding the hundreds of documents you have. The file cabinet deserves its place in history as the source of both organization and much frustration from the days before digital transformation with the cloud. Now with cloud-based integration like document imaging and storage, workflow efficiency can be improved and your business operations can continue to grow without any limiting factors. The time to take a proactive approach and revolutionize your storage system by transitioning to the cloud is now.