4 Paperless office solutions to help you go green

Do you want to achieve a paperless office, but you’re not sure where to start? You’re in the right place.

Going digital isn’t always easy, but it’s certainly worth it. Not only is it great for the environment, but it will reduce resource costs and save your staff time as they won’t need to physically locate and retrieve documents. It will also support collaboration by making it easier to share files.

Depending on the solutions you use, having a paperless office can also enhance security.

In this article we present 4 great paperless office solutions so that you can find the best option for your company.

File hosting services

Forget passing printouts around the office, file hosting services make it easy to store and share documents online. They are often used to host files that are too big to share using email.

Popular services include Dropbox and Google Drive, which allow you to create files and folders that you can access on most devices.

Unlike document management services, they don’t come with advanced features like granular security.

Document management systems

Document management systems (DMS) allow you to reduce paper, while benefitting from an array of advanced features.

They are applications which are used to digitally store, manage, and retrieve documents. Generally, they can track the various document versions modified and created by users.

Depending on the DMS you use, you’ll be able to assign and revoke access rights to different users. You can also track and protect sensitive and confidential documents against misuse and unauthorised changes.

Some DMS incorporate sophisticated features like document scanning, analytics using machine learning and built-in workflow processes. They can even integrate with other software like Salesforce.

Plus, they can be deployed in different ways. There are on-premises, cloud-based and hybrid solutions. So, users can access files from different devices if necessary.

Unsurprisingly, DMS tend to cost more due to their advanced functionality.

Cloud-based accounting software

Cloud-based accounting software lets you keep track of company finances digitally, so you won’t have to print financial documents like invoices.

They link to your business bank account, so you’ll also be able to see your financial position in real-time without having to move data around.

Because your finance data is in the cloud, you can access your accounts from anywhere in the world without the need for expensive infrastructure. Plus, multiple users will be able to access your software and collaborate.

Cloud-based accounting tools are amazing. The fact they can sync to expense management systems is even better. If you’re trying to achieve a paperless office pairing a cloud-based accounting package with an expense management system is a great way to go digital while combining different processes.

Expense management solutions

Expense management solutions are end-to-end systems with an integrated card and tracker software, usually a desktop and mobile app. Providers include Expensemate, Pleo and Spendesk.

They reduce paper use by eliminating expense forms, manual expense reports and reimbursements. Some expense solutions allow you to load your expense policy to the portal and register email receipts, helping you cut down on paper even more.

Expense management solutions also protect your bottom line by helping to prevent fraud and inappropriate spending. You can apply spend limits and category restrictions to cards. And when employees use their card, the app will prompt them to photograph their receipt, enter some details and submit it for approval. So, your company will only pay for approved expenses.

Storing your receipts digitally will also allow you to increase receipt capture so you can reclaim more VAT.

Expense management solutions are great way to use less paper while saving time and money, but they’re not perfect. For example, you’ll need to support staff to use a payment card and software.

To get the most out of an end-to-end solution, check out our article on why expense management systems fail.

Next steps

There are multiple ways to go paperless, so you can protect the environment while simplifying processes and saving cash.

Using an effective file hosting service or DMS will help you to reduce resource costs and keep your documents safe. While cloud-based accounting software and expense management systems will allow you to manage your finances more effectively with less paper.

Cutting down on paper doesn’t need to be difficult. Some expense management solutions like Expensemate are fast and simple to set up, taking only a few hours to implement.

See yourself and make a difference today. Start your paperless journey and try Expensemate for free with a 30-day trial.