When you are running the office, you might have a policy where all of your paperwork is kept in a physical form and is not backed up on the business computers. There are several reasons that you might do this. You may be unfamiliar with the scanning and digital storage process, which can put you off from transferring your physical paperwork into its digital form. You might only store the documents in paper form because your workforce may not be very computer literate.
What are the risks associated with only having paper copies of your most important documents?
Documents Can Be Misplaced
When people have several different tasks to do at work, it is natural that some human error is going to creep in from time to time. This could lead to documents being misplaced and you might be unable to find them again unless you have made a backup copy. Misplacing key documents such as merger agreements can cause your business to lose money in the long-term.
If you choose a professional document scanning and digitalization service, then you will not have to worry about files being misplaced. This is because they will be safely stored on your computer or they can be sent to an online cloud-based storage website.
Documents Can Be Defaced
Sometimes your employees will accidentally deface the documents that they are using. This includes spilling a cup of coffee on the paperwork or accidentally ripping it. When people accidentally damage the paperwork, it can make your business much less efficient. This is always a risk when you don’t have your paperwork converted to digital files.
Once the paperwork has been converted digitally, you will then not have to worry when people accidentally deface the paperwork.
Documents Can Take Up Lots Of Space
When you rely on paper documents, you will have to take up a lot of space in the office with storage drawers and filing cabinets. This is something that you should try to avoid because people might start to feel cramped and claustrophobic. Employees who don’t feel comfortable in this kind of environment might start to feel demotivated or stressed at work.
People who begin to feel these kinds of negative emotions are much more likely to quit their jobs. You will then have to go through the process of attracting applications and interviewing prospective employees, which can be extremely time-consuming.
Documents Can Be Stolen By Thieves
When you are running an office, you want to make sure that it is as secure as possible. This may lead you to spend a lot of money on locks, alarms and security guards. However, you need to think about making your documents safe. Thieves might steal vital paperwork that contains vital information. It is much safer to do convert your paperwork into digital files. The digital files can be stored in encrypted folders on a password-protected computer.
You should consider the risks of only having paper copies of important files.
