If an organization has more than one site in which operations are being conducted, challenges associated with hard copy documents stored in one location, while needed in perhaps another, can be disastrous to work flow.

Business owners need to look at safety concerns realistically and ask, “Are our documents safe? How does our document storage system rate in the event of a natural disaster?” The goal of a paperless office, where documents are just a click away, holds efficiency advantages. Paperless offices have the advantage of
providing safe, secure and reliable access to information while reducing storage space requirements
and costs.

For some folks, paper isn’t going away. People are familiar with paper. It remains the standard for invoices, tax records, account receivables, payroll, marketing communications and more. At first glance, storing it seems easy and affordable. Unfortunately, paper accumulates quickly in an office environment and with it comes a barrage of inefficiencies.

High Potential For Error
A number of things have to go right for a paper document to be filed correctly. Yet it takes only one mistake to lose a file indefinitely. Even if a file is archived correctly, there is no guarantee it will stay there. Often, retrieved documents are refiled in an incorrect location or left unattended on a desk somewhere in the office.

Lack of Security End Accountability
Everyone has access to the file cabinets in an office. Yet everyone does not have the same level of experience with the filing system, nor the same degree of accountability. There are no audit trails to track documents and limited security provisions to protect sensitive information.

No Redundancy or Disaster Relief
Paper documents are vulnerable to fire, flood and theft. When a paper document is lost or damaged, it is gone forever. Digital document imaging technology enables organizations to convert paper documents to electronic image files for convenient storage, A wide range of electronic storage solutions, including Web-Based applications and network scanners, can be incorporated into virtually any network.

Many organizations are situated in multiple locations. An electronic document management system enables instant access to documents that would normally require time to be transferred from one location to the other.

An Electronic Document Management System greatly reduces the chance of a document being accidentally lost or destroyed. Unlike paper-based environments, electronic documents within these systems are backed up on a regular basis and an accidentally deleted document can be retrieved within minutes from backup media.

Better Adherence to Audit Standards
Logging records for an Electronic Document Management System provide important information that can be used for auditing purposes. Furthermore, it can be configured and business practices adjusted to provide compliance with documents and retention standards.

Search Utilities
Documents stored electronically can be accessed much more rapidly through intuitive, electronic searches than paper documents can from physical searches.

Better Physical Space Utilization
An electronic document management system will enable many organizations to convert previously allocated file storage space into usable space.

Lower Printing Costs
Electronic Document Management Systems reduce the number of physical copies required for paper-based documents. Backups of important documents can be done electronically rather than using photocopiers and printers.

Better Security
EDMS can provide several layers of security and a more flexible security model than those present in paper-based environments.

Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity have become important issues since events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Electronic Document Management Systems offer much greater flexibility and ease for protecting important documents from disasters such as fires, floods or break-ins.

Working Remotely
Through your web browser you can access your files and work from any location at any time. It isn’t as if the paperless office is a new idea. For more than two decades, the technology world has championed digital record keeping. Electronic Document Management Systems otter organizations significant cost savings, safe document storage and workflow improvement opportunities. The key is for organizations to not just talk about moving to a paperless office, but to do something about it.

About Viridis Solutions
Viridis Solutions provides a state-of-the-art, Web-Based integrated suite including document imaging, electronic document management, workflow and records management. Viridis Solutions serves a wide business spectrum including broker dealers, financial advisors, real estate, insurance and other organizations.

Viridis Solutions plays a vital role in helping companies of all sizes save money and improve productivity by managing the storage, organization and retrieval of relevant information through their simple desktop interface.