Cloud storage, data integrity, and mobile office are just some of the tech buzzwords you hear regularly—but more than just phrases, they’re the core technological advancements that drive businesses like yours to convert to a paperless office. If thinking about getting rid of the stacks of papers and manila folders on your desk seems scary, it’s understandable. After all, you’ve been tracking jobs this way for years, possibly decades, or maybe even across multiple generations.
Believe it or not, there’s a better, easier, and more secure way to store your job files, customer information, equipment inventory, and more. Not only is converting to a paperless office better for the environment, but it can also save businesses a lot of money. Read on for five reasons why every restoration company should go paperless.
Less money
It’s estimated that it costs $20 in labor just to file a piece of paper, $120 to find misfiled paper, and $220 to reproduce something that is lost. According to ADP, a paperless office saves roughly $80 per employee every year in costs related to paper, ink, toner, storage space, and postage. No matter the size of your company, a paperless office can be a hefty savings. Consider that a restoration company of 100 employees could save some $8,000 every year by going paperless.
Having all of your critical information, including job details, customer contact information, job costs and revenue generated, stored in the cloud instead of a file cabinet can lower a restoration company’s expenses. Instead of needing to print and mail out documents and contracts, send them instantaneously, eliminating mail and postage costs. The cloud storage system also reduces the need to print documents, cutting down the need to buy ink and paper.
Save time
Is there a worse feeling than discovering that a critical document has been misplaced? You turn your office (or car or home if you’re on the go) upside down, ask people if they’ve seen it, maybe even contact the insurance company or client to see if they accidentally took it. According to the Construction Marketing Association, it takes an average of 18 minutes to locate a single document.
That adds up when you consider that 7.5% of all documents get lost; of the rest, 3% end up misfiled. Who has that kind of time?
Cloud storage replaces the need to search through old notebooks or expense accounts to find a piece of vital information. Save everything online to eliminate the need to scour old filing cabinets or warehouses, as employees can search for the exact document they need electronically.
Disaster recovery
As a restoration specialist, you know that disasters strike at any moment and often without warning. A flood or other type of catastrophe could wipe away an entire business if essential documents are ruined. And the frequency of contracts going in the wrong folder or the titles of papers being mislabeled increases when everything is documented by hand.
Track documents, receipts, schedules, and calendars online, so if your computer or mobile device go down in a disaster, you won’t have to take your business offline.
Safety and security
If a robbery takes place, a business with lots of files could be out of luck. Insurance may cover the stolen goods, but the information on those documents may be gone forever. With paperless software, data is safe and secure. It is also accessible from anywhere, so workers on a jobsite have access to the same notes that insurance agents in an office do.
Eco-friendly
Starting in the 1990s, Americans became increasingly interested in going green. Taking specific actions to protect the environment became a top priority for many, as households around the country made a concerted effort to increase recycling and be less wasteful with limited resources.
Environmental consciousness is even more prevalent today; just as most everyone has an increased awareness of how we treat the planet, companies too are now being held to similar standards. That is especially true for restoration businesses, which must not only live up to their own ideals, but also prove to insurance companies and clients that they can achieve the carrier’s standards.
Your paperless office strategy
As restorers look to eliminate waste and improve sustainability, many are looking to technology. Paperless office software such as DASH can help a business reduce its environmental footprint. The technology, accessible via both mobile devices and desktop computers, allows a business to go paperless. Instead of writing down notes and printing receipts, the software stores all of that information digitally. Companies can improve productivity while being more environmentally conscious.
DASH is the trusted mobile application for restoration companies. Field crews, project managers, business owners, as well as insurance agents and clients, can all benefit from a business that uses the software. Not only does it make work easier, but it also saves a company money, buys back some time, and promotes environmental accountability.
Read more:
Trust the “Cloud” When the Storm Rolls In
What’s Your Suez Canal? How to Clear Business Bottlenecks
