In almost all industries, there is both an incentive and a way to move towards a paperless office. For the real estate and financial market, e-signature applications allow forms to be exchanged without physically meeting, and for the medical industry patients can speak to doctors using telecommunication software. In both cases, documents must be either uploaded or scanned, but with many beginning in a digital form, this transition is become even easier.
However, other tools are needed to allow an office to be completely electronic. Sarah Purewal of PC World suggests tablet and smartphone applications that can help a businesses go paperless.
Though fax machines may sound outdated, some companies still use them to send information. With iFax, an iOS and Android application, users can scan documents with a devices camera and send it to a fax machine, and can receive faxes as well. It's not free to send an item, but for users that don't have access to a fax machine, this can come in handy.
DropBox is another useful tool. The application lets users store documents in an online file, as well as share documents with other users easily.
Square register can be used for businesses that accept payments. A card reader attaches to a device – again, iOS and Android – can be used to swipe major credit cards, and the payer puts in the necessary information to make the payment. Receipts are emailed to further emphasize the paperless approach.
In general, for businesses looking to go paperless, bulk scanning services can bring all paper documents up to speed efficiently, helping a businesses transition without breaking their stride.
Tab Service Company is a leading provider of document scanning and data entry services. As an SOC2-approved service organization, we apply industry-best practices to our approach with clients.