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By DynaFile | Be paperless in 30 days or less

Planning To Implement Online Filing System


Online filing can help your organization go paperless very quickly, but planning your implementation is an important first step.

Depending on the size and age of your company, making the move to paperless can seem like a huge project. However, with a little planning and the right tools, moving to an online filing system can become a reality quicker than you ever thought. 

Developing A Plan
While you are in the beginning stages of transition, the following points should help to make your working plan:

· Study challenges that others had to solve and relate them to your own document storage needs. Begin to identify the team that can make the transition a reality. Larger businesses should choose a project leader who has an understanding of business documents and processes so transitioning will be smooth.

· Determine access needs to information and decide who should be able to access the documents and the level of access for each. Will they be viewing, granting approvals, altering or signing documents? An understanding of your user helps the paperless office run effectively.

· Develop reasonable security guidelines that users who need access can embrace. Solid security rests in the establishment and communication of a policy that users can support.

· Appropriate indexing of electronic records helps with searching and retrieving information through one central funnel. Consider items that you need to store like paper documents, images, correspondence, faxes, voice mails, videos, online forms, website screen scrapings, emails, etc. How should these different types of documents be classified in the system?

· Establish consistent, clear rules that apply to storage of no longer pertinent business information. This especially applies to documents that relate to industry-wide regulations requiring retention for a certain length of time as well as proper disposal of electronic information (digital shredding).

· Finding information successfully is dependent upon what your staff needs and how they look for it. Development of a classification plan is essential to efficient use now and in the future. Therefore, staff involvement is critical to the success in transitioning to an online filing cabinet. Avoid continuous revision of your online filing cabinet and your indexing system.

· Take some concrete steps to properly market your online filing system to its users. This works best when you communicate the system benefits in small bites to each staff member before and during actual implementation. Establish certain milestones that the staff can celebrate as you progress.

When you are ready to learn more about online filing solutions, DynaFile can help you identify your needs. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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