There are many benefits to going paperless in the office. You can decrease waste and clutter, create a more sustainable workplace, reduce overhead costs and increase business efficiency with digital tools and cloud storage.
What is the Paperless Challenge?
The Paperless Challenge is a 60-day guided online program run by pmXcite. The challenge kicks off on the 1st of September and is designed to help real estate agencies reduce paper waste, decrease overhead costs and increase business efficiency by going paperless.
At the end of the 60-day challenge, participants are encouraged to assess how much their office has saved and the efficiencies that have been gained over the course of the challenge.
According to pmXcite co-founder Terri Handy, one real estate agency that participated in the Paperless Challenge saved almost $5,000 on postage, printing and paper costs compared to the previous year.
“There is a responsibility that lies with each one of us to do more. Removing paper from your office is such a simple thing to do with so many benefits,” Handy said.
How your agency can benefit from the Paperless Challenge
There are many benefits to going paperless in the office including:
1. Accessibility. With all your documents stored online in the cloud, you can access them from anywhere, at any time, on any device.
2. Reduced overhead costs. Save on postage, printing and paper costs. With all the paper you won’t be using and filing away, you could even downsize to a smaller office!
3. Improved security. If your files are just lying on your desk, anyone in the office can access them. Conversely, if you store your documents digitally, you can secure them behind authentication gateways and ensure simple backup and recovery.
4. Less paper clutter on your desk and in your office means less clutter in your mind. Marie Kondo would be proud!
5. Improved customer experience due to streamlined processes. Now that you can search through your digital files, finding the right information for your customers is quick and simple. This allows you to reduce your response times and spend more time building relationships.
6. Time efficiency. No more standing around waiting for the printer to be fixed or looking through filing cabinets and stacks of paper to find the right information. Data that is stored digitally is both indexable and searchable.
7. Environmental sustainability. Reducing paper waste in your office means reducing your office’s impact on the environment. Future generations will thank you for it!
How to participate in the Paperless Challenge
Every little bit counts! Here are 10 simple ways to reduce paper waste in your office:
1. Implement a recycling program. This can be as simple as placing a large Visy recycling bin in the office for paper or a recycling bin in the kitchen to separate out recyclables and non-recyclables.
2. Reduce the number of personal bins. Rather than having a personal bin under every team members’ desk, having one or two central bins in the office creates awareness around how much waste is being produced and discarded.
3. Store all files in the cloud using Google Drive, Dropbox, Box or OneDrive. Not only does this reduce clutter but it also allows you to access all your files remotely.
4. Encourage suppliers to email invoices and communications. This ensures that you have a digital paper trail and reduces the amount of paper clutter that you have in the office.
5. Utilise digital checklists and note taking apps such as Trello, Google Keep and Evernote instead of writing or printing out checklists.
6. Switch to internal communication tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack instead of relying on word of mouth or using post-it notes. These tools can track conversations between team members and helps ensure transparency at all times.
7. Track paper usage on a Whiteboard or digital signboard. Set paperless targets and incentivise reaching those targets by providing a small reward to those who use the least amount of paper.
8. Sign documents digitally using Adobe Sign, DocuSign or DocHub rather than printing off all agreements and documents to sign. This helps you save on printing and paper costs.
9. Scan all documents. Whenever you receive a physical PDF, invoice or agreement, make sure you scan it and keep a digital copy of it. This way your files are searchable and you can quickly share a link to the file instead of wasting time looking through files and wasting paper making photocopies.
10. Upgrade to a cloud property management software with unlimited document storage. You can streamline your processes by storing your documents online against a specific property, owner, tenant, task, job and more. This way, you can access your documents at any time, even if you’re away from the office.
Will you be participating in the Paperless Challenge?
