One of my favorite memories growing up was coming home from school on a warm spring day when the windows of the house were opened up for the first time since winter. The smell of the fresh air outside mixed with the scent of the Pine Sol, my mom to clean the house, meant that summer was not far away. This was also the time that she would begin to hang the clothes on the line outside to dry. Going to bed with a clean set of sheets that had dried on the line had a feel and scent that only the spring air could provide. This time of year also reminds me that it is time do some spring cleaning around the office. It is time to reorganize desks, filing cabinets and processes as we prepare for the remainder of the year. What better time to consider how to be more organized and improve our processes to make us more efficient. This is also a great time to evaluate the proper tools for the job. In this case that tool is a document management system.
Image what your life would be like if you no longer needed to shuffle paper and had the information you need at your fingertips. The ability to get your job done faster, and with less stress, is priceless. That is what a well-designed document management system can do for your office. It removes the inefficiencies associated with using paper, and the added stress it puts on departments, as workers are continually asked to do more with less. As a manager, you owe it to your staff to provide the proper tools to get the job done quickly, and with reduced pressure. Imagine what it would be like to go through an audit without needing to produce paper documents, and with the confidence in knowing that all the information is secured and accessible. Or how about never needing to worry again that the confidential files you are storing on paper are now safe and protected by a proven system.
The peace of mind that comes with the use of a document management system reaches beyond that. It also creates a procedural system for saving your documents in a consistent manner. Workers understand the proper methods of saving documents and exactly where to find them. In the “get it done yesterday” world that we all live in, it is a welcome tool to help achieve goals and provide quality service. It empowers your employees, giving them the confidence to do their job correctly.
The spring rains and warmer temperatures have produced blooming tulips, green trees and the smell of fresh cut grass. It is also a reminder to take a little time to reorganize your office, department and company. Make an effort to become more organized, efficient, competitive and productive. Take steps to improve your processes and rid yourself of paper. Empower your staff to improve themselves and create an environment that motivates and provides the necessary tools to take your company to the next level. Spring is the time and a document management solution is a tool for accomplishing these items.
Jack Arnston is a Principal at The Priton Group. He can be reached at jarnston@pritongroup.com.