Preservation and retention are often one of the more complicated components to any document storage and management system. While it is important–and in some cases the law–to hold on to certain files, finding the space to safely store them in an organized manner can become a challenge. However, it is one that can easily be overcome with the help of a digitized solution and a paperless approach.

The Villager, a Houston Newspaper, spoke with several city officials about a new system that the county is implementing that will not only scan historical documents and records, but also create online forms to handle some court and judicial processes.

According to District Clerk Barbara Adamick, the goal is to have the first phase completed by November. She believes it will save the county money on paper, ink and man hours while also cutting down on the theft of historical documents.

"My office is diligently training on the system now. It's going to be a great system. It's a home for all electronic data for the public to access," Adamick said. "Technology is moving, moving, moving. We're racing to give you historical documents with an app. I'm putting forth a big effort to be paperless by January."

So far, 29,384 documents with dates ranging as far back as 1839 have been scanned and are available to view.

This system is not only preserving history, but also making it easier for consumers to access it while streamlining workflow for county employees.

In many instances, businesses have been too slow to adopt the latest solutions until an emergency arises and makes it the only logical option. This can be the case when a business has too many files and suddenly finds itself struggling to stay organized.

This was the argument that Matt Peterson, the CEO of Lehi, Utah-based eFileCabinet, made in a recent Atlantic Journal-Constitution guest column. He mentioned that even with the vast array of technology advancements over the last three decades, worldwide paper consumption has risen 50 percent.

Despite this, going paperless is a more efficient practice and allows companies to be more profitable. Peterson estimates that companies are able to take on 20 percent more business because of the time and space that has been saved with a digital approach. Getting rid of the clutter is the first major step and 80 percent of what is put into a document management solution will come from scanned documents.

"Changing your office from a paper-based to a paperless enterprise creates efficiencies you haven't been realizing to this point," Peterson wrote. "Efficiencies that lead to higher profits such as less labor time in searching and retrieving client information as well as improved customer service due to quicker response time."

He adds that there is still some confusion when it comes to certain elements from a paperless society, like the legality of documents that are signed in a digital format. However, with the right document management software, an e-signature is just as good as grabbing a pen and signing on the dotted line.

Businesses should not be afraid of a paperless approach. Instead, they should partner with a document scanning and management firm and get started going digital.

While many companies are debating the idea of incorporating a paperless office solution into daily operations, others have already implemented some form of the system and are reaping the benefits. Small and mid​-sized businesses are beginning to see the different ways that larger corporation have experimented with digital solutions, and the adoption is trickling down.

A report by PayStream found that electronic invoicing and automated workflow are improving the accounts payable processes of many businesses. Overall adopting rates are increasing and more companies strive to migrate from a manual paper-based invoice system to an automated one.

"In an effort to streamline the accounts payable process, more companies are adopting automation solutions," the reports said. "Electronic invoicing and automated workflow are both experiencing increased adoption, as more companies strive to migrate from a manual paper-based invoice system to an efficient automated system."

The study found that 76 percent of respondents credit a sped up workflow process as the top benefits to going paperless. Lower processing costs, at 60 percent, and increased employee productivity ,50 percent, round out the top three.

The study also points out that one of the biggest deterrents of a paperless system is the uncertainty surrounding ROI, but these numbers make that stance harder and harder to defend.

By partnering with a document scanning and management service, businesses of any size can find an experienced partner to help them create an automotive system. Companies can start getting rid of the stacks of paper that are slowing down cost too much to maintain.

There are a number of different factors that businesses need to consider when they look into changing a traditional strategy. Costs and work efficiency concerns are sure to monopolize a majority of the conversation, but it is far from the only thing that companies should examine before investing.

For example, how well employees embrace a new system is crucial to its overall success. If a new communication system will save you thousands of dollars your workers are reluctant to use it, it's up to the company to partner with a solution provider that will ease the implementation process. A similar issue is happening with the adoption of a paperless office solution.

A recent Business 2 Community article examined the human element part of the equation that is causing companies to be reluctant to invest. One of the biggest hurdles is fear of the unknown.

"Storing a hard copy isn't necessarily a secure solution compared to backing it up in the cloud," the article reads. "But from a psychological perspective, printing out the physical document often feels comforting. If the document is stored in your office, you can see and touch the physical document."

With the right paperless office solution provider, workers will begin to see the value of abandoning paper documents in favor of their electronic counterparts.

An experienced document scanning and management company will show your workers how easy the system is to install and use. By partnering with an outside organization that understands the ins and outs of a paperless operation, it can be easier to quell the fears of employees that are on the fence.