How an Accounting Firm Can Go Paperless? Many offices are transferring physical documents for scanning because many people in the workplace have realized that paper documentation is expensive and time-consuming. It also takes many hours to create paper documents, including printing, faxing, copying, and scanning. The employee spends many hours filing and shuffling papers. Also, the company needs a lot of space to keep records on paper and, as they are important, they need to pay a larger amount to discard them. But still, in most workplaces, there is a huge amount of paper in use or we can say that they want to follow this traditional method, but why? Since employees are reluctant to accept change, there is either no management or they may be uncomfortable with paperless work, or other legal obligations. There are many reasons available for not accepting the change. Ultimately, it's all about people's mentality and lack of initiative.
If we talk about an accounting firm, where they use many papers, how can they manage their work without papers? There can be a way to understand your employees by explaining the benefits of running out of paper, although it is not an overnight process it requires proper planning and algorithm; therefore, the following steps may be useful for an accounting firm to go paperless:
Explain the benefits to employees: The outsourcing firm needs to explain the benefits of paperless accounting and the convenience of work to the employees which will bring about a change in their mentality thereby creating a better tomorrow for them and their company. Ask them to provide their ideas: Let them get on the boat or just ask employees for the idea of participating in this process, so they will not feel that a decision is being forced upon them. Encourage them to take initiatives: Encourage and motivate them through monetary benefits: after getting their ideas and points of view, a company must invite and adopt their creative and innovative thinking. Eliminate paper communication: Instead of letter and paper communication in a company, the company should focus more on digital communication and eliminate paperwork as much as possible. Eliminate the printer's fax job: Stop printing and, for that, a company needs to stop using the printer and fax job, a document can be shared digitally from one place to another. Encourage cloud storage: Explain to the employees the benefits of cloud storage, as they can access information from anywhere at any time through cloud storage, which provides the ease of working at home. Provide training: Whenever a company is taking a step forward towards technology, it is important to provide training to employees on the new software that will be used as a replacement for paper documentation.
 Use devices for meetings: Instead of using hard copies of emails, documents and files, meetings can be conducted with the help of devices such as a projector, laptop, etc.  Switch to E-signature: As an accounting firm needs to take the signature of the senior executive and the client on the hard copy, to avoid using papers, the company needs to switch to E- signature and saving time.  Enjoy the benefits: Once a company accepts change and spends less paper, employees only need to enjoy the benefits of paperless like cost, time, storage, accessibility, etc. As a single process, accepting the change but giving you the benefits for many years to come. Thus, we can say that being paperless is not an overnight process, it is a continuous process that requires time and proper planning and for this one can take accounting outsourcing services. Also, the outsourcing of accounting services to small business can play a significant role in this process.