Helping the reluctant go paperless

October 22, 2015

Category: Tips & Tricks

One of the biggest concerns new clients have is the fear of letting go of paper. One of the great joys our long time customers have is finding new ways to get rid of even more paper from their processes.

We’re here to tell you: it will be okay. We have helped hundreds of companies go paperless through document management and business process management. We have witnessed over and over the transformation from a false sense of security with piles of paper to actual security and peace of mind that comes with the efficiency, visibility and accountability that results from proper document and process management. 

Here are some tips to address the most common concerns about going paperless:

“But I like to write handwritten notes to myself and to others.”

MedFORCE allows you to type notes directly on to documents or enter additional information within the document properties. The annotations tool includes time stamps, custom stamps, sticky notes, highlighters, and whiteout. You can mark up a document as much as you’d like, without permanently altering the original version. The annotations lay on top of the document, which can still be printed in its mark-free form. 

“But we’re required to stamp documents as received. How can we do that without paper?”

Again, the annotations tool allows you to mark a document received with the date and time if necessary.

“After I work a file, I need to hand it off to my coworker to do her part.”

The ability to swiftly and securely transmit documents and files among employees is one of the foundational features of business process management software. Electronic handoffs that are through the system are even better than handing over a physical file that may get lost in the shuffle. The file enters the queue of the recipient which can be filtered by strategic priority. The recipient also gets a complete package, with clear instructions on what needs to be done and all of the backup documentation and information attached.  There is no need for extensive explanation or sorting through the file to find what is needed. It’s all packaged and prioritized automatically. Plus, there is tracking that allows management to see what the pipeline looks like in real time, and admin tools allow for easy reassignment of work to ensure the fastest completion.

“I have to make copies of all of the documents to create an audit response.”

Audits become so much easier when you have document and process management tools in place. With document management, you can easily gather documents that are scattered throughout a file and copy them into a single, collated spot. With process management, you can take the audit response process to the next level by tracking all of the elements of the audit response, providing access to a central resource for all parties to contribute, and using an escalation tool to keep everything on the timely filing schedule. No steps are missed, no documents are left out, and everything is completed on time.

“Having a paper file in my drawer makes me feel safe against disaster.”

We often hear about customer employees secretly hoarding paper files, afraid to trust the software and let go. The reality is: paper is not safe. Natural disaster or human error can render documents missing forever.  Electronic document management with an appropriate data backup provides a permanent storage solution that can survive any disaster. And, with full text search, any document is retrievable with just a few keystrokes even if it is accidentally misfiled.

We understand that change can be hard, but we also know it’s worth it. Any modern healthcare company that eschewed computers or email would eventually go out of business for lack of efficiency in this competitive market. It’s the same with going paperless. Using document and business process management software is the logical next step to ramp up productivity and get your business to the next level.

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