Going Paperless

in 90 Days
d ocuware.com

A Step-by-Step Guide
Introduction
In the past couple of decades, organizational leadership shows that document management challenges account for
has focused heavily on efficiency: operating lean and a 21% loss of organizational productivity. Not that you need
asking their employees to maintain continuity with fewer numbers to convince you. You see it and feel it every day.
and fewer resources. But cutting budgets only goes so far.
Email, accounting software, ERPs, digital publishing and a
In recent years, managers and workers have refocused on
hundred other technologies promise to eliminate paper
a far more pertinent question: instead of doing the same
and usher in a golden age of digital perfection. But creating
with less (efficiency), how can we do more with the same
a paperless office eludes many of us. What is the best way
(productivity)?
to move toward a paperless environment without losing
Paper is a serious drag on both efficiency and productivity. information? And how can you do it quickly?
A worldwide survey conducted by industry analyst IDC

Benefits of a paperless office 3 steps to digitization Implement a 90-day plan

G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Benefits of
a paperless
office
• Cleaner office
• Streamlined workflows
• Greater agility
• Reduced business risk
• Better customer relationships
• Increased visibility
• Positive environmental impact
G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Here are some of the reasons why organizations 01

are working to make the paperless office a reality:

Cleaner office Streamlined workflows

Imagine no more filing cabinets, fewer printing Automated workflow makes the right content
devices, and shelves of storage reclaimed from accessible at the touch of a button whenever
paper and toner supplies. Less shipping, less and wherever you need it. It takes only seconds
photocopying, less filing and searching. The first to route and share documents across multiple
advantage is a cleaner, brighter, more spacious departments and systems.
office.

Be n ef it s of a Pa pe rle ss O ffi ce
Greater agility Reduced business risk
Your competitors are only going to get faster, and Custom access controls and digital data security
the agility that a paperless office gives you is vital make it easier and less expensive to maintain
to remaining competitive. compliance and reduces the likelihood that
missing documents will result in fines or lost
revenue.
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

01

Better customer relationships Increased visibility

Information is only seconds away with a quick Using digital workflows instead of paper results
search — no more putting people on hold to dig in greater transparency, allowing management
through folders. Deliver the speed and quality to monitor business processes in real time for
of support your customers and vendors deserve. smarter decision making.

Positive environmental impact We’ve cut our paper usage in half

Be n ef it s of a Pa pe rle ss O ffi ce
If you have a “green” initiative in place, one during a period of high growth.
of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon With revenues up 26%, handling
footprint is to print, ship and store less paper.
this growth pattern is no longer a
problem, and we’ve already realized
our ROI in just under a year.
Pam Naslund
Office Manager, PEER Bearing
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

3 steps to
digitization
If you’re planning to go paperless, it is
important to have a timeframe for making
the leap. Going paperless in 90 days is an
achievable goal and provides a rallying
cry to get your team on the same page.
It also gives you a quarterly target to
address and hit while helping to maintain
momentum.
G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Paperless in 90 days 02

3 steps
to digitization
Before you start your 90-day digitization effort, think about the three
key steps within your process — capture, workflow, and archiving and
retrieval. Each of them benefit from your digitization efforts. When you
think about what needs to happen in 90 days to consider the initiative
a success, it boils down to setting goals for digitizing three areas:

3 s te ps t o di gi ti zatio n
Capture Workflow Archiving and
retrieval
G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 9 0 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

The indexing process is significantly improved by software

that uses machine learning. Machine learning technology
remembers the structure of each document as well as your
indexing corrections. Every capture increases the speed,
02
accuracy and reliability of the tool. The more machine
learning is used, the less time you spend on manual data
entry.
Web forms are another tool to simplify, improve and
accelerate data collection. Not only are they instantly
Capture available to anyone on any device, but forms provide
structure to data, so it can be used to automate
Information arrives in many ways. Email, faxes, physical information flow.
mail, web forms and, of course, paper documents are
It’s also important to be able to capture relevant data that
just a few. Each point of entry offers you the opportunity
sits in your ERP, CRM or other line-of-business software.
to intelligently capture information so it’s findable and
It is crucial that your document management software
usable in future business processes. Even scanning
and other systems can speak to one another, retrieving
paper and indexing its content can be fully automated.
data and populating records to keep business information
“Indexing” is the critical step that transforms documents in sync.
into manageable information by reading key portions
of data and storing each data point as an index value.

3 s te ps t o di gi ti zatio n
These index values describe the purpose and content
of the document and are ultra-efficient for searching
and organizing documents.
G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 9 0 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

By clearly outlining each process in a “best case

scenario” — what it would look like if everything
went according to plan — you can start designing
more efficient digital workflows in your document
02
management system.
Seek solutions with these useful features:
1. Strong digital workflow software will include a
process-mapping tool to visualize your processes
— a useful mechanism that builds comprehension,
Workflow consensus, plans and process improvements.

The goal is to replace paper shuffling with streamlined 2. The capability to integrate web forms into your
digital workflows, with predefined processes for routing, workflow processes to further eliminate the use of
reviewing and approving documents. paper can be a massive user experience upgrade
and a much faster path to overall digitization.
Automation enables sharing information with anyone on
your team who needs visibility into a workflow process. 3. Mobile capabilities allow you to capture, route and
Every employee responsible for completing a task can approve documents on the go. Keep telecommuters
view it in the office automation solution. Email updates and staff in remote locations in the loop to make
can be sent to alert employees to new tasks in their work sure they don’t miss deadlines.
queues. Exceptions and escalations can be configured

3 s te ps t o di gi ti zatio n
easily. At a glance, a manager can see what steps are
complete and what remains to be done.
G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Thanks to our document management

solution, we are saving a lot of the time
normally spent on searching and 02
storing documents. This has meant
recapturing a good 85 hours monthly
for our organization, which basically
means the work of one part-time
employee. This means that we were
Archiving and retrieval able to reach our aggressive growth
After information is routed via automated workflow, goals with our existing resources.
it should be archived in a way that is fast for easy Ralph Farrow, IT Manager,
retrieval along with controlled access. If you’ve followed Smithfield Food, Ltd.
best practices for indexing data at the capture stage,
your digital documents will be clearly organized, easily
findable and ultimately usable by the business.
Security is a big concern in archiving documents.
Not only does strong security and backup measures
ensure information recovery in the case of a disaster,

3 s te ps t o di gi ti zatio n
but it keeps unwanted readers out and helps meet
critical compliance regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Implement
a 90-day
plan
First get input from your leadership team and
from end users. Then take the time to fully
delve into paper-dependent processes. You
need to understand the source of the pain
before you can administer a cure.
 G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

03

The 90-day plan

FIR ST LAST

Im ple m e nt a 90-da y plan

N EXT

30 days 30 days 30 days

1. Develop your team 5. Deploy your solution
2. Analyze processes 3. Design the solution 6. Training
4. Create awareness 7. Go live
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Step 2: Dig into your business processes

The discovery process is essential and requires

thoughtful process mapping. Identify key steps, 03
bottlenecks and frustrations by asking your
FIRST
colleagues for input.

30 days When you walk through the lifecycle of a specific

document or process, ask these questions:
1. Develop your team • What initiates the process — an email, a phone
2. Analyze processes call, an electronic form, a paper form, a letter
that comes in the mail, or a walk-in?
• How do you capture the information?
• What’s the first action you take with that

Im ple m e nt a 90-da y plan - Fi rs t 30 da ys

Step 1: Develop the leadership team information?

The most fundamental requirement for a successful • Where is the information stored?
initiative is getting buy-in from your organization’s • Who’s involved in the process? Does the
leadership team. Your stakeholders should have the document require review or approval?
power to push the paperless agenda.
• When is integration with another system or
Don’t minimize the importance of getting input from an ERP necessary?
end users who often understand more about the
• Do you need to access documents and
day-to-day work than their managers do. You may want
approve processes from a mobile device?
to bring in an external office automation professional
as part of the leadership team — either a third-party
office automation vendor or consultant — to guide the
conversation about what is feasible in the short- and
long-term.
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Step 3: Design the solution

Once your team has good visibility into your business

processes, it’s time to design a paperless solution that 03
addresses the concerns of the leadership team. This
NEXT
design phase determines what software components

30 days and features should be used in creating your paperless

office.

3. Design the solution Decide whether you want to implement a cloud or

4. Create awareness on-premises solution. Your decision will be based
on many factors including the structure of your
organization’s IT infrastructure, the potential cost
of upgrading your hardware, and the bandwidth
and expertise of your IT team.

Im ple m e nt a 90-da y plan - Nex t 30 days

If you’ve followed the previous three steps and
engaged end users in the process, the design phase is
when they start asking, “How soon can we install it?”
They see the vision, and they want to see its results.
The primary benefits of cloud computing

Small Organizations Mid-sized Organizations Large Organizations

Fast implementation with low cost of services Modernization of legacy IT environments Modernization of legacy IT environments

Low initial cost Easy scalability for growth Highest security and data redundancy

Independence for business units Ability to add new capabilities or features Elimination of software licensing and upgrade fees
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Step 4: Create awareness and communicate Our paperless court is one of

the plan
our most exciting new uses of
You’ve designed the solution. Next, you need to DocuWare. Initially, some of our 03
ensure that the team’s vision for the paperless judges were a little concerned
office is shared with department managers and
about moving toward a paperless
end users. Creating this awareness is key to
effective change management. Even those who
environment, but our pilot
hesitate or resist moving away from familiar, program is quickly changing
paper-based processes will come around. minds.
One good way to spread the word is by sharing Lance Bunnell, CFO

videos that give a high-level view of the Tippecanoe County

solution. The goal isn’t to sell users on the

technology features, but to create awareness of

Im ple m e nt a 90-da y plan - Nex t 30 days

how office automation takes the drudgery out of
daily tasks and helps employees to achieve
job-related business goals. Demonstrate progress
in regular review meetings. Then schedule a
launch party to celebrate your accomplishments.
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Step 5: Deploying your office automation solution

Depending on the design, deploying your office

automation solution might begin with the creation of 03
a test system or occur in several phases. Test early and
L A ST
often. Testing is often glossed over, but it’s a great way

30 days to avoid surprises during the implementation that

could cause business disruptions later.

5. Deploy your solution Resolve outstanding issues and demonstrate progress

6. Training in regular review meetings. This is also the time to begin
7. Go live training IT administrators and power users.
Once the system has been deployed, run through one
of your processes with sample documents or files, and
use this as a training exercise.

Im ple m e nt a 90-da y plan - Las t 30 da ys

G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Step 6: Training As each department came

Training time can vary from a few hours for the end users onboard, we discovered we
who are assigned to a small number of workflows to one were building a DocuWare 03
or two days for system administrators and power users. user group that was willing and
Don’t forget to create ongoing technical documentation. able to assist as more
The paperless office is an evolving ecosystem, not departments came online.
something you set up and never think about again.
Ray Hoyt, Title III Project Director,
Include discovery findings and design choices as well
Tillamook Bay Community College
as system configuration settings. Your documentation
should also identify who the system administrators are
so that everyone knows whom to contact internally
when questions arise.

Im ple m e nt a 90-da y plan - Las t 30 da ys

 G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 9 0 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

04.

Training
best practices
• Educate power users and administrators first. They • Create a cheat sheet or video broken down by task.
are an in-house resource for other users. They can also These tools reinforce product knowledge.
take part in training the rest of the staff.
• Record webinars and document in-person training.
• Offer hands-on training. Users learn by doing. Show In addition to providing training for new employees,
them how their specific tasks are done. Then give them recordings enable current employees to review course

Trai in i n g b e st pra ct ic e s
time to practice at their workstations. content as needed.
• Have an IT administrator or a power user sit in on • Use the resources provided on the software
the training sessions. They can help users who need company’s website. Encourage your staff to join user
extra attention. forums and consult online FAQs.
• Do not try to teach everything in one session.
Training sessions should be shorter rather than longer
and cover one topic at time.
 G o i n g Pap e rl e ss i n 9 0 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Paperless in 90 days

Your roadmap
Start
• Decide if a separate test system • Administrator and
(sandbox) is needed power user training
• Access a cloud solution or install • Documentation
on-premises software • User training
• Configure the solution
Document
Configure and and train
Plan and implement Test and
design fine-tune
• Define required document • Implement and conduct
types and workflows preliminary tests of workflows
• Create a storyboard diagram • Additional testing
of the system • Fine-tune the solution
• Design workflows for follow up testing

Go live
G o i ng Pap e rl e s s i n 90 D a ys — A Step -by-Step Gu ide

Plan your
next move
If you’re ready to take the next step toward
becoming a paperless office, partnering with
the right vendor is essential to achieving
maximum ROI. DocuWare has developed a
highly efficient process to to transform your
business and improve document handling,
workflow and employee collaboration.
Sign up today for a no-obligation evaluation
and solution presentation.

Request your demo today

 DocuWare Europe GmbH

About
Therese-Giehse-Platz 2 | 82110 Germering | Germany
Phone: +49 89 894433-0 | Fax: +49 89 8419966
Email: [email protected]

DocuWare
DocuWare Corporation

4 Crotty Lane, Suite 200 | New Windsor, NY 12553 | United States

Phone: +1 (845) 563-9045 | Toll-Free: +1 (888) 565-5907
Email: [email protected]
DocuWare is one of the world’s leading document management
doc u wa re. c om

software companies. Its products are available in 90 countries

and 16 languages. The solutions are deployed by 12,000 customers
worldwide. The company, founded in 1988, operates from
Germering near Munich, Germany and New Windsor, New York,
with subsidiaries in the U.K., Spain and France.