1. How to Go paperless with Document Management Software and E-forms
A document management system is used to track and store electronic documents and records. It is
capable of tracking version history, provides secure check in and out process, audit tracking of usage,
improves document workflow, and has document imaging and scanning, to convert mountains of paper
into electronic documents. Organizations can benefit from using document management software to
save time, money, and office space. Document management software alleviates a great deal of paper
usage and the cost savings can be substantial. According to Aberdeen Group, the average cost of
processing a document can range from $8.35 to upwards of $20.00 per document. The same Aberdeen
Group study puts the processing costs of "best-practice" organizations (those using document
management software) at a mere $2.14 per document.
Another reason to go paperless by using document management software is to be able to find your
organization’s intellectual property quickly and easily. It has been found that “20% to 40% of a workers
time is wasted searching for documents.” Finding a proposal you wrote last month should be just as
easy as finding something on the Internet? An over-stuffed file cabinet or a shared network drive cannot
be easily searched whereas having all that paper scanned and indexed so it can be found easily on your
computer.
If your organization is using paper-based forms, you can significantly reduce the amount of paper and
labor by converting to electronic forms to use in conjunction with the document management software.
According to Gartner, “a single paper form can cost an organization $30-$165 to use, process, and
enter”; whereas e-forms automate the process and drastically reduce process costs. Once a e-form has
been downloaded and filled out, it can then be submitted back and added to the document
management system for data extraction and storage. The entire form is stored electronically and can be
put into a workflow for further review and approval such as the case with expense reports.
The document management software can be used to streamline and automate the paper intensive
manual processes across the myriad of departments in an organization by using the document
management software’s “document review and approval” workflow process. Consider a document, such
as a purchase requisition, that starts with the person generating the request and then that form is taken
to various people in the organization such as a manager, accounting department, CFO, and then back to
the source. While this may seem simple, paperwork is easily lost or mishandled. Using an electronic
workflow system eliminates the time spent processing and the adversity in tracking the document
process. By using an electronic document workflow system, the document can be reviewed, signed off,
and tracked throughout the entire process.
For organizations looking for a reason to use document management software, FileHold can help
achieve all of the above and more. FileHold document management software is extremely easy to
install, use, and has a proven ROI (return on investment). FileHold offers a free 45 minute webinar to
show you how to get started with document management software. The www.FileHold.com website
offers excellent video tours including a demonstration on using e-forms. Seeing these electronic forms in

2. action is the best way to learn how to use them. Invoices, expense reports, job applications, and work
order e-forms are all available for your use.
Not only is document management software essential to your company in order to become organized,
but the program will aid in higher productivity. With the use of e-forms in conjunction with the
document management software program, organizations can save time, money, and increase profit.