No matter what line of work you’re in, there will be filing. If nothing else, it’s covered by the “taxes” bit of “the only certainty is death and taxes” - and really, so is “death” but that doesn’t count because that’s one of the rare perfect excuses for somebody to do the paperwork. Until then, the filing must be completed, and regardless of your business that will include accounts, customer records, compliance documents and HR files. Staying on top of it all is one of the foundational ways to keep your business running smoothly.

The problem is, stashing paper documents in a filing box is a fiddly job and it only gets fiddlier with time, as you accumulate archives and (ideally) expand. Now that you can get free unlimited document storage for your business, more and more companies are almost entirely digital from the get-go, but if you’re already established then you might feel like it’s easier to stick with the filing cabinet. But once you’ve experienced a virtual filing cabinet, you’ll never look back.

This article will run through why you need to ditch the filing box for a document management system, and some helpful tips on how you can do it. It’ll almost certainly be easier, and cheaper, than you think - and you’ll reap the benefits almost immediately (like the Medical Assurance Bureau did).

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The Benefits of Going From Paper-based to Digital

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• Everything is faster: With a paper filing box, you either spend ages finding things or only slightly less time filing things so you can find them in future. Digital systems are dramatically faster at retrieving, sharing, and processing information - organising documents is the easiest win, but once they’re digital you can deploy things like one-click contract signing or integrations with tools like Office365.

• It’s more accessible: Digital documents can (with the correct security setup) be accessed remotely from anywhere. That means you don’t have to be in the office to get things done, which isn’t just an excuse to save the commute on Fridays: it means that you’ve got an extra level of protection against problems with the building, the neighbourhood or the commute itself.
  
  
• It’s more secure, and more compliant: A surprisingly persistent cloud storage myth is that it’s less secure, but the best document management systems offer a battery of security features far superior to an office door and the lock on the cabinet where the filing box lives. Encryption, access controls and automatic backups are far superior to hard copies, and any good document management system will include built-in tracking and auditing tools that make compliance much simpler.
  
  
• It’s cheaper: Okay, maybe not immediately. But once you’re up and running, cost savings mount up digitization leads to considerable cost savings by reducing expenditures related to physical storage, paper consumption, printing, and document distribution. This also includes savings on rent and utility costs by minimising the need for extensive physical storage space. 
  
  
• It makes teamwork easier: Digital documents enable easier collaboration among team members, regardless of whether they’re in the same office or even the same country. That can be real-time with tools like instant messaging for document collaboration, or just a single platform for notes and feedback.
  
  
• It means you always have the right version: using a digital document management system means that you can have everybody working on the right version of each document, rather than different versions that have to be reconciled (or recovered, if they’re lost). Having automatic version control for your business becomes increasingly important the more staff you have.
  
  
• It’s better for the environment: Reducing paper usage through digitisation is a key part of reducing your organisation's ecological footprint. Getting rid of the filing box means cutting down on paper and printer ink. 

These are just the headline improvements, too. There are specific benefits depending on the industry you work in - for instance, the best document management tools for accountants will be fully compliant with local legislation, and directly integrate with other industry tools like Tax-Calc and CCH Central. If you want to get an idea how digital document management could benefit your business specifically, chat to one of our specialists to get a personalised report.

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How to Move from Paper to Digital Document Management

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If you’re already sold on making the change and wondering where to start - well, again we’d recommend talking to one of our experts, because they will be able to give you an informed judgement based exactly on what’s best for your type of business. 

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1. Look at your current setup and identify your needs

Before diving into digitalisation, take a close look at your existing paper-based filing system. Identify the types of documents you store, how they’re organised, and the challenges you face (Compliance? Remote access? Persuading stakeholders to change?). This will help you determine what needs to be digitised and how to structure your new system - and will guide you on choosing the best document management system for your needs. On the subject of which…

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2. Pick the right tool for your business

Selecting the right document management system (DMS) is critical to the success of your digital transition. Look for software that integrates with your existing tools, supports cloud storage, and offers strong security and compliance features. 

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3. Scope the project so you can deliver it

For a change this significant, you may want to do it all in one go and get it over with, but that’s putting all your eggs in a basket that you’ve never used before. If you’re a smaller business it’s more doable, if you’re a larger one then it’s worth taking a step back and considering doing it in stages, prioritising the areas that will have the greatest positive impact on your customers. 

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4. Digitise (or discard) your paper documents

Digitising your entire archive is a big step, and it’s debatable how useful it will be. Depending on your business and your requirements, it may be simpler to roll out digital workflows for new clients only, or at a certain cut-off for existing ones, so the paper copies become steadily less relevant and can ultimately be discarded. It’s also worth looking up which documents you actually need to retain - it’s a good opportunity to purge irrelevant data. For any documents that you do need to digitise, use high-quality scanners that can handle your document volume and ensure the accuracy of the scanned files - there are a variety of companies that can do this for you. 

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5. Organise and categorise your files

Creating a well-organised digital filing system is key to maintaining order and delivering all the improvements we’ve discussed on this page. Basic requirements include having a clear file naming convention and categorizing documents by department, project, or client - using Workiro means you can automate a big chunk of this, automatically tagging files from within Office365 and grouping files by project or client rather than relying on manual filing. You can watch a video explaining that here. 

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6. Set up access control and permissions

As you go through the digitisation process, it’s essential to protect your sensitive information by setting up role-based access controls. Know who in the organisation needs what, and grant them access accordingly - any good document management platform will enable you to control that, and tools like Workiro give you unlimited user controls for cloud storage,  

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7. Make sure everything’s backed up

We’re mentioning this to be comprehensive, but really it should happen automatically. The best document management tools include always-on cloud backup, so you just need to make sure that you’ve got it switched on and set up correctly. This includes making sure you’re meeting compliance requirements for your business.

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8. Make sure you’re audit-ready

Again, this is something that should be taken care of just by dint of using the digital platform. But they aren’t all created equal, and you need to check that you’re using the right setup for your business and you’re monitoring everything you need to. 

Thousands of businesses are making the move from paper to digital. RWC Corporate Benefits found cost savings, as well as efficiency gains when doing the move, and for other businesses like Larking Gowen, the customer service improvements made the move worthwhile.

For more advice on how to go digital, check out our complete 2025 guide to document management systems, which includes more detailed advice for different businesses. If you’d rather talk it through in person, set up a call with one of our specialists who can give you a more detailed answer based on your individual business.