Many businesses want to improve the way they manage information, especially if they’re still relying on paper. But even when the benefits of going paperless are obvious, it’s the transition itself that tends to hold people back, especially concerns about how employees will adapt to changes in their day-to-day work.
After all, they’re the ones handling these records the most. If the new system you implement is confusing or the process is too disruptive, it can lead to push-back, frustration, or even workarounds to continue doing things the old way. And that’s the last thing any business wants after investing the time and energy into digitizing their records.
The good news is, with a little planning and the right approach, it’s easy to get your team on board. Clear communication about what’s changing and why can go a long way in helping your team embrace new ways of doing familiar tasks and turn your scanning project into a shared success.
In this article, we’ll explain how business leaders can set expectations, keep things running smoothly, and avoid overwhelm during a scanning transition. Whether you’re digitizing a few departments’ worth of documents or your entire recordkeeping system, these steps can help make the process easier for everyone involved.
Why Staff Buy-In Matters
Switching to electronic recordkeeping doesn’t just impact how and where your records are stored, it also changes how employees access and interact with the information they need to do their jobs. Many will need to relearn how to complete tasks they already handle every day, which can lead to frustration if they don’t understand why the change is happening or how it benefits them.
They might be reluctant to adapt, fall back on old habits, or be non-committal about learning the new system. That can lead to confusion, lower productivity, and avoidable mistakes.
When employees are active participants in the planning and rollout, they’re much more likely to offer useful feedback, flag potential issues early, and stick with new procedures. It also builds a sense of ownership, where your team feels like they’re contributing to a better way of working, not just adjusting to another system handed down from the top.
In the following sections, we’ll share a few ways to strengthen that partnership with your team and build a transition plan that keeps their experience front and center.
Tip 1: Set Clear Expectations From the Start
One of the most important steps in getting your team on board is setting clear, realistic expectations before anything changes. People tend to be more open minded when they know what’s coming and how it will affect their work.
Start by explaining why the scanning project is happening in the first place. Go beyond general statements like “we’re going paperless” of “it’s time to modernize.”
Instead, help your staff see the bigger picture: less time searching, unfettered access to information, and fewer disruptions. When people understand how the change benefits them directly, they’re more likely to support it.
Be upfront about what will change and what won’t. Will employees still need to access physical files for a while? Will they be responsible for scanning documents moving forward? Will folder structures or naming conventions be different? Communicating this early prevents confusion and avoids surprises later on.
It also helps to give people a sense of timing. Let them know when the project will start, how long it’s expected to take, and what their role will be in the process. Even if the schedule changes along the way, having a general sense of how its all going to go down helps people feel more prepared.
Tip 2: Get Input From the People Who Actually Use the Documents
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when starting a bulk scanning project is leaving the people who know your documents best out of the process. Your employees work with these files every day. They know which ones are accessed often, which ones are outdated, and where the bottlenecks happen.
Bringing your staff into the conversation early makes a huge difference. It helps you understand how documents are actually being used, not just how you think they’re being used. This can inform every decision along the way, from what gets scanned first to how your new digital system should be organized.
It also gives employees a chance to voice their concerns. They might worry about losing access to certain files or feel unsure about how this will affect their job. Creating space for those kinds of conversations helps reduce resistance due to fear and makes your team feel heard and included in the process.
Tip 3: Plan Ahead to Avoid Overwhelming Employees
Adding a complex project like document scanning to your team’s workload can feel overwhelming if it’s not well thought out. The extra effort involved, preparing documents, trying to keep things running smoothly during the transition, and learning new systems, can leave employees feeling stretched too thin.
One way to keep things manageable is to break the project into smaller, more realistic chunks. Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, start with one department, one file type, or one year’s worth of records. Smaller goals are easier to manage, and early wins can build momentum that carries the project forward.
It also helps to plan around your busiest times of year or any major deadlines. If that’s not an option, consider bringing in temporary support to lighten the load.
Make sure your team understands the plan before scanning begins. Who’s prepping the files? Where should questions go? What happens if someone needs a document that’s already been scanned and moved offsite? Clear answers to these kinds of questions prevent confusion and help keep things on track.
With the right planning in place, your scanning project becomes something your staff can handle, not something they dread.
Tip 4: Offer Support and Training
No matter how intuitive your new system is, your team will still need time and support to get comfortable with it. A bit of hands-on training can go a long way in helping employees feel more confident about the change.
Even if you’re not the one leading the training yourself, it’s important to make sure someone is available to walk your team through the basics. They’ll need to know where to find the files they need, how to use any new tools, and what to do if something doesn’t work the way they expect. This doesn’t have to be a full training seminar—short, focused sessions or quick one-on-one demos are often more effective and easier to schedule.
It also helps to offer reference materials your team can revisit later. A quick-start guide, a cheat sheet, or a simple FAQ tailored to your workflow can cut down on confusion and reduce the number of questions that end up in your IT inbox.
Most importantly, make sure your team knows who to go to when questions come up. Having someone readily available during the first few weeks makes the process feel more approachable and less frustrating. The goal isn’t to make everyone an expert on day one, it’s to give them the support they need so that small bumps in the road don’t turn into reasons to give up on the system altogether.
Tip 5: Scan Smart to Keep Things Running Smoothly
Moving from paper to digital recordkeeping doesn’t have to bring everything to a screeching halt. With the right approach, you can keep your business running normally while your records are being scanned.
One of the easiest ways to maintain your momentum is to focus on day-forward scanning. That means everything new gets handled digitally from a certain date forward, while older records are digitized in phases. This prevents your team from having to constantly switch between two different systems or wonder where to find the latest version of a document.
It also helps to prioritize high-use records first. Focus on the files your team accesses most often or those tied to active projects. Giving employees quick wins builds confidence in the process and makes the benefits of scanning immediately clear.
Try to align your scanning schedule with what works best for your team. If you can, start with inactive files or plan around slower periods to minimize interruptions and reduce stress.
Lastly, communicate regularly throughout the process. A quick weekly update, even if nothing major has changed, helps keep everyone in the loop and reassures staff that everything is on track.
Tip 6: Celebrate Milestones and Reinforce the Benefits
Once the project is in motion, it’s important to keep morale high. Scanning can be a long process, especially if you’re tackling years’ worth of records, so taking the time to acknowledge progress helps keep everyone motivated.
You don’t need anything over the top, just recognizing completed phases, team contributions, or small wins can make a big difference. A quick shout-out in a meeting, an email update, or even just saying thank you goes a long way in reinforcing that the work matters and is being noticed.
It also helps to keep reminding your team why the project is worth it. As scanned files start replacing paper, point out the real benefits they’re seeing. The more people can connect their daily work to the improvements, the more likely they are to stick with the new system and fully embrace the change. These positive outcomes are what will carry the momentum through to the finish line.
How SecureScan Can Help
Going paperless is a big change for your team, but they don’t have to face it alone. At SecureScan, we’ve spent more than 22 years helping businesses navigate scanning their projects with as little disruption as possible.
Our team works closely with you from day one to understand your goals, your workflow, and your concerns. We handle everything from document preparation and scanning to indexing and secure storage, reducing the administrative burden for your employees.
We’re used to working in active business environments, which means we know how to keep things moving while your records are being digitized. We can scan onsite or offsite depending on your needs, and we’ll help you build a plan that makes sense for your team, whether you’re scanning years of archived files or starting with just a few boxes worth.
Our goal is to make your project feel manageable, not overwhelming. With SecureScan, you get a partner who understands the importance of keeping your staff supported while your business moves forward.
If you’re planning a scanning project and want it to go smoothly for both you and your team, reach out to us. We’ll help you build a plan that fits your workflow and gets your records digitized with minimal disruption. Contact us to learn more or get a free quote from one of our scanning technicians.