Keeping records organized and easy to access is an important part of running a business. It helps you find things like contracts and customer invoices quickly when you need them, minimizes the risk of mishandling sensitive personal information, and makes meeting your record retention requirements easier and less stressful.
Managing records manually, especially paper records, takes up valuable time, costs more than it should, and pulls focus from more important parts of your business. Filing, searching, and updating documents the old-fashioned way adds up, eating away at time that could be put to better use.
That’s where automated record keeping comes in. By automating the most tedious and repetitive parts of the process, you can keep things running smoothly while making everyday record-keeping tasks easier and more efficient.
In this article, we’ll break down the benefits of recordkeeping automation, why it’s worth considering, and how to get started.
What is Automated Record Keeping?
Automated record keeping uses software to handle repetitive and predictable record-keeping tasks, such as identifying, classifying, retaining, and disposing of records.
The goal is to take manual filing off employees’ plates while reducing the risk of human error, making records management more accurate and efficient.
What Are the Benefits of Automated Record Keeping?
Businesses deal with a constant flood of information. Physical documents, emails, inbound mail, and electronic files all pile up, creating a never-ending stream of data that needs to be managed and stored.
Keeping everything organized and up to date takes time, time that could be better spent serving clients and growing your business. On top of that, regulatory requirements keep getting more complex, making compliance harder to navigate and increasing the risk of costly penalties.
Fortunately, automation makes it all easier. With the help of computer software and OCR technology, businesses can streamline records management, reducing the time and effort required to stay organized.
Here are just a few advantages of automating your record-keeping process.
Simplify Regulatory Compliance
Businesses face a significant number of record keeping requirements, including state mandated retention schedules, federal data privacy regulations, and industry specific regulations.
Many of these rules dictate how long certain records must be kept, anywhere from a few months to several years.
Staying compliant often means choosing between dedicating valuable resources to document management or holding onto everything indefinitely just to be safe. But keeping records too long can be just as risky as not keeping them long enough.
Automation solves this problem by ensuring documents are retained for exactly as long as required, no more, no less, without the need for manual oversight. Software handles tracking and destruction automatically, helping your business stay compliant without the extra hassle.
Reduce Filing Errors
Getting employees to follow records management procedures consistently isn’t easy, especially when the rules keep changing. Even the most detail-oriented team members make mistakes, and when it comes to record keeping, small errors can have big consequences.
Automation removes the risk of human error by handling records management tasks with precision. Instead of relying on employees to track retention schedules manually, software ensures records are kept as long as required and securely destroyed when they’re no longer needed. With an automated system in place, nothing slips through the cracks, and compliance is maintained100% of the time.
Save Time and Money
Automating your recordkeeping system cuts down on the time and money spent managing records.
Training employees on recordkeeping procedures takes time, and monitoring their compliance can be costly. When an employee leaves, all that training goes with them, forcing you to start the process over again.
By automating routine records management tasks, you take that responsibility off your employees’ shoulders and eliminate the need for ongoing training programs. Plus, automation helps reduce the risk of fines and fees from compliance mistakes, saving your business even more in the long run.
Streamline Your Processes
In a competitive market, businesses that optimize their processes have a clear advantage.
Automating record management speeds up processes, reduces turnaround times, and improves the quality of service you provide to customers. Businesses still relying on manual methods or paper documentation simply can’t keep up with the efficiency of an automated system.
Eliminate Tedious Paperwork
Most record-keeping tasks are repetitive, time-consuming, and let’s be honest—no one enjoys doing them.
Automation takes care of the most tedious filing tasks, reducing employee fatigue and improving overall productivity. When employees spend less time on manual paperwork, they can focus on more valuable work, leading to better business outcomes and higher morale.
For example, many businesses use AP automation to streamline invoice management and approvals, freeing up time for more important tasks.
What Kinds of Problems Does Automated Record Keeping Solve?
Managing records manually leads to inefficiency, security risks, and compliance challenges that can be hard to keep up with. As recordkeeping demands grow, these problems only get worse. However, by introducing even just a little automation, you can solve every day business problems with ease, including:
Storage and Space Limitations
Paper records take up valuable office space, a lot more than you might think. Automation allows you to replace bulky filing cabinets with secure electronic storage, giving you the ability to store as many records as you need to, without any of the clutter.
Security and Data Protection Concerns
Sensitive records are at a higher risk when employees handle them manually. The more hands a document passes through, the greater the chance of exposure or loss. Automated systems restrict access to authorized users and track every action taken on a document, improving security and reducing the risk of human errors.
Risk of Costly Errors and Fines
Misfiled or missing records can lead to failed audits, compliance fines, and legal trouble. Automating document management ensures accuracy, reducing the risk of costly mistakes that could impact your business.
Lack of Disaster Recovery Measures
Relying on physical records means valuable information is at risk from fires, floods, or other disasters. Automated recordkeeping systems provide built-in backup solutions, ensuring records are protected and recoverable when needed.
How to Automate Your Record-Keeping Process
Now that you understand the benefits of automation, the big question is: How do you transition from manual or paper-based record-keeping to an automated system without disrupting your business?
The key is to take it step by step. With the right approach, you can minimize interruptions and start seeing the benefits of automation sooner rather than later.
Step 1: Digitize Your Paper Records
To fully take advantage of automation, your records need to be in digital format. If your business still relies on paper, the first step is to convert your documents into electronic files.
Most businesses turn to a professional document scanning company like SecureScan to handle large-scale digitization projects. Scanning services like ours ensure that your records are converted quickly and accurately, while maintaining security and compliance standards.
Digitizing your records also brings several additional benefits beyond automation. Digital files can be accessed by multiple employees at the same time, making collaboration easier—especially for businesses with large teams or multiple locations. Security also improves, as electronic records can be encrypted, password-protected, and restricted to authorized users. In addition, digital files can be backed up and stored off-site, reducing the risk of data loss from natural disasters, fires, or security breaches.
Step 2: Choose Your Automation Software
Once your records are digitized, the next step is selecting the right automation software. Different systems offer different features, so it’s important to find one that fits your business’s needs.
Some software solutions focus on compliance and retention policies, ensuring records are stored for the right amount of time and securely deleted when no longer needed. Others prioritize workflow automation, reducing the time employees spend searching for or managing documents. Many systems offer a combination of these features.
Before making a decision, consider factors such as ease of use, integration with existing business tools, security features, and scalability. Choosing the right software upfront makes implementation much smoother.
Step 3: Implement Your System
Once you’ve selected your automation software, the next step is rolling it out smoothly across your business. Proper planning is important and will help you avoid issues along the way.
Start by preparing your team. Automation will change how they will interact with records, so it’s important to communicate how the system will change their jobs for the better. Employees will play a key role in maintaining your recordkeeping system, so getting their buy-in early is crucial.
Setting clear timelines helps keep the process on track. Establish target dates for each phase and make adjustments as needed to prevent unnecessary delays.
Prioritize which records to digitize first. Some businesses start with older records, leaving the most frequently used files for last. Others begin with active records so they can start benefiting from automation sooner.
Planning for newly generated records is another critical step. Deciding how new files will be handled within the new system ensures that records remain organized moving forward.
Training your team is the final step. Every employee who will use the system should understand how it works and how to manage records efficiently within the new process.
This doesn’t cover everything involved in automating your record-keeping process, but following these steps will put you on the right path toward a smoother, more efficient system.
What Comes Next?
If you’re ready to take the next step towards automating your record keeping system, SecureScan can help. We provide ultra secure document scanning services that can help you convert your paper records into an archive of highly organized PDF or TIFF files ready for automation. Get a free scanning quote or contact us for more information.
