Is your enterprise paperless yet?

[sin-n-dex]

I'm almost there... have been mostly paperless since 2017. Sales records are printed to PDF using a $60 Corel software program designed to turn documents and web pages into PDFs. Then I store them and back them up on an external drive.

The second half of the page of the shipping label isn't paperless though. I log the amounts on a spreadsheet and file them away in a filing cabinet organized by month/year.

Some stuff comes paperless anyway, like eBay invoices. No need to print those out. I did once, and it was 100 pages long. (I printed it by accident, I had intended just to print the first page or two with the totals).

At my day job everything that comes in is scanned into PDF form and filed electronically. I borrowed the idea from them to use for my own business. Am curious if others are doing the same, or if you guys still have big boxes of paper in your basement/garage from all the paperwork involved in running the store.

C.

[richard1rst]

Well generally yes by design. But no by circumstances.

Many, but not all, of my suppliers send me electronic invoices which I pay online. But then they include a hard copy of the invoice and/or shipping ticket with the delivery. Yes, I could scan them in as you say but that is an extra step for nothing. So they get filed.

However, at least one on my suppliers refuses to accept credit cards so that they do not have to pay the processing fee. They insist in a paper check. Everything from them is a hard copy. That kind of sucks because in order to save them the processing fee I have to give up the credit card rebate.

Mostly everything is done online but I do still have some filing cabinets. Just not as many as my pre-internet B&M store.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@sin-n-dex 

Have you figured out a way to print paperless package labels and packing slips yet? I know some folks don't include a physical packing slip but I always have. For some of us ummm old timers we'll never be entirely paper trained. 🙂  I like to make it possible for my customers to know they got what they ordered and from who...In case they ordered more than 1. Also, if it's for a business they may need to physically receive to system.

-Lotz

[lamber9347]

Well you'll never really be paperless due to printing shipping labels but I still understand your point. I also do much of what you do. I've only basically been printing my labels for some time. I used to purchase a couple of reams of paper  a year, but I'm actually still working on the last reams purchased well over a year ago. I've reduced my printing like mad and am grateful for a variety of reasons. 

I am also using pre-used paper for printing my labels. I only need one side to print the label so I insert sheets of paper that already have printing on one side and I use the other side to print my label. It's my form of in home recycling.... 

[backroomnoir]

All except shipping labels and tissues that I use to dry my tears on. 

[sin-n-dex]

---

@richard1rst wrote:

Well generally yes by design. But no by circumstances.

Many, but not all, of my suppliers send me electronic invoices which I pay online. But then they include a hard copy of the invoice and/or shipping ticket with the delivery. Yes, I could scan them in as you say but that is an extra step for nothing. So they get filed.

However, at least one on my suppliers refuses to accept credit cards so that they do not have to pay the processing fee. They insist in a paper check. Everything from them is a hard copy. That kind of sucks because in order to save them the processing fee I have to give up the credit card rebate.

Mostly everything is done online but I do still have some filing cabinets. Just not as many as my pre-internet B&M store.

---

I've started scanning 2015 tonight (shipping receipts from the post office, from when I went to the post office to mail things, and sales orders). I'm doing that so I can use the box for something else, like fabric or beads. I've run out of space in my storage closet.

I save the electronic receipts in email, but like you, I get paper copies and file the in a filing cabinet. Each drawer has room for 2 or 3 years of receipts. It's the sales orders that take up a storage bin. I can probably box up 3 or 4 years worth when I need to make space, but I'm hoping I'll be shredding directly from my filing cabinet and bypass the storage bin part.

I also found receipts (postage related) from more than 7 years ago that need to be shredded. I don't remember what I did before 2014, but I don't think I printed sales orders back then. At least they'll be coming up for shredding pretty soon. I think Revenue Canada said 2012 and earlier can be shredded.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

@sin-n-dex 

Have you figured out a way to print paperless package labels and packing slips yet? I know some folks don't include a physical packing slip but I always have. For some of us ummm old timers we'll never be entirely paper trained. 🙂  I like to make it possible for my customers to know they got what they ordered and from who...In case they ordered more than 1. Also, if it's for a business they may need to physically receive to system.

-Lotz

---

The customers always get paper packing slips because I want to provide my PO Box address (as the return address, not the one it ships from in New York (the freight forwarder).

I think I meant "paperless in your home office", to avoid having boxes of receipts. I just can't wait any longer and continue to hold on to these when I need the space. (I didn't have a scanner at the time all this paper was printed, that was something I purchased from my bookkeeping earnings when I decided to make all my client's files paperless... the accountant loved receiving a CD with all the documents. He complained people bring in boxes of paper and leave it there for months).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@lamber9347 wrote:

Well you'll never really be paperless due to printing shipping labels but I still understand your point. I also do much of what you do. I've only basically been printing my labels for some time. I used to purchase a couple of reams of paper  a year, but I'm actually still working on the last reams purchased well over a year ago. I've reduced my printing like mad and am grateful for a variety of reasons. 

I am also using pre-used paper for printing my labels. I only need one side to print the label so I insert sheets of paper that already have printing on one side and I use the other side to print my label. It's my form of in home recycling.... 

---

I believe there's 5000 sheets of paper at work that have a scan divider printed on one side that can be used for that... but scan dividers are always on bright orange or pink paper, not so great for a shipping label. I suppose I can ask if I can recycle it.

They are not being used to divide documents because the copier was almost out of ink and the lines on them aren't dark and clear enough for the scanner to read it as a divider. So they just put all that paper in the storage room.

C.

[southern*sweet*tea]

If it ain't on paper, it doesn't exist.

Paper all the way for me.

The only things digital I store are photos.

[luckythewinner]

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At my day job everything that comes in is scanned into PDF form and filed electronically.

If you receive things on paper and scan them in, that is not a "paperless enterprise".

That is merely scanning documents. 

[newyork_mall]

Use cloud based system or any other virtual storing method of recording your transactions instead of printing them in conventional form.

It will help to save environment as well.

Cost will also be reduced gradually.

Thanks

[divwido]

All of my records are up to date and paperless.  And easy to use.

My husband, however is a caveman with a desktop full of receipts.  Taxes are an nightmare.

[chapeau-noir]

I have receipts if I purchase in RL.  There are bits of paper that I write measurements on when I'm listing (they're leftover scraps from other things).  I include a packing slip with my items.  Everything else is on spreadsheets, PDF or image files.  I haven't fiddled with paper more than that for years.