Many businesses are searching for ways to go green. Most of the ones that do are trying to cut out their reliance on paper and printing. This is strategic thinking, of course, since the cost of printer toner has skyrocketed over the years. Today the most affordable printer ink on the market still comes in at an astounding $13 per ounce; or, slightly more than Dom Perignon. This is why businesses that are looking to cut costs, as well as embrace environmentally-friendly initiatives, are going paperless.

Of course, an office without paper at all is likely impossible, but some businesses have made impressive efforts toward relaxing their reliance on paper. They are able to do this with technology. At Network Synergy, we work with many technologies that provide substantial opportunity for today’s enterprises to limit the amount paper they use. Technologies such as mobile devices, cloud-based storage and software, and well-maintained document management databases can drastically reduce the amount of paper your organization uses.

Take, for instance, your HR department’s records. Were you aware that, on average, an employee’s HR folder contains 29 pieces of paper? All the administrative and accounting information like receipts, invoices, tax forms, as well as other administrative records, can all pile up rather quickly. Even the number of paper documents that a small business goes through can be astonishing, especially when you consider that we now have the technology available to digitize every document your organization handles.

The deployment of a secure cloud-based database is much more viable today than ever before, and can present dramatic cost savings over the traditional office setup. Using mobile devices and a powerful access control software, your organization can reduce waste, meet the goals of your green-initiative, and improve efficiency. Comparatively, a full file cabinet of paper records comes with an average of $20,000 worth of expenses. By scanning and cataloging this information digitally, you are looking at a healthy cost reduction, with a reasonably rapid ROI.

When considering storage, storing your organization’s documents in the cloud can improve that information’s security. A recent study by IDG Cloud Computing found that that 94 percent of small or medium-sized businesses that adopted cloud computing claimed to have experienced data security improvements from a move to the cloud.

Increased efficiency, cost reduction, and improved security are three pretty good ways to leverage this technology to improve your business; and, all of it will meet the goals of your green initiatives. If you are looking to trim the heft off your business data storage, while reducing your organization’s carbon footprint, consider calling Network Synergy today.