Many business owners are looking to create a digital workplace and get rid of the stacks of paper that are taking up space around the office. However, these practices can be complicated and costly as companies need to add mobile devices, integrate with the cloud and scan all of their existing files.

In a recent guest column from the Herald Business Journal, Monika Kristofferson, an executive at Office Efficiency, examined the paperless office. She said that while there have been many advancements in technology like the tablet and increasing functionality of the Internet, a digital workplace still has a long way to go.

“There have been predictions for a long time that we will become a paperless society. Take a look around your office to see if you’re paperless yet. Probably not so much,” Kristofferson wrote.

One of the biggest problems many companies face is they use the paperless transition as a way to organize their files on top of becoming more effective in daily operations. Because of this, it is important for businesses to make sure they have their paper piles under control before considering the adoption of a new solution. On top of that, there is guaranteed to be a percentage of documents that will need to remain in hard copy, even after being scanned.

Document storage and information management solutions are a long way from being either/or when it comes to paper versus paperless options. Companies need to make sure they remain organized.