We at ALL Strategy are 100% paperless. Our entire company is cloud-based. As a result, our team can work across the continent with virtually no lost time, and total flexibility to share information with one another. It is exciting and compelling to build systems using new technology and increase productivity as a result. That being said, none of our clients are 100% paperless, and we are not necessarily advising them to move in that direction.

Technology and any system or tool you use in business, should help meet the objectives of the business. They should reflect the brand, values and philosophies of the company. They should support team engagement. They should facilitate the provision of excellent client service. They should increase organization and productivity. If paper and pencil are what fit your culture and your service, then those are the tools we advocate for!

Before you start printing copies of this post for everyone in the office, know that this is not meant to free you from thinking outside the box or free you from the necessity of change. It is to say, that if you are truly more efficient with your File-o-Fax and favourite pen, then embrace those tools. That being said, I had a client share with me just this morning how much his business and his life have been transformed since we set him up on a cloud-based file-sharing system like Dropbox or Box.com. Although we have transitioned many clients onto CRM tools and digital calendars, my favourite transition was a highly successful business leader in his early 60’s who finally made the transition away from his paper calendar ultimately on a dare to try it for a week. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to change appointments, set recurring golf games, invite others to join meetings, or even to have his assistant schedule meetings on his behalf without creating any frustrating conflicts. That week literally changed his life.

Technology and tools don’t need to be extraordinary in what they do to help a business. If you keep losing receipts for expense submissions, consider Shoeboxed. If you are simplifying document signing to be more tablet based, look into Docusign. Even start scanning documents with your tablet or smartphone using Scanner Pro. Using a CRM tool that is also accessible remotely like Salesforce allows you to contact clients wherever you are, or record and set follow up tasks while you are out of the office.

There are endless tools available to us thanks to (and despite) the changing technology of today. We are not being paid for any of these mentions here, but these are all tools we have supported clients in integrating into their businesses, along with many others. What is the tool that transformed how you operate in business?