If your business still relies on printed forms, manual signatures, and paper files, you already know how much time it wastes. Someone is always hunting for a misplaced document, waiting for a signature, or re-entering data that was already input. It slows down approvals, frustrates employees, and keeps your team focused on paperwork instead of work that grows the business.
Digital workflows offer a better way. By moving key processes out of filing cabinets and into secure, cloud-based systems, you can speed up routine tasks, cut costs, and free your team to focus on higher-value work.
This blog takes a closer look at what digital workflows really are, why paper-based processes cost far more than most businesses realize, and how to start making the switch: whether you’re running a local Tampa Bay business or leading a growing team across multiple locations.
What Digital Workflows Actually Mean
A digital workflow is simply the electronic version of a process your team already performs. Instead of printing a form, routing it around the office for signatures, and filing it in a cabinet, the entire process happens digitally and automatically.
A few examples include:
- Invoice approvals: An invoice arrives by email, is routed to the correct manager, approved electronically, and automatically filed for recordkeeping.
- HR onboarding: New hires complete and sign their paperwork online, from any device, before they even step into the office.
- Contract reviews: Documents are securely routed to the right people, in order, with a clear audit trail at every step.
Digital workflows integrate with tools you already use, like cloud storage, email, CRM systems, and collaboration platforms, which makes adoption much easier. The goal is not just to reduce reliance on paper, but to eliminate unnecessary steps so information moves where it needs to go, faster.
The True Cost of Paper-Based Workflows
Many businesses underestimate how much they spend on paper-driven processes. The costs go well beyond the price of copy paper:
- Printing and supplies: Ink and toner are expensive, and printers require regular maintenance.
- Storage: Filing cabinets take up valuable space. Off-site storage services add ongoing monthly costs.
- Lost time: Employees spend hours each week looking for misplaced documents or re-creating work.
- Delays: Waiting for physical signatures or in-person approvals slows down purchasing, hiring, and payments.
A single misfiled document can cost hundreds of dollars in lost productivity. And if a contract or document required for compliance goes missing, the risk of fines or legal issues rises dramatically.
When you look at these costs together, paper isn’t just inconvenient. It’s expensive.
How Digital Workflows Save Time
One of the biggest advantages of going digital is speed. Processes that once took days can often be completed in minutes.
- Approvals move instantly: Instead of printing, signing, scanning, and emailing a document, an employee can approve it with a single click from their phone or laptop.
- Collaboration becomes seamless: Teams can view and edit the same document simultaneously, without sending versions back and forth.
- Access is anywhere: Remote employees or traveling staff no longer have to wait until they’re back in the office to handle paperwork.
Take something as simple as approving a vendor invoice. In a paper-based process, that invoice might sit in an inbox — or literally on someone’s desk — for days waiting for the right person to review it and sign off. If that person is out of the office, it can take even longer.
With a digital workflow, the invoice is routed to the right person immediately. They get a notification, review the document from their computer or phone, approve it, and it moves straight to accounts payable. What once took nearly a week can now be done the same day.
Now apply that same level of efficiency to other areas like hiring, purchasing, and customer onboarding. The hours saved each week add up quickly, and so do the cost savings.
How Digital Workflows Reduce Costs
Saving time is only part of the story. Digital workflows also reduce direct and indirect costs:
- Lower printing and supply costs: Less paper, toner or ink, and machine maintenance mean fewer invoices from your printer vendor.
- Reduced storage expenses: Physical filing cabinets can be removed, freeing up office space or avoiding additional rent for storage areas.
- Fewer errors: Automated data capture reduces duplicate entries and costly mistakes.
- Better compliance: Digital systems keep a full record of who accessed and approved each document, simplifying audits and reducing the risk of penalties.
Reclaiming physical storage space alone can be a major cost saver. And with many companies moving toward hybrid or remote work, reducing reliance on in-office paper processes helps support that flexibility.
Where to Start: A Practical Guide to Going Digital
If you’re ready to make the switch, the best approach is to start small and expand gradually.
- Identify the most paper-heavy processes: Look for workflows that cause the most delays or frustrations: common examples include AP/AR, HR onboarding, and contract management.
- Choose the right tools: Document management software, e-signature platforms, and secure cloud storage are the backbone of most digital workflows.
- Get team buy-in: Employees need to know why the change matters. Show them how it will make their jobs easier, not harder.
- Pilot one department or process: Starting with a single workflow allows you to fine-tune the process before rolling it out across the business.
- Measure and adjust: Track time saved, cost reductions, and employee satisfaction. Use that data to expand digital workflows in other areas.
For many businesses, working with a Managed IT or Document Services provider can simplify the process. They can assess your current workflows, recommend the right software, and provide ongoing support as you expand.
Your Next Move
By replacing paper-heavy processes with smart, automated workflows, you can eliminate delays, reclaim wasted hours, and save money on printing, storage, and labor. And the benefits scale with your business, whether you’re a small company or a multi-location organization with remote teams.
If you’re ready to see how much time and money your business could save, start by reviewing your current workflows and identifying where digital tools could make an impact. The sooner you make the move, the faster you’ll unlock the speed and savings that keep your business competitive.
About WCC
For nearly 50 years, WCC Business Solutions has been helping Tampa Bay businesses work smarter. From print and imaging to VoIP phone systems and video conferencing technology, we offer a full spectrum of solutions to support your team and streamline your operations.
Gordy Link is a leader in the office technology industry as the President and CEO of WCC Business Solutions. He is known for his commitment to customer-centricity and leveraging innovative training and development initiatives to deliver high-quality technology solutions. Outside of the office, Gordy enjoys spending time with wife and daughter, and indulging in his passion for the outdoors.
