How to Go “Paperless”
Understanding the Advantages of Digital Operations
Take a glance around your property office today. You will see computers,
scanning equipment, filing cabinets, and stacks of paper cluttering your
staff's desk waiting to be processed. You have invested in the right
technology to help you manage the increasing amount of electronic
communications coming from prospective tenants and your residents. You
have probably invested in a property management system that allows you
to keep required records. If you talk with your staff, it will become apparent
that they spend most of their day handling paper and making entries into
your property management system. But even with all these investments,
your business documents, the life-blood of your property operations,
remain decentralized, difficult to locate, and systemically uncategorized.
Going "paperless" does not have to be a complex ordeal that requires
significant change to your business operations. With Syndi, the Virtual
Property Assistant, you can automate your property operations with a
simple "click of a mouse". You have all the skills, you need no technical
expertise: you just need Syndi.
The following are responses to some common questions our clients worry
about when making the decision to go paperless. I hope that it can provide
clarification to help expedite your property's decision to go paperless:
1. I have invested a great deal in property management software and
IT equipment. Will going "paperless" require me to let go of my past
investments and have a costly overhaul of my property's IT
infrastructure?
No! In fact, making the transition to paperless operations will allow you to
enhance the systems and equipment you are currently using. SyndicIT's
document management platform is completely scanner agnostic, meaning
you can still use your existing scanner. With our Syndi file monitor tool, we
simply install a folder on your desktop that reads the information being sent
in from your scanner. Every 15 seconds, Syndi looks for new documents
that need to be filed away. You simply name where you would like to store
them. SyndicIT's document management system offers full integration with
Copyright 2012. SyndicIT Services Corporation.
your existing property management software. Your staff will not be required
to waste time with double-entries, with the simple click of the mouse, you
can index all of your important property documents directly to a unit,
resident, or property screen within your property management system.
Anytime you open the screen within your property management system,
you can be quickly brought to view all the relevant documents associated
with that screen. Syndi is so smart that she is able to automatically name,
route, and securely file your property documents within SyndicIT's
document management system and link them with your existing property
management software, requiring no extra staff time.
2. Will going "paperless" require extensive training of staff?
SyndicIT's document management system was designed to be simple to
use. Your staff already knows how to work a scanner, instead of making
paper-based copies, simply capture documents straight to SyndicIT's
system. Anytime you receive an email or electronic document that needs to
be filed, your staff simply needs to "drag and drop" the document to Syndi,
who will automate the filing process for you.
SyndicIT's document management system is created to look and feel
exactly the same way as your current paper-based filing practice. However,
now all your documents are securely stored in a central location, where
they can be located in seconds, anywhere with an internet connection, at
anytime.
3. Will going "paperless" expose me to security risks?
No! SyndicIT's document management system uses a SAS 70 Type II
certified hosting facility. This means that our data hosting facility is
continuously audited to ensure the most stringent of security measures,
from redundant power sources to biometric scanning to secure the
facilities. All the data is backed up, fully audited, and completely secure.
SyndicIT's hosting facility is Rackspace, the leading provider of cloudbased data storage for top Fortune 100 companies, and a known leader in
the industry. Storing your data in a hosted facility is the most secure way to
manage your business documents because you eliminate the risk of theft,
damage, loss, and unsecured access
Copyright 2012. SyndicIT Services Corporation.
4. Will going "paperless" require a lengthy transition period?
SyndicIT's SaaS-based document management system is deployed
instantly. Depending on your needs, we offer professional services to
enhance the system with integration to property management systems,
structure design assistance, and technical support. Regardless, your
property can be ready to store documents within the system on day one.
We focus on making the transition as easy and simple as possible. From
day one start storing new documents in your new document management
system, and coincide with efforts to upload property back-files into the
system, a service for which we also provide support and assistance.
Copyright 2012. SyndicIT Services Corporation.