How to Eliminate Paper Storage: 6 Simple Steps to Cut Costs and Regain Control

Too much paper still piling up?

If you’re struggling to find important documents, or you’re just tired of all the wasted space and constant digging through filing cabinets, you’re not alone.

Over time, paper clutter eats away at your efficiency and creates way too much stress on your day.

According to Gartner, 3% of enterprise information is incorrectly filed and 7.5% of all documents get lost annually, which just shows how easy it is for things to spiral out of control and cause problems that hit your bottom line.

But here’s the thing – you don’t have to live with overflowing cabinets and endless frustration every time you need something.

In this article, I’m going to walk you through how to eliminate paper storage using six simple steps that anyone can follow, so you can finally cut costs and feel more in control of your work.

You’ll walk away knowing exactly how to fix the root issues, and feel less overwhelmed about making this change for good.

Let’s get started.

1. Evaluate Your Paper Processes

Paper files keep piling up, don’t they?

If you haven’t taken a close look at where paper enters or exits your workflows, it’s easy to lose sight of just how much clutter it causes.

I’ve seen this over and over—paper creeps in from dozens of different places and before you know it, your office feels out of control. Invoices in one folder, contracts in a cabinet, HR files in a box—no one knows what’s current, or even where to look.

One thing to keep in mind is that a 24% of businesses admit they’re worried their digital strategies won’t fit their old ways of doing things. That means there’s a lot of hesitation just to start organizing or changing existing habits.

If your processes stay on autopilot, you’ll stay stuck with all the same costs, inefficiencies, and mess—so let’s figure out which steps come first.

Let’s get real about your paper stack.

The first thing I recommend is mapping out exactly where paper comes in, gets stored, or leaves your hands. If you evaluate your paper processes now, you can start to visualize possible bottlenecks and redundancies that are making things worse.

The more you dig in, the easier it is to spot old habits and workflows—like scanning invoices twice or filing duplicate records—that could disappear if you decided to go digital.

Breaking this down can look like walking through a day or a week and making a list of:

• What documents come in and how (mail, print)
• Who needs to access them day-to-day
• Where the papers physically go If you want to move forward with eliminating paper storage, getting clear on your processes is the first step to making real changes.

Try this before you do anything else.

Seeing it all mapped out gives you actionable insights and often reveals quick fixes that free up space, reduce costs, and give you instant peace of mind.

Ready to simplify your paper workflows? Start a FREE trial of FileCenter and see how our software helps you regain control and cut storage costs today.

2. Scan and Digitize Your Old Files

Is paper clutter holding your business back lately?

It’s easy to get swamped with stacks of old documents that make finding anything a real chore.

Before you know it, you’re wasting valuable time on endless searches, important files get buried or lost altogether, and it all adds stress that nobody needs.

According to AIIM, 75% of organizations see document scanning and capture as “critical” or “very important” for their business processes. In my experience, that need only grows as your team and document pile both get bigger.

If you’re struggling, you’re not the only one stuck in that cycle—but there’s a straightforward fix to break out of it.

Start by scanning and digitizing every old file.

It’s the first major step that lets you finally move away from chaotic piles and start fresh with a digital archive. Once your paperwork is online, it’s so much easier to clean things up and move toward your main goal—eliminating paper storage for good.

Scanning can be surprisingly simple with the right approach, especially if you invest in a decent scanner or mobile scanning app so your team can pitch in from anywhere.

When you digitize, you might sort files by department, project, or year—whatever actually makes finding them easier. That’s how you can get control over all those records and learn how to eliminate paper storage practically, not just in theory.

It really all starts with this crucial step.

You’ll avoid future messes, plus you actually free up your office, save money, and give everyone relief from the paper chase.

3. Organize Your Digital Documents

Feeling buried under a mountain of messy digital files?

If sorting out digital documents feels like searching for a needle in a haystack, your team is probably wasting a ton of valuable time.

I get a lot of questions about this because disorganized digital files just become a new source of confusion when you switch from paper. It might look like progress, but if you can’t find what you need, daily work doesn’t actually get any simpler. Even worse, all that time adds up quickly.

According to a Wakefield Research study, half of SMB employees say they waste time daily searching for documents; on average, companies lose nearly $20,000 per knowledge worker each year. That means your bottom line takes a bigger hit than you might expect from these daily hassles.

If efficient document retrieval is still a headache, it’s time for things to change.

Getting your digital documents organized is more straightforward than you think.

When you set up simple digital folders and a consistent naming system, you make it much easier for anyone to locate what they need—fast.

Clear categories and searchable tags take away so much of the guesswork, so no one wastes their day clicking through random files.

If you’re not sure where to start, try sorting documents by department, project, or date, and keep related records together for quick access. That approach shows exactly how to eliminate paper storage problems and keep clutter at bay, especially as your document library grows.

It really is that simple.

With a bit of upfront organization, your team gains back countless hours, and you have confidence that nothing important will slip through the cracks.

4. Choose Document Management Software

Paper files aren’t giving you the control you want.

If you’re still depending on paper for your critical documents, it’s probably eating up time and budget—especially now that you’re ready for actual progress.

I usually hear that the manual search for files, repeated printing, and loss of vital records really sap productivity and make everyone anxious about compliance or unexpected audits. The lack of a real system often leaves you on edge, not knowing where anything is when you need it.

Switching to the right platform solves more than just filing headaches. Forrester found that businesses using document management software saw a 52% reduction in the time spent searching for documents. Just imagine what you could get done with all that time back in your day.

It’s tough to feel in control when every document hunt turns into a scramble, but the right tools can flip that experience in your favor.

There’s actually a simpler solution than you might think.

By choosing modern document management software, you give yourself a way to scan, organize, store and retrieve files from anywhere, cutting out paper storage for good.

What I find makes a real difference is having every file available with a quick search—even if you’re working from home or on the road.

Instead of filing cabinets and folders, DMS platforms let you set up permissions, automate retention policies, and even back up files securely. If you want to learn the full process, you’ll cover more about digitizing paper files just above under scanning and organizing steps.

That’s how you set yourself up for less stress.

Modern document management software adapts as your business grows, making it a great fit for anyone who wants lasting organization and better peace of mind.

5. Automate Paperless Workflows

Paperwork slowing down your entire workflow?

If you’re stuck chasing signatures, approvals, or paper forms, those slow, manual steps just keep adding to your workload and stress.

What usually happens is your team wastes hours waiting for someone to scan, review, or move a document before the next step, causing a domino effect of hold-ups everywhere. Beyond the wasted time, all those delays can expose sensitive papers to risk or make it easier to lose track of important information.

IDC’s research actually shows that organizations with automated document workflows have managed to cut document processing costs by an impressive 30%. That’s real money you could put back into growing your business, not wasting it on avoidable bottlenecks.

If constant paperwork hiccups are leaving you behind, automation might be what finally puts you back in control.

Let’s look at how a smarter system fixes this.

By automating your paperless workflows, you don’t just speed up routine steps—you unlock a much simpler way to reduce paper storage headaches for good.

Automatic routing and digital approvals shave hours off repeat tasks and keep documents instantly available for everyone who needs them.

For example, document management software can set approval reminders, email digital forms for signing, or route purchase orders to the right inbox, showing you exactly how workflows like these eliminate your paper storage nightmare.

This kind of automation is a total game-changer.

You’re not just clearing clutter from the office—you’re gaining a reliable system that saves money, boosts compliance, and lets everyone finally get more done.

Ready to simplify your workflow? Start a FREE trial of FileCenter today and see how you can eliminate paper storage and save time instantly.

6. Sustain Your Paperless Office

Keeping a paperless office running takes real commitment.

If you let good habits slide, even digital systems start to get messy and paper piles can creep back in.

Over time, I’ve noticed that if you don’t schedule digital cleanups your shared drives will fill up with outdated files and people just fall back on printing because it feels easier.

According to AIIM, 84% of organizations believe that paperless processes bring lasting operational benefits. Clearly, sticking with digital isn’t just about saving space—it’s what keeps your team efficient, secure, and ready for growth.

If you want these results, you need to make your new habits last.

Staying digital relies on continuous effort.

I’ve seen that maintaining a paperless office only works if you approach it as an ongoing practice, not a one-time project. This is really what makes or breaks whether you eliminate paper storage for good.

You need to set reminders to review digital files a few times a year and build in checks for unnecessary printing or manual document handling.

For example, add a monthly calendar alert to audit your document folders or put up simple signs at the printer encouraging digital workflows. That way, sustaining a paperless office becomes second nature and helps everyone keep things running smoothly.

That simple mindset shift can make a big difference.

When it’s just part of how you work, you hang onto the savings, productivity, and peace of mind that come with staying paper-free.

Conclusion

Too much paper is slowing you down.

Every wasted minute digging for documents is time you can’t get back, especially when running a small business.

Here’s what really drives it home—according to McKinsey, employees spend nearly 20% of their week just searching for information. That’s a full day lost, every single week. Imagine finally reclaiming all that time for your most important work instead.

But you’re not stuck with the mess.

This article has shown you how to eliminate paper storage by breaking the whole process down into easy, practical steps that make chaos a thing of the past.

When you follow these strategies, I’ve seen teams regain control, free up space, and boost both efficiency and confidence. For anyone searching for how to eliminate paper storage, these six steps offer the clarity—and results—you’ve wanted.

Make today the day you move forward. Start digitizing your old files or try document management software to see immediate results.

You’ll save money and finally regain control.

Ready to see results? Start a FREE trial of FileCenter now and watch how quickly it cuts your paper clutter and boosts your productivity.